A nationwide electricity outage struck Ecuador on Wednesday, leaving the nation of some 18 million in the dark, including the capital's subway system, as authorities worked to repair faulty power lines, a senior official said on Wednesday.
"There is a failure in the transmission line that caused a cascade disconnection, so there's no electricity at a national scale," Public Works Minister Roberto Luque said in a post on X.
Luque also serves as the country's acting energy minister.
A Reuters witness said there was confusion on the streets of Quito, the capital, as traffic lights ceased working.
Operations of Quito's subway system have also ground to a halt.
"Due to a general failure of the national interconnected electrical energy system, the operation of the Quito Metro is interrupted while the systems are restarted and verified," the metro system said on X.
In April, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declared an energy emergency and announced planned electricity cuts.
While the South American country has struggled with a drought affecting hydro-electricity power generation, heavy rains over the weekend forced authorities to take three plants offline.
The weekend rains provoked a landslide that killed at least 17 people and left 19 others injured. The disaster prompted Ecuador's private OCP oil pipeline to suspend operations and declare force majeure.
(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Leslie Adler)
A report by Canada's financial watchdog obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation working in collaboration with CTV News looked at Canadian lawyers' potential role in money laundering schemes, including those by organized crime groups like biker gangs and drug cartels.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump are preparing to square off in their first presidential debate of the campaign tonight as the tight race for leadership of the United States begins to ramp up.
U.S. President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump will go head-to-head on Thursday, June 27 in the first-ever debate between a sitting and former U.S. president. Here's how to watch the CNN Presidential Debate, follow along in a live chat with expert analysis on CTVNews.ca, and CTV News Channel's pre- and post-debate specials.
A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.
To hear former U.S. president Donald Trump tell it, the U.S. has fallen apart under U.S. President Joe Biden: the economy is failing, countries are emptying their prisons and mental institutions across the southern border and crime has skyrocketed.
Has your iPhone screen cracked, or does your MacBook battery not charge like it used to? Instead of sending it in to an Apple repair centre or scheduling an appointment with a Genius Bar, Canadians will soon be able to fix their own devices at home.
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
Avril Lavigne, Stephen Poloz and Tina Keeper are among the accomplished Canadians newly appointed to the Order of Canada.
As tensions in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel increase, Canada’s Department of National Defence confirmed plans to extract Canadians from the volatile country.
A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
A police phone expert is to continue testifying today at the trial of two men charged with conspiracy to commit murder at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta.
An Ontario man found guilty of killing and decapitating his mother in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 13 years.
A world-renowned Toronto academic known as the 'Godfather' of artificial intelligence has pledged $1 million to repair the roof of the Ontario Science Centre – as long as it stays on its current site.
A fatal crash on the Trans-Canada Highway is under investigation in West Vancouver, leading to road closures Thursday morning.
A Greek police officer guarding the house of a top judge was hospitalized with burns after a gasoline bomb attack in Athens early Thursday, authorities said.
The confrontation in Atlanta between Joe Biden and Donald Trump Thursday night has a good chance of becoming the most fateful presidential debate in U.S. history.
Vermont has agreed to pay US$175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday.
International experts portrayed a grim picture for war-torn Sudan in a report Thursday warning that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months, amid relentless clashes between rival generals.
With just three days to go until France's landmark legislative election, the county's far-right leader on Thursday raised the question of who would be in charge of the military if her party takes over the government after the two-round balloting.
Twenty-one critically ill children were set to exit Gaza on Thursday in the first medical evacuation since the territory's sole travel crossing was shut down in early May, Palestinian officials said.
Ottawa plans to expand eligibility for the federal dental program today to include children under the age of 18 and people who receive a disability tax credit.
As tensions in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel increase, Canada’s Department of National Defence confirmed plans to extract Canadians from the volatile country.
A string of Liberal cabinet ministers declared Wednesday they are all ears to what disgruntled voters are saying in the aftermath of a byelection defeat in what was considered a safe Toronto riding.
Alzheimer’s disease may be inherited more often than previously known, according to a new study that paints a clearer picture of a gene long known to be linked to the common form of dementia.
Mary Lynn LeBlanc first noticed a mole on her left shoulder about seven years ago. At first, doctors didn't find anything worrying about it. But in 2020, she noticed it looked different and grew to the size of a nickel.
Cases of a tick-borne illness called anaplasmosis are on the rise globally, and that includes across Canada. Biology professor Vett Lloyd says it is important to understand the risk factors for contracting anaplasmosis, and recognize symptoms of an infection, as the disease becomes more prevalent.
Has your iPhone screen cracked, or does your MacBook battery not charge like it used to? Instead of sending it in to an Apple repair centre or scheduling an appointment with a Genius Bar, Canadians will soon be able to fix their own devices at home.
MDA Space Ltd. has won a $1-billion contract with the Canadian Space Agency for the next phases of the Canadarm3 robotics system.
