Greece

A teacher raises a fist during a protest rally in central Athens on Monday. Teachers’ union OLME is protesting the induction of hundreds of educators into the government’s public sector mobility scheme and their possible dismissal. Several sectors of the civil service are up in arms this week as the current round of transfers into the scheme is nearing an end.

The influenza-related death toll in Greece reached 94 on Monday, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO), which has been closely observing a spike in the number of cases of the virulent H1N1 strain this year.

Crimea, Kosovo, and double standards

BELGRADE -- The French daily Le Figaro has an article comparing reactions in western countries and their media to declarations of independence made by Crimea and Kosovo.

The conclusion the newspaper made is that "officials are applying double standards," while the media tend to "forget."

Greece has scored poorly in the European Justice scorecard, which measures the efficiency, quality and independence of justice and was published on Monday.

According to the report, which used 2012 data, found that the Greek justice system’s performance had worsened.

Staff at public hospitals in Greece are due to launch a 48-hour strike on Tuesday.

Doctors and nurses will walk off the job on Tuesday and Wednesday to protest the government’s intention to fire public servants who were placed in the mobility scheme and have not been moved to other jobs.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is making a 235-million-euro loan to Public Power Corporation (PPC) to improve Greece’s electricity network, it announced on Monday.

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras has refused to commit on the question of whether Greece and the troika will conclude their talks on Monday after lengthy discussions over the weekend.

“I don’t know [if talks will conclude today],” said Stournaras after he left talks with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras at lunchtime on Monday.

The central bank said on Sunday that the amount sent home by Montenegrins working abroad to their families increased by almost five per cent last year, reaching a total of 353 million euro.

BRUSSELS - The Foreign Minister of Croatia and Greece Monday sent their congratulations to Serbia for successfully holding its parliamentary elections on Sunday.

I congratulate all those who achieved good results, Croatia’s Minister Vesna Pusic told reporters ahead of the beginning of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday.