Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister, apologised to the nation for the countrywide power outage. He vowed to fix the inconvenience that sank more than a million citizens of Pakistan into darkness. It was the second major power outage in four months.&nbsp;

On Monday, Pakistan witnessed a countrywide power outage due to variations in voltage in the national grid, PTI reported. The breakdown impacted daily life even in the most prime regions of the country, including the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad, and the financial hub, Karachi.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter and said, "On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to the power outage yesterday." He added, "On my order, an inquiry is underway to determine the reasons for the power failure."

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On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to power outage yesterday. On my orders an inquiry is underway to determine reasons of the power failure. Responsibility will be fixed.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1617808495952420864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="www.wionews.com/world/india-pakistan-came-close-to-a-nuclear-war-claims-mike-pompeo-in-his-new-book-555711">India, Pakistan came close to a nuclear war, claims Mike Pompeo in his new book</a>

Later on Tuesday, the power supply returned to several parts of Pakistan. However, some regions witnessed a blackout throughout the day. Khurram Dastgir, Minister for Energy, said they restored electricity at grid stations across the country. He tweeted, "Power at all 1,112 stations of the national grid has been restored."

After the nationwide power outage in Pakistan, the prime minister ordered a high-level probe to investigate the reason for the breakdown. The probe committee consists of three members. However, it is not the first time that Pakistan has faced such problems.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Former Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Choudhry arrested on allegedly threatening ECP officials

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In October 2022, Pakistan went through a power outage that lasted for 12 hours. It was due to technical glitches in the electricity allocation system.

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves are plunging as they undergo the worst economic crisis in the last few years. Earlier this month, the government shut down shopping malls and markets by 8:30 PM to conserve energy.&nbsp;

The miserable state of Pakistan's power sector is symbolic of its weak economy. Power outages have become more common due to the shortage of reserves to elevate ageing infrastructure.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister, apologised to the nation for the countrywide power outage. He vowed to fix the inconvenience that sank more than a million citizens of Pakistan into darkness.

Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister, apologised to the nation for the countrywide power outage. He vowed to fix the inconvenience that sank more than a million citizens of Pakistan into darkness. It was the second major power outage in four months. On Monday, Pakistan witnessed a countrywide power outage due to variations in voltage in the national grid, PTI reported. The breakdown impacted daily life even in the most prime regions of the country, including the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad, and the financial hub, Karachi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter and said, "On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to the power outage yesterday." He added, "On my order, an inquiry is underway to determine the reasons for the power failure." On behalf of my government, I would like to express my sincere regrets for the inconvenience our citizens suffered due to power outage yesterday. On my orders an inquiry is underway to determine reasons of the power failure. Responsibility will be fixed. — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 24, 2023 × ALSO READ | India, Pakistan came close to a nuclear war, claims Mike Pompeo in his new book Later on Tuesday, the power supply returned to several parts of Pakistan. However, some regions witnessed a blackout throughout the day. Khurram Dastgir, Minister for Energy, said they restored electricity at grid stations across the country. He tweeted, "Power at all 1,112 stations of the national grid has been restored." After the nationwide power outage in Pakistan, the prime minister ordered a high-level probe to investigate the reason for the breakdown. The probe committee consists of three members. However, it is not the first time that Pakistan has faced such problems. WATCH | Former Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Choudhry arrested on allegedly threatening ECP officials In October 2022, Pakistan went through a power outage that lasted for 12 hours. It was due to technical glitches in the electricity allocation system. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves are plunging as they undergo the worst economic crisis in the last few years. Earlier this month, the government shut down shopping malls and markets by 8:30 PM to conserve energy. The miserable state of Pakistan's power sector is symbolic of its weak economy. Power outages have become more common due to the shortage of reserves to elevate ageing infrastructure. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif apologises for nationwide power outage

Pakistan faced a major power breakdown on Monday due to a "frequency variation" in the national grid, leaving millions of people in the country, including capital Islamabad and financial hub Karachi, without electricity. Neha Khanna brings you more insights.

Pakistan suffers major power outage after grid failure

Pakistan is without power for the second time in three months. All major cities in the country spend the entire day with no electricity supply. According to Pakistan's Energy Minister, the grid went down in the morning.

Pakistan: No electricity in the country's major cities, second major outage in three months

At least 17 people have been killed in California as a relentless string of storms batter the state. Over 12,000 homes and businesses are suffering power outages.

WION Climate Tracker: Storm results in at least 17 deaths in California

Chaos erupted at the Philippines’ main gateway, on New Year's Day (Sunday) after it faced a severe power outage, paralysing the country’s air traffic control and disrupting over 300 flights, as of Monday. In a statement, Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) acknowledged that the incident affected tens of thousands of passengers and they are working to resume full services.&nbsp;

By Sunday afternoon, airport authorities said the air traffic management system had been partially restored allowing limited flight operations. The NAIA serves as the main gateway for travellers to and from the country and is in the capital city Manila.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/flights-to-and-from-philippines-manila-suspended-56000-passengers-affected-548506">Flights to and from Manila, Philippines suspended due to ATC glitch; 56,000 passengers affected</a> 
 
According to Cesar Chiong, general manager of the international airport, it was the failure of primary and secondary power supplies that caused the outage and may take at least 72 hours to resume operations completely. The facility in question had introduced its own power system five years ago, however, during Sunday’s outage, both the main and backup systems failed.&nbsp;

Notably, the NAIA does not have the best reputation as it is ranked among the world’s worst international gateways which has been attributed to its flight backlogs and outdated systems.&nbsp; 
 
ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/philippines-power-outage-prompts-chaos-at-ninoy-aquino-international-airport-548585">Philippines: Power outage prompts chaos at Ninoy Aquino International Airport</a> 
 
Meanwhile, the incident also prompted Philippine authorities to shut down the country’s airspace. As of Monday, 361 flights were delayed, cancelled or diverted which has affected nearly 65,000 passengers, however, the number does not account for people on other flights which were rerouted to the shut Philippine airspace, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

In a press conference, on Sunday, Philippine Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista apologised for the incident and inconvenience caused to the passengers attributing it to a severe power outage affecting the airport's central air traffic control system.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-dead-in-philippines-typhoon-search-and-rescue-efforts-underway-438238">More than 100 dead in Philippines typhoon, search and rescue efforts underway</a>

He added that the department will ensure food, refreshments, transportation and accommodation “free of charge” to the affected passengers, reported CNN. The transport minister also said that the outdated facility should be upgraded immediately, “If you will compare us with Singapore, for one, there is a big difference, they are at least 10 years ahead of us.” Furthermore, the department has since ruled out the possibility of sabotage but vowed to launch an investigation into the incident.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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Chaos erupted at the Philippines’ main gateway, on New Year's Day (Sunday) after it faced a severe power outage, paralysing the country’s air traffic control and disrupting over 300 flights, as of Monday.

Chaos erupted at the Philippines’ main gateway, on New Year's Day (Sunday) after it faced a severe power outage, paralysing the country’s air traffic control and disrupting over 300 flights, as of Monday. In a statement, Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) acknowledged that the incident affected tens of thousands of passengers and they are working to resume full services. By Sunday afternoon, airport authorities said the air traffic management system had been partially restored allowing limited flight operations. The NAIA serves as the main gateway for travellers to and from the country and is in the capital city Manila. ALSO READ | Flights to and from Manila, Philippines suspended due to ATC glitch; 56,000 passengers affected According to Cesar Chiong, general manager of the international airport, it was the failure of primary and secondary power supplies that caused the outage and may take at least 72 hours to resume operations completely. The facility in question had introduced its own power system five years ago, however, during Sunday’s outage, both the main and backup systems failed. Notably, the NAIA does not have the best reputation as it is ranked among the world’s worst international gateways which has been attributed to its flight backlogs and outdated systems. ALSO WATCH | Philippines: Power outage prompts chaos at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Meanwhile, the incident also prompted Philippine authorities to shut down the country’s airspace. As of Monday, 361 flights were delayed, cancelled or diverted which has affected nearly 65,000 passengers, however, the number does not account for people on other flights which were rerouted to the shut Philippine airspace, reported Reuters. In a press conference, on Sunday, Philippine Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista apologised for the incident and inconvenience caused to the passengers attributing it to a severe power outage affecting the airport's central air traffic control system. ALSO READ | More than 100 dead in Philippines typhoon, search and rescue efforts underway He added that the department will ensure food, refreshments, transportation and accommodation “free of charge” to the affected passengers, reported CNN. The transport minister also said that the outdated facility should be upgraded immediately, “If you will compare us with Singapore, for one, there is a big difference, they are at least 10 years ahead of us.” Furthermore, the department has since ruled out the possibility of sabotage but vowed to launch an investigation into the incident. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Thousands stranded at Philippines int'l airport after power outage; officials rush to restore operations

The Philippines halted flights in and out of Manila airport on New Year's Day after a power outage knocked out communication and radio equipment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Philippines: Power outage prompts chaos at Ninoy Aquino International Airport

More than one million people faced power outages in the United States on Friday as the cyclonic winter storm battered the country, cancelling flights, blocking highways and making travel misery for home goers ahead of the holiday season.

