Greek cabbies suspend 19-day strike

Greek cab drivers halted a 19-day strike Friday after the government agreed to temporarily limit the number of new taxi licenses.

After several hours of negotiations, taxi owners and drivers voted to suspend the strike against a government deregulation plan until Sept. 5, Ekathimerini.com reported.

The vote came after cabbies won assurances Thursday from regional governors that no additional taxi licenses would be issued until the government submits a draft law near the end of August.

But cabbies, who want the number of licenses to be limited, based on cities' populations, said they could stage more strikes if they are not satisfied with the law.

Ekathimerini.com reported that Transport Minister Yiannis Ragousis is expected to call for deregulation of the industry, opening it to competition in response to demands from Greece's foreign creditors.

Ragousis said none of the 4,600 applications for new licenses would be approved before the legislation is made public.

The strike came in the heart of tourist season, and cabbies, facing the loss of income, had already returned to work on the Aegean islands of Lesvos, Myconos, Rhodes, Kos and Santorini, Ekathimerini.com said.

NBA players cleared to join other teams

The international federation overseeing basketball ruled Friday NBA players can play for other teams during the NBA lockout.

The NBA locked out its players effective July 1 as the team owners and players' union worked on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Several NBA players were reportedly in negotiations with overseas professional basketball teams in case the 2011-12 NBA season doesn't start as scheduled Nov. 1. Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets signed a contract with Turkish Basketball League member Besiktas.

FIBA, the international basketball federation, said players are free to play for their national team or other teams during the lockout.

"As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labor dispute will be resolved as soon as possible and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled," said FIBA Secretary-General Patrick Baumann. "In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever."

The federation said it wouldn't object to a player joining a non-NBA but FIBA-affiliated team as long as the player was free to return to his NBA team when the lockout ends.