Greece

 Top Euro bankers warn that collateral for drawing liquidity may soon run out for domestic lenders

Top European bankers warned on Monday of the risk that Greek banks may not be able to obtain further liquidity due to lack of collateral, piling more pressure on Athens to reach a compromise with its creditors.

The embattled director of Greece’s National Theatre spoke to protothema.gr this week over his very public and contentious clash with the new alternate culture minister, charging that the latter continues to demand his resignation in order to appoint someone “close” to the ruling SYRIZA party.

With pressure growing on state coffers as cash reserves run low without any immediate prospect for the release of rescue loans, the government on Monday signed a legal degree obliging state bodies, with the exception of pension funds, to transfer their reserves to the Bank of Greece for the state?s use.

The boss of Russian energy giant Gazprom will meet Greece?s prime minister in Athens on Tuesday, after reports that the two parties are set to sign a pipeline deal in which Russia would make billions in an advance payment to cash-strapped Greece.

Three immigrants died on Monday after the smuggling boat they were in crashed on to rocks off the coast of Rhodes in the southeastern Aegean even as hundreds of migrants remained unaccounted for off Italy following similar tragedies.

Greek bonds declined on Monday, pushing three-year yields to the highest since the nation?s debt restructuring in 2012, after the government issued a decree to force municipalities to transfer cash to the central bank.

The decision is another sign of the worsening situation as Greece remains embroiled in a standoff with creditors as pension and salary payments come due.

The government on Monday announced an urgent ministerial decision on Monday to transfer reserves from various general government entities to the Bank of Greece, a move that bypassed the legislative process.

Leftist SYRIZA MPs toed the party line on Monday and ratified a controversial law eliminating ? maximum security prisons in Greece and essentially opening the jailhouse gate for a notorious terrorist.

The vehicle of an employee working at the Skouries gold mine in Halkidiki, northern Greece, was completely destroyed in an arson attack in the area of Nea Roda on Monday.

The employee had recently appeared on Skai TV speaking in favor of the contested mining project.

Following his television appearance, the man alleged that he had received threats.

Leaders of Greece?s third largest political party, the extreme right Golden Dawn, go on trial April 20 on charges of operating as a criminal organization that allegedly carried out a campaign of violence against immigrants and left-wing opponents.