Howling winds, heavy snow and frigid air which can turn boiling water into ice instantly have hit most of the nation, including southern states, which are normally temperate.

Weather warnings were issued to around 200 million Americans, as -55 Fahrenheit (-48 Celsius) was recorded as the lowest temperature amid chilly wind, the National Weather Service (NWS) stated.&nbsp;

39-year-old Jennifer Orlando, who lives in Hamburg, New York, faced a power outage of four hours after a vehicle accidentally slid into a power line. For thousands of electricity consumers, who are facing power outages, the winter storm has become an issue of immediate concern.

ALSO READ| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-canada-experience-freezing-temperatures-forecast-service-warns-itll-cause-frostbite-in-five-mins-545166">US, Canada experience freezing temperatures, forecast service warns it'll cause frostbite in five mins</a>

Migrants and homeless seek warm shelters&nbsp;

Migrants coming from Mexico sought shelter in schools, churches and a civic centre of El Paso, Texas for warmth, said school teacher and volunteer Rosa Falcon.

However, some migrants still stay outside battling -15 Fahrenheit temperatures fearing that they may come in the eyes of immigration authorities, she said.

Non-profit organisation Burke Patten of Night Ministry, established in Chicago to help the homeless, stated, "We've been handing out cold weather gear, including coats, hats, gloves, thermal underwear, blankets and sleeping bags, along with hand and foot warmers."

Chicago area commander for the Salvation Army Major Caleb Senn said that centres have been opened by the organisation for sheltering people from the fierce winter.

"Some of the people we're seeing right now, they've just become homeless this year. Some of these people are actually frightened. This is the first time they've been in the elements without someplace to go,” he stated.

WATCH| Gravitas: U.S. faces winter storm on Christmas weekend

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Flights cancelled, accident reported as visibility drops to zero

Near-zero visibility, stormy weather and ice-covered roads were reported in Oklahoma, Iowa, North and South Dakota and elsewhere and people were appealed to stay home.

Reports of two traffic fatalities came from Oklahoma on Thursday. Kentucky's governor Andy Beshear confirmed three fatalities in his state.

In Ohio, one person was killed in a 50-vehicle pile-up, while traffic was snarled in Michigan after the accident of nine tractor-trailers.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, "This is an epic, statewide hazard. The roads are going to be like an ice skating rink and your tires cannot handle this."

On Friday, almost 5,000 flights were cancelled and 7,600 were delayed. The balmy Los Angeles also felt the misery of flight cancellation.

While speaking to ABC 7, Christine Lerosen said she failed to find a flight out of Vancouver.&nbsp;

"I had to get my brother to drive me down to Seattle - had to book a flight out of Seattle to go to Denver, to fly here. My Seattle flight was delayed, my Denver flight was delayed and now they lost my luggage," she added.

By the afternoon of Friday, the storm took the shape of a "bomb cyclone" after there was a precipitous drop in air pressure in 24 hours.

ALSO READ| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-weather-what-is-bomb-cyclone-does-it-explode-545587">US Weather: What is Bomb cyclone? Does it explode?</a>

Wind chills, rapid frostbite

NWS' lead forecaster Rich Maliawco, while speaking in Glasgow, Montana where overnight wind chill dropped to -60 Fahrenheit, called the weather 'extremely dangerous'.

"With these kinds of wind chills, if you're not wearing those warm layers... unprotected skin can get frostbite in less than five minutes," he stated.

He said that people have been posting videos of the "boiling water challenge," where they throw boiling water into the air as it freezes instantly.

"We created our own cloud @ -17° F (-27° C) at the #Missoula International Airport," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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More than one million people faced power outages in the United States on Friday as the cyclonic winter storm battered the country, cancelling flights, blocking highways and making travel misery for home goers ahead of the holiday season.

More than one million people faced power outages in the United States on Friday as the cyclonic winter storm battered the country, cancelling flights, blocking highways and making travel misery for home goers ahead of the holiday season. Howling winds, heavy snow and frigid air which can turn boiling water into ice instantly have hit most of the nation, including southern states, which are normally temperate. Weather warnings were issued to around 200 million Americans, as -55 Fahrenheit (-48 Celsius) was recorded as the lowest temperature amid chilly wind, the National Weather Service (NWS) stated. 39-year-old Jennifer Orlando, who lives in Hamburg, New York, faced a power outage of four hours after a vehicle accidentally slid into a power line. For thousands of electricity consumers, who are facing power outages, the winter storm has become an issue of immediate concern. ALSO READ| US, Canada experience freezing temperatures, forecast service warns it'll cause frostbite in five mins Migrants and homeless seek warm shelters Migrants coming from Mexico sought shelter in schools, churches and a civic centre of El Paso, Texas for warmth, said school teacher and volunteer Rosa Falcon. However, some migrants still stay outside battling -15 Fahrenheit temperatures fearing that they may come in the eyes of immigration authorities, she said. Non-profit organisation Burke Patten of Night Ministry, established in Chicago to help the homeless, stated, "We've been handing out cold weather gear, including coats, hats, gloves, thermal underwear, blankets and sleeping bags, along with hand and foot warmers." Chicago area commander for the Salvation Army Major Caleb Senn said that centres have been opened by the organisation for sheltering people from the fierce winter. "Some of the people we're seeing right now, they've just become homeless this year. Some of these people are actually frightened. This is the first time they've been in the elements without someplace to go,” he stated. WATCH| Gravitas: U.S. faces winter storm on Christmas weekend Flights cancelled, accident reported as visibility drops to zero Near-zero visibility, stormy weather and ice-covered roads were reported in Oklahoma, Iowa, North and South Dakota and elsewhere and people were appealed to stay home. Reports of two traffic fatalities came from Oklahoma on Thursday. Kentucky's governor Andy Beshear confirmed three fatalities in his state. In Ohio, one person was killed in a 50-vehicle pile-up, while traffic was snarled in Michigan after the accident of nine tractor-trailers. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, "This is an epic, statewide hazard. The roads are going to be like an ice skating rink and your tires cannot handle this." On Friday, almost 5,000 flights were cancelled and 7,600 were delayed. The balmy Los Angeles also felt the misery of flight cancellation. While speaking to ABC 7, Christine Lerosen said she failed to find a flight out of Vancouver. "I had to get my brother to drive me down to Seattle - had to book a flight out of Seattle to go to Denver, to fly here. My Seattle flight was delayed, my Denver flight was delayed and now they lost my luggage," she added. By the afternoon of Friday, the storm took the shape of a "bomb cyclone" after there was a precipitous drop in air pressure in 24 hours. ALSO READ| US Weather: What is Bomb cyclone? Does it explode? Wind chills, rapid frostbite NWS' lead forecaster Rich Maliawco, while speaking in Glasgow, Montana where overnight wind chill dropped to -60 Fahrenheit, called the weather 'extremely dangerous'. "With these kinds of wind chills, if you're not wearing those warm layers... unprotected skin can get frostbite in less than five minutes," he stated. He said that people have been posting videos of the "boiling water challenge," where they throw boiling water into the air as it freezes instantly. "We created our own cloud @ -17° F (-27° C) at the #Missoula International Airport," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

'Epic' winter storm hits Americans, as millions face power outage ahead of holiday season

Hurricane Fiona left most of&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;without power on Sunday, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides on the island before barreling toward the Dominican Republic, a government agency said.

The storm, hitting&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, ripped up asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, closed airports, swamped cars and dumped rain in such quantities that some rivers were rising 20 feet in just hours, according to eyewitnesses.

"This has been catastrophic,"&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;Governor Pedro Pierluisi said at a news conference in the capital San Juan.

Carmen Yulín Cruz, the former mayor of San Juan, said on Twitter that many believed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-will-absolutely-not-fail-its-financial-debt-despite-floods-says-finance-minister-miftah-ismail-517550">rainfall</a> was worse than Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The center of the storm made landfall on the southwestern coast of&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;near Punta Tocon at 3:20 p.m. ET (1920 GMT) with maximum sustained winds of about 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour, clearing the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imf-to-work-with-international-community-to-support-flood-ravaged-pakistan-517482">IMF to work with international community to support flood-ravaged Pakistan</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ireland-doctors-remove-highest-55-batteries-from-womans-gut-and-stomach-517438">Power</a> had begun to be restored to some areas by Sunday night, officials said, but reconnecting the whole island would take days.

Electricity had been out completely across the island of 3.3 million people, said LUMA Energy, operator of the island's grid, and the&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;power authority.

Puerto&nbsp;Rico's grid remains fragile after Hurricane Maria in September 2017 caused the largest blackout in U.S. history. In that Category 5 storm, which killed more than 3,000 people, 1.5 million customers lost electricity with 80% of power lines knocked out. Thousands of&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Ricans still live under makeshift tarpaulin roofs.

