Police and protesters clash in Athens

Dozens of stone-throwing youths have clashed with police in Athens as public sector workers went out on strike in protest at Greece''s austerity measures. The 24-hour strike saw flights and ferry services cancelled, government offices and tourist sites closed, and hospitals working with reduced staff, the BBC reported. Many strikers expressed frustration and anger at the cuts. The European Commission is discussing ways of propping up banks in Europe to protect them from the Greek crisis. The general strike is the first since the Greek government announced an emergency property tax and the suspension of 30,000 public sector staff last month.