
Blackout hits central, southern Iraq, sources say
The sudden shutdown of the Hamidiya plant led to a fault in the electricity transmission network, the sources said.
The chair of Iraq's parliament energy committee told Reuters the outage did not affect the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
A member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and one of the world's leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
In March, US President Donald Trump's administration rescinded a waiver that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, as part of Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran.
Iraq is heavily dependent on Iranian natural gas imports to generate power.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Arabiya
24 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
‘Israel is the most criminal state of the 21st century'
In this episode of Global News Today, presented by Tom Burges Watson, we provide comprehensive coverage of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We report on the rising death toll as Israeli military operations intensify, with particular attention to the tragic deaths of more journalists in the enclave, raising renewed concerns over the safety of media personnel and the erosion of press freedom in conflict zones. We also examine the worsening humanitarian conditions faced by civilians, including shortages of food, medicine, and access to basic services, as aid organizations struggle to operate amidst ongoing violence. We explore Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest statements and plans regarding the potential expansion of the conflict and the international reaction to this development.


Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Norway sovereign wealth fund drops investments in 11 Israeli firms
OSLO: Norway's sovereign wealth fund said Monday that it was selling its investments in 11 Israeli companies following reports it had invested in an Israeli jet engine maker even as the war in Gaza raged. Nicolai Tangen, chief of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages the fund, said the decision was taken 'in response to extraordinary circumstances.' 'The situation in Gaza is a serious humanitarian crisis. We are invested in companies that operate in a country at war, and conditions in the West Bank and Gaza have recently worsened,' Tangen said in a statement. He said the move would reduce the number of Israeli companies the fund's Council of Ethics needed to supervise. Norway's wealth fund is the biggest in the world with a value of around $1.9 trillion, with investments in more than 8,600 companies spanning the globe. Last week, Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported that the fund had invested in Israeli Bet Shemesh Engines Holdings, which makes parts for engines used in Israeli fighter jets. Tangen later confirmed the reports, and said the fund had increased its stake after the Israeli offensive in Gaza began. The revelations led Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to ask Finance Minister and former NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg for a review. NBIM said it had investments in 61 Israeli companies at the end of the first six months of this year, 11 of which were not in its 'equity benchmark index' — which is set by the finance ministry and used to gauge the wealth fund's performance. NBIM added that it had decided last week that 'all investments in Israeli companies that are not in the equity benchmark index will be sold as soon as possible.' Going forward, 'the fund's investments in Israel will now be limited to companies that are in the equity benchmark index,' it said. NBIM also said that all investments in Israeli companies managed by external managers would be moved in-house, and that it was 'terminating contracts with external managers in Israel.' In addition, NBIM said the finance ministry had asked it to review 'its investments in Israeli companies, and to propose new measures that it deems necessary.' It said it initiated the review and would present its findings before an August 20 deadline. The fund also said that it had 'long paid particular attention to companies associated with war and conflict.' 'Since 2020, we have been in contact with more than 60 companies to raise this issue. Of these, 39 dialogues were related to the West Bank and Gaza,' NBIM said. It said that monitoring of Israeli companies had been intensified in the autumn of 2024, and that 'as a result, we have sold our investments in several Israeli companies.' Speaking at a press conference later Monday, Stoltenberg said he was glad Norges Bank had 'acted quickly.' 'The fund's ethical guidelines stipulate that it shall not invest in companies that contribute to violations of international law by states,' he told reporters. 'Therefore, the pension fund should not hold shares in companies that contribute to Israel's warfare in Gaza or the occupation of the West Bank,' he said. Also on Monday, Norwegian pension fund KLP said it had excluded Israeli company NextVision Stabilized Systems 'from its investments because the company supplies key components for military drones used in the war in Gaza.'

Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Norway sovereign wealth fund drops investments in 11 Israeli firms
Norway's sovereign wealth fund said Monday that it was selling its investments in 11 Israeli companies following reports it had invested in an Israeli jet engine maker even as the war in Gaza raged. Nicolai Tangen, chief of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages the fund, said the decision was taken 'in response to extraordinary circumstances.' 'The situation in Gaza is a serious humanitarian crisis. We are invested in companies that operate in a country at war, and conditions in the West Bank and Gaza have recently worsened,' Tangen said in a statement. He said the move would reduce the number of Israeli companies the fund's Council of Ethics needed to supervise. Norway's wealth fund – also known as the oil fund as it is fueled by vast revenue from the country's energy exports – is the biggest in the world with a value of around $1.9 trillion, with investments in more than 8,600 companies spanning the globe. Last week, Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported that the fund had invested in Israeli Bet Shemesh Engines Holdings, which makes parts for engines used in Israeli fighter jets. Tangen later confirmed the reports, and said the fund had increased its stake after the Israeli offensive in Gaza began. The revelations led Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to ask Finance Minister and former NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg for a review. NBIM said it had investments in 61 Israeli companies at the end of the first six months of this year, 11 of which were not in its 'equity benchmark index' – which is set by the finance ministry and used to gauge the wealth fund's performance. NBIM added that it had decided last week that 'all investments in Israeli companies that are not in the equity benchmark index will be sold as soon as possible.' Ethical guidelines Going forward, 'the fund's investments in Israel will now be limited to companies that are in the equity benchmark index,' it said. NBIM also said that all investments in Israeli companies managed by external managers would be moved in-house, and that it was 'terminating contracts with external managers in Israel.' In addition, NBIM said the finance ministry had asked it to review 'its investments in Israeli companies, and to propose new measures that it deems necessary.' It said it initiated the review and would present its findings before an August 20 deadline. The fund also said that it had 'long paid particular attention to companies associated with war and conflict.' 'Since 2020, we have been in contact with more than 60 companies to raise this issue. Of these, 39 dialogues were related to the West Bank and Gaza,' NBIM said. It said that monitoring of Israeli companies had been intensified in the autumn of 2024, and that 'as a result, we have sold our investments in several Israeli companies.' Speaking at a press conference later Monday, Stoltenberg said he was glad Norges Bank had 'acted quickly.' 'The fund's ethical guidelines stipulate that it shall not invest in companies that contribute to violations of international law by states,' he told reporters. 'Therefore, the pension fund should not hold shares in companies that contribute to Israel's warfare in Gaza or the occupation of the West Bank,' he said. Also on Monday, Norwegian pension fund KLP said it had excluded Israeli company NextVision Stabilized Systems 'from its investments because the company supplies key components for military drones used in the war in Gaza.'