Hundreds of Olympic Airlines passengers were stranded at Athens International Airport yesterday as 12 domestic flights were canceled with a further 20 due to be canceled by late last night. OA's management blamed the union representing the pilots of planes used for domestic flights - small twin-propeller aircraft - for the disruption. According to OA, the pilots were not on strike but many claimed to be sick and an unusually large number of technical problems with the planes were reported. The protesters reportedly object to the stance of another union - representing pilots of modern jet aircraft - in negotiations for a collective work contract.

Unidentified assailants held up three banks and one post office in different parts of Attica yesterday morning. The robberies occurred in the districts of Holargos, Zografou and Exarchia and in Glyka Nera, northeast of Athens. It is unclear whether any of the robberies had been planned by the same ring or how much cash was netted in the raids. Meanwhile, on the island of Kos a lone robber raided a bank shortly before 9 a.m. and fled on a scooter with 35,000 euros. There had been no arrests by late yesterday.

Police in Preveza, northwestern Greece, were yesterday searching for the owner of 20 wild pigs that attacked a woman on her farm and caused her serious injuries. The pigs belonged to the owner of a neighboring farm, police said, without clarifying whether they suspected foul play. The woman, who was not identified, was being treated in a local hospital yesterday. The extent of her injuries was unclear.

Some 200 visitors were evacuated from a hotel on the island of Kos late on Thursday night after an explosion in the complex's kitchen. Four members of staff were slightly injured in the blast at the Zorbas hotel in the area of Tigaki. The hotel was evacuated for precautionary reasons and the guests were put up at other hotels on Kos overnight. They returned to their rooms yesterday. The fire service said that it was investigating the cause of the explosion as it was not immediately clear what caused it.

Rent reduction. The Supreme Court has ruled that landlords should reduce the rents of tenants renting homes or businesses if the owners do not maintain the properties. Sources said yesterday that judges ruled in favor of a lawyer who asked for his rent to be reduced after the property he was leasing was damaged and the landlord refused to pay the cost of repairs.

Panathinaikos basketball coach Zelimir Obradovic yesterday renewed his contract with the club for another two seasons, confounding suggestions that he would move abroad. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the Euroleague Final Four this season, Obradovic was said to be attracting the interest of CSKA Moscow and Barcelona. The Serb has been at Panathinaikos for nine years, during which the team has won the European title three times, the Greek championship eight times and the Greek Cup five times to make him the most successful coach in the club's history.

Four private gyms and 5-a-side soccer pitch in Piraeus were shut down yesterday after inspectors discovered that their operating licenses had expired. The businesses will remain shut until new licenses are issued, according to the Piraeus Prefecture.

Drivers of commercial transport lorries and tanker trucks plan to go on strike from tomorrow to demand the right to raise their charges by 13 percent. The government recently agreed to a 5 percent increase.

The Samaria Gorge on Crete opened yesterday to visitors for the first time this year after preparation work was completed. Extra staff will be hired over the next few weeks as thousands of tourists are expected to trek through the gorge during the summer.