At a news conference in the capital San Juan on Sunday night, LUMA spokesperson Abner Gomez said the entire electrical system had been shut down to protect its infrastructure. Some power was being restored, with priority given to hospitals and other critical community services, he said.

Several landslides had been reported, officials said. Roads were closed and a highway bridge in Utuado, a town in the center of the island, had been washed away by a flooding river.&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico's ports were closed and flights out of the main airport canceled.

Torrential rains and mudslides were also forecast for the Dominican Republic as the storm progresses northwestward, with the Turks and Caicos Islands likely facing tropical storm conditions on Tuesday, the NHC said.

By Sunday night, aid agencies in the Dominican Republic began evacuating residents from high-risk areas in the east of the country. President Luis Abinader, the Dominican leader, postponed a trip to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, while the start of the Dominican school year was pushed back to Wednesday from Monday.

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;on Sunday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provide emergency protective measures.

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said agency officials deployed to&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;would assist with restoration efforts "as it becomes safe to do so."

Denise Rios, who lives in the southwestern town of Hormigueros, said she was left without power following strong gusts of wind and rain that began around noon on Sunday.

"Since then it hasn't stopped," she said. "It is raining heavily and the wind is blowing hard. I'm calm, but alert."

A wide swathe of&nbsp;Puerto&nbsp;Rico&nbsp;was forecast to get 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm) of rain, while parts could be hit by up to 25 inches (63.5 cm), according to the NHC.

Authorities opened more than 100 shelters and closed beaches and casinos.

One death tied to Fiona has been reported so far, in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Authorities said a man was found dead on Saturday after his house was swept away by floods. France will recognize a state of natural disaster for Guadeloupe, President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter on Sunday.

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Hurricane Fiona left most of Puerto Rico without power on Sunday, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides on the island before barreling toward the Dominican Republic, a government agency said.

Hurricane Fiona left most of Puerto Rico without power on Sunday, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides on the island before barreling toward the Dominican Republic, a government agency said. The storm, hitting Puerto Rico five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, ripped up asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, closed airports, swamped cars and dumped rain in such quantities that some rivers were rising 20 feet in just hours, according to eyewitnesses. "This has been catastrophic," Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said at a news conference in the capital San Juan. Carmen Yulín Cruz, the former mayor of San Juan, said on Twitter that many believed the rainfall was worse than Hurricane Maria in 2017. The center of the storm made landfall on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico near Punta Tocon at 3:20 p.m. ET (1920 GMT) with maximum sustained winds of about 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour, clearing the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said. Also read | IMF to work with international community to support flood-ravaged Pakistan Power had begun to be restored to some areas by Sunday night, officials said, but reconnecting the whole island would take days. Electricity had been out completely across the island of 3.3 million people, said LUMA Energy, operator of the island's grid, and the Puerto Rico power authority. Puerto Rico's grid remains fragile after Hurricane Maria in September 2017 caused the largest blackout in U.S. history. In that Category 5 storm, which killed more than 3,000 people, 1.5 million customers lost electricity with 80% of power lines knocked out. Thousands of Puerto Ricans still live under makeshift tarpaulin roofs. At a news conference in the capital San Juan on Sunday night, LUMA spokesperson Abner Gomez said the entire electrical system had been shut down to protect its infrastructure. Some power was being restored, with priority given to hospitals and other critical community services, he said. Several landslides had been reported, officials said. Roads were closed and a highway bridge in Utuado, a town in the center of the island, had been washed away by a flooding river. Puerto Rico's ports were closed and flights out of the main airport canceled. Torrential rains and mudslides were also forecast for the Dominican Republic as the storm progresses northwestward, with the Turks and Caicos Islands likely facing tropical storm conditions on Tuesday, the NHC said. By Sunday night, aid agencies in the Dominican Republic began evacuating residents from high-risk areas in the east of the country. President Luis Abinader, the Dominican leader, postponed a trip to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, while the start of the Dominican school year was pushed back to Wednesday from Monday. US President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Sunday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief and provide emergency protective measures. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said agency officials deployed to Puerto Rico would assist with restoration efforts "as it becomes safe to do so." Denise Rios, who lives in the southwestern town of Hormigueros, said she was left without power following strong gusts of wind and rain that began around noon on Sunday. "Since then it hasn't stopped," she said. "It is raining heavily and the wind is blowing hard. I'm calm, but alert." A wide swathe of Puerto Rico was forecast to get 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm) of rain, while parts could be hit by up to 25 inches (63.5 cm), according to the NHC. Authorities opened more than 100 shelters and closed beaches and casinos. One death tied to Fiona has been reported so far, in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Authorities said a man was found dead on Saturday after his house was swept away by floods. France will recognize a state of natural disaster for Guadeloupe, President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter on Sunday. WATCH WION live here:

Hurricane Fiona swamps Puerto Rico, island faces massive power outage

Pakistan telecom operators have warned that mobile and internet services might be shut down in the wake of the nationwide power outages in the country.

"Telecom operators in Pakistan have warned about shutting down mobile and internet services due to long hours of power outages nationwide, as the interruption is causing issues and hindrance in their operations," the Pakistan National Information Technology Board (NITB) wrote on Twitter.

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TECH NEWS UPDATE || BY NITB✅ 
Telecom operators in Pakistan have warned about shutting down mobile and internet services due to long hours power outages nationwide, as the interruption is causing issues and hinderance in their operations.✔️ 
Stay tuned for more information.🔜 <a href="https://t.co/CA1d4gx7xa">pic.twitter.com/CA1d4gx7xa</a>
— National Information Technology Board (@NationalITBoard) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalITBoard/status/1542453337735532545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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It comes days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had warned that the country might face increased loadshedding in July.

On Monday, he said that Pakistan could not get the required liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, however, added that the coalition government was trying to make the deal possible.

The country is facing an escalation of its power crisis after it failed to agree on a deal for natural gas supply next month. Tenders for July were scrapped due to high price, and low participation as the nation is already taking action to tackle widespread blackouts, reports Geo News.

Pakistan has reduced working hours for public servants and ordered shopping malls, factories to shut early in various cities, including Karachi, in a bid to conserve energy.

"The government is speaking to Qatar about a new five or 10-year LNG supply deal for three monthly cargoes, as well as an additional cargo under an existing deal," Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said.

The main reason cited for the power outages in Pakistan is the lack of power and energy sources. The country is facing a major fuel shortage, which has led to 12-hour long blackouts in several states. Due to the lack of fuel, the electricity supply is taking a major hit in Pakistan.

The fuel shortage accentuated following the global energy shortage due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Pakistan telecom operators have warned that mobile and internet services might be shut down in the wake of the nationwide power outages in the country. "Telecom operators in Pakistan have warned about shutting down mobile and internet services due to long hours of power outages nationwide, as the interruption is causing issues and hindrance in their operations," the Pakistan National Information Technology Board (NITB) wrote on Twitter.

Pakistan telecom operators have warned that mobile and internet services might be shut down in the wake of the nationwide power outages in the country. "Telecom operators in Pakistan have warned about shutting down mobile and internet services due to long hours of power outages nationwide, as the interruption is causing issues and hindrance in their operations," the Pakistan National Information Technology Board (NITB) wrote on Twitter. TECH NEWS UPDATE || BY NITB✅ Telecom operators in Pakistan have warned about shutting down mobile and internet services due to long hours power outages nationwide, as the interruption is causing issues and hinderance in their operations.✔️ Stay tuned for more information.🔜 pic.twitter.com/CA1d4gx7xa — National Information Technology Board (@NationalITBoard) June 30, 2022 × It comes days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had warned that the country might face increased loadshedding in July. On Monday, he said that Pakistan could not get the required liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, however, added that the coalition government was trying to make the deal possible. The country is facing an escalation of its power crisis after it failed to agree on a deal for natural gas supply next month. Tenders for July were scrapped due to high price, and low participation as the nation is already taking action to tackle widespread blackouts, reports Geo News. Pakistan has reduced working hours for public servants and ordered shopping malls, factories to shut early in various cities, including Karachi, in a bid to conserve energy. "The government is speaking to Qatar about a new five or 10-year LNG supply deal for three monthly cargoes, as well as an additional cargo under an existing deal," Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said. The main reason cited for the power outages in Pakistan is the lack of power and energy sources. The country is facing a major fuel shortage, which has led to 12-hour long blackouts in several states. Due to the lack of fuel, the electricity supply is taking a major hit in Pakistan. The fuel shortage accentuated following the global energy shortage due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pak warns of shutting down mobile, internet services amid power outages

Power outages, early onset of soaring summer temperatures and heat waves are adding to the misery of many Pakistanis as they flock to water canals to cope with the scorching heat.

