Global Briefs: Germany’s far right scores a win

Germany

Political parties in the country are vowing not to work with Alternative for Germany party (AfD), which won 32.8 percent of the vote in the eastern state of Thuringia during elections on Sept. 1. The victory marks the first time since World War II that a far-right party has won a regional election in Germany. In the neighboring state of Saxony, AfD came in a close second behind the Christian Democratic Union. AfD’s anti-migration and Euroskeptic agenda appeals to a German population—particularly in former East German regions—weary of the country’s costly open-door refugee policy, especially following recent violent attacks by asylum-seekers and suspected Islamists. The party’s leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, is a former history teacher who has criticized Germany’s culture of Holocaust remembrance and purposefully used Nazi rhetoric. —Jenny Lind Schmitt

Nicaragua

On Sept. 5, the Nicaraguan government released 135 political prisoners, including 13 members of the Texas-based missionary agency Mountain Gateway. The Nicaraguan government, spearheaded by ex-guerrilla fighter Daniel Ortega, had accused Mountain Gateway staffers of money laundering and other criminal activity—allegations the organization denied. The detainees also included “Catholic laypeople, students, and others who Daniel Ortega and [his wife and Vice President] Rosario Murillo consider a threat to their authoritarian rule,” according to a White House press release. Ortega seized power after the country’s Sandinista revolution in the 1980s and then again in 2007. Since his contested reelection three years ago, Ortega has taken steps to eliminate political opposition. —Grace Snell

Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rolling back a migrant worker program and tightening border restrictions amid pressure from the U.S. and a backlash from some Canadians. Canada’s foreign worker program, once one of the most permissive in the world, brought a surge of migrants to the country on temporary work permits. Between 2016 and 2023, the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers grew from 15,817 to 83,654. Trudeau’s Liberal government, trailing in the polls ahead of next year’s election, has faced criticism from Canadians who blame the program for a housing shortage. The new rules slash the number of low-wage workers Canadian companies can hire by 10-20 percent. The country’s immigration department is also refusing entry to more travelers and approving fewer visas and work permits. —Elizabeth Russell

Philippines

Philippine officials apprehended fugitive and former Philippine Mayor Alice Guo outside Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept. 4 following a weekslong chase. Authorities accuse Guo of being a spy for China, forging her Philippine citizenship, and using her position as mayor of Bamban, Philippines, to protect online casinos that were fronts for China-linked scamming and trafficking rings. In March authorities shut down a casino in Bamban and rescued nearly 700 workers who were forced to pose as online lovers in complex scamming operations. Guo’s suspected connections to China come amid tensions between the two countries over territories in the South China Sea. —Jenny Lind Schmitt

Kenya

Olympian and Ugandan long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei died Sept. 5 in a murder case that highlighted an ongoing problem of violence against women in Kenya. The 33-year-old athlete died at a Kenyan hospital days after her ex-boyfriend drenched her in gasoline and set her alight. The ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, also died from burns sustained in the attack. Authorities said Cheptegei had just returned from church with her two daughters when Ndiema targeted her. The two reportedly argued over a piece of land Cheptegei had bought in Trans-Nzoia county. Weeks earlier, Cheptegei ran in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, ­finishing in 44th place. —Onize Oduah

Guyana

On Sept. 1, authorities from Guyana announced the biggest drug seizure of recent years with the capture of nearly 4.5 tons of cocaine worth $200 million at the jungle border with Venezuela. Officials, assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforce­ment Administration, unearthed the cocaine at a clandestine airstrip, and one suspect was arrested. Authorities had previously discovered “narco submarines” in the same region of Guyana with a loading capacity of up to 3 tons of drugs underwater. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali pledged to “break the back of drug trafficking networks” but emphasized his dependence on international cooperation to combat the crisis. Bolivia and Paraguay also broke their drug bust records this year, signaling a surge of drug cartels across Latin America. —Carlos Páez