AL JAZEERA: The Greek parliament has approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill to secure a second EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.
Greek MPs voted 199-74 in favour of the cutbacks, despite strong dissent among the two main coalition members. A total of 37 MPs from the majority Socialists and conservative New Democracy party voted against the party line, abstained or voted present.
The coalition government of Lucas Papademos, the country’s technocrat prime minister, expelled 43 MPs from its ranks in parliament, over dissent in the debt vote… (more)
