Monday Briefing: Conservatives Near Victory in Germany

Plus, a pharaoh’s tomb was unearthed.

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Who Is Friedrich Merz, the Man Poised to Be Germany’s Next Chancellor?

Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, has vowed to bring stronger leadership in Europe at a time when the new Trump administration has sowed anxiety on the continent.

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Why the Far-Right AfD Is Unlikely to Join Germany’s Next Government

The collective shunning of the AfD party is part of a longstanding attempt to blunt its move into the mainstream.

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Hegseth Defends Trump’s Firing of Joint Chiefs Chairman

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview on Sunday that Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was “not the right man for the moment” and praised President Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine.

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Shakes Sold to Nursing Homes Recalled After Deadly Listeria Outbreak

The frozen supplemental drinks have been linked to an outbreak of listeria that has killed at least 11 people and hospitalized 37.

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German Voters Took Note of Election Interference by Trump Administration Officials

Several voters took note of a speech by Vice President JD Vance this month, when he told European leaders to stop shunning parties deemed “extreme.”

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Expanding West Bank Campaign, Israel Sends Tanks for First Time in Decades

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that 40,000 Palestinian residents displaced from militant hotbeds would not be allowed to return to their homes.

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Live Updates: Merz Appears Poised to Be Next Chancellor

Early exit polls, which are historically quite accurate in Germany, suggest that Friedrich Merz, the candidate for the conservative Christian Democrats, will be Germany’s next leader and the hard-right AfD party in second place.

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Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash

After a monthlong honeymoon for the G.O.P. at the start of President Trump’s term, lawmakers are confronting a groundswell of fear and disaffection in districts around the country.

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Amid Regional Diplomatic Furor, Sudan’s Paramilitaries Forge a Rival Government

The Rapid Support Forces said it was paving the way to an end to the civil war. Critics called it an audacious gambit by a group that the United States has accused of genocide.

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