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.

Athens - More than 200 workers at Greek state carrier Olympic Airlines blocked the taxiway at Athens International Airport for more than 20 minutes Thursday over plans to shut down and privatise the airline.

The demonstration ended up blocking the runway but did not affect any flights, officials at the airport said.

Athens - With its beautiful beaches, quaint fishing villages and historical sites such as the Cave of Apocalyse where Saint John is said to have received his revelation, the island of Patmos has long been a popular tourist destination.

But recently the tiny Aegean island has drawn a new type of visitor to its sandy shores - a visitor island residents insist they can do without.

Municipal authorities on the island have said they will block their ports to would-be immigrants arriving from neighboring Turkey, arguing that the unwanted visitors have exceeded the number of permanent residents on the island.

Athens, Nicosia - Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders focused peace negotiations Thursday on governance and power sharing in an effort to find a formula to reunite the divided Mediterranean island.

It was the third meeting between Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehemt Ali Talat since they launched a new round of peace talks on September 3.

"We will meet again on October 8 to discuss the shape the future federal government should take," said Christofias.

Kuala Lumpur - A Greek-owned bulk carrier cargo ship was attacked Thursday by armed pirates off the eastern coast of Somalia, an anti-piracy watchdog said.

The ship had been travelling to Kenya when a group of pirates launched an attack about 200 nautical miles, or 370 kilometres, off the coast of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau said in Malaysia.

The Greek ship was expected Friday at Mombasa to discharge its cargo, news reports said. All 25 crew members were said to be safe, Choong said

He said the latest incident showed Somali pirates have expanded their area of attack from the country's northern coast in the Gulf of Aden to Somalia's eastern coast.