Campaign heats up on Britain’s EU voteLONDON — Campaigners on both sides of the crucial vote on whether Britain should remain in the European Union began the final frantic day of campaigning today, crisscrossing the country to make impassioned pleas to the undecided.Prime Minister David Cameron outlined his vision for a future with Britain retaining its place in the 28-nation bloc, bristling at the notion that the country would be headed in the wrong direction if it stayed in. He flatly rejected the notion that the institution is moribund.“We are not shackled to a corpse,” Cameron told the BBC. “You can see the European economy’s recovery. It’s the largest single market in the world.”The most notable figure in the “leave” campaign, former London Mayor Boris Johnson, kicked off a whirlwind tour of England as he pushed for a British exit — or Brexit. Touring the Billingsgate Fish Market, Johnson mugged for the cameras with fish in hand — a not-so-subtle reminder that this is an island nation — and one very proud of its independence and self-assurance.“It’s time to have a totally new relationship with our friends and partners across the Channel,” Johnson said. “It’s time to speak up for democracy, and hundreds of millions of people around Europe agree with us. It’s time to break away from the failing and dysfunctional EU system.”Britain goes to the polls Thursday after a campaign that has been both heated and complicated. The reach of the EU into every aspect of life has meant that all sorts of groups — from scientists to CEOs — have registered opinions on whether to stay or go.

Lightning kills 56 Indian farmworkersPATNA, India — Lightning has killed 56 people, mostly farm laborers working in fields, across the eastern India state of Bihar over the past 24 hours, a state official said Wednesday.At least 24 others were injured when thunderstorms and monsoon rains lashed 14 districts of the state.Disaster management official Vyasji said scores of cattle also perished after being struck by lightning.The dead included at least eight shepherds watching their sheep, said Vyasji, who uses only one name. He told reporters that he expects the death toll to go up as reports come in from remote districts of the state.Lightning strikes are common during India’s monsoon season, which runs from June to September. However, the toll in Bihar is unusually high.

Mitsubishi expects $1.4 billion loss TOKYO — Mitsubishi Motors, which recently acknowledged it inflated mileage on its models, is forecasting a $1.4 billion loss for the fiscal year through March 2017.The Japanese automaker said today vehicle sales will drop around the world, especially in Japan, where it expects a 41 percent plunge.Japan’s government found Mitsubishi had overstated mileage on its vehicles by up to 16 percent. Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Motors had a systematic way of cheating on mileage for eK minicar models, including those it supplied to Nissan Motor Co.Mitsubishi says it didn’t lie about mileage on models sold overseas.