Cold snap kills 110 in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Jan 8 (Reuters): At least 20 people died of cold in northern Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, taking the confirmed death toll in just a week to 110, officials said today.

The victims, mostly beggars and homeless, died as the mercury dropped to 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit).

Temperatures at this time of year usually hover around 8-10 Celsius.

The weather office said the cold snap that began last Monday was likely to ease a little in the next two days before temperatures dropped again at the weekend.

Hospitals have been crowded with people, mostly children, suffering from cold-related diseases, an official of the government's health directorate said.

Indians to remit 20 billion dollars home in 2007 DUBAI, Jan 8 (UNI): Indians living in the Gulf countries are expected to remit 20 billion dollars home this year, says UAE Economy Minister Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi.

The flow of capital, financial and human resources has become a flood now, she said while addressing a meeting of Indian and Arab entrepreneurs in Sharjah yesterday.

Lubna said although India has become the third favourite destination in the world for foreign direct investment, the FDI flow from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council bloc was only about 2 billion dollars in 2006.

She said this figure needs to grow exponentially in the coming decade, and hoped the success of India's IT sector should be replicated in other areas through lowering of trade barriers.

14 Indian nationals aboard vessel feared dead DUBAI, Jan 8 (UNI): At least 14 Indian nationals aboard cruise vessel MSV Sri Krishna Sagar, which sank in international waters off Iraq on December 27, are feared dead, according to sources.

A Norwegian tanker sailing some 50 miles south of the Basra Oil Terminal, the scene of the tragic mishap, managed to rescue two survivors the next day and airlift them to safety in Bahrain.

According to Indian diplomatic sources in the Bahraini capital, Manama, they were later flown to Mumbai.

US Fifth Fleet Naval Command sources in Bahrain told Khaleej Times last night that the USS Howard was also involved in the search and rescue operation.

Even as round-the-clock search and rescue mission continues, sources said the chances of finding survivors are now dim.

The Indian-flagged vessel, it is learnt, belonged to the Tadia family in Mumbai and was on a scheduled sailing in the Gulf waters.

Details of crew and passengers on board the ill-fated vessel were not available so far.

This is the third Indian vessel that sunk in the same vicinity within the past one month.

However, crew of the first two vessels were rescued.