Clashes erupt amid Greek protests

Riot police fired tear gas at youths hurling rocks in Athens today, trying to quell their anger as parliament debated new cost-cutting measures.

The clashes came at the start of a two-day general strike called by unions furious that the government’s new austerity programme will slap taxes on minimum wage earners and other struggling Greeks. The measures come on top of other spending cuts and tax rises that have sent the Greek unemployment rate soaring to over 16%.