Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 Februari 2015 | 20.18
Egypt's Copts are the largest Christian community in the Middle East and are estimated to account for around 15% of the country's population.
"Coptic" is used to describe the native Christians living in the country, where Christianity is a large minority religion.
The Coptic Orthodox Church was founded in the first century by Saint Mark the apostle, who wrote the second Gospel of the New Testament.
The church carefully preserves the Orthodox Christian faith and follows the apostles' doctrines.
Islamists protest in Cairo near the Coptic Cathedral in 2011
A video released on Sunday apparently shows 21 Copts being beheaded by Islamic State-inspired combatants.
The footage, which is entitled "A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross", has a scrolling caption in the first few seconds referring to the hostages as "people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian Church".
Video:Egypt Fighter Jets Hit Militants
It makes reference to Egyptian women Camilia Shehata and Wafa Constantine, the wives of Coptic priests whose alleged conversion to Islam caused a sectarian dispute in Egypt five years ago.
Shehata went missing for five days in July 2010 following a domestic argument. Police later found her and escorted her home.
Coptic Christians staged protests when she disappeared, but when Shehata was returned, Islamists took to the streets claiming she had chosen to convert to Islam and was being held by the church against her will.
Wafa Constantine went missing in 2004, reportedly after her husband refused to grant her a divorce.
As reports of her conversion to Islam spread, she was temporarily sequestered at a convent.
After the hostages are beheaded in the video, a scrolling caption reads: "The filthy blood is just some of what awaits you, in revenge for Camilia and her sisters."
Bishop Angaelos, general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, said the killings had caused "deep feelings of sorrow and pain".
"While it may seem illogical or incomprehensible, we also pray for those who have carried out these horrific crimes, that the value of God's creation and human life may become more evident to them, and in this realisation, that the wider effects of pain brought by this and other acts of brutality may be realised and avoided.
"We pray for an end to the dehumanisation of captives who become mere commodities to be bartered, traded and negotiated with."
Police say two men arrested over a deadly shooting in Copenhagen have been charged with aiding the suspected gunman.
A massive manhunt was launched in the wake of the shootings, which left two dead and five police officers injured.
Police are attempting to piece together events leading up to the attack
By the early hours of Sunday officers believed they had caught the killer after the suspect, Omar-el Hussein, was shot dead near a train station. The two men were later arrested nearby.
Reporting from Copenhagen, Sky's Ian Woods said: "We are hearing that police have charged two people that they detained with aiding the man suspected of shooting dead these people in that terrorist attack.
Video:Police Identify Shooting Suspect
"I'm told one of them was arrested at an internet cafe and the other was arrested five hours earlier in the morning.
"I am told they are being charged in connection with hiding him after the initial gun attack at the cafe in Copenhagen early on Saturday afternoon, and also with supplying the weapon used. They will appear before a judge in a closed court session."
The first attack happened shortly before 3pm UK time on Saturday when a gunman opened fire outside a cafe where a panel was discussing freedom of speech.
Documentary film maker Finn Noergaard, 55, who was attending the event in the Krudttoenden cultural centre, was killed and three officers were injured after the shooter, armed with an automatic weapon, fired through the windows.
Shortly after midnight UK time, a second attack happened outside a synagogue in Krystalgade, where a Jewish man was killed after being shot in the head and two police officers were wounded.
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Gallery: Two Killed In Cafe And Synagogue Shootings
Two people have been killed and five police officers were injured in two shootings in the Danish capital Copenhagen. This is the scene of the cafe attack on Saturday
He was later shot dead by officers here, near one of the city's train stations, after reportedly opening fire on them
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Video:Ukraine: Tentative Ceasefire Holds
Four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in attacks by separatists since a ceasefire came into force, according to reports.
The ceasefire came into force on Sunday morning, but a Kiev military source has reported four deaths since then.
A further 21 Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded, the source added.
Fighting has continued around Debaltseve in the country's east
Occasional shelling and gunfire has been heard close to the flashpoint town of Debaltseve in the country's east. It is on the frontline between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists.
The ceasefire agreement was reached following talks in the Belarus capital Minsk led by France and Germany.
