Hundreds of Awami League leaders and activists are converging at Suhrawardy Udyan to attend a public rally organized to commemorate the historic homecoming day of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Supporters from various parts of Dhaka and the surrounding districts have been arriving since Wednesday (Jan 10) morning, creating a festive atmosphere. They are entering the Suhrawardy Udyan with small processions through different gates, marking the occasion with exuberance following their resounding victory in the 12th national parliament election.

Germany's weather service issued warnings for six states, adding that heavy rain will continue until Christmas Day. 100-150 liters per square meter could come down in a period of 48 to 96 hours in some areas. Recent heavy rainfall across Germany has increased the risk of flooding in several states, authorities said on Sunday. The German weather service (DWD) issued warnings for Saxony in the east and Lower Saxony in the northwest, as well as Bavaria in the southeast and Hesse, North-Rhine Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate in the west. It said that the persistent rain will continue until Christmas Day. The DWD added that 100-150 liters of rain per square meter could come down in a period of 48 to 96 hours in some areas. Germany was also struck by major flooding in June. Where were flooding alerts issued? The third-highest of four warning levels was reached at 30 measuring stations early on Sunday in Lower Saxony. The threshold was exceeded in several rivers, including the Weser, Aller, Leine and Oker. Emergency services secured transformer stations in the Rodenberg district east of Hanover, Germany's DPA news agency reported. Rodenberg mayor Thomas Wolf said that water was flowing over an anti-flooding barrier and that the municipality had not seen comparable flooding in 25 years. The eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt's flood forecasting center issued warnings for the Mulde, Aller and Havel rivers. Alert 3 was reached in parts of the southeastern state of Saxony, including in the city of Chemnitz. In the Ruhr Valley area, which includes the cities of Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, and Bochum, heavy rain caused disruption on rail lines. On Saturday, in a flooded suburb of Münster in North-Rhine Westphalia, firefighters rescued a woman who was trapped in her car.

At least 31 people have died and dozens more remain missing Friday after flash floods washed away houses and bridges in India's northeast Sikkim state. Heavy rainfall on Wednesday caused a lake high in the mountains to burst, leading to major flooding that authorities said has impacted the lives of some 22,000 people. The death toll varied on Friday, with Reuters news agency putting the toll at 40 on Friday. Sikkim officials put the death toll at 18 on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office announced relief funds for the state and deployed a disaster response team to help affected people, according to a press release by the government. Soldiers missing in floods The flooding, which began shortly after Wednesday midnight, was worsened after the waters cracked open a 6-year-old dam in the mountainous state of Sikkim. Floodwater then gushed through towns in the Lachan Valley, submerging army camps. At least 23 soldiers were reported missing in the floods on Wednesday, according to the Indian Army. Search and rescue operations are still underway. Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the state's top bureaucrat, said Thursday that 26 people had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Nearly 3,000 tourists and 700 taxi drivers were also stranded in the flood-hit areas, Pathak added. Latest deadly flood to hit northeast India The incident is the latest deadly flood to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy rains. Nearly 50 people died in flash floods in Himachal Pradesh state in August. Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India.

A powerful flash flood in India has led to the disappearance of 23 soldiers, following a cloudburst in the northeastern state of Sikkim, the Indian army said on Wednesday. "Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River... 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush," the army said in a statement, adding that search operations were underway. Lhonak Lake lies at the base of a glacier in the snowy mountains that surround Kangchenjunga — the world's third highest mountain. "Some army establishments along the valley have been affected and efforts are on to confirm details," news agency ANI quoted a defense spokesperson as saying. India's weather department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of heavy showers in some parts of Sikkim. The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital Gangtok was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary. Sikkim chief official urges people to limit travel  The head of Sikkim state, Prem Singh Tamang, urged calm and said he visited some of the affected areas in the state.  "I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time," he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.  Rainfall in coming days India Meteorological Department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of rainfall in some parts of Sikkim in the coming days. The department said that a low-pressure area moving eastward across several states was responsible for the cloudburst in Sikkim. The cloudburst over the lake caused the flooding in the Lachen valley, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Gangtok, Sikkim's capital. The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital, Gangtok, was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary. Besides Sikkim, several other states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were also likely to see rainfall over the next few days.

Flooding in eastern Libya has left more than 5,100 people dead including 6 Bangladeshis.  Embassy of Bangladesh in Libya said the information in their official facebook page on Wednesday. Thousands more people were missing in the eastern city of Derna, and tens of thousands displaced. Earlier on Sunday, Mediterranean Storm Daniel arrived in Libya and caused two dams outside Derna to burst. The deceased are, Shaheen and Sujan of Rajbari district and Mamun and Shihab of Narayanganj district.  However, it has not been possible to confirm the identity of the remaining 02 people from the embassy.  Besides, it is feared that some more Bangladeshis living in Darna city who are still missing.

