Greece : Continues to fight the huge fire in days

The largest in Europe is out of control. A huge fire killed 20, which Greece is fighting for the tenth day

Greece continues to fight the fire that has killed 20 people in the past ten days, and which has destroyed more than 77,000 hectares of land, making it one of the largest fires on the European continent in years.

Firefighting teams in Greece struggled Monday to put out a huge fire that has killed at least 20 people in the past 10 days, the largest forest fire in Europe this summer, as unprecedented heat waves caused fires to break out across the continent.

The fire, which started near the city of Alexandroupolis, spread out of control in the Evros region in northeastern Greece, and its strength was increased by strong winds and high temperatures. All but one of the deaths so far have been from irregular migrants hiding in the woods.

"This is the definition of what we describe as a massive fire," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told a regular briefing, noting that government ministers visited the area to assess the damage.

"The danger remains high, and therefore the fire services remain on high alert," he added.

Members of parliament are expected to discuss the impact of the devastating fires and the country's preparations on Thursday.

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Agency reported that the Evros fire has destroyed more than 77,000 hectares of land, making it one of the largest fires on the European continent in years.

Dozens of people have been forced to flee their homes across Greece as hundreds of forest fires rage. Over the past few days, the Greek Civil Protection Service has issued an evacuation order for some villages in the area.

Dadia forest fire is out of control

In the same context, the fire that affected the Dadia Forest, a national reserve known as a natural habitat for many species of birds of prey, in northeastern Greece, is still "out of control", according to what the firefighters announced Monday.

"The fire is still out of control," a spokesman for the firefighters told AFP, noting that "about 500 firefighters supported by 100 vehicles, seven planes and three helicopters are fighting the flames."

Last week, the mayor of the city of Soufli Panayotis Kalakikos said that "the environmental damage caused by this fire is immeasurable." The Dadia forest is vital to the local economy, as it supports forestry, beekeeping and tourism activities.

According to experts, the vegetation is so dense in this area that the fires are often invisible, and the water thrown by firefighters often does not reach the burning spots.

In northern Athens, the fire continues Monday to expand for the sixth day in a row in Mount Parnitha, as it affects the vegetation in the area, which is considered a green lung for the capital, Athens, according to the fire department, which indicated that "270 firefighters, a water launcher and a helicopter are fighting the fire there."

Greece is particularly prone to fires in the summer, which the government says are caused by climate change.

Since the beginning of the year, fires have destroyed more than 120,000 hectares of land in Greece, according to estimates by the National Observatory, three times more than the annual average since 2006, according to figures from the European Forest Fire Observatory.

Russian Security Council : America is developing biological weapons to target specific ethnic groups

Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Alexei Shevtsov, said that the United States is developing biological weapons to target specific ethnic groups.

Shevtsov explained, in an interview with the "Russkaya Gazeta" newspaper, that many sources have proven the validity of this information, adding that the Americans "are making a great effort to transfer their biological programs to other countries, with the aim of imposing their complete control over all biological research, and being able to reach its results in time." At any time and place, as well as to collect collections of vital materials and pathogens, particularly dangerous ones.

He added that the awareness programs that Russia regularly publishes about the dangers of US biological warfare programs have forced Washington to hide its real goals in this regard.

Shevtsov concluded that the United States, and specifically the Pentagon, would have to hide and disguise their biological projects behind the guise of "civilian" research institutes.

The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, Konstantin Kosachev, confirmed earlier that Russia, in cooperation with other countries, will continue investigations into the activities of American biological laboratories.

This came in response to a report issued by the Pentagon on the biological protection of the United States, which said that the research of some countries, including Russia and China, in the field of biological weapons "represents a threat to American national security."

In its report, the Pentagon considered China the "greatest challenge" it faces, and also spoke of a "great danger" from Russia, and called for "vigilance against risks" from North Korea, Iran and extremist organizations.

It is noteworthy that the Russian Parliamentary Committee to investigate the activities of American biological laboratories in Ukraine presented last April its report, which was issued at the end of a year of work. The report indicated that the United States biological programs have dual purposes, and can be used for military purposes as well.