Church bells rang out in the German city of Magdeburg exactly 24 hours after authorities say a man drove into a busy Christmas market, killing five people and injuring 200 others.

Chancellor Angela Merkel says Germans must keep working for democracy, as the country celebrated the 31st anniversary of the reunification of East and West.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc is claiming momentum for the election in September that will choose Germany’s next leader after a larger-than-expected win in the last regional ballot before the nation votes.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives batted away a challenge from the far right in a state election Sunday that was seen as the last big test for Germany’s political parties before a national vote in September.

Voters in Saxony-Anhalt are going to the polls to elect a new state assembly in what is seen as the last big test for Germany’s political parties before a national election in September.