World in brief: May 15, 2024

GERMANY: A court in the city of Halle ruled on Tuesday that Bjorn Hocke, one of the best-known figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party, knowingly used a Nazi slogan in a speech and ordered him to pay a fine.
The fine of €13,000 (£11,000) comes months before a regional election in the eastern state of Thuringia in which he plans to run for the governor’s job.
SWITZERLAND: A top criminal court today convicted Ousman Sonko, a former interior minister of Gambia for crimes against humanity over his role in repression committed by the west African country’s security forces under its longtime dictator, a legal advocacy group said.
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Public libraries are sanctuaries which facilitate the exploration of the universe of ideas for free for those curious enough. ROGER McKENZIE advocates their protection against authoritarian incursions, US style