Firefighters are battling a series of forest blazes on three Greek islands and the mainland.

EXHAUSTED Greek firefighters battled around the clock for the fourth day to try and contain massive blazes north of Athens yesterday.

Exhausted Greek firefighters battled around the clock for the fourth day to try and contain massive blazes north of Athens today.

Massive wildfires raging north of Athens spread today despite a lull in the gales that have been fanning them.

A partial drop in gale-force winds early today offered hard-pressed Greek firefighters a brief respite from the wildfires which have raged for two days north of Athens.

Dozens of wildfires broke out across Greece, torching olive groves, cutting off villages and sending residents fleeing as one of the largest blazes swept perilously close to the capital's northern suburbs.

AN earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck southern Greece yesterday, killing at least two villagers, injuring another 37 and damaging homes and a military base, authorities said.

Campaigners opposed to Chinese rule in Tibet said tonight they planned to protest outside the site in southern Greece where the flame bound for the Beijing Olympics will be lit.

A strong earthquake struck southern Greece today sending people fleeing from buildings, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

A strong earthquake struck southern Greece today.

A strong earthquake rattled southern Greece early today and was felt in the capital, Athens.

Forest fires continued to burn in parts of southern Greece while the other main fronts of a series of massive fires have been extinguished, Greece’s fire service said today.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso toured fire damaged areas in southern Greece by helicopter today, and promised aid to relieve areas where 64 people died and an estimated 190,000 hectares (469,000 acres) of forest and farmland were destroyed.

FIREFIGHTERS battled the country’s last big blaze in southern Greece yesterday after managing to bring under control hundreds of others that for one week ravaged large parts of the country and killed at least 64 people.

Firefighters battled the country’s last major blaze in southern Greece today, after managing to bring under control hundreds of others that for one week ravaged large parts of the country and killed at least 64 people.

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 struck fire-ravaged southern Greece today, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said.

Foreign firefighters and aircraft joined the battle today against blazes in southern Greece that have killed 64 people.

A fire broke out on the fringes of Athens today, burning down a slope of Mount Ymittos and bearing down on a suburb of the Greek capital as wildfires which have killed at least 61 people ravaged vast areas of the country.

Firefighters backed by aircraft prevented the birthplace of the ancient Olympics from being consumed by flames as Greece’s worst wildfires in memory blazed across the country and the death toll climbed to 60.

Fires tore through parched forests and swallowed villages across Greece, bearing down on communities near Ancient Olympia in the south today. At least 49 people were dead.

Forest fires that have claimed at least 40 lives raged uncontrolled across vast areas of southern Greece today as a new blaze threatened buildings on the fringes of Athens.

The death toll from forest fires that have raged uncontrolled across vast swathes of southern Greece rose to 37 people, the fire department said today.

Forest fires whipped by gale-force winds killed at least 15 people in southern Greece today, including at least nine people who were trapped in their cars.

A swimmer swept out to sea by strong currents has been rescued alive in southern Greece after three days in the water.

Three people were killed overnight in wildfires that ravaged southern Greece and destroyed dozens of homes.

Two elderly Greeks have died as a result of a heat wave that pushed temperatures up to 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit) in parts of the country, the Health Ministry said today.

A flash flood swept away a group of hikers alongside a river in southern Greece, killing at least five people, police said today. Three others were missing.

Police have launched a murder investigation after discovering the bodies of five hunters in a rural area of central Greece.

Police have recovered a revered religious icon, stolen from a monastery in southern Greece, following an intense five-week investigation that involved roadblocks, telephone surveillance and helicopter searches, authorities said today.

Hundreds of tourists ended holidays early at resorts in northern Greece today, as a fire raged for a third day on the Halkidiki holiday peninsula.

Firefighters raced today to exploit a lull in winds fanning a wildfire that ravaged holiday resorts in northern Greece, leaving a German tourist dead and dozens of people injured.

Hundreds of tourists and residents have been evacuated as a forest fire swept through resorts in northern Greece, destroying homes and cars.

Police today set up roadblocks and launched helicopter searches for thieves who scaled a cliff and stole a 700-year-old religious icon from a monastery in southern Greece.

A powerful earthquake shook Greece yesterday and was felt across many parts of the Mediterranean, but caused only slight damage and three minor injuries, authorities said.

COAST guard officers detained about 120 illegal immigrants in southern Greece yesterday.

A bomb aimed at two riot police buses exploded in central Athens early today, causing no injuries, authorities said.

POLICE in southern Greece today questioned bank staff after €6.2 million vanished from its vault.

Scores of tourists were evacuated from hotels and apartments today after a forest fire threatened a seaside resort in southern Greece.

The fate of the British plane spotters convicted of spying in Greece was tonight hanging in the balance after the public prosecutor recommended half should be acquitted but left the others still facing prison terms.

The British plane spotters on spying charges could be transferred to an overcrowded and violent high security prison because of a delay in inspecting their photographs, their lawyer said today.

A powerful earthquake shook wide areas of Greece on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.