Germany: Polls open in two key state elections

We're expecting exit polls at around 16.00 GMT. Follow along here for all the highs and lows today: In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the fight is between the Social Democrats (SPD) led by the popular Manuela Schwesig and the far-right Altnerative for Germany (AfD). The 52-year-old Schwesig has made it her mission to beat back the advance of the AfD, which is polling at around 37%, ahead of the SPD at 33%. "The situation is serious," Schwesig told DW recently. "The AfD would harm our economy; they would harm our social cohesion. Their crude way of speaking, their hate and incitement, is tearing our society apart; there's a renewed propensity for violence, and that will affect us women in particular.