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☆ A scorching heat wave kills 14 in India ahead of a final round of election voting on Saturday
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A blistering heat wave has killed at least 14 people, including 10 election officials, in eastern India with temperatures soaring up to 49.9 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the country this week, officials said Friday. The weeklong heat wave has forced schools to close at several places and raised the risk of heatstroke for outdoor laborers. A statement by the Bihar state government said 14 people have died in the state, including five in Bhojpur and three in Rohtas districts, with day temperatures rising to 44 Celsius (111 Fahrenheit). The heat wave came as hundreds of millions of Indians have been voting in a 6-week long general election, increasing health risks as they waited in long lines to cast their ballots. The seventh and final round of voting will be held on Saturday.

Persons: Chanakyapuri Organizations: Vivekananda Locations: New Delhi, India, Bihar, Bhojpur, Rohtas

☆ Modi heads for two days of island meditation as Indian election nears end
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

India’s election is the world’s largest, a mammoth exercise in democracy that has taken place over six weeks. Modi will visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, a pilgrimage site off India’s southernmost tip, from May 30 to June 1, according to Indian state broadcaster DD News. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda, who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock. Toward the end of the 2019 national elections, which he also won, Modi went to meditate in the revered Kedarnath shrine dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Shiva high in the Himalayas. Modi and the BJP have increasingly resorted to overtly Islamophobic language during his recent election speeches.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, –, Modi, Swami Vivekananda, “ I’m, God, doesn’t, ”, Vivekananda, Shiva Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Vivekananda Rock, NDTV, India, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Maratha Locations: Kanyakumari, Varanasi, Maharashtra, Ayodhya

[1/9] Investors and guests arrive for the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders' meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. May 6, 2023. Speaking at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting, Buffett criticized how politicians, regulators and the press have handled the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, saying their "very poor" messaging has unnecessarily frightened depositors. At the meeting, Berkshire shareholders reelected all directors and rejected shareholder proposals concerning climate change, diversity and political activities. LIGHTED MATCHBuffett said regulators were right to guarantee depositors of Silicon Valley Bank, saying that not doing so "would have been catastrophic." He also said bank shareholders and executives should bear the risks of mismanagement, with Munger criticizing executives concerned more with getting rich than with customers.

Speaking at the annual meeting of his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N), criticized how politicians, regulators and the press have handled the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, saying their "very poor" messaging has unnecessarily frightened depositors. The meeting featured Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger answering five hours of shareholder questions. LIGHTED MATCHBuffett said regulators were right to guarantee depositors of Silicon Valley Bank, saying that not doing so "would have been catastrophic." Buffett defended the size of Berkshire's $151 billion Apple investment, saying consumers are less likely to shed their $1,500 iPhones than, for example, their $35,000 second cars. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their ages.

Buffett spoke hours after Berkshire posted a $35.5 billion quarterly profit and said it bought back $4.4 billion of its own stock, a sign it considered the shares undervalued. The meeting features Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Charlie Munger, 99, a vice chairman, answering five hours of shareholder questions. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their advanced ages. Yongsheng Zhao, who lives in Shanghai and is a researcher for an asset management firm, said he showed up at midnight to attend his eighth Berkshire meeting. "I am inspired by their passion and normalcy," he said, referring to Buffett and Munger.

OMAHA, Nebraska, May 6 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett on Saturday offered a vote of confidence in the United States, saying he could not imagine the government letting it default on its debt and risk letting the world's financial system "go into turmoil." Buffett, 92, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Charlie Munger, 99, a vice chairman, are answering five hours of shareholder questions at the meeting. Many recognized it could be one of their last chances to see Buffett and Munger, given their advanced ages. Yongsheng Zhao, who lives in Shanghai and is a researcher for an asset management firm, said he showed up at midnight to attend his eighth Berkshire meeting. "I am inspired by their passion and normalcy," he said, referring to Buffett and Munger.

[1/3] FILE PHOTO-Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a meeting with heads of foreign media outlets in Moscow, Russia, February 15, 2023. Last July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walked out of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, also in Bali, after the West strongly denounced the war. The G20 bloc includes the wealthy G7 democracies, as well as Russia, China, India, Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia among other countries. The foreign ministers' meeting will also be watched for how tensions between Washington and Beijing play out, including over the Ukraine war. "It is unlikely that G20 foreign ministers can agree on common language suggesting ways and mechanisms to deal with the situation in Ukraine," he said.

☆ Another Putin critic died after falling out of a window
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A second Vladimir Putin critic has died after falling from a hotel window. Antov was a known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the BBC reported. Antov is the second Putin critic to die after falling from a window. In September, Russian energy oligarch Ravil Maganov, 67, died after falling from a hospital window, Insider reported at the time. The BBC reported Odisha police Superintendent Vivekananda Sharma said Budanov died of a stroke.

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