Athens  - Unknown assailants attacked banks and a yacht dealership in Athens using petrol bombs and gas cannisters on Monday, causing serious damage but no injuries in the latest violence to rock the Greek capital.

Reports said a fire broke out at the site of the yacht dealership, destroying the building and more than 20 vessels which were on display.

During Earth Hour on Saturday, administrative and public houses, archaeological sites and a large number of homes all through Greece turned off their lights as a part of a worldwide initiative to emphasize the risk of climatic change.

The majority of Greeks joined the rest of the world in the global event started by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to dim nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Around 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries and regions joined the glabal event.

Athens  - Lights went out on the Acropolis for Earth Hour 2009, and hundreds of residents in the Athens neighborhood of Plaka walked around with lanterns beneath the ancient rock for an hour to highlight the threat from climate change.

Environmental group WWF, which started the global event to turn out the lights at prominent landmarks, homes and businesses, is hoping 1 billion people will take part this year to draw attention to climate change.

Athens  - Unknown assailants attacked a car dealership in Athens using petrol bombs and gas cannisters on Saturday, causing serious damage but no injuries in the latest spree of violence to rock the Greek capital.

Reports said a fire broke out at the site of the car dealership, destroying the building and more than five cars which were parked inside.

The attack occurred shortly after unknown assailants attacked a bank branch and police in the centre of Athens, slightly injuring an officer.

Athens - A strong explosion shook Greece's main port of Pireaus on Friday, damaging nearby buildings but causing no injuries, reports said.

The explosive device went off outside the building of ship repair company DD Marine located in the area of Kaminia in Pireaus, causing extensive damage to nearby buildings and parked cars.

Officials were investigating whether the attack was directed against the company or was politically motivated.

There was no warning prior to the explosion and no group claimed responsibility for it.

Athens/London - Pirates have hijacked two chemical tankers off the coast of Somalia over the past two days, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in London on Thursday.

IMB spokesman Cyrus Mody said a Panama-flagged ship, was seized on Wednesday, while a second ship, which is registered in the Bahamas, was taken on Thursday.