‘Blackouts can happen anywhere’: how power systems worldwide can collapse

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After Europe’s biggest blackout in over 20 years, experts warn that while such incidents are rare, no grid is infallible

Europe’s biggest blackout in over 20 years on the Iberian peninsula unleashed hours of chaos for people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France earlier this week. But in the aftermath it has raised a common question for governments across the continent: could the same happen here?

Europe’s political leaders and energy system operators have given assurances that such blackouts are extraordinarily rare, and that European power grids are some of the most stable in the world.

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India will include caste details in its next census – NPR

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  1. India will include caste details in its next census  NPR
  2. Rahul Gandhi forced PM Modi's hand on caste census, claims Congress  Times of India
  3. India to include citizens' castes in its delayed population census  Reuters
  4. "Country Going To Pay... ": When Rajiv Gandhi Opposed 1990 Reservation Move  NDTV
  5. Census may be held in 2026 to match delimitation schedule, says Union Minister Kishan Reddy  The Hindu
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Erin Patterson turned ‘extremely aggressive’ in dispute with estranged husband, mushroom murders trial hears

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Simon Patterson tells Victorian court of ‘inflammatory messages’ his wife sent to his parents amid a financial dispute

Erin Patterson was “extremely aggressive” during a financial dispute with her estranged husband about their children, a Victorian court has heard, as more message exchanges between the former couple were revealed.

Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha in South Gippsland in 2023.

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Murder charges over shooting of gangland lawyer Joseph Acquaro dropped

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Victoria DPP’s move on charges against Vincenzo Crupi brings end to case that threatened to force police to reveal informer’s identity

The Victorian director of public prosecutions has dropped murder charges relating to the shooting death of gangland lawyer and police informer Joseph “Pino” Acquaro.

The explosive development brings to an end a court case that threatened to force Victoria police to reveal the identity of human sources in order to prosecute Vincenzo Crupi, who they alleged had murdered Acquaro.

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Pakistan’s Leaders May Talk Tough, but War With India Is the Last Thing Pakistanis Want – The New York Times

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  1. Pakistan’s Leaders May Talk Tough, but War With India Is the Last Thing Pakistanis Want  The New York Times
  2. Fears of attack in Pakistan-administered Kashmir amid acute India tensions  Al Jazeera
  3. Pakistan and India hint at imminent military action over Kashmir. A look at the nuclear rivals  AP News
  4. Pakistan warns of an Indian attack, while quietly urging de-escalation  The Washington Post
  5. India Seems to Be Building Its Case for Striking Pakistan  The New York Times
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As Australia heads to the polls, big parties brace for rise of independents

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The soft, undecided and swinging voters are at an all-time high in Australia, while support for the centre-left Labor and conservative-leaning Coalition is low

More than 18 million Australians will head to the polls this Saturday to choose between the incumbent centre-left Labor party and its conservative-leaning Liberal/National Coalition challenger.

But about one in three voters will brush off the major contenders – led by the current prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and the opposition leader, Peter Dutton – in favour of someone else altogether, in an election marked by a cost of living crisis and the spectre of Donald Trump.

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Jill Sobule, I Kissed a Girl singer, dies in Minneapolis house fire aged 66

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Musician whose hits also included the satirical anthem Supermodel from the Clueless soundtrack died early on Thursday

Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter whose hits included the satirical anthem Supermodel from the Clueless movie soundtrack and the groundbreaking single I Kissed a Girl, has died in a house fire at the age of 66.

Sobule’s body was found in a home in Woodbury, Minnesota, on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

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Missile debris falls on kindergarten in northern Israel after interception of Houthi launch – Ynetnews

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  1. Missile debris falls on kindergarten in northern Israel after interception of Houthi launch  Ynetnews
  2. US strikes Yemen port again; Houthis launch missiles at Israel  Al Jazeera
  3. Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis launch two missiles towards Israel  Reuters
  4. Houthi missile launched from Yemen sets off sirens in Haifa and across north  The Times of Israel
  5. IDF to expand Gaza invasion, PA blames Hamas for aid looting  The Jerusalem Post
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Amazon reports better-than-expected earnings despite tumult of Trump tariffs

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Company exceeds expectations for third quarter in a row as chief executive Andy Jassy admits uncertainty over tariffs

Amazon reported strong first-quarter earnings for the 2025 fiscal year on Thursday after the New York stock exchange closed – results that will be seen in the context of consumer resilience in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff wars.

Amazon reported $1.59 in earnings-per-share (EPS) and revenue of $155.67bn. Analysts had estimated that the company’s EPS would come in at $1.36 on revenue of $155bn. In particular focus: Amazon’s advertising business, which grew 19% in the first quarter of 2025, handily exceeding analyst expectations as well. The company has exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for the previous two quarters.

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India children fall ill ‘after dead snake found in school meal’ – BBC

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  1. India children fall ill 'after dead snake found in school meal'  BBC
  2. Indian human rights officials investigate reports hundreds of schoolchildren fell sick from meals that contained dead snake  CNN
  3. India probes reports of dead snake in school lunch poisoning kids  NBC News
  4. More than 100 children fall sick after dead snake reportedly found in school lunch in India  CBS News
  5. Over 100 Children Ill After Dead Snake Found Inside a School Meal, Authorities Say  People.com
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