You might as well get used to it – the sun is out and it’s here to stay (for at least a week). As the sun rolls out across the UK today, it’s already clear blue skies across the capital. So, let’s grab a coffee and have a run-through of today’s news bulletins.
It’s mostly international stories leading the UK headlines this morning – both in print and online – with reactions and theories over the Spain and Portugal power outage, the latest from North American politics as Canada elects Mark Carney as prime minister and the latest in India’s hunt for the suspects involved in the deadly attack on civilians. There’s ongoing coverage of the African migrants who were killed in a US strike on Yemen, as the death toll continues to climb as well as coverage of the Vatican’s plans to choose a new Pope following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
Closer to home, Asylum seekers will be denied the right to stay in the UK if they have been convicted of sexual offences, the government has announced.
A few standalone stories is being pushed by the newspapers with the Mirror’s exclusive report on the culture of the BBC, coverage of the royal family and coverage of the upcoming England local elections.
Some media sites are deep-diving into the first 100 days of Donald Trump – whilst UK news is deep-diving into Arne Slot winning the Premier League in his first season in charge of Liverpool.
Spain and Portugal power outage
- The Times reports on Monday, that power across a vast region of Western Europe was cut out. In a matter of seconds, the Spanish electricity grid lost 10 gigawatts (GW) of demand — plunging from 26GW to 12GW. It was, by all metrics, a massive blackout and one of the biggest in recent European history.
- The Sun says the blackout has left British holidaymakers “high and dry” as the power cut affected “rills and taps.” The paper shows images of empty bars as people returned to their hotels during the power cut.
- Metro says “pain as Spain mainly off the mains” and a long line of travellers were left “stranded” at Madrid’s Atocha rail station after the power cuts.
- The I Paper says the “chaos” of Spain and Portugal’s “rare weather event” leading to “mass blackouts” were due to an “atmospheric phenomenon,” according to grid operators. Spain’s prime minister says the cause is “still being investigated.”
- The FT reports that the blackouts will “stoke concerns over power networks’ ability to meet the added demand,” noting both countries have moved away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy.
- The Daily Telegraph is more blunt in its coverage. “Net zero blamed for blackout coverage”. The paper says 53% of Spain’s energy was being supplied by solar before the power cuts.
- The Guardian says the giant power cut plunged Spain into a “state of emergency” taking out ATMs, trains and phones.
- The Daily Star says “Portugal blames Spain” for the blackouts. Spanish officials claimed the major blackout was due to an ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ which saw millions without access to electricity as thousands were stranded on rail lines, the paper adds.
Canada elects Mark Carney as prime minister
- The Guardian says Mark Carney has won the Canadian snap election – with the prime minister saying Donald Trump is ‘trying to break us’.
- Sky News calls Mark Carney’s Liberal Party win a “stunning comeback” fuelled by Donald Trump’s annexation threats and trade war.
- The New Statesman says Canada’s left is “poised for a wipeout” which it says will not just be devastating for the left wing but also for the country.
- BBC News says the Liberals won – in part because of an anti-Trump sentiment following his threats to make Canada the 51st state of the USA and the tariff wars.