The Greek parliament has voted in favour of a drastic package of austerity measures intended to save the country from defaulting on its debts.

The proposed tax hikes and spending cuts have been deeply unpopular with the Greek public.
A nationwide 48-hour strike is under way and violent clashes are continuing in the streets of the capital, Athens.
Greece is heavily in debt and the package is needed to win the latest tranche of a 110bn-euro (£98bn) loan.
MPs passed the measures by 155 votes to 138.
They will hold a second vote on Thursday aimed at changing a law allowing the package to be implemented.
'No time to step back' Ahead of the vote, PM George Papandreou urged MPs to approve the package by consensus.

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No one in Greece believes the tax increases, lay-offs, privatisations will ever be fully implemented. ”

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Gavin Hewitt BBC Europe editor

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• Greece vote won't end drama

He says his austerity plan is the only way to get Greece back on its feet.

"We must avoid the country's collapse at all costs. Now is not the time to step back," he told deputies.
Had his 28bn-euro austerity package been rejected, Greece could have run out of money within weeks.
As the vote was held, protesters clashed with riot police outside parliament; earlier, demonstrators tried to prevent MPs from entering the building.
Wednesday's vote covered the first part of Greece's austerity package, focusing on raising taxes to secure some 14.09bn euros over the next five years and introducing 14.32bn euros in public spending cuts.
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Greek tragedy

Total Greek debt

Greece is about to get a second bail-out from the EU, aimed at helping pay its debts until 2014. It also has to agree more cuts as part of the deal.

The economy

The Greek economy is in dire straits. Retail sales have fallen 18% since 2008 and manufacturing output has dropped 30% in the same period.

Working population

Greeks retire on average at 61. Tax evasion is widespread. Until 2010, public sector workers received two months extra pay a year in bonuses.

EU demands

To meet EU demands, Greece must sell 50bn euros-worth of public assets by 2014, equal to 20% of GDP. Public sector pay is being cut 15%.

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The package is needed to secure the next instalment of the country's 110bn-euro bail-out to be released by the EU and IMF.

Once passed, European officials will start to finalise the details of a second bail-out, worth an estimated 120bn euros, designed to help Greece pay its debts until the end of 2014.
The impact of the Greek vote would be felt worldwide said Herman Van Rompuy, president of the EU Commission, on Tuesday.
Ahead of Wednesday's vote, the governor of Greece's central bank, George Provopoulos, said a 'no' vote would be "suicide" for the country.
Thursday's vote is over the implementation of different parts of the package, such as tax rises and the sale of state asset