Pakistan reels under power and water shortage

US spring snowstorm knocks out power across states, leaving over 300,000 in the dark

As many as 1.5 million homes this week were left without power after a short circuit blew out the Caribbean islands' biggest power grid. Puerto Rico electric company has now said that it has no idea when power can be made available.

1.5 million homes go dark in Caribbean due to massive power outage

We all have to face power outages sometimes. Sure, it creates a lot of discomfort. The phone battery dies in the middle of a particularly exciting series and there's no way to charge. You curse your life, this world and your existence. But how about a trillion pounds as a compensation for your discomfort? Life is suddenly a rosy picture. That web series can go...play itself. &nbsp;

Such a thing (not involving a web series) actually happened in the UK when Northern PowerGrid, a power distribution company, wrote away mother of all compensation cheques worth more than 2.3 trillion pounds to 74 customers for having experienced blackouts. These blackouts had taken place when storm Arwen hit the country in November last year.

This is surely an overkill right? Trillion pounds for a power outage.

One of the recepient of these cheques thought the same and posted an image of the cheque online

“Thank you for our compensation payment @Northpowergrid for the several days we were without power following #stormarwen. Before I bank the cheque, however, are you 100% certain you can afford this? #trillionpounds.” tweeted Gareth Hughes.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Thank you for our compensation payment <a href="https://twitter.com/Northpowergrid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Northpowergrid</a> for the several days we were without power following <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stormarwen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stormarwen</a> Before I bank the cheque however, are you 100% certain you can afford this? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trillionpounds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trillionpounds</a> <a href="https://t.co/z5MNc2Nxl1">pic.twitter.com/z5MNc2Nxl1</a>
— Gareth Hughes (@gh230277) <a href="https://twitter.com/gh230277/status/1492466576649502721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The post went viral (duh!) and 55,000 people liked it. Many of them asked Hughes to try cashing the cheque just to see what happens. Some others jokingly wanted him to be a national hero and clear national debt.

“Be a sport and take the money to clear the national debt.” wrote one user.

It was revealed later on that the benevolence of the power company was due to a clerical error.&nbsp;

“We thank those customers who were honest and contacted us and we have been making contact directly over the weekend with all 74 customers affected to make them aware, apologise for the error and reassure them that a correct payment will be issued to them on Monday," a spokesperson of the Northern Grid said as quoted by Sky News.

We all have to face power outages sometimes. Sure, it creates a lot of discomfort. The phone battery dies in the middle of a particularly exciting series and there's no way to charge.

We all have to face power outages sometimes. Sure, it creates a lot of discomfort. The phone battery dies in the middle of a particularly exciting series and there's no way to charge. You curse your life, this world and your existence. But how about a trillion pounds as a compensation for your discomfort? Life is suddenly a rosy picture. That web series can go...play itself. Such a thing (not involving a web series) actually happened in the UK when Northern PowerGrid, a power distribution company, wrote away mother of all compensation cheques worth more than 2.3 trillion pounds to 74 customers for having experienced blackouts. These blackouts had taken place when storm Arwen hit the country in November last year. This is surely an overkill right? Trillion pounds for a power outage. One of the recepient of these cheques thought the same and posted an image of the cheque online “Thank you for our compensation payment @Northpowergrid for the several days we were without power following #stormarwen. Before I bank the cheque, however, are you 100% certain you can afford this? #trillionpounds.” tweeted Gareth Hughes. Thank you for our compensation payment @Northpowergrid for the several days we were without power following #stormarwen Before I bank the cheque however, are you 100% certain you can afford this? #trillionpounds pic.twitter.com/z5MNc2Nxl1 — Gareth Hughes (@gh230277) February 12, 2022 × The post went viral (duh!) and 55,000 people liked it. Many of them asked Hughes to try cashing the cheque just to see what happens. Some others jokingly wanted him to be a national hero and clear national debt. “Be a sport and take the money to clear the national debt.” wrote one user. It was revealed later on that the benevolence of the power company was due to a clerical error. “We thank those customers who were honest and contacted us and we have been making contact directly over the weekend with all 74 customers affected to make them aware, apologise for the error and reassure them that a correct payment will be issued to them on Monday," a spokesperson of the Northern Grid said as quoted by Sky News.

Power outage? Take trillion pounds, said this UK company

Unit 2 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), the largest nuclear plant in India suffered an outage on Thursday, owing to a “loss of power supply to control rods”.&nbsp;

Located in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Kudankulam plant’s unit 2 has a capacity of generating up to 1,000 MW of power.&nbsp;

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Unit 2 at India's Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a> suffers outage, after "loss of power supply to control rods" 
 
Incident on 6th Jan, Thursday at 11:13am 
 
KKNPP is India's largest 
 
Units 1&amp;2 produce 1000MW each &amp; units 3,4,5,6 are being built<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NuclearEnergy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NuclearEnergy</a> <a href="https://t.co/plDBxnlGfO">pic.twitter.com/plDBxnlGfO</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1479356541551591424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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According to the Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POCOSO), the outage which has been classified as a “forced outage”, took place at 11:13 am on Thursday. As per available data, Unit 2 of KKNPP had generated 415 MW of power, on Thursday prior to the outage. However, there was no time specified for its expected resumption of operations.&nbsp;

Simply put, a control rod is a device that is used to absorb neutrons. Control rods are meant to provide real-time control of the fission process in a nuclear reactor and ensure that it remains active. The nuclear reaction taking place in the reactor core can be slowed down, accelerated or stopped completely by using the control rods. Likewise, the power output of a nuclear power plant can also be regulated by means of a control rod.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-3-more-14-terrorists-killed-in-indias-jk-in-last-8-days-442832" hreflang="en">With 3 more, 14 terrorists killed in India’s J&amp;K in last 8 days</a>

KKNPP comprises six units of Light Water Reactors (VVERs), each of 1000 MW capacity. Set up in technical cooperation with the Russian Federation, the reactors at Kudankulam are state-of-the-art in terms of safety. They incorporate a combination of advanced, multi-layered safety features ensuring the highest level of safety for the plant, the public and the environment.

Being implemented in three phases of 2x1000MW each, units 1 &amp; 2 are operational, whereas 3 &amp; 4 are about 50 per cent into construction. The construction of Units 5 &amp; 6 is expected to take up to seven years. The completion of all these projects over the coming years will provide 6000MW clean energy to the country.&nbsp;

Unit 2 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), the largest nuclear plant in India suffered an outage on Thursday, owing to a “loss of power supply to control rods”.

Unit 2 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), the largest nuclear plant in India suffered an outage on Thursday, owing to a “loss of power supply to control rods”. Located in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Kudankulam plant’s unit 2 has a capacity of generating up to 1,000 MW of power. Unit 2 at India's Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant in #TamilNadu suffers outage, after "loss of power supply to control rods" Incident on 6th Jan, Thursday at 11:13am KKNPP is India's largest Units 1&2 produce 1000MW each & units 3,4,5,6 are being built#india #NuclearEnergy pic.twitter.com/plDBxnlGfO — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) January 7, 2022 × According to the Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POCOSO), the outage which has been classified as a “forced outage”, took place at 11:13 am on Thursday. As per available data, Unit 2 of KKNPP had generated 415 MW of power, on Thursday prior to the outage. However, there was no time specified for its expected resumption of operations. Simply put, a control rod is a device that is used to absorb neutrons. Control rods are meant to provide real-time control of the fission process in a nuclear reactor and ensure that it remains active. The nuclear reaction taking place in the reactor core can be slowed down, accelerated or stopped completely by using the control rods. Likewise, the power output of a nuclear power plant can also be regulated by means of a control rod. Also read | With 3 more, 14 terrorists killed in India’s J&K in last 8 days KKNPP comprises six units of Light Water Reactors (VVERs), each of 1000 MW capacity. Set up in technical cooperation with the Russian Federation, the reactors at Kudankulam are state-of-the-art in terms of safety. They incorporate a combination of advanced, multi-layered safety features ensuring the highest level of safety for the plant, the public and the environment. Being implemented in three phases of 2x1000MW each, units 1 & 2 are operational, whereas 3 & 4 are about 50 per cent into construction. The construction of Units 5 & 6 is expected to take up to seven years. The completion of all these projects over the coming years will provide 6000MW clean energy to the country.

Unit 2 at India’s largest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam suffers outage

Sri Lanka is facing a countrywide power outage. According to Sri Lankan power ministry this due to a breakdown in transmission lines.

Sri Lanka faces power outage

The Islamic State militant group said on Friday that it was responsible for an explosion that brought down electricity lines and caused a major power outage in Kabul province.

The power outage that took place on Thursday was another blow to Taliban's efforts to stabilise Afghanistan after they captured power in the month of August. Taliban who led the insurgency against US-supported governments for two decades are finding themselves at odds with Islamic State.

In a statement published on its Telegram channels, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) said "the soldiers of the caliphate detonated a bomb on an electricity pylon in Kabul" to damage the electricity sector.

