It looks like the tense relationship between Greece and Germany could get rid of some pressure. Alexis Tsipras, who is the Prime-Minister of Greece, and Germany`s most powerful lady, Angela Merkel are trying to ease the tension that is at the moment characteristic to the interaction between the two countries.

Right now, one cannot precisely say if Chancellor Angela Merkel will reach an agreement with Greece`s Prime-Minister in connection with the war debt that Germany is asked to pay to the Mediterranean state, which is in a grave economic situation. But what we know is that Ms. Merkel is ready to welcome Prime-Minister Tsipras with the highly prestigious custom of military honors, when the head of the Greek cabinet arrives at her Chancellery.

There were four weeks of trying to reach such an agreement, but with no precise results until now. What is sure is that Greece has to present a plan of reforms to be implemented in the next period in the Mediterranean country, in order to receive the amount of money lent by the three most important creditors which have a relationship with Athens. The principal creditors are the International Monetary Fund, The Central Bank of Europe and the European Commission. The last one functions as a representative of all the 18 other states which are part of the Eurozone.

Prime-Minister Alexis Tsipras wrote a letter on March 15 in which he mentions the economic problems of Greece. The message was intended to reach the ears of people who can do anything about it. Thus the letter was sent to Chancellor Angela Merkel and other important leaders in the European Union, among them: the President of France, Francois Hollande and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

The message of Prime-Minister Alexis Tsipras has been heard and leaders started negotiations and discussions. As a result of receiving the letter, last week a meeting took place in Brussels, attended by Mr. Alexis Tsipras, the French president, the German leader and the European leader.

Gavriil Sakellaridis, who is the Greek cabinet`s spokesman said that the European leaders listened to the Prime-Minister`s message at the meeting in Brussels. Sakellaridis also added that Greece is in a very serious situation. It was no joke when Greece announced that soon the Mediterranean state will have to make an incredibly-hard decision: it will have to choose whether it will pay the salaries and the pensions or their debts to the creditors. The Greek spokesman emphasized this aspect, saying that it has stopped to be a threat, something that could or could not occur. It has become reality and unless something is done Greece might become unable to pay its citizens or to honor their debts.

As we have said, an agreement is expected but nothing precise has come out of the debates between the European leaders. Chancellor Angela Merkel`s spokesman, Steffen Seibert admitted that, indeed, a letter from Prime-Minister Alexi Tsipras had arrived at Berlin. He reiterated Angela Merkel`s position regarding Greece`s situation, who last week stated that, in the end, an agreement is not her decision, but it is in the prerogatives of the Eurozone and in the responsibilities of the creditors. Seibert added that from the talks that happened on Monday, little should be expected. They would not bring clear solutions to the matter.

The diplomatic scene is not the safest place to be in general, but last period`s relationship between Berlin and Athens were pretty harsh. Each part`s finance ministers have been involved in verbal animosity. Moreover, the Greek minister, Yanis Varaoufakis, is the main character in a controversy about a middle finger gesture pointed at Germany, during an international meeting that took place in Croatia two years ago.

Furthermore, the last weeks brought a new subject to the table, which has also caused a lot of fuss. The Greeks assume that Germany has to pay taxes for war reparations and for the crimes the Nazi have committed during World War II. Germany`s left wing took Greece`s request into consideration, but, in the end, the center-right and center-left coalition that is Germany`s cabinet decided to comment no further on the matter, considering it a closed case.

But it`s not only animosity between Greece and Germany. A sign of reconciliation was given by the two states` foreign ministers. They have discussed over a dinner that lasted three hours on Sunday night. The two ministers were colleagues at the University of Giessen. The dinner seemed to unfurl in a very pleasant way, at least according to the German minister`s spokesman.

Image Source: KeepTalkingGreece

An information was made public on one of the sites affiliated to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant regarding the recent attack of a national museum in Tunisia`s capital, Tunis. The statement claimed responsibility of the Islamic State over the terrorist attack that killed at least 23 people and wounded numerous others, within which there were mostly foreign tourists.

