Algeria battles wildfires with 2 French firefighter planes

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Wildfires in Algeria that already have killed at least 69 people are still burning through the mountainous Berber region as the North African country contended with a heat wave. Two French water-dropping airplanes joined the effort to tame the fires in the Kabyle region after Algeria appealed Wednesday to the European Union Civil Protection framework for help. During a visit to the regional capital of Kabyle, the prime minister said Thursday that authorities “have formal, scientific evidence” the blazes resulted from criminal activity. Government officials have said the people killed include at least 28 soldiers who were deployed to fight the fires.