NASA on Wednesday said it awarded SpaceX $843 million to build a vehicle capable of pushing the International Space Station into Earth's atmosphere.
Avril Lavigne, Stephen Poloz and Tina Keeper are among the accomplished Canadians newly appointed to the Order of Canada.
The original illustration for the first edition of J.K. Rowling’s 1997 novel “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” has sold for a record-breaking C$2.6 million.
Bill Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, has died. He was 90.
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
More people in Ottawa have come forward who say they've fallen victim to a real estate scam, with scammers posing as real estate agents trying to rent real properties.
Boeing is being sanctioned by U.S. investigators for sharing information about a federal investigation of a door plug blowout that left a gaping hole in a Boeing 737 Max 9.
Estelle Savoie and Linda Philipert have been best friends for 43 years and decided to commemorate their friendship by recreating a photo shoot they did in 1984.
The Royal Canadian Mint has revealed a new $1 coin honouring one of Atlantic Canada’s most prolific authors on what would be her 150th birthday.
An Ottawa cat has morphed into a TikTok star, as he's slimming down from weighing 43 pounds.
Zach Edey, former Purdue centre, was taken by the Grizzlies with the ninth pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft.
The Atlanta Hawks are looking for French teen Zaccharie Risacher to help revive the franchise after making the forward the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night.
Peter Wortman has been a Vancouver Canucks season ticket holder for 33 years, and was planning to sign on again for 2024/2025. But earlier this month, he got an email saying his full-season membership had been revoked, because the team believes he’s a ticket broker.
Data from Statistics Canada suggests that a vehicle is stolen every five minutes in the country. Now, police are investigating whether there's a connection between when and where a vehicle was last serviced, and the date it was stolen, they revealed to CTV National News.
Ontario drivers in good standing won’t have to worry about renewing their licence plates starting Canada Day.
The Prairies, along with Newfoundland and Labrador, trail the rest of the country in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
Harold Brenton Anderson, who wore high heels for decades in Halifax and loved to travel, has died.
An Ottawa cat has morphed into a TikTok star, as he's slimming down from weighing 43 pounds.
Bill Neald is still living out his passion of playing baseball at the age of 90 in Regina’s Senior Mixed Slo-Pitch League.
A Bracebridge man who died trying to save a distressed swimmer nearly four years ago is being recognized among 18 others for their extraordinary acts of heroism.
For the first time in two years, a model of the RMS Titanic will return to the Halifax Public Gardens, thanks in part to public demand.
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
There's a changing of the guard at Victim Services Toronto, as one trauma dog hangs up her harness and another reports for duty.
The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) out of Western University in Ontario confirmed that five tornadoes touched down in Quebec during the June 13 storm, bringing the total number of tornadoes in the project to six.
A Superior Court judge has ordered the Quebec government to pay taxi drivers $143 million in compensation for its decision to abolish their permits nearly five years ago.
A fatal crash on the Trans-Canada Highway is under investigation in West Vancouver, leading to road closures Thursday morning.
Peter Wortman has been a Vancouver Canucks season ticket holder for 33 years, and was planning to sign on again for 2024/2025. But earlier this month, he got an email saying his full-season membership had been revoked, because the team believes he’s a ticket broker.
Vancouver city councillors have voted to eliminate minimum vehicle parking requirements for all types of land use in the city.
A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.
Entering their fourth week without air conditioning in their downtown Toronto condo, residents say stifling indoor temperatures have become 'unbearable.'
An Ontario man found guilty of killing and decapitating his mother in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 13 years.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek issued a stern warning to residents on Thursday morning about curbing their water use, saying consumption levels have continued to creep up over the past several days.
Police are investigating a stabbing along 32 Avenue S.E. on Wednesday evening.
As expected a slow-moving low pressure system moving in to Alberta from southern B.C. has prompted Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to expand rainfall warnings first issued on Wednesday.
Ontario has appointed a supervisor to oversee the Renfrew Victoria Hospital in Renfrew, Ont, after "concerning financial practices" were found during a review, according to the province.
The Public Service of Canada says 91 per cent of the more than 65,000 union members who responded to the survey said they are "strongly opposed" to the return to office mandate, and 75 per cent of respondents are willing to take action to fight the new mandate.
A Nunavut judge has sentenced a Toronto woman to three years in prison in a case of Inuit identity fraud.
Police south of Montreal are investigating, and a school centre has asked parents not to allow their children to attend an after-prom party, after 'worrying rumours that unsavoury events were be planned by certain individuals related to drugs and non-consensual sexual acts.'
Montreal is one of the world's top 50 most congested cities, according to a report by INRIX.
Pierre Legault, the founder of Moisson Montreal and Renaissance has been appointed to the Order of Canada.
A crash early Thursday morning made Highway 43 in Whitecourt impassable.
