German parties sign deal for coalition government

Germany's incoming governing parties signed a formal coalition agreement on Tuesday, a day before Olaf Scholz is due to succeed longtime leader Angela Merkel as chancellor.

The agreement hammered out last month between Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats received strong backing over recent days from the three parties' members. That has cleared the way for Scholz to be elected on Wednesday in parliament, where the coalition has a solid majority. Merkel, who has been chancellor for 16 years, did not seek a fifth term.