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.
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.
-
A whole new world: redrawing the Mercator mapUnder the Radar African Union joins calls to ditch 'colonial distortion' and portray countries at more accurate size
-
'Enforcement of rulings remains spotty at best'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Book reviews: 'King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution' and 'Gwyneth: The Biography'Feature How the Iranian Revolution began and Gwyneth Paltrow's life in the spotlight
