Win for member of 'proven right-wing extremist' AfD Thuringia branch; Jewish head of Thuringia domestic intelligence agency to leave country if party becomes part of state gov't

Pressure mounts on Armin Laschet to resign after he led ruling Christian Democrats to worst results ever; coalition negotiations could drag on for weeks

With Merkel set to depart, her center-right Christian Democrats have worst showing ever, running neck-and-neck with Social Democrats, with both claiming right to lead

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

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

Polls suggest AfD support has slipped in the wake of the Halle attack, which has fueled concern over growing right-wing threats