Tanker goes down
The week's news at a glance.
Roncudo, Spain
A foundering oil tanker split in two off the coast of Spain this week, threatening to spill twice as much oil as the Exxon Valdez did in the 1989 Alaskan disaster. The Greek-owned Prestige left Latvia last week carrying 20 million gallons of heavy oil and was damaged in a storm off Spain’s shipwreck-prone “Coast of Death.” Tons of gooey sludge began washing up on the shore, coating birds and killing the shellfish that support the region’s fishing industry. Apportioning blame for what could be the world’s worst spill has already begun: Spain accused Britain of failing to overhaul the Prestige during its stops at British ports in recent years. And Spanish officials have arrested the captain, Apostolus Maguras, saying his refusal to cooperate with salvage crews helped sink the ship.
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.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
What's Qatar's role in the Middle East conflict?
Today's Big Question Doha hosts both Hamas and a U.S. military base. That puts it at the center of the conflict in Gaza.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Alleged Sikh assassination plot rocks US-India relations
Talking Point By accusing an Indian government official of orchestrating an assassination attempt on a US citizen in New York, the Justice Department risks a diplomatic crisis between two superpower
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'In Ukraine, sadly, promises are hard to keep'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published