The explosion that caused the power outage hit a high-voltage line that supplied power to Kabul and other provinces.

Afghanistan is heavily reliant on electricity produced in its northern neighbours Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. This means that electricity has to be distributed in the country via long power lines that are often vulnerable to sabotage. Taliban itself used this tactic as it mounted insurgency against US-backed governments in Kabul.

The Taliban has promised to fight IS-K but the group has continued to carry out devastating atrocities.

Earlier this week, IS-K said it was behind a suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Kandahar on October 15 that killed 60 people.

The Islamic State militant group said on Friday that it was responsible for an explosion that brought down electricity lines and caused a major power outage in Kabul province.

The Islamic State militant group said on Friday that it was responsible for an explosion that brought down electricity lines and caused a major power outage in Kabul province. The power outage that took place on Thursday was another blow to Taliban's efforts to stabilise Afghanistan after they captured power in the month of August. Taliban who led the insurgency against US-supported governments for two decades are finding themselves at odds with Islamic State. In a statement published on its Telegram channels, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) said "the soldiers of the caliphate detonated a bomb on an electricity pylon in Kabul" to damage the electricity sector. The explosion that caused the power outage hit a high-voltage line that supplied power to Kabul and other provinces. Afghanistan is heavily reliant on electricity produced in its northern neighbours Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. This means that electricity has to be distributed in the country via long power lines that are often vulnerable to sabotage. Taliban itself used this tactic as it mounted insurgency against US-backed governments in Kabul. The Taliban has promised to fight IS-K but the group has continued to carry out devastating atrocities. Earlier this week, IS-K said it was behind a suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Kandahar on October 15 that killed 60 people.

Islamic State claims responsibility for causing Kabul power outage

An explosion resulted in a major power outage in Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday. Though the cause of the blast was not known, it came as another blow to Taliban's efforts to stabilise situation in the country two months after they seized control.

The blast is a sign that anti-Taliban militants are using Taliban's tactics against them.

Afghanistan largely relies on electricity imported from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The cross-country power lines are vulnerable to insurgent attacks.&nbsp;

"Moments ago, an explosion blew up a power pylon in Qala Murad Beg area of Kabul province, cutting off a 220 kV imported power line," the Breshna power company said in a message to customers.&nbsp;

"As a result the electricity transmission was cut off in Kabul and some other provinces."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-afghan-women-hostage-under-taliban-rule-despite-promises-422898">Opinion: Afghan Women hostage under Taliban rule despite promises</a>

As the power went down at about 6:00 pm (1330 GMT), lights flickered and went dark in Kabul -- home to more than 4.5 million people -- and private generators kicked into operation at businesses and wealthier residences.

Taliban, during its 20 decade fight with the US forces it regularly attacked power infrastructure.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/international-community-worried-over-pakistani-nukes-falling-into-talibans-hand-422868">International community worried over Pakistani nukes falling into Taliban's hand</a>

But after seizing power in mid-August the movement has faced in its turn often deadly bomb attacks from fellow hardliners the Islamic State group.

In its message, Breshna said it had sent engineers to the area, just to the north of the capital city, "and when the situation allows, they will start repairing the connection".

(With inputs from agencies)

An explosion resulted in a major power outage in Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday. Though the cause of the blast was not known, it came as another blow to Taliban's efforts to stabilise situation in the country two months after they seized control.

An explosion resulted in a major power outage in Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday. Though the cause of the blast was not known, it came as another blow to Taliban's efforts to stabilise situation in the country two months after they seized control. The blast is a sign that anti-Taliban militants are using Taliban's tactics against them. Afghanistan largely relies on electricity imported from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The cross-country power lines are vulnerable to insurgent attacks. "Moments ago, an explosion blew up a power pylon in Qala Murad Beg area of Kabul province, cutting off a 220 kV imported power line," the Breshna power company said in a message to customers. "As a result the electricity transmission was cut off in Kabul and some other provinces." Also Read | Opinion: Afghan Women hostage under Taliban rule despite promises As the power went down at about 6:00 pm (1330 GMT), lights flickered and went dark in Kabul -- home to more than 4.5 million people -- and private generators kicked into operation at businesses and wealthier residences. Taliban, during its 20 decade fight with the US forces it regularly attacked power infrastructure. Also Read | International community worried over Pakistani nukes falling into Taliban's hand But after seizing power in mid-August the movement has faced in its turn often deadly bomb attacks from fellow hardliners the Islamic State group. In its message, Breshna said it had sent engineers to the area, just to the north of the capital city, "and when the situation allows, they will start repairing the connection". (With inputs from agencies)

Explosion causes major power outage in Kabul

Anger is palpable on Iraqi streets as people protest power cuts amid temperatures rising above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

The oil-rich city of Basra saw angry protests by the people last week. The protesters burnt tyres and blocked highways.

Power outages have often led to violent protests in Iraq, especially in the southern part of the country

The latest crisis has seen those with the means hooking up fridges, air conditioning units and fans to private generators. But same cannot be said about impoverished masses.&nbsp;

Four southern provinces have been without electricity since Tuesday, including Basra -- home to Iraq's main port.

Sizzling temperatures have been compounded by high levels of humidity.

"The children sleep right on the floor to try and stay cool, but us, the adults, haven't slept a wink these past nights," Meshaal Hashem, a Basra docker and father of three, told AFP.

In the city of Diwaniyah, Rahi Abdelhussein buys bags of ice to cool down his children, saying it helps hydrate them.

Shops have placed hoses and makeshift showers outdoors to attract customers to stop.

Blame game&nbsp;

Anger has mounted among Iraq's 40-million population, with corrupt politicians at the centre of a blame game for its poor services and dilapidated infrastructure.

"The electricity ministry is blaming the oil ministry which is blaming the finance ministry, and the finance ministry says the culprit is Iran, but Iran says it's the Iraqi government's fault, and the government lays the blame on the people who accuse politicians of shortcomings," Iraqi political analyst Sajad Jiyad tweeted.

"The politicians just shrug and say, 'We've got to live with it.'"

Power outages in sweltering summer heat are often a common thing in Iraq. But the current crisis has other factors as reason as well.

Iraq is the second-largest producer of oil in the OPEC group. It buy gas and power from Iran to supply about a third of its power sector, dilapidated by decades of conflict and poor maintenance.

However, Iran on Tuesday decided to cut supplies to its neighbour saying that Iraq owes more than USD 6 billion in arrears.

Iraq says it is unable to pay because of US sanctions on money transfers to Iran, a deep financial crisis compounded by lower oil prices, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

Anger is palpable on Iraqi streets as people protest power cuts amid temperatures rising above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). The oil-rich city of Basra saw angry protests by the people last week.

Anger is palpable on Iraqi streets as people protest power cuts amid temperatures rising above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). The oil-rich city of Basra saw angry protests by the people last week. The protesters burnt tyres and blocked highways. Power outages have often led to violent protests in Iraq, especially in the southern part of the country The latest crisis has seen those with the means hooking up fridges, air conditioning units and fans to private generators. But same cannot be said about impoverished masses. Four southern provinces have been without electricity since Tuesday, including Basra -- home to Iraq's main port. Sizzling temperatures have been compounded by high levels of humidity. "The children sleep right on the floor to try and stay cool, but us, the adults, haven't slept a wink these past nights," Meshaal Hashem, a Basra docker and father of three, told AFP. In the city of Diwaniyah, Rahi Abdelhussein buys bags of ice to cool down his children, saying it helps hydrate them. Shops have placed hoses and makeshift showers outdoors to attract customers to stop. Blame game Anger has mounted among Iraq's 40-million population, with corrupt politicians at the centre of a blame game for its poor services and dilapidated infrastructure. "The electricity ministry is blaming the oil ministry which is blaming the finance ministry, and the finance ministry says the culprit is Iran, but Iran says it's the Iraqi government's fault, and the government lays the blame on the people who accuse politicians of shortcomings," Iraqi political analyst Sajad Jiyad tweeted. "The politicians just shrug and say, 'We've got to live with it.'" Power outages in sweltering summer heat are often a common thing in Iraq. But the current crisis has other factors as reason as well. Iraq is the second-largest producer of oil in the OPEC group. It buy gas and power from Iran to supply about a third of its power sector, dilapidated by decades of conflict and poor maintenance. However, Iran on Tuesday decided to cut supplies to its neighbour saying that Iraq owes more than USD 6 billion in arrears. Iraq says it is unable to pay because of US sanctions on money transfers to Iran, a deep financial crisis compounded by lower oil prices, and the Covid-19 pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

Iraqis protest power outage amid 50+ degrees Celsius heat

Netizens are having a field day, thanks to Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s comments on squirrels running on overhead power lines and causing disruptions in service.

