Nearly 200 firefighters are battling a major wildfire on the Greek island of Chios.

The fire started on Sunday in three separate locations near the main town, which is also called Chios. The flames were fanned by strong winds and turned into one large blaze.

Local media footage and photos showed firefighters battling towering flames burning through woodland and farmland as night fell. Power cuts have also been reported.

Greek authorities sent fresh evacuation notifications for two areas near Chios town on Monday morning.

Push alerts have been sent to mobile phones in the area urging people to evacuate a total of 16 villages, settlements and neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the town.

“The situation remains critical as firefighting forces are still dealing with many active fronts, several of which being near hamlets,” a Greek government spokesman said.

The fire department said 190 firefighters were trying to control the fire on Monday, with strong winds hampering their efforts.

Some 35 vehicles, five helicopters and two water-dropping planes were also involved in the effort.

A specialist fire department arson investigation team has been sent to the eastern Aegean island to look into the causes.

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Wildfires are common during Greece’s hot, dry summers but authorities have said climate change is fuelling bigger and more frequent blazes.

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Last year, hundreds of tourists and residents were forced to flee wildfires on the holiday island of Kos.

In 2023, forest fires killed at least 20 people in the north of the country and forced 19,000 people to flee the island of Rhodes.

At least 22 people have been killed after a suicide bomber opened fire at a church in Syria – and then detonated an explosive vest.

This is the first such incident since Bashar al Assad was toppled in December, and officials claim the attacker was a member of Islamic State.

It happened at a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, with estimates suggesting that 350 worshippers were praying there at the time.

Witnesses said the perpetrator had his face covered when he began shooting – and blew himself up as crowds attempted to remove him from the building.

A security source told Reuters that two men were involved in the attack, with a priest saying he saw a second gunman at the entrance.

Officials say 63 people were injured, and children were among the casualties.

Syria’s information minister, Hamza Mostafa, condemned the terrorist attack – writing on X: “This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together.

“We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship… and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organisations.”

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Reports suggest that IS has attempted to attack several churches in Syria since Assad fell, but this is the first time they have succeeded.

Footage filmed by Syria’s civil defence, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction inside the church – including bloodied floors and shattered pews.

The Greek foreign ministry says it “unequivocally condemns the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing”, and called on Syria “to guarantee the safety” of Christians with new measures.

A bride was shot dead on her wedding day in the south of France after she and her groom were targeted by hooded and armed attackers, according to local media.

The pair were leaving the party in a car along with a 13-year-old child when they were shot at, reports said.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation for “murder and attempted murder by an organised gang”.

The 27-year-old bride was fatally shot. One of the attackers was also killed after being struck by the bride and groom’s car as they tried to escape the ambush, French newspaper Le Figaro reports.

The incident reportedly happened in the village of Goult near the southeast French city of Avignon.

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Three people were injured: the groom, his sister and the 13-year-old child, Le Figaro reported.

Goult’s mayor Didier Perello said he believed the attack was “targeted”, adding that he was “angry, revolted, in shock”, in comments reported by the newspaper.