Germany has inched one step further towards forming a new government after the centre-left Social Democratic party gave its lukewarm endorsement of a renewed Angela Merkel-led “grand coalition”. At a special SPD congress in Bonn that welcomed leader Martin Schulz’s main speech with sarcastic applause and saw standing ovations for his fiercest critics, the party’s delegates nonetheless gave a cautious green light to the second and final stage of coalition talks with Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democrats.“The SPD must and will be visible, audible and recognisable!” said Schulz at the end of a week of rallying support at party offices across the country.(theguardian)…[+]