Clips of the comments made by the DMK’s Karur MLA and Electrictiy Minister have been going viral on social media and instant messaging platforms. The Tamil equivalent of "Squirrels are the reason" has been an Indian-level Twitter trend, with over 12,000 tweets on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/anybody-can-do-yoga-specially-abled-persons-join-the-international-yoga-day-movement-393198" hreflang="en">Anybody can do yoga: Specially abled persons join the International Yoga Day movement</a>

There have been reports of increased power cuts across the state since the new DMK regime came to power. Addressing the media regarding this issue, the minister replied that when tree branches come in contact with power lines, squirrels running on them, lead to two wires coming into contact, thus, causing power outages.&nbsp;

Later, speaking at the assembly, the minister had said that the previous AIADMK government had not carried out maintenance work for Electricity Board connections. He added that there would be no power cuts after the maintenance works were carried out.

However, the AIADMK has maintained that Tamil Nadu was a power surplus state during its rule and the party&nbsp;handled peak power demand efficiently and that there were hardly any power cuts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chennai-organs-of-27-yr-old-accident-victim-flown-by-chopper-to-give-life-to-two-patients-393016" hreflang="en">Chennai: Organs of 27-yr old accident victim flown by chopper, to give life to two patients</a>

Opposition politicians and netizens have been trolling the ruling party for the minister’s comments and asking if squirrels ran underground and whether the population of squirrels had increased after the new government took over. Frequent power cuts were among the taunts that the AIADMK-BJP combine had used against the DMK during the election campaign.&nbsp;

Many are comparing the minister's comments to an instance where an AIADMK Minister Sellur Raju attempted to cover a dam with thermocol sheets to prevent the evaporation of water, during the previous regime. While many sheets were placed in the water, they were later blown ashore, thanks to the strong winds in the open area.

In several Western countries, there are instances of squirrels causing power disruptions, but such reasons are unheard of in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Netizens are having a field day, thanks to Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s comments on squirrels running on overhead power lines and causing disruptions in service.

Netizens are having a field day, thanks to Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji’s comments on squirrels running on overhead power lines and causing disruptions in service. Clips of the comments made by the DMK’s Karur MLA and Electrictiy Minister have been going viral on social media and instant messaging platforms. The Tamil equivalent of "Squirrels are the reason" has been an Indian-level Twitter trend, with over 12,000 tweets on Wednesday. Also read | Anybody can do yoga: Specially abled persons join the International Yoga Day movement There have been reports of increased power cuts across the state since the new DMK regime came to power. Addressing the media regarding this issue, the minister replied that when tree branches come in contact with power lines, squirrels running on them, lead to two wires coming into contact, thus, causing power outages. Later, speaking at the assembly, the minister had said that the previous AIADMK government had not carried out maintenance work for Electricity Board connections. He added that there would be no power cuts after the maintenance works were carried out. However, the AIADMK has maintained that Tamil Nadu was a power surplus state during its rule and the party handled peak power demand efficiently and that there were hardly any power cuts. Also read | Chennai: Organs of 27-yr old accident victim flown by chopper, to give life to two patients Opposition politicians and netizens have been trolling the ruling party for the minister’s comments and asking if squirrels ran underground and whether the population of squirrels had increased after the new government took over. Frequent power cuts were among the taunts that the AIADMK-BJP combine had used against the DMK during the election campaign. Many are comparing the minister's comments to an instance where an AIADMK Minister Sellur Raju attempted to cover a dam with thermocol sheets to prevent the evaporation of water, during the previous regime. While many sheets were placed in the water, they were later blown ashore, thanks to the strong winds in the open area. In several Western countries, there are instances of squirrels causing power disruptions, but such reasons are unheard of in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Twitter trends 'squirrels' after TN minister blamed them for causing power outages

Another explosive event from La Soufriere volcano triggered power cuts and water outages in some areas of Sanit Vincent island, while ash clouds began to cover parts of Barbados islands.

The volcano erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity. The eruption spewed dark clouds of ash 10 km into the air. This prompted evacuation of thousands of people on the island. The volcano has continued to vent ash afterward.

On Sunday morning, Saint Vincent's National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said there was a huge power outage after "another explosive event" at the volcano. However, by 12 p.m. ET (1600 GMT), power had been restored, residents said.

"Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days," the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said on Twitter.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means "sulfur outlet" in French.

Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves said the government believes about 20,000 people will be internally displaced for about three to four months.

"Historically, the volcano keeps going intermittently for a couple months," he said. "Most crops on island will be lost, and untold livestock."

(With AFP inputs)

Another explosive event from La Soufriere volcano triggered power cuts and water outages in some areas of Sanit Vincent island, while ash clouds began to cover parts of Barbados islands.

Another explosive event from La Soufriere volcano triggered power cuts and water outages in some areas of Sanit Vincent island, while ash clouds began to cover parts of Barbados islands. The volcano erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity. The eruption spewed dark clouds of ash 10 km into the air. This prompted evacuation of thousands of people on the island. The volcano has continued to vent ash afterward. On Sunday morning, Saint Vincent's National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said there was a huge power outage after "another explosive event" at the volcano. However, by 12 p.m. ET (1600 GMT), power had been restored, residents said. "Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days," the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said on Twitter. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means "sulfur outlet" in French. Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves said the government believes about 20,000 people will be internally displaced for about three to four months. "Historically, the volcano keeps going intermittently for a couple months," he said. "Most crops on island will be lost, and untold livestock." (With AFP inputs)

Power outages on St Vincent island amid volcano tremors

Millions of people in Texas continued to shiver in cold as they were forced to spend winter days with no electricity. The oil and gas capital of the US is witnessing unusual winter storm that pummeled southeastern part of the country. USA's National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter warning for areas from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland.

The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous.&nbsp;

Even though the Arctic air mass was beginning to lose its grip on an area of the country not used to such extreme cold, the frigid temperatures would continue, the NWS said.

"The Arctic air will also continue over the Plains and Mississippi Valley with temperatures of 25 to 40 degrees below average," the NWS reported Wednesday afternoon.

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Storm claims lives

More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported by media in the United States since the cold weather arrived last week, many in traffic accidents.

A man in Louisiana died when he hit his head after slipping on ice, and a 10-year-old Tennessee boy perished after he and his six-year-old sister fell through the ice into a pond Sunday.

A dozen animals -- including one 58-year-old female chimpanzee -- died during the freeze at rescue sanctuary Primarily Primates near San Antonio, the organization said on its website Wednesday.

The winter storm spawned at least four tornadoes, according to Atlanta-based weather.com, including one in North Carolina on Monday that killed at least three people and injured 10.

Across the southern border, Mexican officials said six people died after temperatures plunged.

Water shortage

Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Texas metropolis of Houston are suffering from both power outages and a loss of water pressure.

"Water pressure is very low," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted. "Please do not run water to keep pipes from bursting."

Several Texas cities advised residents to boil their water before drinking it or using it for cooking.

David Hernandez, 38, spent the night at a Houston church with other people who have fled their homes.

"My car got stranded and I was trying to sleep in the car but it was just too cold," Hernandez said. "Liquids in my car were actually turning to ice so it was like sleeping in an ice box.

"I had to come here," he said. "There's no choice."

Power companies in Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to avoid grids being overloaded as residents crank up the heat.

According to PowerOutage.US, about 2.4 million customers were still without power by Wednesday evening in Texas, the only one of the US's 48 continental states to have its own independent power grid.

'Nearly a failed state'

Beto O'Rourke, a former Democratic presidential candidate from Texas, told MSNBC television the situation in the Lone Star State was "worse than you are hearing."

"Folks have gone days now without electricity. They're suffering," he said.

"So much of this was avoidable," O'Rourke added.&nbsp;

"The energy capital of North America cannot provide the energy needed to warm and power people's homes in this great state. We are nearing a failed state in Texas."

Austin Energy, the local power company in the capital city of 950,000, said tens of thousands of area customers were without electricity, but that they were able to start restoring power in some spots.&nbsp;

"However, this power will NOT stay on indefinitely due to anticipated grid conditions continuing," the company's Twitter account said Wednesday afternoon, warning of future rotating outages.&nbsp;

The energy company published the locations of "warming centers" set up in local schools.

(With AFP inputs)

Millions of people in Texas continued to shiver in cold as they were forced to spend winter days with no electricity. The oil and gas capital of the US is witnessing unusual winter storm that pummeled southeastern part of the country.

