A devastating snowstorm has paralyzed life across 14 U.S. states, with the death toll rising to 38. The storm has blanketed roads in the central and eastern regions under thick snow, severely disrupting transportation and leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights. The U.S. weather agency has warned that the extreme cold is expected to persist for several more days.

Temperatures have dropped below freezing in Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina, with forecasts indicating further decline by Wednesday night. The National Weather Service has cautioned that conditions could worsen in the eastern United States on Friday and Saturday, with another winter storm expected to hit parts of the East Coast and record low temperatures predicted as far south as Florida.

More than 550,000 homes and businesses have lost power, including over 135,000 in Nashville, Tennessee. Local authorities there reported that homeless shelters are full, and police and firefighters are working extended hours to manage the crisis.

A major portion of Mamar Ghat, an important river transport hub under Mongla municipality in Bagerhat, has collapsed into the Pashur River due to severe erosion. The incident has left around 10,000 daily commuters facing acute travel disruptions, while fear and uncertainty spread across the area. Residents along the riverbank are relocating homes and belongings to safer places as the erosion continues.

According to local accounts, the erosion has been ongoing for three years but intensified recently due to heavy upstream runoff that raised river levels and increased current pressure. Illegal sand extraction along the riverbank has worsened the situation, destabilizing the river’s natural flow and embankments. Locals allege that unregulated sand lifting over the past decade has triggered the current crisis, severely affecting transport to the nearby Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

Mongla municipal administrator and Upazila Executive Officer Sharmin Akter Sumi said sand-filled geobags are being placed to curb the erosion. Residents, however, question why preventive measures and enforcement against illegal sand mining were not taken earlier.

An Oxford University study published in the British journal Nature Sustainability warns that nearly half of the world’s population could suffer from extreme heat by 2050 if fossil fuel use continues at the current rate. The research, based on a projected two-degree Celsius rise in global temperature from pre-industrial levels, found that 41 percent of people—about 3.79 billion—would be exposed to dangerous heat, up from 23 percent in 2010.

The study, led by Dr. Jesus Lizana of Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science, highlights a sharp contrast between national temperature averages and actual living conditions. It identifies India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines as particularly vulnerable to severe heat exposure. The findings also show that regions with high population density will experience over 3,000 cooling degree days, indicating a growing demand for air conditioning and other cooling systems.

Researchers noted that extreme cold conditions will decline globally, with the share of “severely cold” populations dropping from 14 percent to 7 percent. This shift will increase cooling needs in tropical countries while reducing heating requirements in northern nations such as Canada and Russia.

The long-anticipated Padma Barrage construction project, valued at Tk 50,444 crore, has been halted at the final stage after it was not presented for approval at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting. The project aimed to restore biodiversity across 26 districts and 123 upazilas in Bangladesh’s southwest region, severely affected by India’s upstream water withdrawal. The Planning Ministry confirmed that despite all preparations, the project was not tabled for reasons not disclosed.

Geopolitical analysts view the delay as a sign of the interim government’s concession to India, while experts stress that India’s unilateral withdrawal of water from shared rivers has caused severe environmental and agricultural damage in Bangladesh. The Planning Ministry stated that the government’s current priority is to ensure a free and fair national election, after which the elected administration will decide on the project.

Documents show that India has repeatedly objected to the project during bilateral and technical discussions. Officials indicated that the proposal may be reconsidered in a future ECNEC meeting or by the next elected government.

Indonesia’s navy confirmed that 23 marines were killed after being trapped in a landslide in West Java province. The incident occurred early Saturday in Pasir Langu village of Bandung Barat district, about 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta. Navy spokesperson First Admiral Tunggul said the marines were participating in a training exercise linked to patrol preparations along the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border when heavy rain triggered the landslide.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the death toll from the landslide had risen to 20 by Tuesday afternoon, with 42 people still missing. It was not immediately clear whether the military casualties were included in that figure. Around 800 rescuers, including soldiers and police, along with nine excavators, were deployed to search for the missing. Authorities evacuated 685 residents from the affected village to local government buildings for shelter.

