The grunwald problem and approximation properties for homogeneous spaces

Given a group G and a number field K, the Grunwald problem asks whether given field extensions of completions of K at finitely many places can be approximated by a single field extension of K with Galois group G. This can be viewed as the case of constant groups G in the more general problem of determining for which K-groups G the variety SL_n/G has weak approximation. We show that away from an explicit set of bad places both problems have an affirmative answer for iterated semidirect products with abelian kernel. Furthermore, we give counterexamples to both assertions at bad places. These turn out to be the first examples of transcendental Brauer-Manin obstructions to weak approximation for homogeneous spaces.