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Gallery: Ukraine Truce Holds But Sporadic Clashes Continue
Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through Donetsk. Most of the frontline has fallen silent, but a Kiev source said four Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire started on Sunday.
Two members of the armed forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard at a checkpoint near the town.
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Another member of the Donetsk People's Republic checks on a kettle as the ceasefire holds across large swathes of eastern Ukraine.
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Meanwhile, on a road leading to the contested town of Debaltseve - which has continued to see some unrest - two Ukrainian soldiers play football during the ceasefire.
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Other members of the Ukrainian armed forces take a cigarette break near Debaltseve.
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But Pro-Russian rebels had indicated they would not observe the truce at Debaltseve where Ukrainian forces have been largely surrounded.
Senior rebel commander Eduard Basurin said: "Of course we can open fire (on Debaltseve). It is our territory."
A statement released by Kiev said the "enemy" was carrying out attacks in the region using Grad rockets.
It said the military had a plan to try to re-take control of Debaltseve.
The 10-month conflict has already claimed more than 5,300 lives.
In a counter claim, separatist military spokesman Eduard Basurin said in a televised news conference on Monday that the government launched an artillery strike overnight on Horlivka, a town under rebel control.
Meanwhile the European Union has published a new list of Ukrainians and Russians targeted by sanctions for undermining Ukraine's independence.
The list includes Russian first deputy defence minister Arkady Bakhin.
Also named on the list of 19 people and nine organisations is Andrei Kartapolov, deputy chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces.
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Ukrainian Soldiers Killed Despite Ceasefire
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Video:Ukraine: Tentative Ceasefire Holds
Four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in attacks by separatists since a ceasefire came into force, according to reports.
The ceasefire came into force on Sunday morning, but a Kiev military source has reported four deaths since then.
A further 21 Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded, the source added.
Fighting has continued around Debaltseve in the country's east
Occasional shelling and gunfire has been heard close to the flashpoint town of Debaltseve in the country's east. It is on the frontline between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists.
The ceasefire agreement was reached following talks in the Belarus capital Minsk led by France and Germany.
1/16
Gallery: Ukraine Truce Holds But Sporadic Clashes Continue
Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through Donetsk. Most of the frontline has fallen silent, but a Kiev source said four Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire started on Sunday.
Two members of the armed forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard at a checkpoint near the town.
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Another member of the Donetsk People's Republic checks on a kettle as the ceasefire holds across large swathes of eastern Ukraine.
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Meanwhile, on a road leading to the contested town of Debaltseve - which has continued to see some unrest - two Ukrainian soldiers play football during the ceasefire.
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Other members of the Ukrainian armed forces take a cigarette break near Debaltseve.
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But Pro-Russian rebels had indicated they would not observe the truce at Debaltseve where Ukrainian forces have been largely surrounded.
Senior rebel commander Eduard Basurin said: "Of course we can open fire (on Debaltseve). It is our territory."
A statement released by Kiev said the "enemy" was carrying out attacks in the region using Grad rockets.
It said the military had a plan to try to re-take control of Debaltseve.
The 10-month conflict has already claimed more than 5,300 lives.
In a counter claim, separatist military spokesman Eduard Basurin said in a televised news conference on Monday that the government launched an artillery strike overnight on Horlivka, a town under rebel control.
Meanwhile the European Union has published a new list of Ukrainians and Russians targeted by sanctions for undermining Ukraine's independence.
The list includes Russian first deputy defence minister Arkady Bakhin.
Also named on the list of 19 people and nine organisations is Andrei Kartapolov, deputy chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces.
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Egypt Bombs Libya Targets After Beheadings
Why Are Egypt's Christians Being Targeted?
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Egypt's military says it has bombed targets in Libya, a day after a video purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians was released by Islamic State-inspired combatants.
The attack, in which Libya's air force also took part, focused on camps, training sites and weapons storage areas across the border between the two countries.
A Libyan air force commander told Egyptian state television that 40-50 militants were killed.
Saqer al Joroushi said the strikes by war planes loyal to the official government had been coordinated with Egypt and more would follow.
The camouflaged fighter that appears in the video
He said Egyptian and Libyan planes had combined to hit targets in the eastern town of Derna. Libyan planes then attacked the central cities of Sirte and Ben Jawad, he added.
