Up to 60 politicians are being investigated by SDOE, Greece’s financial crimes squad, for suspected tax evasion and other financial crimes.

Democratic Left, the junior partner in Greece’s governing coalition, has voted overwhelmingly in favour of supporting the austerity package.

The electronic crimes squad and a prosecutor have been asked to investigate whether gangs or individuals are using scams to defraud the electronic prescription system.

Retail prices for basic commodities remain at particularly high levels in Greece.

As Finance Ministry officials labored on with tough talks with troika officials on Thursday on an elusive 13.5-billion-euro austerity package.

Hospitals around the country will be working on a skeleton staff.

Syriza has tabled a motion calling for the establishment of an interparty parliamentary committee to pursue Second World War reparations from Germany.

Socialist PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos sought to absolve himself of responsibility for the failure of authorities to probe a list of some 2,000 Greek tax evasion suspects.

Greece is still hopeful it can conclude by the end of the week an agreement on the 13.5-billion-euro austerity package.

A list containing the names of about 2,000 Greeks who had deposits totaling some 1.5 billion euros.