Thousands protest as AfD becomes first far right party to enter German parliament in 60 years

German chancellor Angela Merkel has won a fourth term, but now faces the tricky prospect of forming a coalition with two disparate new partners after voters weakened her conservatives and a nationalist, anti-migrant party surged into parliament.

Ms Merkel's centre-left challenger, Martin Schulz, conceded his Social Democrats had suffered a "crushing election defeat", with projections showing the party's worst performance in post-Second World War Germany.