Athens - A Greek court handed down a suspended sentence to a priso

Athens - Tourists planning to visit the Acropolis will find its ancient doors closed during a three-day strike by workers starting Thursday.

Cultural ministry employees launched the three-day strike, which will block access to the 2,500-year-old site, to demand better working conditions for personnel.

Workers for the archaeological site also want temporatry personal to be given permanent positions.

The strike will not affect operations at other ancient sites and museums around the country.

Athens  - Flights to and from Greece were halted Wednesday as air traffic controllers were to walk off the job for three hours to join a 24-hour public sector strike to protest pension reforms and low salaries.

All flights to and from Greek airports were scheduled to be grounded from 10 am to 1 pm (0900 to 1200 GMT), forcing the cancellation or rescheduling of hundreds of flights, paralyzing air traffic across the country.

Athens - Air transport across Greece is set to be paralyzed on Wednesday as air traffic controllers planned a three hour stoppage, forcing the cancellation of dozens of international and domestic flights.

Air traffic controllers announced they will walk off the job from 9 am to 12pm (0800 to 1100 GMT) as part of a nationwide strike called by Greece's largest public sector union ADEDY.

Most international airlines had informed their customers of the strike and re-booked them on flights for Thursday, Greek radio reported.

Athens - Four prison guards and a pilot were charged on Tuesday with negligence, after two of the country's most notorious criminals escaped from a maximum security prison by helicopter - for a second time.

On Sunday, kidnapper and armed robber Vassilis Palaiokostas and Albanian criminal Alket Rizal absconded from Athens' highest security jail by helicopter, in a repeat of an identical 2006 escape.

Athens - The Greek government ordered the freezing of all bank accounts of prison employees on Monday, after the embarrassment of seeing two of the country's most notorious criminals bust out of prison by helicopter - for a second time.

On Sunday kidnapper and armed robber Vassilis Palaiokostas and Albanian criminal Alket Rizal absconded from Athens' highest security jail by helicopter, in a repeat of an identical 2006 escape.