Bangladesh, Kazakhstan replace Pakistan, Oman for Asia Cup men's hockey in India
New Delhi (PTI): Bangladesh and Kazakhstan have replaced Pakistan and Oman for the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament to be held in Rajgir, Bihar from August 29 as per the schedule released on Tuesday.
Hosts India have drawn China, Japan and Kazakhstan in Pool A, while Pool B comprises Malaysia, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh.
Malaysia and Bangladesh will get the continental tournament underway with their opening fixture on August 29 before India play China in the first day's last game.
The final, third-place match and 5/6th place classification games are scheduled on September 7.
The Indian government had said that it would provide visas to the Pakistani players for the tournament, but the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has refused to travel, citing security concerns.
The organisers had in advance approached Bangladesh to fill up Pakistan's place in the eight-team tournament.
Pakistan's participation in the Asia Cup -- a qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup -- was uncertain after the military confrontation with India following the Pahalgam terror attack.
India had launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle terror infrastructure in Pakistan after the terrorist attack that killed 26 people.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
