Greece

By Paul Tugwell & Rebecca Christie

Greece and its creditors remained at loggerheads with time running out to unlock aid in exchange for economic reforms and avert a default.

A wooden sailboat carrying dozens of immigrants ran aground on April 20 off the coast of the Greek island of Rhodes and at least three people, including a child, have drowned, the Greek coast guard said.

It is unclear how or why a boat carrying migrants ran ashore.

Bulgaria's central bank recommended Greek-owned banks to clean their portfolios of securities and deposits which "could incur losses" if Greece leaves the euro, media reports suggest.

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) "kindly advised" in March those financial entities, Capital daily quotes a source from a lending institution whose shareholders include Greek citizens.

Bulgaria could become Europe's Silicon Valley if it tackles corruption and changes the attitudes of politicians, a Bulgarian IT entrepreneur tells the BBC in a report of the British broadcaster.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with Citizens Protection Minister Giannis Panousis on Monday. Tsipras said that the Greek police has a difficult job, adding that the Greek state has zero tolerance for organized groups and corruption. He said that the government and police would collaborate, marking a step towards a new era.

Greece will likely run out of money in June and negotiations on reform have to be completed by that time, the IMF's European head has said.

Greece's current account deficit widened in February compared to the same month a year earlier while tourism receipts rose slightly, according to central bank data published on Monday.

There was progress in talks between Greece and its creditors over the weekend but the various sides still have much ground to cover, sources have told Kathimerini.

Both sides have indicated that the Brussels Group technical talks, which were held in Paris, were more productive than recent deliberations between representatives from Athens and the institutions.

European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Monday the Greek government needed to deliver a reform plan urgently to ensure Athens can remain in the euro zone.

The American and Turkish governments have expressed concern about the possible early release of November 17?s Savvas Xeros after Parliament passed a law on Friday permitting inmates with heavy disabilities to see out their sentences under house arrest.