US warns of terror attacks during FIFA World Cup
Washington, June 16 : The US government has warned its citizens of potential terror attacks during the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia, in a travel advisory asking people to reconsider visiting the country.
"Large-scale international events such as the World Cup present an attractive target for terrorists," Efe news reported quoting the State Department as saying in the advisory on Friday.
"Although security for the World Cup will be extensive, terrorists may seek to attack event locations such as stadiums and Fan Fest viewing areas, tourist sites, transportation hubs and other public venues," it added.
The World Cup aside, "terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Russia".
"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets or shopping malls, and the local government facilities," the statement added.
For all the cited reasons, the US maintained the alert level for Russia at 3, on a scale of 4, which also applies to countries such as Cuba, Pakistan, Turkey, Honduras and Nicaragua, for which Washington recommends its citizens to "reconsider" their plans for travel.
Besides potential attacks, the US observed that in Russia "US citizens are often victims of harassment, mistreatment and extortion by law-enforcement and other officials".
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
