The German state of Bavaria plans to ban full-face veils in government workplaces, schools and while driving. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the plan would help people communicate, as this "happens not only via language but also looks, facial expressions and gestures," but critics say it's purely political: the state's ruling conservatives are concerned about a challenge from the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the polls seven months from now. Austria, France, Belgium and Bulgaria have all passed similar bans.