Hungarian soldiers begin border fence

ASOTTHALOM, Hungary – Hungarian soldiers started building a fence Monday on the border with Serbia, an effort meant to stop the rising flow of migrants trying to enter the European Union.

On the outskirts of the southern village of Asotthalom, soldiers were using heavy machinery to drive metal rods into the ground, the first steps in the construction of the nearly 13-foot high fence, which the government wants to finish by Aug. 31 along the 109-mile border.

On July 16, government officials had presented a 164-yard sample section of the fence at the border, built to test different construction techniques and materials.

Greek stock market plunges after opening

ATHENS, Greece – Greece suffered its worst stock market bloodbath in decades on Monday, when it opened after a forced five-week closure, and new data showed a dismal outlook for the bailout-dependent country’s shrinking economy.

The main stock index shed over 22 percent just minutes into the opening, as investors got their first opportunity since late June to react to the latest twists in the country’s nearly six-year economic drama.

The index closed 16.2 percent lower, with bank shares hitting or nearing the daily trading limit of a 30 percent loss. Collectively, Greek-listed companies lost about a sixth of their market value – almost $8.7 billion.

Associated Press