Athens - All flights to and from Greece will be suspended for several hours on Tuesday during the latest nationwide strike which will also shut down banks, schools, public transport and enforce a news blackout to protest drastic economic policies.

Air traffic controllers were due to stop work for four hours, as of noon, as part of the strike called by Greece's two largest unions, private sector federation GSEE and public sector ADEDY, representing more than half of the country's 5 million workforce.

Athens - Greek state carrier Olympic Airlines will cancel more than 70 domestic and international flights on Tuesday as air traffic controllers and flight crews join a nationwide 24-hour strike against government plans to privatize the airline.

The cancellations, which will affect Olympic and Aegean Airlines, will cover a total of 100 flights to European destinations such as London, Rome, Paris and Frankfurt, reports said. Some domestic flights would also be canceled.

Officials at Athens International Airport said that no aircraft will be allowed to land or depart for four hours starting at noon Tuesday, due to the strike.

Athens - Nearly half of all Greeks believe that there is nothing much people can do to reduce one's chances of contracting cancer, according to a recent study.

The study, carried out by the Athens Medical School and the Centre for Health Service Studies, found that nearly half of the 1,490 respondents interviewed were passive about cancer, saying there is nothing they can do to avert the threat of contracting cancer.

The findings, which were published in the Greek daily Kathimerini newspaper, came as researchers indicated a 25 per cent increase in the diagnosis of cancer over the past 10 years.

Athens - Clashes between illegal immigrants battling to board ferries bound for Italy from the western Greek port of Patras are on the rise and local authorities and residents are appealing for help to contain the violence, reports said Tuesday.

Fights between Afghan and African immigrants about who can attempt to sneak aboard daily ferries to Italy have broken out in recent weeks.

Hundreds of Afghan immigrants live in makeshift camps at the port in Patras. The camps have gradually been established over the past few years to accommodate the immigrants who daily try to illegally board ferries to Italy.

Athens - A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Ric

Hanoi - Greek President Karolos Papoulias met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet Monday at the start of a six-day visit to the south-east Asian state.

Papoulias is the first Greek president to visit Vietnam since the two countries established bilateral ties in 1975.

"Greece in very interested in promoting relations between our two countries, and proof of this is that just as we promised, we have opened a Greek embassy in your country," said Papoulias.