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.

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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Updated: June 03, 2024, 8:05 AM