"Far-Right AfD Party Suffers Defeat in First Election Since Mass Deportation Scandal"

In a regional run-off election in Thuringia, Germany, the conservative CDU candidate Christian Herrgott defeated the far-right AfD candidate Uwe Thrum, marking a potential shift in the AfD's popularity following damaging headlines about a mass-deportation story involving the party. The AfD had led the general election but lost in the run-off after the story sparked outrage and led to widespread protests against right-wing extremism. The AfD's strong support in Thuringia and other eastern states, as well as its national rise, has raised concerns, with Germany's domestic intelligence service labeling the Thuringia's AfD and its leader as "right-wing extremists" posing a threat to democracy.