Europe’s hot, dry summer takes its toll

ATHENS (AP): A record-breaking hot and dry summer tightened its grip on Europe yesterday as water-dropping planes swooped over a major wildfire in Greece, firefighters in France sought to stabilise a blaze in Provence, and much of the UK recorded its driest July in nearly two centuries. Wildfires west of Athens jumped containment lines a day after a mid-air collision between two helicopters killed two crew members.