The 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation dominated morning coverage, with media focusing on the dwindling number of survivors and contemporary remembrance challenges. This commemoration intersected with migration politics as Lauterbach drew criticism for comparing Merz's proposals to Nazi-era policies.
Trump's immigration policies gained prominence after Colombia yielded to deportation demands, while Merz presented new migration control legislation. The Austria-Germany border dispute intensified as Schallenberg rejected Merz's permanent control proposals.
By afternoon, news broke that eight Israeli hostages designated for release were confirmed dead. Chinese tech firm DeepSeek emerged as challenging US sanctions, while Thyssenkrupp announced potential steel division cuts. Evening coverage revealed Russian forces capturing strategic positions in Donezk, with Ukrainian troops withdrawing, while AfD campaign financing traces to Jena sources emerged.