Greek parliament approves austerity law; PM expels rebel MP

Greek lawmakers gave on Thursday final approval for an austerity law cutting wages and hiking taxes, crucial for the country to receive a next batch of bailout funds and avoid bankruptcy.
All but one of the ruling Socialist PASOK party's deputies voted in favour of all the provisions in the law, despite two days of violent anti-austerity protests outside parliament.
Prime Minister George Papandreou expelled a lawmaker from the ruling party's parliamentary group after the deputy, former labour minister Louka Katseli, voted against a key provision of the austerity bill, a party source said.
The move reduces the government's already narrow majority, leaving it with 153 seats in the 300-strong parliament.
"The prime minister has sent a letter to the house speaker, expelling Louka Katseli from the PASOK parliamentary group," a source in the ruling party told Reuters.