Greece Moves to Avert Default, Car Bomb Kills 3 in Ankara, Turkey

In the face of a persistent debt crisis and fears of imminent default, Greek officials are meeting with the International Monetary Fund and other European nations again Tuesday in an effort to secure more bailout funds and assure creditors that it is implementing sufficient austerity measures. Greece will need another installment by October to stave off a default.

Greek officials have said their country will cut into its deficit by drastically reducing government pay and spending, an unpopular move that sparked violent protests in June.

According to the New York Times, some economists said a default — while having potentially serious ripple effects — may be impossible to avoid and help ease the pressure on its government:

A default would relieve Greece of paying off a mountain of debt that it cannot afford, no matter how much it continues to cut government spending, which already has caused its economy to shrink.

Meanwhile, Standard and Poor’s cut Italy’s credit rating from an A+ down to an A because of its own mounting debt and poor economic growth.

View a graphic from the BBC comparing sovereign debt across the eurozone.

Car Bomb Kills 3, Injures 15 in Ankara

A car bomb near a high school exploded in the Turkish capital of Ankara Tuesday, killing three people and injuring at least 15 more, at least five seriously. The three people killed were inside a building. Authorities arrested a woman near the explosion, though her role was unknown.

Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Kurdish separatist rebels have carried out recent attacks within Turkey.

Yemeni Forces Attack Protesters, Kill 9

Yemeni government forces fired on protesters with rockets and small arms in Sanaa in a third day of fighting that has left at least 60 people dead. The escalating violence has fueled fears of civil war as the embattled central government grapples with protester unrest and Islamist militants.

Sanaa’s main airport shut down Monday night during the unrest, which has gripped the country for seven months. Protesters are calling President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

Saleh, who has been in power for 33 years, is in Saudi Arabia undergoing treatment after being injured in an attack three months ago. The United States, which has cooperated closely with Yemen’s government on anti-terror measures, has been seeking a political solution to the crisis.

Christopher Boucek of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace spoke to Ray Suarez about the political uncertainty and escalating violence on Mondays’ NewsHour:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Japan Evacuates 1.2 Million from Typhoon’s Path

Japan’s government asked 1.2 people to evacuate from the path of Typhoon Roke, which is expected to make landfall Wednesday and bring heavy rain to areas that have already been inundated. The evacuations are not mandatory, but authorities are warning that failed dams could cause flooding in low-lying areas, particularly the city of Nagoya.

Typhoon Roke, which has sustained winds of 89 miler per hour, comes after Typhoon Talas killed 67 people just weeks ago in the same region.

Editor’ note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said that the attack in Turkey occurred in Istanbul. It happened in Ankara.