German coalition talks delayed until Friday — sources

KEY POINTS

• German coalition talks have been delayed until noon on Friday, sources said

Talks about forming a new three-way German ruling coalition have been delayed until noon on Friday amid continuing differences over climate, migration and finances, sources familiar with the discussions said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union party

Kai Pfaffenbach | Reuters

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, the pro-business Free Democrats and the environmentalist Greens decided to halt the talks for several hours after failing to make progress during what was to have been the final evening of the talks.

The mood had soured noticeably late on Thursday, with parties breaking off to huddle in their respective caucuses, and party officials trading accusations of blame.

"We'll continue at noon today," said Winfried Kretschmann, a Greens negotiator and premier of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.