Greece on general strike

Thousands of striking Greek workers took part in demonstrations on Wednesday against a new round of planned spending cuts by the conservative-led coalition government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, according to DPA. About 10,000 protesters in Athens rallied peacefully towards parliament as more than 4,000 riot police looked on. The first nationwide strike since Samaras took office in June was called by Greece's two biggest labour unions. Unions are against unpopular cuts of some 11.5 billion euros (15 billion dollars) demanded by international creditors in exchange for bailout loans. The 24-hour walkout affected schools, air traffic, ports and government offices. Museums and major archaeological sites turned tourists away. Shops were also closed. More than a dozen domestic and international flights have been cancelled or rescheduled after air traffic controllers called a three hour work stoppage. Petrol station owners said they would remain shut for most of the day.