Millions of people in Texas continued to shiver in cold as they were forced to spend winter days with no electricity. The oil and gas capital of the US is witnessing unusual winter storm that pummeled southeastern part of the country. USA's National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter warning for areas from east Texas to the East Coast state of Maryland. The NWS said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous. Even though the Arctic air mass was beginning to lose its grip on an area of the country not used to such extreme cold, the frigid temperatures would continue, the NWS said. "The Arctic air will also continue over the Plains and Mississippi Valley with temperatures of 25 to 40 degrees below average," the NWS reported Wednesday afternoon. × Storm claims lives More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported by media in the United States since the cold weather arrived last week, many in traffic accidents. A man in Louisiana died when he hit his head after slipping on ice, and a 10-year-old Tennessee boy perished after he and his six-year-old sister fell through the ice into a pond Sunday. A dozen animals -- including one 58-year-old female chimpanzee -- died during the freeze at rescue sanctuary Primarily Primates near San Antonio, the organization said on its website Wednesday. The winter storm spawned at least four tornadoes, according to Atlanta-based weather.com, including one in North Carolina on Monday that killed at least three people and injured 10. Across the southern border, Mexican officials said six people died after temperatures plunged. Water shortage Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Texas metropolis of Houston are suffering from both power outages and a loss of water pressure. "Water pressure is very low," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted. "Please do not run water to keep pipes from bursting." Several Texas cities advised residents to boil their water before drinking it or using it for cooking. David Hernandez, 38, spent the night at a Houston church with other people who have fled their homes. "My car got stranded and I was trying to sleep in the car but it was just too cold," Hernandez said. "Liquids in my car were actually turning to ice so it was like sleeping in an ice box. "I had to come here," he said. "There's no choice." Power companies in Texas have implemented rolling blackouts to avoid grids being overloaded as residents crank up the heat. According to PowerOutage.US, about 2.4 million customers were still without power by Wednesday evening in Texas, the only one of the US's 48 continental states to have its own independent power grid. 'Nearly a failed state' Beto O'Rourke, a former Democratic presidential candidate from Texas, told MSNBC television the situation in the Lone Star State was "worse than you are hearing." "Folks have gone days now without electricity. They're suffering," he said. "So much of this was avoidable," O'Rourke added. "The energy capital of North America cannot provide the energy needed to warm and power people's homes in this great state. We are nearing a failed state in Texas." Austin Energy, the local power company in the capital city of 950,000, said tens of thousands of area customers were without electricity, but that they were able to start restoring power in some spots. "However, this power will NOT stay on indefinitely due to anticipated grid conditions continuing," the company's Twitter account said Wednesday afternoon, warning of future rotating outages. The energy company published the locations of "warming centers" set up in local schools. (With AFP inputs)

Texas continues to shiver amid power outage, more than 20 deaths reported

Poor maintenance and subsequent failure of the protection system in the national grid led to one of the worst power outages faced by Pakistan last week, the Dawn reported on Monday.&nbsp;

The newspaper reported that senior officers held detailed discussions after many cities and towns across Pakistan plunged into darkness on Saturday night, following a major technical fault in the country's power generation and distribution system.&nbsp;

The officials admitted that the blackout had exposed the mismanagement on the part of the government in running the entire power sector of the country on an ad hoc basis, it said.&nbsp;

The chief executive officers of all the three key companies concerned, the Central Power Generation Company-Guddu, the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) and the National Power Control Centre (NPCC), have been working on ad hoc or acting charge basis for years.&nbsp;

The Central Power Generation Company (CPGC) runs the Guddu Power Station where the initial technical fault was reported to have taken place, leading to Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and other places facing the blackout.&nbsp;

The NTDC operates the country's national grid, whose protection system should have reacted to the Guddu station's tripping and isolated the fault. It’s system, meant to stop the transmission frequency from dropping, apparently did not work resulting in the cascading closure of all the power plants across the country in a matter of seconds.&nbsp;

The NPCC monitors the flow of electricity from power plants to various distribution companies (Discos). It has to manage supply systems for proper load and frequency balancing.&nbsp;

Even the Discos are working without regular chief executive officers for more than two and a half years, the newspaper said.&nbsp;

The NTDC is without a regular chief executive officer since July 2017 while NPCC has not seen a full-time CEO for more than a decade. The NPCC chief, working on a temporary basis, was hired last year from the private sector.&nbsp;

Poor maintenance and subsequent failure of the protection system in the national grid led to one of the worst power outages faced by Pakistan last week, the Dawn reported on Monday.

Poor maintenance and subsequent failure of the protection system in the national grid led to one of the worst power outages faced by Pakistan last week, the Dawn reported on Monday. The newspaper reported that senior officers held detailed discussions after many cities and towns across Pakistan plunged into darkness on Saturday night, following a major technical fault in the country's power generation and distribution system. The officials admitted that the blackout had exposed the mismanagement on the part of the government in running the entire power sector of the country on an ad hoc basis, it said. The chief executive officers of all the three key companies concerned, the Central Power Generation Company-Guddu, the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) and the National Power Control Centre (NPCC), have been working on ad hoc or acting charge basis for years. The Central Power Generation Company (CPGC) runs the Guddu Power Station where the initial technical fault was reported to have taken place, leading to Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and other places facing the blackout. The NTDC operates the country's national grid, whose protection system should have reacted to the Guddu station's tripping and isolated the fault. It’s system, meant to stop the transmission frequency from dropping, apparently did not work resulting in the cascading closure of all the power plants across the country in a matter of seconds. The NPCC monitors the flow of electricity from power plants to various distribution companies (Discos). It has to manage supply systems for proper load and frequency balancing. Even the Discos are working without regular chief executive officers for more than two and a half years, the newspaper said. The NTDC is without a regular chief executive officer since July 2017 while NPCC has not seen a full-time CEO for more than a decade. The NPCC chief, working on a temporary basis, was hired last year from the private sector.

Failure of safeguards led to power outage in Pakistan

Cities of Pakistan plunge into darkness on Saturday, following huge blackout due to fault in the power distribution system in the region.

Massive power outage in Pakistan following national grid breakdown

The entire nation of Sri Lanka was left without power Monday in a seven-hour outage following a failure at a key electricity facility, officials said. 
 
Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma said an unspecified&nbsp;"technical issue" at the Kerawalapitiya power complex just outside the capital Colombo was the cause of the blackout, which hit the entire nation of 21 million people at about midday. 
 
Power was restored in Colombo after seven hours, but some other parts of the island nation were yet to be reconnected.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/south-asia/sri-lanka-easter-attack-probe-panel-summons-former-president-maithripala-sirisena-321254" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka Easter attack probe panel summons former president Maithripala Sirisena</a> 
 
It was the worst disruption since March 2016, when the whole country was without electricity for more than eight hours following a massive system breakdown. 
 
The public utilities regulator said there would be a probe into the failure and gave the state-run electricity monopoly, the Ceylon Electricity Board, three days to explain the massive disruption. 
 
The power cut caused chaos on already congested roads in Colombo, with traffic lights not operating and police struggling to man key intersections. 
 
Water supply was also affected as there was no electricity to operate the pumps.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/south-asia/sri-lanka-appoints-admiral-jayanath-colombage-as-new-foreign-secretary-320568" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka appoints Admiral Jayanath Colombage as new Foreign Secretary</a> 
 
Hospitals and other critical infrastructure in the country had power generators. The main airport has remained mostly shut because of the coronavirus pandemic. 
 
Sri Lanka generates just over half of its electricity through thermal power. The remainder comes from hydro and wind power. 
 
Kerawalapitiya is an oil-fired thermal power station with a 300-megawatt capacity, about 12 percent of the country's electricity demand. 
 
Localised power failures are not uncommon but nationwide outages are rare.

The entire nation of Sri Lanka was left without power Monday in a seven-hour outage following a failure at a key electricity facility, officials said. Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma said an unspecified "technical issue" at the Kerawalapitiya power complex just outside the capital Colombo was the cause of the blackout, which hit the entire nation of 21 million people at about midday.

The entire nation of Sri Lanka was left without power Monday in a seven-hour outage following a failure at a key electricity facility, officials said. Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma said an unspecified "technical issue" at the Kerawalapitiya power complex just outside the capital Colombo was the cause of the blackout, which hit the entire nation of 21 million people at about midday. Power was restored in Colombo after seven hours, but some other parts of the island nation were yet to be reconnected. Also read: Sri Lanka Easter attack probe panel summons former president Maithripala Sirisena It was the worst disruption since March 2016, when the whole country was without electricity for more than eight hours following a massive system breakdown. The public utilities regulator said there would be a probe into the failure and gave the state-run electricity monopoly, the Ceylon Electricity Board, three days to explain the massive disruption. The power cut caused chaos on already congested roads in Colombo, with traffic lights not operating and police struggling to man key intersections. Water supply was also affected as there was no electricity to operate the pumps. Also read: Sri Lanka appoints Admiral Jayanath Colombage as new Foreign Secretary Hospitals and other critical infrastructure in the country had power generators. The main airport has remained mostly shut because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sri Lanka generates just over half of its electricity through thermal power. The remainder comes from hydro and wind power. Kerawalapitiya is an oil-fired thermal power station with a 300-megawatt capacity, about 12 percent of the country's electricity demand. Localised power failures are not uncommon but nationwide outages are rare.

Sri Lanka plunged into darkness after power outage hits entire nation

ESports star Myint was on the cusp of victory when the screens went dark in the Yangon cafe where he competes, costing him thousands of dollars in missed prize-money and denting his reputation.&nbsp;

Myanmar's gaming scene is mushrooming, but frequent power cuts are holding players back in the emerging democracy.&nbsp;

"Every time a black-out happens, we curse out the electricity corporation -- and it happens often," he told AFP.

