Greece president's last-ditch unity effort

Greece's president will meet political party leaders today in a last-chance effort to broker a deal for a coalition government and avoid another general election.

Karolos Papoulias took the step on Saturday after socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos officially gave up the mandate to form a coalition government - following three rounds of negotiations.

Mr Papoulias' office announced that the president would initially meet the heads of the three parties that won the most votes in last Sunday's inconclusive elections - the conservative New Democracy, radical left-wing Radical Left Coalition (Syriza) and socialist PASOK.

He will then meet each leader of the other four parties that won enough votes for parliamentary seats - the right-wing nationalist Independent Greeks, the Communists, the extreme-right Golden Dawn and the moderate left Democratic Left.