Egyptian planes later returned for a second wave of airstrikes on Derna.
Video:Egypt's Warning To Europe Over I.S.
A spokesman for Egypt's Armed Forces General Command said the strikes were "to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers".
"Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them," the statement added.
The strikes come after video emerged showing 21 handcuffed hostages dressed in orange jumpsuits being murdered by militants calling themselves the Tripoli Province of Islamic State.
In the latest issue of the IS online magazine Dabiq, the group had said the same number of Egyptian hostages were being held in Libya after being kidnapped in January.
Video:Egypt President Orders Airstrikes
In the video, which shows the hostages being beheaded simultaneously on a beach, a camouflaged fighter points north across the Mediterranean and threatens in an American accent that IS, which already controls around a third of Iraq and Syria, will soon reach Europe.
Egypt's ambassador to the UK, Nasser Kamel, told Sky News nations need to join together and face the threat from the group, which is "coming closer to home, and by home I mean not only Egypt, but also Europe".
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron described the killings as "a simply barbaric and inhumane act", while White House spokesman Josh Earnest described the militants' actions as "despicable and cowardly".
In the aftermath, Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, threatened to carry out a "suitable" punishment.
Video:Egypt Fighter Jets Hit Militants
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday that "tough intervention" against the militants in Libya is needed or they would threaten world peace.
French President Francois Hollande and Mr al Sisi have urged the UN Security Council to meet and consider new measures to tackle the militants.
Libya's internationally recognised prime minister, Abdullah al Thinni, has called on the West to launch airstrikes on Islamist militants in his country.
The country is split between two rival governments each backed by different militias: Mr al Thinni's, which is based in Tobruk, and another located in Tripoli.
Video:How IS Control Could Increase
The Tripoli-based parliament strongly condemned the Egyptian strike on Derna as an "assault against Libyan sovereignty".
Egypt's Copts are the largest Christian community in the Middle East and are estimated to account for around 15% of the country's population.
Thousands of Egyptians have headed to Libya to work since the Egyptian uprising in 2011, despite government advice to stay away.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 Februari 2015 | 20.18
By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent
Mohamed Fahmy, one of three Al Jazeera journalists freed on bail after spending more than a year in an Egyptian prison, has told Sky News it would be naive to think he and his colleagues are in the clear.
Speaking from his family home in Cairo, Mr Fahmy said the 24 hours since his release had felt like a "rebirth and a fresh slate" but cautioned that the battle for freedom is not over.
He said: "I will fight this all the way. I don't trust the lawyers and I've learned not to get my hopes up or trust the system."
Mr Fahmy was released from jail on Friday along with his colleague Baher Mohamed after being told he would have to face a retrial over allegations they supported the Muslim Brotherhood.
The 40-year-old said he will be trying to schedule meetings with the Egyptian President, Foreign Minister and other officials in the coming days to try to guarantee his release.
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He said the Egyptian authorities had not given him his passports or any identity documents, which was making it difficult for him to return to normality as he cannot rent an apartment, drive.
Mr Fahmy also has to register every day at his local police station as a condition of his bail - for which his family paid $33,000 (£21,000) - and has a travel ban imposed on him.
"We are still living in this nightmare. It's still there," he said.
Mohamed Fahmy and his colleagues Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste were arrested on 29 December 2013 and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison on terror charges.
An appeals court later overturned the verdict, ordering the retrial and granting Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed bail.
Australian correspondent Mr Greste left the country almost two weeks earlier after a presidential decree allowed for the deportation of foreign convicts and defendants.
The next session of the trial is scheduled for the 23 February.
Mr Fahmy described life in a maximum security prison as "hell", especially his first month which was spent in solitary confinement in a tiny, insect-infested cell.
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He said there was no light and he could not tell what time it was.
His two colleagues were then moved to another part of the prison where they were put together in a cell they described as a "shoe box".
The same prison was home to some of the most senior and high-profile members of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the group's Supreme Guide.
To entertain themselves and learn more about their fellow inmates, Mr Fahmy, Mr Greste and Mr Mohamed decided to start a mock station they named 'Al Jazeera Radio Prison' and began interviewing Brotherhood and jihadi inmates through the bars of their cells.
