35 h. ago Germany boosts Nato’s eastern flank with new Baltic brigade amid threat from Russia – Europe live

Friedrich Merz visits Lithuania to mark the official formation of Germany’s first permanent overseas military unit since the second world warPortugal wants European energy regulators’ agency ACER to lead an independent investigation into the causes of the huge power outage that brought most of Spain and Portugal to a standstill last month, its acting energy minister told Reuters.Maria da Graça Carvalho said prime minister Luís Montenegro wants an independent investigation led by the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators to complement the technical report being prepared by the European network of transmission system operators ENTSO-E. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Readers reply: If you were prepping, what would your top five items be?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts. This week’s followed the Spain/Portugal outagesIf you were prepping, what should be your top five things to hoard in light of the recent power outages in Spain and Portugal? Alina Ahmad, JohannesburgSend new questions to nq@theguardian.com. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago 'Cash rule' warning for UK tourists in Spain, France and Portugal amid power outage threats

Holidaymakers have been urged to ensure they are carrying physical cash

Events

2 w. ago Spain's train network grinds to a halt after vital signalling cables stolen in ‘act of sabotage'

It comes just a week after Spain and Portugal suffered an unprecedented and unexplained power blackout

Politics

3 w. ago Minister warns against blaming Spain’s blackout on renewable energy

Spain’s environment minister, Sara Aagesen, promises ‘complete audit’ into causes of power outageEurope live – latest updatesSpain’s environment minister has warned against attempts to blame Monday’s unprecedented blackout across the Iberian peninsula on the increasing use of renewable energy, defending the reliability of the national grid and promising a “complete audit” to establish the causes of the outage.Speaking on Wednesday afternoon as a specially designated committee prepared to meet to investigate the blackout, Sara Aagesen pushed back at opposition parties’ claims that the socialist-led government’s drive to embrace renewable energy had compromised the grid’s stability. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago ‘No one knew what to do’: power cuts bring chaos, connection and revaluation of digital dependency

People share their experiences of Monday’s massive power outage across Spain, Portugal and parts of France that upended modern life“It felt like chaos,” said Iñigo, a doctor at a hospital in northern Spain.With no electricity from noon on Monday, the building’s emergency generators were kept for the critical areas, leaving staff without access to patient data, broken communications due to no telephone signal or email, and colleagues unable to carry out some of their duties, he said. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Britain’s electricity system is ‘highly resilient’, says minister

Michael Shanks said the UK was not affected by the power cuts in Spain and Portugal but the Government continues to prepare for ‘all eventualities’.

Politics

3 w. ago Solar storm warning over risk of nuclear disaster 'worse than Chernobyl'

The monster power outage in Spain and Portugal this week saw nuclear plants automatically stopped.

Events

3 w. ago Spanish PM calls on private energy firms to help find cause of massive power cut

Pedro Sánchez says changes needed to guarantee ‘supply and future competitiveness’ of electricity after blackout Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has called on private energy operators to help his government establish the cause of Monday’s unprecedented power cut across the Iberian peninsula, and said changes and improvements must be made to guarantee “the supply and future competitiveness” of the country’s electrical system.Spain and Portugal suffered a massive power loss that began just after 12.30pm on Monday and lasted into the night. At least five people are thought to have died in Spain as a result of the blackout, which left people trapped on paralysed trains and in the static lifts of apartment blocks and offices. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Professor explains 'induced atmospheric vibration' after Spain's blackout

Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian said we are at at increasing risk of mass power cuts like the one seen in Spain, Portugal and France

Politics

3 w. ago Could the UK be vulnerable to a nationwide power outage like Spain and Portugal?

‘Be careful what we wish for’ in pivot towards net zero, warns director of Aberdeen University’s Centre for Energy Transition

Politics

3 w. ago Britain struck by unusual power activity hours before blackouts in Spain and Portugal

Britain’s grid operator confirms it is investigating unexplained changes in electricity frequency seen on Sunday

Politics

3 w. ago No 10 rejects ‘unfounded claims’ that renewables were behind power cuts in Spain

Widespread power cuts brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill on Monday.

Politics

3 w. ago Tennis stars unable to shower and nowhere to sleep: Blackouts cause havoc at Madrid Open

The Madrid Open was plunged into chaos on Monday afternoon as a widespread power outage across Spain and Portugal left players without access to basic human necessities

Politics

3 w. ago Spain admits solar power could be to blame for nationwide blackouts: Mystery over cause of outage grows as top court opens 'sabotage' probe

REE said on Tuesday its preliminary assessment had ruled out cyberattack as the cause of the nationwide power outage that hit most of Spain and Portugal on Monday.

Events

3 w. ago Spain’s criminal court to investigate whether 'computer sabotage' caused blackout

Top judge says ‘cyberterrorism’ is among possible explanations for blackout

Events

3 w. ago Portugal in chaos as shops have 'queues like Alton Towers' after power cut

Power is now being restored across Spain and Portugal following widespread blackouts, which began yesterday. However, this has led to some panicking and stockpiling

Events

3 w. ago Foreign Office warning for holidaymakers to Spain and Portugal after power outage

The extensive blackouts in Spain and Portugal impacted more than 50 million people on Monday, April 28.

Events

3 w. ago Mystery as Britain hit by unexplained power outages hours before Spain and Portugal blackout

Control room staff at the National Energy System Operator (Neso) in Britain noticed unusual activity on two occasions on Sunday, in the early morning and the evening.

Events

3 w. ago Power outages across Spain and Portugal affected millions. How to prepare for a major blackout

A widespread blackout across Spain and Portugal upended the lives of millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula

Politics