Critical Infrastructure News
Fallout continues as power returns in Spain and Portugal after huge blackout
A sweeping power outage left millions of people across Spain, Portugal and parts of France without power on Monday. Authorities are still unclear about what caused the incident. Follow for live updates. A massive blackout hit Spain and Portugal at midday on Monday, grinding the Iberian Peninsula to a halt. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez…
Read MoreGunmen attack Chinese-owned hydroelectric plant in Chile, burn equipment and injure guards
Gunmen attacked a Chinese-owned hydroelectric plant under construction in Chile yesterday, setting fire to dozens of trucks and heavy earth-moving equipment, police said. The Rucalhue power plant is being built by Rucalhue Energia Spa, a unit of China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE), and is projected to cost US$350 million (RM1.5 billion). It is…
Read MoreCanadian Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Destruction of Energy Facilities in North and South Dakota
Cameron Monte Smith, 50, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison per count, to be served consecutively, for two counts of destroying an energy facility — one incident in the District of North Dakota and another in the District of South Dakota.Smith was also ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution.…
Read MoreSwedish police probe water sabotage attempt on Gotland
Swedish police are investigating a case of attempted sabotage targeting the water supply on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, the daily Aftonbladet reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources. According to the sources, the entire island might have been left without water if the sabotage had not been discovered. The report comes amid…
Read MoreCzech firefighters tackle large toxic train fire
A freight train carrying the highly toxic chemical benzene has derailed in the Czech Republic, sparking a huge fire. Several tankers and a locomotive were ablaze, with firefighters from several regions and a mobile chemical laboratory deployed to the area, according to local media. A massive cloud of dense black smoke was visible for several…
Read MoreTeen in custody after entering Texarkana airport with guns, demanding plane
A 15-year-old boy is in custody after authorities said he displayed a firearm Tuesday morning at Texarkana Regional Airport and demanded an airplane before being confronted by a pilot who had retrieved a firearm from his truck. The boy entered from the general aviation side with an AR-style rifle, according to a statement from the…
Read MoreNeo-Nazi leader on trial in Maryland for alleged terrorist plot to destroy Baltimore-area power grid
A Florida man is heading to trial in Maryland on Monday for an alleged terrorist plot to destroy the power grid in the Baltimore region. The trial began with jury selection. On Monday, more than 27 jurors were chosen to sit on the 36-member body. Court is adjourned until Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 9:15 a.m.…
Read MoreSweden Seizes Vessel Suspected Of ‘Sabotage’ After Undersea Data Cable Rupture In Baltic Sea
Swedish prosecutors announced Sunday night that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated “sabotage” and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of damaging an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland earlier that day. “Several authorities, including the National Police Operations Department, the…
Read MoreNATO Announces A New Mission To Protect Undersea Cables In The Baltic Sea Region
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced Tuesday that the alliance is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region. Rutte said at a meeting in Helsinki with the leaders of NATO countries located on the Baltic Sea that the effort would be dubbed Baltic Sentry. “It will involve a range of…
Read MoreFCC chair proposes cybersecurity rules in response to China’s Salt Typhoon telecom hack
U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is proposing, that communications service providers be required to submit an annual certification attesting that they have a plan in place to protect against cyberattacks, the agency said in a statement on Thursday. The proposal is in part in response to efforts by an allegedly Beijing-sponsored group of…
Read More