Greece's Defense Council

Greece’s Defense Council meeting amid rising tensions in East Med

Greece's Defense Council was on Tuesday meeting under Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos amid an escalation of tensions with Turkey, state-run Athens-Macedonia news agency said, quoting ministry sources.

The meeting was attended by deputy National Defense Minister Alkiviadis Stefanis and the country's top military brass.

Military to bolster fire patrols, as arson suspected in Attica blaze

Greece's Defense Council has dispatched specially trained members of the armed forces and National Guard to bolster fire-prevention patrols by civil protection authorities, as the country struggles to contain several wildfires, and particularly that of east Attica, which has claimed at least 50 lives so far.