More than 60 per cent of people in Myanmar still live without reliable electricity after a political transition in 2010 that sought to pull in foreign investment after decades of junta rule.

That includes getting in on the global explosion in eSports, a billion-dollar industry that will be a medal event in the Southeast Asian Games in November for the first time.

But Myanmar is at risk of missing out with power cuts, few personal computers and a dearth of resources to support travel and competition abroad holding homegrown champions back.

Myint Myat Zaw, a 21-year-old player also known as "Insane", said he has lost about 40 matches due to blackouts, making it difficult to earn a slot abroad where cash prizes are now in the tens of millions of dollars.&nbsp;

He plays Dota 2, which in Shanghai hosted its equivalent of the champions league this weekend, boasting a record $34.3 million prize pool.

But Dota 2 tournaments are rare in Myanmar, he said, making it difficult for him to earn a living from the game.&nbsp;

"The last three years was the hardest period of my career...I lived in a game shop and was also short on food," he told AFP.

Anywhere, anytime

For gamers, a dingy internet cafe has long been the typical venue to battle it out with players from other countries.

But that has started to change as cheap SIM cards hit the markets and smartphone use soars.

Mobile penetration stood at just seven per cent in 2012, but demand has skyrocketed and the figure now sits at more than 80 per cent.

Players competing on mobiles can stay logged on when local grids go dark.

"We can play anywhere, anytime," said Myint Myat Aung, a mobile gamer who competes on PlayerUnknown's Battleground (PUBG) for Singapore-based eSports team Impunity. &nbsp;

It is also cheaper.

"We only have phone bills which don't cost very much," he told AFP.

Last month, Impunity, with more than 400 other teams, took part in a PUBG tournament hosted by Samsung Galaxy at a Yangon mall.

Staring into smartphones, players took down their opponents with sniper rifles, the action projected onto a large screen as spectators cheered.&nbsp;

The prize pool for the tournament was around $7,000, an immense sum in a country where the average income is less than $1,300 a year.

Impunity's country manager Brian Min Sett said the increasing value of winnings was a sign of growth as "our country doesn't have many high-prize tournaments."

Myanmar, like other developing countries, is at "a serious disadvantage" compared to its neighbours, said Jeremy Jackson, market analyst for eSports research firm NewZoo.&nbsp;

"Access to stable electricity and internet are crucial when it comes to competitive gaming," Jackson told AFP.&nbsp;

"Undoubtedly, greater smartphone penetration will allow more people access to the mobile competitive gaming landscape."

Myanmar legends?

In a country that has produced few international athletic stars, eSports offers players away into a global community and a chance to make a steady salary, especially for those competing in ultra-popular mobile games.

"They can make their own living just by competing in tournaments," said Kaung Myat San, co-founder of the HOG e-sports centre in Yangon.&nbsp;

Myanmar's sporting authorities lack funding, so HOG plans to send 16 athletes to represent Myanmar in the Southeast Asia games -- including Myint Myat Zaw, who was scooped up as a salaried player earlier this year.&nbsp;

Both Dota 2 and Mobile Legend - a fantasy battle game designed for smartphones with more than 3 million users in Myanmar - will be part of the competition.

After years of struggling to eke out a living playing for people wishing to boost their scores, Myint Myat Zaw said he was "proud" to now be representing Myanmar.&nbsp;

"Although there is more pressure, it makes me keen to do better," he said.

ESports star Myint was on the cusp of victory when the screens went dark in the Yangon cafe where he competes, costing him thousands of dollars in missed prize-money and denting his reputation.

ESports star Myint was on the cusp of victory when the screens went dark in the Yangon cafe where he competes, costing him thousands of dollars in missed prize-money and denting his reputation. Myanmar's gaming scene is mushrooming, but frequent power cuts are holding players back in the emerging democracy. "Every time a black-out happens, we curse out the electricity corporation -- and it happens often," he told AFP. More than 60 per cent of people in Myanmar still live without reliable electricity after a political transition in 2010 that sought to pull in foreign investment after decades of junta rule. That includes getting in on the global explosion in eSports, a billion-dollar industry that will be a medal event in the Southeast Asian Games in November for the first time. But Myanmar is at risk of missing out with power cuts, few personal computers and a dearth of resources to support travel and competition abroad holding homegrown champions back. Myint Myat Zaw, a 21-year-old player also known as "Insane", said he has lost about 40 matches due to blackouts, making it difficult to earn a slot abroad where cash prizes are now in the tens of millions of dollars. He plays Dota 2, which in Shanghai hosted its equivalent of the champions league this weekend, boasting a record $34.3 million prize pool. But Dota 2 tournaments are rare in Myanmar, he said, making it difficult for him to earn a living from the game. "The last three years was the hardest period of my career...I lived in a game shop and was also short on food," he told AFP. Anywhere, anytime For gamers, a dingy internet cafe has long been the typical venue to battle it out with players from other countries. But that has started to change as cheap SIM cards hit the markets and smartphone use soars. Mobile penetration stood at just seven per cent in 2012, but demand has skyrocketed and the figure now sits at more than 80 per cent. Players competing on mobiles can stay logged on when local grids go dark. "We can play anywhere, anytime," said Myint Myat Aung, a mobile gamer who competes on PlayerUnknown's Battleground (PUBG) for Singapore-based eSports team Impunity. It is also cheaper. "We only have phone bills which don't cost very much," he told AFP. Last month, Impunity, with more than 400 other teams, took part in a PUBG tournament hosted by Samsung Galaxy at a Yangon mall. Staring into smartphones, players took down their opponents with sniper rifles, the action projected onto a large screen as spectators cheered. The prize pool for the tournament was around $7,000, an immense sum in a country where the average income is less than $1,300 a year. Impunity's country manager Brian Min Sett said the increasing value of winnings was a sign of growth as "our country doesn't have many high-prize tournaments." Myanmar, like other developing countries, is at "a serious disadvantage" compared to its neighbours, said Jeremy Jackson, market analyst for eSports research firm NewZoo. "Access to stable electricity and internet are crucial when it comes to competitive gaming," Jackson told AFP. "Undoubtedly, greater smartphone penetration will allow more people access to the mobile competitive gaming landscape." Myanmar legends? In a country that has produced few international athletic stars, eSports offers players away into a global community and a chance to make a steady salary, especially for those competing in ultra-popular mobile games. "They can make their own living just by competing in tournaments," said Kaung Myat San, co-founder of the HOG e-sports centre in Yangon. Myanmar's sporting authorities lack funding, so HOG plans to send 16 athletes to represent Myanmar in the Southeast Asia games -- including Myint Myat Zaw, who was scooped up as a salaried player earlier this year. Both Dota 2 and Mobile Legend - a fantasy battle game designed for smartphones with more than 3 million users in Myanmar - will be part of the competition. After years of struggling to eke out a living playing for people wishing to boost their scores, Myint Myat Zaw said he was "proud" to now be representing Myanmar. "Although there is more pressure, it makes me keen to do better," he said.

Armed with smartphones, Myanmar e-sports players battle power outages

All of the power was restored late Saturday (July 13) night after a wide swath of New York's Manhattan borough was plunged into darkness after a transformer explosion knocked out power to subways, stores and Broadway theaters.

Power is restored in New York after partial blackout

The main international airport of Amsterdam, Schiphol airport was temporarily closed on Sunday due to the major power outage forcing&nbspoperations to shut down.

Road and train traffic was also stopped by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of travellers.

Following the shutdown, dozens of flights were also delayed and cancelled. Airport waiting rooms were flooded by the waiting passengers. &nbsp

Though roads were reopened after power was restored but the&nbspdisruption in services remains.

Flights to Amsterdam&nbspfrom other airports were also affected as the airport is only handling ten arriving planes per hour following the priority given to flights waiting to take off from the airport.

Schipol airport is one of the Europe's busiest airports. It is the third-busiest airport in numbers of travellers after London's Heathrow and Paris'&nbspCharles de Gaulle airport.

Road and train traffic was also stopped by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of travellers

The main international airport of Amsterdam, Schiphol airport was temporarily closed on Sunday due to the major power outage forcing&nbspoperations to shut down. Road and train traffic was also stopped by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of travellers. Following the shutdown, dozens of flights were also delayed and cancelled. Airport waiting rooms were flooded by the waiting passengers. Though roads were reopened after power was restored but the&nbspdisruption in services remains. Flights to Amsterdam&nbspfrom other airports were also affected as the airport is only handling ten arriving planes per hour following the priority given to flights waiting to take off from the airport. Schipol airport is one of the Europe's busiest airports. It is the third-busiest airport in numbers of travellers after London's Heathrow and Paris'&nbspCharles de Gaulle airport.

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport temporarily closed after power outage

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