Greece, creditors in new bid for loan deal as deadline looms

Greece and its creditors launched a new round of talks in Brussels early Thursday in a fresh bid to unlock billions of euros in loans and save the country from bankruptcy.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with representatives of the main lending institutions, under pressure to seal an agreement before facing other European Union leaders at a summit later Thursday.

Technical experts were meanwhile sifting through Greece’s latest offer of far-reaching reforms in exchange for debt relief, just days before Athens is scheduled to make yet another repayment to the International Monetary Fund.

Tsipras is also under massive pressure from Greeks themselves as the compromises suggested so far will mean new hardship for citizens already suffering the impact of past austerity measures to bring public spending back into line.

[AP]