ATHENS (Reuters) -Firefighters battled for a third day on Friday to put out a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that has razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to leave the area.

Firefighters in Turkey continue to battle wildfires in the Aegean coastal province of İzmir while authorities in neighboring Greece have brought similar fires under control

A wildfire on the island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists and locals is "retreating," Greek firefighters told AFP on Friday, but a new blaze fanned by strong winds is spreading east of the capital,