live 'Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet,' Iranian official says after Trump threats
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Ministe...
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan all reported blackouts on Friday, which Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said had been caused by a "sudden change in the power flow" from the Central Asian grid.
The countries share an interconnected power grid, so a failure of the grid in one nation can quickly spread to neighbouring countries.
The energy ministries of all four countries confirmed outages. Work was under way to restore power, they added.
Alatau Zharyk Company, which supplies electricity to Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty and the surrounding region, said disruption began at 14:38 local time (09:38 GMT).
Data showed that high-voltage lines ran by KEGOC, Kazakhstan's national operator, experienced an emergency shutdown, after which protection systems were triggered.
Almaty's 2.35 million residents reported power cuts, as well as residents of Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek. Local media in Tajikistan reported outages in the capital, Dushanbe, and second city Khujand.
KEGOC later issued a statement on Friday blaming a power surge from the Central Asian regional grid for the problem and said that three major transmission lines automatically tripped offline for safety reasons.
Work to restore power supply to consumers was "continuing," KEGOC added. Tahikistan's Ministry of Energy also later said that power had been restored to all regions of the country of more than 11 million.
Electricity shortages are common in Central Asia, where traditional reliance on hydropower has posed problems as climate change leaves hydroelectric stations vulnerable to water shortages.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
One person has been killed and six others injured after an explosion at a petroleum storage facility at the Port of Rotterdam, prompting an investigation into the cause.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
The United Nations has urged sustained international engagement with Afghanistan five years into Taliban rule, warning that restrictions on women and terrorism concerns risk undermining gains from improved security.
Iran says the U.S. war and military presence in the region have worsened marine pollution around the Strait of Hormuz, calling for environmental protection to form part of future arrangements governing the strategic waterway.
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria, potentially reshaping regional power flows.
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that includes a collective defence clause.
Uzbekistan will allow eligible businesses to operate for up to three months without a licence or permit under a new regime aimed at cutting barriers to market entry and attracting investment.
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