BERLIN—Angela Merkel took a big step toward clinching a fourth term as Germany’s chancellor on Friday after her conservative party and its center-left rivals agreed on the broad lines of a renewed ruling alliance. After six days of talks covering areas ranging from taxation to immigration, Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, or SPD, said they had enough of a basis to begin detailed formal coalition negotiations.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 12, 2018 09:45 UTC