In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Conservatives and the Social Democrats, have made major progress in talks on forming a coalition government. Senior Conservative Peter Altmaier said yesterday's talks had been good and the parties were optimistic. <br/><br/>SPD General Secretary, Lars Klingbeil said the parties had taken a leap forward. The two camps aim to finalize a deal for four more years of a grand coalition by early next week, some four months after an inconclusive election plunged Germany into the political uncertainty.