Mr Fahmy said the show gave them something to do and also provided some much-needed relief.
"It's important to have humour in prison to be able to survive," he said, smiling.
But prison authorities found out about the show and told them to shut it down.
The three men spent months in a cell together during their trial before being moved on to yet another wing after they were sentenced.
That is when other inmates joined them in a larger cell he describes as being like a "warehouse."
Video:4 February - Greste Arrives Home
Mr Fahmy said spending more than 400 days in an Egyptian prison had made him think a lot about his life and his priorities.
"Before, it was about getting exclusive stories and being on the front lines. Now I think more about my family and what really matters," he said.
Mr Fahmy admitted his employer, Al Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar, could have done more to better protect its staff on the ground.
He said senior managers displayed a "negligence of responsibility" when it came to their safety and security.
He also thought the Canadian government could have and still should exert much more pressure on the Egyptian authorities.
Mr Fahmy had dual Canadian-Egyptian citizenship but gave up his Egyptian nationality a few months ago after security officials told him to, indicating they would deport him - a move the journalist said was a trick which he now deeply regrets falling for.
But Mr Fahmy was clear about who was to blame for what happened to him and his colleagues.
"The Egyptians put me in prison, the Qataris contributed to my detention by mishandling issues with Al Jazeera's presence in Egypt and the Canadians had a very clear opening to get me out of this debacle," he said.
It was clear, he added, that he and his colleagues were used as pawns within a larger spat between Egypt and Qatar.
Video:'Incredible Angst' Of Journalist
He said: "This case is about freedom of speech only in the sense that you have silenced three award-winning journalists, recognised for their work, and putting them behind bars for not committing any crimes.
"However the other aspect of the case is the ongoing cold war between Egypt and Qatar that resulted in us being used as pawns to score settle these issues between these two countries."
In fact, he said, the prosecutor told him explicitly on various occasions while questioning him that he was being used as a pawn, although a record of their conversations has not been made public.
The TV journalist hopes to reveal much more about in a book he is planning to co-write with colleague Peter Greste, called Marriott Cell , the name they were given by the authorities after being arrested from the Marriott hotel in Cairo where they were working at the time.
Mr Fahmy said his lawyer, Amal Clooney, has expressed interest in writing the introduction to the book and he is already working on it.
For now though, Mohamed Fahmy is enjoying being free.
"It's just nice to walk around and not be followed by a cop," he said.
"You never really appreciate the simple things, but I do now."
A ceasefire appears to be holding in Ukraine - although both sides have accused each other of violating the deal in the hours after the truce deadline passed.
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko ordered government forces to stop firing at 10pm UK time on Saturday, under a plan agreed in Belarus this week.
The military said Ukrainian armed forces immediately fulfilled Mr Poroshenko's order and guns fell silent in Donetsk and some other parts of the country's east.
Under the peace agreement, both Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels were to hold their fire, before pulling back their heavy weaponry to form a wide buffer zone.
Intense fighting continued around Debaltseve on Saturday
There were reports of continued fighting and movement of military vehicles right up to the deadline, and after it had passed government forces and rebels said there were violations in the first few hours.
A Ukraine military spokesman has said rebels shelled its positions 10 times after the truce began, but that the ceasefire is being observed "in general".
Video:Can Ukraine Peace Deal Succeed?
A pro-Kiev official says two civilians were killed by rockets fired by rebels just after the start of the truce, the AFP news agency is reporting.
Mr Poroshenko admitted there was "alarm" over the situation around the key transport hub of Debaltseve, where government forces have been hard pressed by Russian-backed separatists.
A senior pro-Russian separatist commander has said that rebels still have the right to fire on the town in spite of the ceasefire because "it is our territory".
Intense fighting continued around the strategic government-held area on Saturday.
Video:Ceasefire Deal In Ukraine Conflict
Earlier in the week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers were besieged by separatists around the town and would have to lay down their weapons.
Rebels told the Associated Press news agency they will not consider any battles for the town to be a violation of the ceasefire.
The intensity of the fighting around Debaltseve and elsewhere raises doubts about whether the ceasefire will hold.
The White House said President Barack Obama spoke to Mr Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and expressed concern about the violence.
