Polling officials arrive to deliver electronic voting machines in Varanasi. AFP
Polling officials arrive to deliver electronic voting machines in Varanasi. AFP
Polling officials arrive to deliver electronic voting machines in Varanasi. AFP
Polling officials arrive to deliver electronic voting machines in Varanasi. AFP

Heatwave kills 33 polling staff as India battles record temperatures


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More than 30 Indian polling staff died of heatstroke in a northern state on the last day of voting, a senior elections official said on Sunday, days after the hottest temperatures on record in New Delhi.

Security guards and sanitation workers were among the 33 killed in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, where temperatures reached almost 47ºC, AFP quoted state chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa as saying.

The families of the deceased will receive compensation amounting to $18,000, Mr Rinwa added.

One person also died after collapsing while queuing at a polling station, according to the official.

More than 50 people died and hundreds were admitted to Uttar Pradesh hospitals last summer after temperatures reached 43ºC.

The latest deaths came days after New Delhi recorded its highest temperature yet of 52.3°C at Mungeshpur weather station.

At least one person died in the capital last week as temperatures hit records for several days in a row, with residents telling The National of “intolerable” heat.

Several parts of the country have been gripped by an intense heatwave in the past week, with temperatures exceeding 50ºC in Rajasthan and Haryana states.

Climate change and the rapid expansion of India's urban areas are both contributing factors, according to experts.

Deaths have also been reported in Odisha and Jharkhand, the Times of India reported, where authorities have advised people to stay inside.

At least 19 people have died in Bihar state, which borders Uttar Pradesh, it added, while other media outlets reported three heat-related deaths in Jaipur last week.

The heatwave has resulted in water shortages in the capital, where judges also postponed court cases because of soaring temperatures.

Authorities have called for measures to protect construction workers from the heat.

Municipal authorities have also warned measures will be taken against people wasting water.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.

India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.

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Date started: Okadoc, 2018

Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Healthcare

Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth

Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February

Investors: Undisclosed

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright

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Sand storm

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Dust storm

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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh875,000

On sale: now

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

The biog

First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974  
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work

About Karol Nawrocki

• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.

• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.

• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.

• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The biog

Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns

Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Food of choice: Sushi  

Favourite colour: Orange

Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

Updated: June 03, 2024, 8:05 AM`