German elections dominated morning coverage, with CDU/CSU winning 28.6% and AfD taking unprecedented second place at 20.8%. The EU's 16th sanctions package emerged by midday, disconnecting 13 Russian banks from SWIFT and banning aluminum imports.
Afternoon brought reports of an explosion at Russia's Marseille consulate, which Moscow labeled a terrorist attack. Putin's call with Xi Jinping about US talks in Riyadh suggested diplomatic momentum. Ukrainian parliament failed to pass resolution on Zelensky's powers.
Evening coverage shifted to rare earth metals, with Trump announcing US-Russia economic negotiations and Putin ordering full processing capacity by 2030. The UN General Assembly passed an anti-Russian resolution despite US opposition, while South Korea lifted sanctions on medical equipment exports to Russia.