Greek firefighters battled large bush and forest fires on the outskirts of Athens and in Greece’s southern Peloponnese region, where flames forced the evacuation of at least three villages and two summer camps.

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.

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.