The Tunisian authorities have not yet confirmed that the Islamic State group was the author of the attack but they say two gunmen, who were killed in an armed conflict with the police, have been identified. Also, it seems that 9 other suspects have been taken into custody by the police and they are thought to be connected to the tragic event of Wednesday`s afternoon.

The attack took place at the National Bardo Museum, which is among the most important museums in the Mediterranean Basin and is regarded as the second most important gallery after the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. The event gives a blow to Tunisian tourism, one of the most significant sectors in the country`s economy, and a creator of numerous jobs. Tunisia is the closest to being an operative democratic system amogst the states of Maghreb, or the northern part of the African continent.  After the attack, two of the cruise lines that cross the Mediterranean Sea cancelled their following stops in Tunisia. The two ships are Italy`s Costa Crociere and MSC Cruises. 17 of their customers were murdered during the attack in Tunis.

Tunisia`s Health Minister, Said Aidi, revealed a report on the vicitms` identity. It showed that out of the total victims of the attack claimed by the Islamic State, 20 were foreigners visiting Tunisia. Three of the victims were Tunisians. The foreigners were on vacation from their home-countries, Columbia, Japan, Australia, Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom, Belgium and France. The attack wounded approximately 50 people, and some of them are critically injured.

A Spanish couple hid into the museum basement, where they spent the night, and were discovered the next day by the authorities. The Spanish woman was pregnant. Also, the officials found an employee of the National Bardo Museum who had hidden in one of the store rooms. Fortunately, they all have escaped without any physical injury.

Still, there was a couple from Barcelona that was killed by what now seems to be Islamic State extremists. They were on holiday, celebrating 50 years since their wedding.

Image Source: Al Jazeera

Fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, creator of the “Discworld” series and author of more than 70 books passed at age 66. He suffered from an unusual type of Alzheimer`s disease.

He was notorious in Great Britain and all across the world both because of his writing and his campaign for dementia awareness and for the right of the critically ill persons` right to choose assisted suicide.

Transworld Publishers said that Sir Terry Pratchett died on Thursday at his home, surrounded by the members of his family and ″with his cat sleeping on his bed″. He died from a chest infection, on the background of his dementia`s worsening effects

Terry Pratchett`s death was also announced through a series of posts on Twitter.

“AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.”, began the series of tweets.

“Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.”

“The End.”

In the last period of his life, during which his dementia worsened, Pratchett gradually lost his ability to write. He had to turn to a dictation system, which made it possible for the writer to continue his work. However, his agent Colin Smythe said that this change may have affected Pratchett`s style of prose. Sir Terry finished his final book in 2014. ″The Shepard`s Crown″ is to be published later this year.

Out of his more than 70 books, 40 were interconnected comic novels, within the ″Discworld″ series. The series started in 1983, with the publication of ″The Colour of Magic″ and it became more and more successful as years went by and the universe created by Pratchett got more complex and more elaborated.

The story took place on an immense disc on the back of four elephants, a saga that ridiculed fantasy literature and as well as politics and the real world.

Terry Pratchett was an active supporter of assisted suicide for the patients who suffered from terrible diseases. At the Richard Dimbleby lecture in 2010, he argued that assisted suicide should be a legal system with panels to judge cases, giving the example of his own case.

“I have vowed that rather than let Alzheimer’s take me, I would take it. I would live my life as ever to the full and die, before the disease mounted its last attack, in my own home, in a chair on the lawn, with a brandy in my hand to wash down whatever modern version of the Brompton Cocktail some helpful medic could supply. And with Thomas Tallis on my iPod, I would shake hands with death.”

Terry Pratchett said.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009, for his literary career. He donated one million dollars to Alzheimer`s research, emphasizing the fact that it should be a high priority for the scientific world.

Sir Terry Pratchett is survived by his wife, Lyn Pratchett, whom he married in 1968, and their daughter, Rhianna.

Image Source: BookRiot