Greek politicians fail to form coalition

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece sank deeper into a political and financial morass as initial efforts to form a new coalition government failed, a day after angry voters punished parties backing the country's international bailout.

The result of Sunday's parliamentary election raised troubling new questions about Greece's ability to stay solvent and in the euro currency bloc.

No party won nearly enough votes to form a government, leaving a coalition government or new elections as the only options.

Voters furious over years of painful budget cuts and higher taxes hammered the conservative New Democracy and socialist PASOK, which have dominated politics for four decades and had signed on to the country's multibillion-dollar bailouts. The result was a clear anti-austerity message.

-- AP