From an historic 'turning point' in German politics combined with some hope for the future of dual citizenship via five years ...

The former German Chancellor has publicly criticised her former party in the wake of far-right AfD's rising popularity.

Thousands protested outside the CDU party's Berlin headquarters on Thursday, prompting the police to urge staff to leave work early for their own safety, a party official wrote on social media.

Police in Berlin estimated the crowd size at CDU headquarters to be around 6,000, more than the 4,000 that were expected but less than the 13,000 organizers claimed were there.