The disaster struck during the peak of the rainy season across Java, which has recently experienced widespread flooding. Two months earlier, floods and landslides on Sumatra island caused about 1,200 deaths and displaced more than one million people.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has challenged the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), claiming that every bus operated by the state-run company emits black smoke. She made the remarks on Tuesday at the BRTC Training Institute in Tejgaon during the inauguration of a training program aimed at improving driver and worker skills and raising awareness about noise pollution.

Hasan expressed frustration over the delay in finalizing the government’s scrap policy, which was supposed to be completed on October 28 of the previous year. She said she had repeatedly contacted officials over the past ten months about the issue. The adviser emphasized that without strict action against polluting vehicles, no real progress could be achieved. She also urged BRTC and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to take coordinated steps to ensure proper maintenance of old buses.

She added that while replacing old buses may take time, operators should at least maintain their vehicles properly, noting that after 54 years of operation, there is no reason for further delay in addressing pollution from public transport.

According to data from international air quality monitoring firm IQAir, released on Tuesday morning, Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) score of 299, placing it at the top of the world’s most polluted cities list. Dhaka ranked fifth with a score of 220, while Kolkata stood seventh. Both Delhi and Dhaka’s air quality levels were categorized as 'very unhealthy'. The data was collected around 8:30 a.m., when dry winter weather typically worsens air pollution in the region.

The IQAir ranking also placed Dakar, Senegal, second with a score of 243; Cairo, Egypt, third with 229; Hanoi, Vietnam, fourth with 221; and Krasnoyarsk, Russia, sixth with 201. The report noted that AQI scores between 201 and 300 are considered 'very unhealthy', prompting health advisories for children, the elderly, and those with illnesses to stay indoors and for others to limit outdoor activities.

The report highlighted that during the dry winter season, Dhaka often experiences persistently high pollution levels, contributing to its position among the world’s most polluted cities.

A powerful snowstorm has caused widespread disruption across the United States, leaving at least 30 people dead and millions without electricity. The storm has led to the cancellation of thousands of flights and prompted weather-related emergency declarations in at least 25 states, according to the Associated Press. The extreme cold and heavy snowfall have affected areas from New York and Massachusetts in the northeast to Texas and North Carolina in the south.

Snowfall reached up to 18 inches in some regions, with temperatures dropping to minus 18 degrees Celsius. The storm directly impacted about 118 million people, while more than 150 million were advised to remain cautious. New York reported the highest number of fatalities, with five deaths. Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard in New York City, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to assist those in need. Deaths were also reported in Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Massachusetts, and Kansas.

The U.S. National Weather Service said the storm’s main system was moving toward the Atlantic Ocean but warned that new Arctic air could bring more snow and rain to the northeast in the coming days.

A powerful snowstorm has paralyzed large parts of the United States, leaving at least 10 people dead and causing widespread disruption from Texas to New England. The storm forced the closure of schools and roads nationwide, canceled thousands of flights, and left millions without electricity. The U.S. National Weather Service said conditions were unlikely to improve before Monday morning and urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.

According to reports, two people in Louisiana died from hypothermia, while one person died in Texas. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five deaths occurred over the weekend, though it was unclear if they were weather-related. Major U.S. media outlets, citing the National Weather Service, reported that heavy snow covered most of 15 states, including Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee. Freezing rain also hit the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states, placing about 185 million people under winter weather alerts.

Airlines canceled around 11,000 flights scheduled for Sunday, and more than 900,000 customers lost power, including 250,000 in Tennessee.

Heavy snowfall has paralyzed life in Manali, a hill town in India’s Himachal Pradesh, as continuous snow for 48 hours has covered the Kothi-Manali national highway, causing a 7–8 kilometer-long traffic jam. Tourists have been forced to spend the night inside vehicles without food or water. Local authorities reported that around 700 roads across the state have been closed due to the snow, making travel through alternative routes extremely difficult.

Tourists visiting Shimla, Kullu, and Manali to enjoy the snow have found themselves in danger, with some walking nearly 20 kilometers through hilly terrain to reach government shelters. The weather office warned that heavy snowfall and rain are expected to continue from January 26 to 28 under the influence of western winds, potentially worsening the situation. Power outages have further complicated conditions.

