The failures are blamed on problems with power supplies, either with batteries not working or with cables snapping in the cold.

BBC: Arctic team gives up on ice radar

Although Obama did implement some new lobbying rules upon taking power, he has shown minimal interest in the procedural problems that he highlighted on the campaign trail: the power of interest groups, the role of private money in campaigns, the revolving door between K Street and Capitol Hill and more.

CNN: Commentary: Why Obama's plans are stalled

Mr. Maduro's government has responded to power problems by pointing the blame on unnamed critics who he says are engaged in efforts to destabilize his administration.

WSJ: Venezuelan President Nicol��s Maduro Reshuffles Cabinet

That outraged residents who questioned why regulators rely on nuclear power companies to self-report safety problems in the first place.

NPR: Officials Probe Spills at Illinois Nuclear Power Plant

Hurt by a separate snafu at an Amazon data center on June 14, he barely had time to recover before the power problems hit June 29.

WSJ: The Sun Shines on 'The Cloud'

The last time Brazil faced infrastructure problems on this scale was in 2001, when energy shortages led to six months of power cuts and rationing across the country.

BBC: Air chaos is new blow to Brazil's image

At the other extreme, scavenging spare computer power from personal computers on the internet is proving an increasingly effective approach for problems that can be split into a large number of small, independent parts.

ECONOMIST: Computing

The NRA on Wednesday listed eight problems that have occurred at Fukushima Daiichi since March 18, including two power outages and malfunctions with two radiation monitors, and said the agency would strengthen oversight of Tepco to make sure it was working to improve the reliability of the plant's equipment.

WSJ: Leaks Rouse Fears at Japanese Nuclear Plant

In essence, Mr Blair has made a judgment that Ulster's problems can best be tackled by drawing Sinn Fein into politics, rather than by concentrating on coaxing unionists towards sharing power with nationalists, the view long advocated by Irish governments.

ECONOMIST: Sinn Fein comes on board