Rainfall warnings are in effect for western Alberta from Grande Prairie south through Rocky Mountain House and down toward Canmore.
Some of the NHL's best will be recognized Thursday night at the NHL Awards.
A three-vehicle collision has closed part of Highway 1 in Mount Uniacke, N.S., Thursday morning.
A teacher from Tatamagouche Regional Academy in Nova Scotia is facing multiple charges of sexual offences against a student.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey says the wildfire near Churchill Falls has been downgraded, and rain in the forecast for central Labrador is expected to further ease the threat.
Drivers on Highway 1 near Brandon can expect delays due to a vehicle fire Thursday morning.
The City of Winnipeg is asking people to avoid the area of Camrose Bay after a house exploded.
Canada Day is coming up on Monday, which means some businesses, services and organizations may be closed or operating at reduced hours.
Moose Jaw’s Police Service (MJPS) is asking for volunteers to help in the search for an 80-year-old resident who has gone missing.
The Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce is calling on the provincial government to slash the tire recycling levy in half – following allegations that some Saskatchewan scrap tires are no longer being processed in the province.
The new Breast Health Centre in Regina is currently under construction and expected to open early next year.
Residents at a Cambridge apartment building have been waiting four months for management to make repairs after a flood ruined four units.
Some are calling it the Hunger Games of student housing.
Guelph police are looking for information after a boarded up home in Guelph was broken into more than a year after a fire ravaged the building.
Over 50 speakers are scheduled to debate the pros and cons of the proposed zoning changes for the federal housing accelerator fund in a special hearing at Saskatoon's city hall on Thursday morning.
Damage to a bridge that’s shut down the so-called “scenic route” access to the Prince Albert National Park could be a long-term issue, according to Parks Canada.
A 15-year-old boy is facing multiple charges in relation to a fatal crash that killed a 16-year-old boy in April.
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
Vermont has agreed to pay US$175,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was charged with a crime for giving a state trooper the middle finger in 2018, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday.
More people in Ottawa have come forward who say they've fallen victim to a real estate scam, with scammers posing as real estate agents trying to rent real properties.
The new procedure at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), a Canadian first, uses a special pump to restore blood flow to the organs after the heart stops beating.
Rock the Park has announced an update to its lineup — replacing a headliner. Canadian classic rocker Bryan Adams will replace Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
A London native was dreaming big when he bought a ticket for the Dream Lottery, with a grand prize win of a fully furnished home in London, a condo in Port Stanley plus $250,000 cash. Born and raised in London, Michael Dennan threw his lucky horseshoe in the ring.
An Orillia man faces charges in connection with an internet child exploitation case.
High-ranking veteran Barrie police officers Bruce Gardiner and Valarie Gates had separate hearings on Wednesday, each facing prosecution in criminal court and under the Police Services Act.
Month-long delay expected before reopening of Orillia's boat launch parking lot.
Chatham-Kent police have identified the victim of a homicide in Chatham and an additional person has been charged.
The Windsor Police Service Marine Unit is hosting three interactive water safety events for the community.
Essex County OPP have released the names of four family members in an ongoing death investigation in Harrow.
A fatal crash on the Trans-Canada Highway is under investigation in West Vancouver, leading to road closures Thursday morning.
As frontline crews battled the worst wildfire season in B.C. history, a pilot project unfolded at a frantic pace at the BC Wildfire Service headquarters in Kamloops.
Five kittens are being treated for burns after being rescued by firefighters on Vancouver Island last week, according to the BC SPCA.
Mounties in Kelowna say a suspect is at large after a man was stabbed in the city Sunday afternoon.
Police are remaining tight-lipped about a woman’s death in a Kelowna park on Friday.
Police have identified a man found dead in B.C.’s Interior last weekend as Donald “Donnie” Lyons.
Dozens of farmers from across southern Alberta turned out Wednesday for Farming Smarter’s annual 2024 field school.
In light of the ongoing water main repair in Calgary, Lethbridge city council was provided an update on the city's pipe infrastructure and discussed if there's any potential for a similar catastrophic break.
The Dawgs returned to Seaman Stadium Tuesday and kept their latest hot streak alive, defeating the Sylvan Lake Gulls 10-4.
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a 57-year-old man in Kenora on Tuesday afternoon.
Ancient burial grounds in the Town of Blind River will soon be marked, and blocked off to the public.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie say an 18-year-old suspect is now charged with assaulting two people with a metal bat on the same day.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey says the wildfire near Churchill Falls has been downgraded, and rain in the forecast for central Labrador is expected to further ease the threat.
The wildfire that forced the evacuation of Churchill Falls remains three kilometres from the community as the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador signalled cautious optimism.
The federal government has ended the Newfoundland and Labrador northern cod moratorium, which gutted the province's economy and transformed scores of coastal communities after it was imposed more than 30 years ago.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
