Greek parliament approves new austerity bill

ATHENS - Reuters

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The Greek parliament approved on Monday a deeply unpopular austerity bill to secure a second bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund and avoid a messy default.

Before the parliamentary vote, serious violence broke out on the streets Athens and spread to other Greek towns and cities, including on the holiday islands of Corfu and Crete.

The bill sets out 3.3 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in wage, pension and job cuts for this year alone.