Wildfire season
The week's news at a glance.
Catalonia, Spain
Arsonists are being blamed for a series of large fires in Spain and Portugal this week. At least three people were killed and thousands of acres of land consumed in fires across Catalonia and Galicia in Spain, and major infernos raced across eastern Portugal. The heat wave baking Europe has turned both countries into a giant landscape of dry kindling. Officials have banned campfires and even outdoor barbecuing in rural areas. Portuguese authorities are considering branding arsonists “fire terrorists” and prosecuting them under anti-terror laws.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The politics of punctuation
In the Spotlight Semicolons get the silent treatment; AI makes a dash for dominance
-
Parsifal: Glyndebourne's 'startling' take on Wagner's final opera
The Week Recommends Jetske Mijnssen reimagines the composer's epic last work as a Chekhovian family drama
-
Starlink: what Elon Musk's satellite soft power means for the world
The Explainer The rapid expansion of his satellite internet company has given Musk a unique form of leverage in some of the world's most vulnerable regions