Greece’s future in the euro grew increasingly precarious as violence erupted on the streets of Athens during a general strike and five politicians resigned from the government after European leaders demanded deeper spending cuts.

A top UN envoy arrived in Thailand today to renew efforts to negotiate political reconciliation in neighbouring Burma where the ruling junta crushed peaceful pro-democracy protests and continues to detain dissidents.

Burma’s military authorities arrested dissidents in raids today even as they responded to international pressure with apparent moves toward talks with their archenemy, democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, an exile group said.

Burma’s leading opposition party has issued a call for talks with the military regime following a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

Burma’s ruling junta said today it hoped to achieve “smooth relations” with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a day after suggesting that she was unlikely to be released from house arrest anytime soon.