Flooding in eastern Libya has left more than 5,100 people dead, officials said on Wednesday. Thousands more people were missing in the eastern city of Derna, and tens of thousands displaced. Mediterranean Storm Daniel arrived in Libya on Sunday, and caused two dams outside Derna to burst. What is the current situation in Libya? More than 7,000 people were injured in Derna, aid worker Ossama Ali told the Associated Press (AP). Most of them were being treated in field hospitals set up by authorities and aid agencies. The city's mayor, Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi, believes as many as 20,000 residents could be dead. The UN migration agency, the International Organization for Migration, said that at least 30,000 people in Derna had lost their homes to flooding. The agency said that the damage was so extensive that the city was almost inaccessible to aid workers. Derna lies on a narrow coastal plain on the Mediterranean under steep mountains. Only two roads from the south remain usable, hampering the movement of aid workers. Aid workers and officials have said that the death toll is likely to keep rising, as bodies continue to wash up ashore. "Bodies are everywhere, inside houses, in the streets, at sea. Wherever you go, you find dead men, women, and children," Emad al-Falah, an aid worker from Benghazi, told AP. "Entire families were lost." War and corruption exacerbate disaster A Libyan political analyst has called for the first general elections to be held in almost 10 years after the internationally-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) postponed accepting international aid. "Two rival governments that are perfectly happy to rule over the rubble whilst their citizens lay underneath it," Anas El Gomati, founder of Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute, told DW. He said the Red Crescent and Libyan civilians themselves have been responsible for the bulk of the disaster recovery. "And frankly, the local authorities there, the LNA or the rival administration in the west, they can step aside," Gomati added. "They've done enough." Gomati also called for an inquiry into how the disaster occurred, from the dam above Derna not being maintained under the Gadhafi regime, all the way to corruption and "criminal negligence" in the present day. "I certainly think there needs to be a postmortem — figuratively and literally — after the events," he said. Asma Khalifa from the German Institute for Global and Area Studies said Libya's years-long civil war weakened the country's institutions "and aided mass corruption and abuse of public funds." "It is the main reason for the chaotic response to the crisis," she told DW. EU pledges aid to Libya Also on Wednesday, the EU Commission said that the bloc would provide disaster response equipment and humanitarian funding worth €500,000 ($537,000). Among the equipment offered are tents, field beds, blankets, 80 generators, food items, hospital tents and water tanks. The humanitarian funding is to go to organizations "operating on the ground to deliver lifesaving health and water and sanitation supplies." Libya's representative to the United Nations in Geneva had requested help from the EU on Tuesday, the commission's press release said. The UN itself pledged $10 million to help survivors. Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, Turkey said it dispatched a ship carrying equipment to set up two field hospitals along with 148 medical staff. This comes in addition to the three planeloads of humanitarian workers it already sent.

Hurricane Hilary was downgraded to a tropical storm before making landfall along Mexico's Baja coast on Sunday, amid warnings it could bring deadly flash floods. The US National Weather Service warned it was still likely to bring "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding to  northwestern Mexico as well as southern California, where it will be the first such tropical storm in 84 years. As of 1500 UTC, the storm still sustained wind speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 kilometers per hour). "Heavy rains" were also affecting portions of Baja California and the southwestern United States. Wild weather begins in Mexico As Hilary pummeled Mexico's Baja California peninsula with rain, one person drowned in the town of Santa Rosalia when their vehicle was swept away by an overflowing stream. Rescue workers managed to save four other people around the nearby township of Mulege. Authorities in Mexico's second largest city, Tijuana, have moved some residents to temporary shelters as the threat of landslides looms. "If you hear noises, or the ground cracking, it is important for you to check it and get out as fast as possible, because the ground can weaken and your home could collapse," said Rafael Carrillo, head of the Tijuana fire department. Meanwhile, Mexico's navy evacuated 850 people from islands off the Baja coast and deployed 3,000 troops around the region. Preparations underway in the US In the US, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday and officials urged people to finish final preparations for the storm, saying that leaving it until Sunday would be too late. Nancy Ward, director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said Hilary could be one of the worst storms to hit the state in more than a decade. "Make no mistake, this is a very, very dangerous and significant storm," she said. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it deployed teams to areas in Hilary's path and is providing President Joe Biden with regular updates. "He has encouraged everyone to make sure that they are aware of what this dangerous storm is potentially going to bring and to listen to their local officials on the steps they can take to make sure that they are keeping safe," FEMA chief Deanne Criswell said. Almost 200 flights on Sunday and another 184 on Monday were canceled at the San Diego International Airport, per FlightAware website.

Chattogram-Cox's Bazar has been halted for two days due to drowning in water for heavy to very heavy rain. At the same time Chattrogram-Bandarban highway's traffic also disrupted for the flood waters. Earlier On August 8, Due to Heavy rains and water coming down from hills in Matamuhuri river, CTG-Cox's Bazar Highway connection disrupted. Members of Bangladesh Army had deployed to deal with flood and landslides situation in Chattogram and Bandarban.

Due to Heavy rains and water coming down from hills in Matamuhuri river have caused flooding to several areas in Chattaogram division. On August 8, Water-logged disrupted the connection between CTG-Cox's Bazar Highway.  Members of Bangladesh Army have been deployed to deal with flood and landslides situation in Chattogram and Bandarban. Apart from this, internal roads are submerged under several feet of water. Government and private offices, educational institutions have become waterlogged. People of the area are facing severe shortage of food and clean water. Meteorological Office has recorded 216.4 mm of rainfall in Patenga in the previous 24 hours. At this time Meteorological Office recorded 208.4 millimeters of rainfall Ambagan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while rubbishing PTI chief Imran Khan’s allegations of media blackout of his party and flood relief telethon, has asked him to instead account for the donations he had received following the 2010 floods. The prime minister, responding to a tweet by the PTI chairman yesterday, hoped that Imran Khan would also present an account of the illegal foreign funding, just like the way he (Shehbaz Sharif) and his colleagues had been doing. Shehbaz Sharif said he as well as his colleagues were subservient to the law. The prime minister said he had no time to respond to Imran Khan’s allegations and misunderstandings as the incumbent government was heavily engaged in the rehabilitation of flood victims. “All of these gags and tactics are your characteristics, not ours. We are just treading the path of law,” the prime minister remarked. In his tweet on Monday, the PTI chief had alleged the government of making attempts for his party’s media blackout besides torture and fake cases against journalists. Imran Khan had questioned as who, if not the government, was behind all such attempts to undermine the PTI’s “popularity”, calling it the violation of the international commitment on freedom of speech. Source: The Nation