Athens - Greece's finance ministry on Friday said that it will guarantee all bank deposits, assuring nervous savers across the southern Mediterranean country that their banks were safe.

National Economy and Finance Minister Giorgos Alogoskoufis said the government was following the Irish lead and taking steps to increase protection afforded to borrowers defaulting on loan payments as higher lending rates squeeze disposable incomes.

"The government is approaching the issue with sensitivity and promoting every feasible measure to help people in a difficult position due to adverse international conditions," he said.

Athens  - Pirates captured a tanker off the coast of Somalia, a Greek shipping company reported Saturday.

According to the Greek coastguard, 19 Romanian sailors were aboard the tanker Genious which was sailing under a Liberian flag.

The attack was reported to the shipping company by the ship's captain by radio shortly before the pirates boarded the vessel. The pirates fired a number shots into the air to bring the ship to a halt.

Athens - Border traffic tailbacks began easing Friday after Greek customs officials ended a strike begun on Monday in protest at planned salary cutbacks.

Athens- Hundreds of lorries remained stuck in long queues at customs stations across Greece on Tuesday as officials continued an open-ended strike, forcing the near-closure of all border stations, ports and airports throughout the country.

The strike, which began on Monday in protest against the government's plans for severe salary cutbacks for civil servants, caused serious disruptions in food and fuel supplies along the northern Greek border with Albania, Romania and Bulgaria.

Athens - Hundreds of workers with Greek state carrier Olympic Airlines blocked the main runway at Athens International Airport Tuesday over plans to privatise the airline.

The demonstrators, including pilots, air stewards and technicians, prevented planes from taking off and landing on the runway.

Airport officials said the protest forced air traffic controllers to divert planes to a second runway. The demonstration did not affect any flights, they added.

Tuesday's airport protest was the second in one week.

The European Commission last week approved a government plan to privatise the airline while ordering the current company to pay back more than 1 billion dollars in illegal state aid.

Athens - Custom workers around Greece began an open-ended strike on Monday, forcing the closure of all refineries, border stations, ports and airports throughout the country.