Austerity bill row hits ferries

Ferry services in Greece have been halted for 24 hours as unions stepped up protests against a new austerity bill that will limit the right to strike and speed up property foreclosures.

More than 8,000 protesters joined a demonstration in central Athens as strikes disrupted public transport in the capital.

Police fired tear gas and briefly clashed with protesters on the steps of parliament at the end of the rally.

The austerity bill, to be voted on late on Monday, is considered to be potentially the last major package of cuts before Greece heads toward the end of the bailout programme in August.