Keir Starmer fights for survival after Wes Streeting resignation
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was fighting for his political survival on Thurs...
Following a rare nationwide blackout, Spain has restored nearly all electricity supply, though most trains remain idle and the cause of the outage remains unclear.
Spain’s electricity grid operator, Red Eléctrica, announced on Tuesday that it had managed to supply nearly the entire country’s power demand following a massive blackout that disrupted the Iberian Peninsula the day before. All substations in Spain were operational by Tuesday morning, the operator said in a statement on X, while control centre teams continued efforts to fully stabilise the system.
Despite the restoration of electricity, the rail network remained significantly impaired. Madrid’s underground resumed limited operations with 80% of trains running, while the national railway operator Adif confirmed that most intercity and regional trains across Spain were still not functioning.
The unprecedented outage struck on Monday morning, impacting Spain and Portugal, halting public transport, grounding aircraft, and leading hospitals to scale back routine services. Power began to return late Monday, yet several sectors faced continued disruption into Tuesday.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the blackout was triggered by a sudden drop of 15 gigawatts of electricity generation within five seconds—roughly 60% of Spain’s total demand. This abrupt loss disconnected Spain’s power grid from France’s, leading to a wider systemic collapse, according to Red Eléctrica's operations chief, Eduardo Prieto.
While minor outages were also reported in parts of France, Portugal’s grid operator indicated that the problem likely originated in Spain. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated that there was no evidence pointing to a cyberattack.
The incident has reignited debate over the stability of renewable energy networks. Spain, a leading user of wind and solar energy, faces growing scrutiny over whether its energy infrastructure can withstand supply fluctuations. Prime Minister Sanchez said the root cause of the outage remains unknown and that no possibility, including technical failure or external interference, is being ruled out.
Sanchez also discussed the incident with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, according to sources in Brussels.
Just one week after a similar move by Australia, Greece announced that it will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 from January 1, 2027, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has officially opened on the French Riviera, once again transforming Cannes into the global centre of cinema, fashion, and entertainment.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran as he left for a high-stakes summit in Beijing on Tuesday, as hopes for a lasting peace deal dwindled and Tehran tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has instructed his first deputy to fulfill the public’s expectations regarding the access to the Internet services and platforms amid a wartime shut-down of international connection since late February.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening to a carefully choreographed reception that underscored the significance China is placing on the visit.
Foreign ministers from the expanded BRICS bloc gathered in New Delhi on Thursday (14 May) for a crucial two-day meeting overshadowed by the ongoing Iran war, internal tensions within the grouping and mounting fears over global energy supplies.
Latvia’s centre-right Prime Minister Evika Siliņa has resigned after sacking her Defence Minister over the army’s failure to shoot down stray Ukrainian drones. Two Ukrainian drones aimed at Russia accidentally crashed in Latvia last Thursday (7 May), with one exploding at an oil storage unit.
European stock markets edged higher on Thursday (14 May) as technology shares boosted sentiment, although investors remained cautious over stalled U.S.-Iran talks and a closely watched summit between Washington and Beijing.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment