There's terror threat to T20 World Cup, reveals Trinidad PM; ICC says robust security plan in place
Port of Spain (PTI): The T20 World Cup in the Americas has received a terror threat, Trinidad's Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has revealed even as the ICC asserted that a "comprehensive and robust security plan" is in place to "mitigate any risks" to the showpiece beginning June 1.
The tournament - featuring 20 teams, including India -- is scattered across nine venues, six of them in the West Indies.
As of now, the threat, according to media reports, is specific to the West Indies, which aside from some preliminary matches, will be hosting the entire Super 8 stage along with the semifinals and the final on June 29.
"Unfortunately, the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present danger in the world of the 21st century," Rowley was quoted as saying by 'Trinidad Daily Express' here.
Rowley did not name any organisation but reports here stated that the Islamic State made the threat through its propaganda channel.
The ICC responded to the development with a statement assuring preparedness.
"Safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place," a spokesperson of the global body said in a statement issued to PTI.
"We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event."
Rowley said "extra effort in national security preparations and response readiness" will be put in to neutralise the danger.
"Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible, it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities," he said.
"However, in order to ameliorate these dangers, we at the local and regional levels have remained alert to many threats and singularly or together have our intelligence and other security agencies working to protect the population in countries and at venues throughout the tournament," he added.
The World Cup matches in the West Indies will be held in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago. The US leg will feature games in Florida, New York and Texas.
New York will host the marquee India-Pakistan clash on June 9.
Cricket West Indies said everything is being done to ensure foolproof security at the mega-event.
"We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event," CWI CEO Jonny Graves told 'Cricbuzz'.
"We want to assure all stakeholders that safety and security of everyone at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place," he added.
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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.
