Anti-racism campaigners in Greece say they have received claims of more than 300 attacks against mostly south Asian immigrants in the past three months.

Top officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund are expected to spend only four days in Athens next week.

The European Central Bank could play a bigger role in fighting the euro zone sovereign debt crisis through more rate cuts, bond purchases and further liquidity provision.

The western port of Patra was declared to be in a state of emergency as a wildfire stoked by high temperatures and strong winds raged on three fronts.

Leaders agree on ‘general direction’ for 11.5 bln euros in savings for 2013-14, no more cuts this year.

Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos called on any cadres of his beleaguered party who want to leave or set up a separate grouping to do so.

Coalition leaders meet Wednesday to mull cuts, which some ministers are resisting.

Health Minister Andreas Lykourentzos told a conference that the government’s aim is for state pharmaceutical expenditure to decline to 2.88 billion euros.

Yannis Stournaras is due to continue talks with cabinet colleagues after they failed to agree on the details of the cuts that need to be made to satisfy Greece’s lenders.

A citizens’ solidarity network, based on the premise of bringing together the needy with those able to donate various basic goods, held its first distribution session this week.