ATHENS – Police clashed with stone-throwing youths in Athens yesterday as tens of thousands of strikers protested against draconian cutbacks aimed at pulling Greece out of a debt crisis shaking the euro zone.

- – - -

TEL AVIV – US Vice President Joe Biden called for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to start without delay despite Palestinian insistence that Israel first cancel a settlement project condemned by Washington.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – Chances of a broad overhaul of US financial regulation dimmed after bipartisan Senate talks collapsed, helping boost bank share prices and jeopardizing a top Obama administration priority.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats drew closer to agreement on a broad healthcare overhaul that could lead to a final vote in the next few weeks, but vowed not to be bound by White House deadlines.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – US arms-makers face potential retaliation from Europe after the bitter demise of a trans-Atlantic bid for a potential $50 billion US aerial refueler contract.

- – - -

DUBAI/LONDON – The storm brewing on OPEC’s horizon over future Iraqi oil output could engulf the producer group sooner than it would like.

- – - -

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, anxious to spur growth and cut high unemployment, laid out a plan to double US exports through tougher enforcement of trade laws, increased government advocacy and more credit assistance for small and medium-sized companies.

- – - -

ISLAMABAD – Afghanistan does not want a proxy war between Pakistan and India or anybody else fought on its soil, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said during a visit to Pakistan.

- – - -

BEIJING – Chinese consumer inflation spurted to a 16-month high in February and a raft of economic data displayed broad-based strength, providing fresh arguments for policy tightening sooner rather than later.