Video:Poroshenko Wary Of Truce Agreement
The French presidency said Mr Putin reaffirmed in a phone call with his French and German counterparts on Saturday that the ceasefire must be respected.
The statement also said the three leaders will speak by phone with Mr Poroshenko on Sunday to take stock of the ceasefire.
Police officers are attempting to piece together what led a gunman to open fire in two fatal attacks in the Danish capital.
A massive manhunt was launched in the wake of the shootings, which left two dead and five police officers injured.
By the early hours of Sunday, officers believed they had caught the killer after a suspect was shot dead near a train station.
Here is how the events unfolded:
Police were on high alert after the shootings
:: The first attack happened shortly before 3pm UK time on Saturday when a gunman opened fire outside a cafe where a panel was discussing freedom of speech.
A 55-year-old man attending the event in the Krudttoenden cultural centre was killed and three officers were injured after the shooter, armed with an automatic weapon, fired through the windows leaving dozens of bullet holes.
Lars Vilks, who was unharmed, claimed he was the intended target
Among the speakers at the event was Lars Vilks, a Swedish artist who has faced death threats for his cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Mr Vilks, who had bodyguards with him, was reportedly bundled into a cupboard and was not hurt.
He said he believed he was the intended target of the shooting, which happened during a discussion called "Art, blasphemy and freedom of expression".
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has described the assault on the seminar as "a terrorist attack", but little is known about the attacker at this stage.
Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt called it a terrorist attack
Police released CCTV images of a suspect wearing dark clothes and a scarf covering part of his face.
Investigators described him as 25 to 30 years-old with an athletic build, about 6ft tall, and was carrying a black automatic weapon. However, it is not clear if this is the same man who was later shot dead by police.
A car believed to have been used by the attacker was found abandoned.
CCTV images of the suspect were released
:: Shortly after midnight UK time, a second attack happened outside a synagogue in Krystalgade, where a Jewish man was killed after being shot in the head and two police officers were wounded.
The chairman of the Nordic Jewish Security Council, Michael Gelvan, said a bar mitzvah, or Jewish coming of age ceremony, had been under way inside.
He described the victim as a "young man", who was responsible for letting people into the place of worship, which is two miles away from the scene of the first attack. There had also been extra police outside.
The second shooting happened outside a synagogue
:: At around 5am UK time, police said they had shot dead a man near a train station in the Norrebro area of Copenhagen - not far from the site of the two attacks.
Officers said he opened fire on them after they confronted him as he returned to an address they were watching. No police were hurt.
Police at the scene where they killed the suspect
Police said had been "on the radar" of the intelligence services before the shootings.
They believe he was the person responsible for both attacks and they said there was nothing to suggest at present there were others involved.
However, they added there was a large amount of work ahead to determine whether he was acting alone.
A man shot dead by police near a Copenhagen train station is believed to be behind two fatal attacks hours earlier in the city.
Danish officers said they had killed the man after he opened fire on them close to Norrebro Station.
They said CCTV indicated he was responsible for an attack at a cafe on Saturday afternoon and another deadly assault two miles away at the city's main synagogue.
Investigators said there was nothing to suggest at present that other gunmen were involved in the shootings that left two people dead and five police officers wounded.
Police at the scene where the suspect was shot dead
Officials also said it was possible he was imitating last month's Paris shootings, where Islamist gunmen targeted the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a kosher supermarket.
The attack at the synagogue in Krystalgade just after midnight UK time saw one man killed after being shot in the head and two policemen also shot, one in the arm and the other in the leg.
Video:Location Of Copenhagen Shootings
Sky News cameraman Pete Milnes, who was in a hotel next to the synagogue, said: "There was a succession of about six or seven gunshots.
"Within a minute or so, armed police were on the scene, a helicopter was hovering overhead. I witnessed police apprehend an individual who was handcuffed and later released.
"There were 20 to 30 armed police officers with semi-automatic rifles shouting at locals to stay indoors and close windows."
Video:Three Shot At Denmark Synagogue
The victim has been named as 37-year-old Jewish man Dan Uzan, who was guarding a building behind the synagogue.
A major manhunt had earlier been launched after one man was killed and three police officers injured when a gunman opened fire at a cafe where a meeting on free speech was taking place.
