[Financial Times] A protest by more than 100,000 striking workers did not deter Greek politicians on Wednesday evening from approving the country's latest austerity package at its first reading, by 154 votes to 141.
| Is that a spine we see? How exciting! |
The result, which followed a day when clouds of smoke billowed over the Athens skyline after angry rioters set fire to piles of rotting rubbish
| If the garbage men won't do their job, by God we'll do it for them! |
and clashed with police in one of the biggest demonstrations seen in the Greek capital for decades, was a success for prime minister George Papandreou, improving the odds that Greece will be able to draw down the next €8bn tranche of its bailout loan from international lenders.
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