Widespread blackout leaves parts of Brazil without electricity

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A blackout has left large parts of Brazil’s north and northeast regions without any electricity. The National System Operator said power disruptions also were detected in the rest of the country, the National System Operator said. At least 19 of Brazil’s states were affected, according to a tally by online news site G1. The outage affected public transportation. Passengers had to evacuate subway lines in major cities, including Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Salvador. Traffic lights were out in other cities. The government said the blackout happened at 8:31 a.m. local time. The system operator says power was restored in some parts of the country by 10:00 a.m., but many areas  remained without electricity.