Protesters threw petrol bombs at police in the Greek capital

Greek protesters have clashed with police in Athens at the start of a 48-hour strike against austerity measures.

Demonstrators threw stones and police responded with tear gas, with reports of minor injuries on both sides.

Greek leaders have been frantically trying to agree swingeing cuts demanded by the EU and IMF in return for a new 130bn-euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout, reports the BBC.

The smallest party in the coalition has withdrawn support for the package days before a parliamentary vote.

The far-right Laos party complained that Greeks were being humiliated by Germany, and the party's four cabinet ministers offered their resignations.

The Laos party has 15 deputies in Greece's 300-strong parliament.

Analysts say the cuts package should still have enough support to easily pass Sunday's vote because the two largest parties both back the proposals and account for more than 230 deputies.

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said it was time for Greece to make a "final strategic choice".

"If we see the future of our country within eurozone, within Europe, we should do what we have to do for the programme to be approved," he said.

Last night the Greeks presented their plans for austerity cuts to a meeting of eurozone ministers in Brussels.

But the ministers demanded a further 325m euros in savings for this year. It is thought that the shortfall came because the Greek coalition could not agree to restructuring pensions.

The eurozone and IMF are also insisting that Greek leaders give "strong political assurances" on the implementation of the packages.

The ministers said the conditions must be fulfilled by next Wednesday, in time for another eurozone meeting to consider releasing the bailout funds.

The BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens says Greek politicians are frustrated that their planned cuts did not meet the demands of the eurozone and IMF.

But the government is likely to plough on, he says, because the prospect of bankruptcy and a potential exit from the eurozone strikes fear into the hearts of its leaders.

Greece cannot service its huge debt, and there are fears that a default could endanger Europe's financial stability and even lead to a break-up of the eurozone.

The country is already reeling from the effects of an earlier round of austerity that followed a previous bailout. Those cuts triggered widespread unrest and violent protests.

The country is deep in recession, with unemployment rising above 20%.