Negotiations on German coalition govt to begin Friday – report

Negotiators from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) will start formal negotiations on forming a new coalition government on Friday, Reuters reported, citing party sources. Merkel and Horst Seehofer, who leads her Bavarian Christian Social Union allies, will meet SPD leader Martin Schulz at 9am (08:00 GMT) in Berlin, according to the sources. A meeting of 15 politicians from the three parties is then planned.