Violence erupts during general strike held in Spain

Spanish workers angry at a labour reform the government calls an "unstoppable" necessity staged a general strike on Thursday, bringing factories and ports to a standstill and igniting flashes of violence on the streets.

Road, rail and air transport were all affected, with domestic and European flights cut to a fraction of their normal levels.

Tens of thousands of protesters packed a square in central Madrid to vent their anger at the labour reforms and deep spending cuts, while in Barcelona, police fired rubber bullets to disperse a crowd that had set bins ablaze on the sidelines of a demonstration.

Thursday's strike was called by trade unions protesting against labour reforms and spending cuts which the conservative government says are needed to save the economy, and has resulted in some mild clashes and detentions of at least 58 people so far.

The strike is the first major walkout against the government's policies, just three months after Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, took office promising to cut Spain's 23% unemployment rate and stabilise its public finances.

The Spanish government is due to unveil what is expected to be one of the toughest budgets in its recent history.

Newly-elected Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has already warned the budget will be "very austere".

The global financial markets are increasingly concerned that Spain's debts are becoming unmanageable.

Spain, which is suffering from the highest levels of unemployment in Europe, is under intense pressure from eurozone leaders to reduce its deficit.