Power outages hit many parts of Egypt

Power cuts hit many parts of Egypt on Thursday, causing blackouts and halting some public transport in the Arab world's most populous country.

Energy is a politically explosive issue in Egypt, where power cuts have become commonplace even in the capital Cairo.

Blackouts deepened discontent with elected President Mohamed Mursi before then army chief Abdel Fatah al-Sisi ousted him last year following mass protests.

Although Sisi's supporters credit him with a magic touch, there is no instant solution to the decrepit state of the power grid, a glaring example of decades of mismanagement.

Power cuts are expected to be one of his biggest challenges.

The Ministry of Electricity said Thursday's blackout was due to "a sudden technical malfunction in a circuit west of Cairo".