Greek authorities order mass evacuations as wildfires continue to rage around Athens

Authorities in Greece say wildfires burning close to Athens have weakened, and are now mainly burning in forested areas. Earlier on Sunday, they ordered mass evacuations in northern and eastern suburbs of the Greek capital. +++LM-Rein+++ Thousands of residents were told to leave their homes in Aios Stefa-nos. The government has declared a state of emergency for the affected areas. Blazes have also been reported in the communities of Nea Makri and Daou Penteli. +++LM-Raus+++ With the fires now burning for a third day, the weather service says winds fanning the flames have weakened slighly, but could pick up again later. And officials say vast blazes to the north of Athens and around Marathon are still threatening inhabited areas. +++SYN-MAZ+++