Merkel stays on in a caretaker role until a successor is sworn in; Greens and pro-business Free Democrats will likely determine who forms next ruling coalition

Outgoing Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz and outgoing chancellor's would-be successor Armin Laschet and are neck-and-neck at 25.5% to 24.5% according to an exit poll

Editor David Horovitz discusses PM's trip to the UN and German elections, while Arab affairs correspondent Aaron Boxerman looks at Iraq, PA and internal Arab violence

Conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats are neck and neck and pollsters say the race is 'wide open'

Armin Laschet, 60, has been trailing his Social Democrat challenger Olaf Scholz in the race for the chancellery, but polls are close

For many, Jewish issues pale in comparison to problems such as climate change and growing social inequalities, but some Jewish issues have become national ones, and vice versa

Leaders describe outgoing chancellor as 'a reliable partner for the Jewish community,' one whose legacy is somewhat mixed but where 'the good greatly outweighs the bad'

Ahead of elections this weekend to choose her replacement after 16 years, officials and experts say departure 'leaves a void,' though her legacy also includes shortcomings

After cancelling August trip over Afghanistan crisis, outgoing German chancellor plans to travel to Jewish state next month, following the German national election

Herzog recalls horror of attacks, salutes first responders; other world leaders offer messages of solidarity to Washington, saying attackers failed to destroy Western values