To denounce deforestation, Peruvian actor marries tree
Santo Domingo, Aug 20 : Peruvian actor Richard Torres has "married" a tree in the Dominican Republic capital to draw attention to the indiscriminate felling of forests.
In the curious ceremony on Sunday in the Ciudad Colonial neighbourhood here Torres placed a ring on the tree and told a person who acted as a judge that he accepted the marriage.
"We have come to Santo Domingo to perform our wedding number 17 and we will not stop until we establish a new Guinness record, with 100 ceremonies like this," the actor told EFE.
The small ritual attracted dozens of people in the Columbus Park, a few meters away from the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. Torres was assisted by a couple of Dominican actors, who served as best man and bridesmaid of the wedding.
Although admitting that the project is very expensive, the actor said he will continue with his plan to make at least five weddings a year in different countries and cities.
Before Santo Domingo, Torres wedded to a tree in his native Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Guatemala, Cuba and Bolivia, among other countries.
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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.
