South Asia in January 2026: the most important developments in society
In January 2026, social news across South Asia and neighbouring Southeast Asia was shaped largely by weather and natural hazards. A mild cold wave swept parts of Bangladesh in early January, and dense fog forced the diversion of eight flights from Dhaka airport. In northern Vietnam a cold wave later intensified, with temperatures falling to zero degrees Celsius. In the Philippines, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck near Baculin and volcanic eruptions forced thousands to evacuate, and a ferry sank in the south with between 15 and 18 people dead and between 24 and 28 missing. In Indonesia, flash floods in North Sulawesi killed 17 people, Jakarta flooding spread to 15 neighbourhoods, and a landslide in West Java killed between 34 and 38 people, with dozens missing.
In Thailand, two deadly crane collapses, one onto a passenger train on 14 January, killed at least 32 people, and a construction firm came under scrutiny. Air pollution reached hazardous levels, with Bangkok and 57 other provinces recording unsafe smog by 29 January. Cases of the Nipah virus in India led Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka to introduce screening or alerts, and Indonesia installed thermal cameras at airports.
In Bangladesh, reports of killings of Hindu men drew concern in the British Parliament and a protest outside it, while several videos and images were falsely linked to anti-Hindu violence. An Islamist party was reported to be gaining ground. Bangladeshi cricketers went on strike over a board director's 'India agent' remark, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board rescheduled the Bangladesh Premier League. The United States paused immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand, citing a technical issue with its online system.
Sri Lanka continued its recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, with donations for a rebuilding fund, water-purification units from Brazil, Turkish support for schools and water projects, and an IMF team visit planned to assess the damage. Elsewhere, an Indonesian couple was publicly flogged in Aceh under local sharia law, and Vietnam suspended new enrolment at an international school in Hanoi under investigation.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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