The seminar, which was targeted just before 3pm UK time on Saturday, was attended by Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has been threatened with death for his cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. He was not harmed, but a 40-year-old man died.
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Gallery: Two Killed In Cafe And Synagogue Shootings
Two people have been killed and five police officers were injured in two shootings in the Danish capital Copenhagen. This is the scene of the cafe attack on Saturday
He was later shot dead by officers here, near one of the city's train stations, after reportedly opening fire on them
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 13 Februari 2015 | 20.18
Two Al Jazeera journalists have been allowed to leave prison in Egypt after spending more than a year locked up.
Baher Mohamed was freed hours after Mohamed Fahmy's release on bail following a ruling by a Cairo judge.
The men still face a retrial on charges that they supported the Muslim Brotherhood, whose leader Mohamed Morsi was ousted as president in 2013.
A third journalist for the broadcaster, Australian Peter Greste, was deported to his home country two weeks ago.
Mohamed Fahmy raises the Egyptian flag in court earlier this week
The brother of Egyptian national Baher Mohamed told the AFP news agency: "He is at home for the first time in more than a year."
Earlier on Friday, the brother of Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy tweeted that he posted $33,000 bail following the decision to release them.
Video:4 February - Greste Arrives Home
The men were initially detained in December 2013 and sentenced to between seven and 10 years.
The case further strained ties between Egypt and Qatar, where Al Jazeera is based, while human rights groups and several media outlets have described the arrests as politically motivated, saying the three were just doing their job.
Mr Greste was eventually freed under a hastily drawn-up law that gave President Abdel Fattah al Sisi the power to approve the deportation of foreign prisoners.
Mr al Sisi had previously acknowledged that the sentences had a "very negative" effect on Egypt's reputation and that he regretted that the trio had ever been put on trial.
Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, who spent more than 400 days behind bars, are due back in court on February 23 for the retrial, after a ruling that their original conviction was not supported by evidence.
Video:Wife Wants Baher Mohamed Released
Al Jazeera said the men's release was a "small step in the right direction" but that the "absurd" case should be dismissed.
While the retrial could see the case thrown out, it could also see the men convicted but sentenced to time served, or even face more prison time.
In Australia, Mr Greste said it was too soon for celebrations, adding: "The trial is ongoing, and nobody has yet been acquitted.
"I'm looking forward to the day when the court declares all of us innocent of the charges. Then the party will really begin."
Germany has relaxed its fierce opposition to an easing of the bailout demands faced by Greece, though there are no signs a new deal is imminent.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered an olive branch at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels after the country's biggest creditor had previously ruled out writing off debt or allowing a relaxation of austerity.
She told reporters: "Europe always has been geared towards finding compromises. Compromises are agreed when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Germany is ready for this."
The new Greek government - led by prime minister Alexis Tsipras - rose to power on the back of anger at the rescue deal among Greeks that it was killing off any chance of economic recovery.
Its economy is around 25% smaller than it was before the crisis and poverty and unemployment have swelled, with the youth jobless rate above 60%.
Merkel has been the key cheerleader for austerity, fearing that any relaxation of the €240bn bailout's terms would send a signal to other heavily indebted nations that they could divert from reforms.
It was confirmed on Thursday that technical discussions had begun ahead of another meeting of eurozone finance ministers on Monday after talks broke down between them on Wednesday.
Hope that a deal can be reached to support Greek economic recovery and avoid the possibility of a default and exit from the single currency helped support Greek stocks on Thursday following days of volatility.
News of German support for compromise extended the rally on Friday, with some banks enjoying gains of more than 17%.
Tsipras expressed his hope that a "mutually acceptable" debt deal could be secured as early as next week.
He said: "The Greek delegation will take part in these meetings with crystal clear proposals and we will try and convince, not blackmail, our partners about our proposals.
"Our program will respect European rules .... we will keep balanced budget, respect the fiscal rules of the EU.
"We don't want to go back to era of deficits."
Tsipras said his government will propose a set of reforms particularly dealing with the "shortcomings of the Greek state" such as corruption and tax evasion.
The Greek government sees compromise as the way forward but it has ruled out extending the current bailout programme and its associated austerity.
It wants to negotiate a so-called bridge to tide Greece over for the summer until such time as a more permanent deal can be arranged.
