Greece gears up for first general strike under new government

Greece is bracing for the first general strike since the left-wing SYRIZA-led government first came to power in January, with workers across the country to walk off the job to protest against more spending cuts and tax hikes required by the country's bailout program.

Thursday's 24-hour strike is to shut down all public services, museums, schools and pharmacies, while public transport will be disrupted, ferries will remain tied up in port and hospitals will function with emergency staff. SYRIZA's labor section has called for mass participation in the strike.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras won a second election in September after backing down from his previous anti-austerity positions and accepting a deal to impose further measures in return for a three-year, 86-billion euro bailout from other European countries. [AP]