The Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party has made news in recent years with the kind of taboo nationalist-xenophobic extreme rhetoric associated with the Nazis — and by performing surprisingly well in German elections. On Monday, police arrested Daniel Halemba, a 22-year-old AfD politician elected to Bavaria’s Parliament earlier this month, on charges of sedition and possessing banned Nazi symbols.
This drama began when police were called last week to a student fraternity house in Würzburg after neighbors heard a crowd inside chanting “Sieg Heil,” a well-known Nazi slogan. Inspection of the house reportedly produced a number of banned items. Halemba was arrested just hours before he would have gained immunity from prosecution by being sworn in to Bavaria’s Parliament.
The leader of the AfD, which finished third in the most recent Bavarian parliamentary elections, called the charges against Halemba politically motivated. We’ll be watching to see if the coming court case will have any impact on the party’s national standing, where it currently polls second only to the opposition CDU, with 21% support.
In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.
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Egyptians are voting this month in parliamentary elections that aren’t expected to change who’s in charge, but could allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to rule beyond 2030.
Thailand and Cambodia’s ceasefire is on the verge of collapse. Strikes were launched across their disputed border today, following clashes over the weekend that resulted in the death of a Thai soldier.