Government

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has accused the European Central Bank of holding "a rope" around the country's neck as Athens scrambled on March 6 to avert a looming state default.
      
The ECB "is still holding the rope which we have around our necks," said Tsipras, according to excerpts of an interview with Germany magazine Der Spiegel to appear Saturday.
      

VIENNA - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will attend in Salzburg on Saturday a meeting of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), where he will be inaugurated as EASA protector on behalf of Serbia.

Nikolic to be named "EASA protector"

BELGRADE -- Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will on Saturday attend a meeting of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) in Salzburg, Austria.

Nikolic will be inaugurated as "EASA protector," his press service announced.

Turkey?s top judicial body has initiated a minor purge in the judiciary, replacing 27 judges and prosecutors, including seven rapporteurs at the Constitutional Court.

A decree replacing 27 judges and prosecutors at judicial and administrative courts was released by the 1st Chamber of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) late on March 5.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday thus reducing government salaries by 10%.

According to the document, salaries of the PM, Prosecutor General, Head of the Investigative Committee, MPs and Kremlin officials will all be slashed, ITAR Tass reported.

Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov stated Friday that he demands that the temporarily suspended Chair of the Sofia City Court, Vladimira Yaneva be officially fired.

Ivanov introduced a second proposal for a disciplinary action against Yaneva.

She submitted her resignation as a Chair of the Sofia City Court on February 24.

Justice Minister Robert Cazanciuc on Friday made an appeal to all prosecutors who believe they have the necessary experience, integrity and maturity to register in the selection for the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) head.

Photo credit: (c) Angelo BREZOIANU / AGERPRES PHOTO

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has stated Thursday that sanctions against Russia can only be lifted in case the Minsk agreement is upheld.

He arrived in Kiev for an official visit and met with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, President Petro Poroshenko, and PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic will visit Riga on March 6 and 7 where he will attend an informal meeting in the Gymnich format that will gather ministers of foreign affairs of EU members and candidate countries.

By David M. Pritchard *