General strike against austerity hits Greece ATHENS, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Greece was hit Wednesday by a new 24-hour strike over austerity measures and reforms introduced to tackle the country's three-year debt crisis. Protesters marched under heavy rain in front of the parliament in central Athens, as international auditors continued an assessment of the country's finances ahead of the release of further international bailout funds this year. The rally, organized by the umbrella unions for civil servants ADEDY and private sector workers GSEE, protested against salary cuts, tax hikes and reforms such as the mobility scheme, which paves the way for the sacking of tens of thousands of civil servants for the first time in over a century. Civil services shut down and public transport was disrupted, as demonstrators took to the streets of Athens and other major cities. Greece has been kept afloat under multi-billion-dollar bailout agreements with the European Union and International Monetary Fund since 2010. But three years of harsh austerity and six years of deep recession have weighed heavily on the ordinary Greek. Unemployment rates are at record highs and Greeks are pessimistic about the future, despite government assurances the situation will soon improve. Greece sees solution to 2014 financing gap in December ATHENS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Greece expects that a solution to resolve its 2014 financing gap will be reached in December by international creditors, Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said on Wednesday after talks with visiting Euro Working Group chief Thomas Wieser in Athens. Wiesel held a series of meetings with Greece's government to discuss the terms for the disbursement of the next bailout tranche to the country, the 2014 fiscal gap and the viability of the Greek debt load. New review of Greek fiscal adjustment program starts in "good climate" amidst protests ATHENS, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The new review of Greece's fiscal adjustment program by troika chief auditors started on Tuesday "in good climate," Greek government sources said, as anti-austerity protesters held the Finance Ministry in central Athens "under siege." Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras and Labor Minister Yannis Vroutsis launched the fresh round of tough talks with the envoys of Greece's international lenders on the terms of the disbursement of the next one billion euro (1.35 billion U.S. dollars) bailout aid pending since summer in the coming weeks. Greek retail stores open for first Sunday under new law, employees protest ATHENS, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Greek retail stores opened on Sunday for first time under a new law introduced earlier this year as part of the efforts to liberalize the sector and boost growth in debt-ridden Greece. Workers unions protested with a 24-hour strike and small rallies were held nationwide. Greece presents 2014 draft state budget, foresees return to growth, markets ATHENS, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Greece's government unveiled the 2014 preliminary draft state budget on Monday, foreseeing an initial primary budget surplus this year and return to growth and international bond markets in 2014. The primary surplus in 2013 will stand at about 340 million euros (462 million U.S. dollars) and will reach 2.8 billion euros (1.6 percent of GDP) next year with a positive 0.6-percent growth rate in 2014, Alternate Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said before submitting the draft to parliament for discussion.