What caused the power outage in Spain and Portugal?
The comparison was as apt as it was obvious. Though two Iberian neighbours had been brought low and plunged back into the Stone Ages for an April afternoon, when it came to understanding the cause of the mass power cut, there was an information blackout.
'It was Putin,' said a mother rushing to collect her child early from school in Madrid. It almost certainly wasn't, but the lack of information fuelled the kind of speculation that Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, said he could live without.
He might also have done without the Portuguese, who were the first to identify what happened — or at least what they thought had happened.
• Spain-Portugal power outage: 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' to blame
The national grid operator,
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Star
29-04-2025
- Irish Daily Star
Putin embarrassed as Russian special forces suffer huge blow after Ukraine attack
A Russian special forces unit has suffered a significant blow with the death of commander Umkhanov Buvaysar, aged 48, in Ukraine's Kursk border area, serving as the latest blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin after US President Donald Trump appeared to strengthen his relationship with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Operating under the nom de guerre "Tarzan," Buvaysar led a platoon in the elite Hunter Battalion of the 4th Brigade of the Akhmat Special Forces. Accusations of serious war crimes during the conflict in Ukraine have marred Tarzan's reputation. He has been implicated in civilian killings, thefts, and looting during aggressive operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions in early 2022. Ukrainian colonel Anatoliy Shtefan confirmed the Chechen combatant's death close to the border region, an area that has seen significant bloodshed, including the death of a key Russian propagandist. Read More Related Articles Putin's chilling 14-word demand to Zelensky as Kremlin announces three-day ceasefire Read More Related Articles Donald Trump's 'productive' Ukraine war talks could see Zelensky make huge concession Additionally, the Akhmat unit publicly mourned his passing with a tribute on their Telegram channel, sharing: "Our Brother Buvaisar Khasanovich Umkhanov, call sign Tarzan, has died." Umkhanov Buvaysar, 48, was serving as a platoon commander in the Hunter Battalion (Image: (Image: Social media)) Commanded by Ramzan Kadyrov—Putin's confidant and the notorious leader of the Chechen Republic—the Akhmat Special Forces brigade was dispatched to the Ukrainian frontline, reports the Express . With estimates placing their numbers between 4,000 and 13,000 troops, the unit is notorious for its formidable presence. Further grievances against Buvaysar include his alleged involvement in civilian murders within the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. His actions earned him a spot in the Myrotvorets database, which profiles individuals identified as war criminals or collaborators. For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here . On the battlefield in Kursk, the Akhmat Special Forces have been actively engaging Ukrainian forces, endeavoring to expel them from what they claim as Russian soil. A Russian tank explodes in Kursk after hitting a mine (Image: (Image: Social media)) Ukraine's General Staff has refuted Russian assertions that its forces have completely withdrawn from the Kursk region. Officials maintain that Ukrainian units continue to operate within Russia and have executed successful attacks against Putin's military. In a raid conducted on April 26, it was reported that soldiers from Ukraine's 73rd Naval Special Operations Centre managed to obliterate a unit from Russia's 810th Marine Brigade. The General Staff of Ukraine also confirmed that five combat encounters occurred in the Kursk region on Sunday, April 27. For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
Times
29-04-2025
- Times
Has Russia really kicked Ukraine out of Kursk?
After months of fighting, Kursk's liberation was heralded by grainy drone footage of a soldier waving a Russian tricolour from the roof of a ruined house. The video, published on Saturday by Russian military bloggers, was apparently shot in the village of Gornal, the last outpost held by Ukraine on Russian soil. Wasting no time, President Putin made an announcement he had ached to deliver for eight months, declaring the complete eviction of Ukrainian forces from the region. Kyiv has rejected this claim as a 'wishful thinking', however. Independent assessments suggest that although Russia has mostly recaptured Ukrainian positions in Kursk, the borderlands remain a grey zone of contested territory. Rybar, an authoritative Russian military blogger, said on Monday that Ukrainian troops remained in gullies
Times
29-04-2025
- Times
What caused the power outage in Spain and Portugal?
The comparison was as apt as it was obvious. Though two Iberian neighbours had been brought low and plunged back into the Stone Ages for an April afternoon, when it came to understanding the cause of the mass power cut, there was an information blackout. 'It was Putin,' said a mother rushing to collect her child early from school in Madrid. It almost certainly wasn't, but the lack of information fuelled the kind of speculation that Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, said he could live without. He might also have done without the Portuguese, who were the first to identify what happened — or at least what they thought had happened. • Spain-Portugal power outage: 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' to blame The national grid operator,