A taxi driver stranded on the Kothi-Manali road said his passengers remained in the vehicle for 24 hours without food or water and criticized the administration for failing to clear the roads. Authorities have been urged to act swiftly and provide emergency assistance to affected tourists.

A powerful snowstorm has struck across the United States, leaving at least three people dead and causing widespread disruption. As of Sunday afternoon local time, around 900,000 customers were without electricity, and more than 10,000 flights had been canceled nationwide, according to a BBC report. The National Weather Service said adverse conditions extended from Texas to New England, forcing the closure of schools and roads across multiple states.

Two people in Louisiana reportedly died from hypothermia, while another fatality occurred in Texas. The storm brought heavy snowfall, sleet, and freezing rain that could persist for several days, potentially affecting more than half of the country’s population. Meteorologist Allison Santorelli from the National Weather Service told CBS News that melting would be slow, hindering snow removal efforts.

Authorities warned that the hazardous weather could continue to disrupt transportation and power services in the coming days as cleanup operations face delays due to persistent cold and ice.

A deadly landslide struck a residential area in Indonesia’s West Java province early Saturday, killing at least 10 people and leaving 80 missing. Authorities have relaunched search and rescue operations after heavy rainfall triggered the disaster in a mountainous region. The Indonesian Meteorological Agency had earlier warned of a week of intense rain across West Java and nearby areas.

Local resident Dedi Kurniawan from Pasir Langu village, about 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta, said he had never seen such a large landslide in the area before. Officials told Kompas TV that unstable terrain and continuous rain prevented rescuers from using heavy machinery, slowing down the operation. Flooding has also been reported in several parts of West Java, including Jakarta and surrounding districts, prompting evacuations to higher ground.

The incident comes just two months after floods and landslides on Sumatra island killed at least 1,200 people and displaced over a million. The new disaster has renewed concerns about Indonesia’s disaster management capacity.

A powerful snowstorm has disrupted daily life across several regions of the United States, leaving more than 230,000 customers without electricity, mostly in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and New Mexico. Nearly 13,000 flights have been canceled as the storm continues to affect transportation and utilities. The report, citing Reuters, said the storm began Saturday and is expected to bring heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England through Monday.

Former President Donald Trump approved a federal emergency disaster declaration for multiple states, including South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia. On social media, he stated that authorities are monitoring all states in the storm’s path and maintaining communication with them.

The Department of Homeland Security reported that 17 states and Washington, D.C., have declared weather emergencies. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said thousands remain without power in southern states, and restoration work is underway as quickly as possible.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has called for an immediate end to unnecessary horn use in Bangladesh. Speaking on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at a gathering in front of Terminal 2 of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, she said the excessive horn noise near the airport embarrasses the country before foreign visitors. She urged the Civil Aviation Authority to take steps to stop horn use in the airport area.

The event marked the launch of a coordinated campaign to implement a 'silent zone' around the airport, jointly organized by the Department of Environment, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), and the Civil Aviation Authority. Rizwana Hasan noted that under the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2025, traffic police now have the authority to impose instant fines. She also sought media cooperation in raising awareness.

Following the discussion, executive magistrates and prosecutors from the five agencies conducted mobile courts at five designated points in the airport area, with over a hundred DMP officers present. Officials said the integrated anti-noise campaign will continue.

Dhaka has ranked first among 126 cities worldwide for having the most polluted air, according to the Air Quality Index (IQAir) report released on Sunday morning, January 25, 2026. The city recorded an air quality score of 283, placing it in the 'very unhealthy' category. Kolkata, Hangzhou, Cairo, and Lahore followed Dhaka in the top five positions with scores of 210, 186, 178, and 176 respectively.

The IQAir index classifies air quality scores between 0 and 50 as good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 150 as unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and above 300 as hazardous. Dhaka’s current score of 283 indicates a severe level of air pollution that poses significant health risks to residents.

The report highlights the persistent air quality challenges faced by Dhaka, underscoring the city’s ongoing struggle with pollution levels that frequently exceed safe limits.