Germany's SPD vote to enter formal coalition talks with Angela Merkel's party

Germany moved a step closer to forming a government after months of political uncertainty yesterday, as the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) voted to begin formal coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives. Around 600 party delegates gathered in Bonn  on Sunday for a fraught and at times emotional debate that lasted well into the afternoon. The final vote was 362 votes for, and 279 against, with one abstention, and followed a thorough recount after the firs