If you have missed out on all the latest updates of the day, then don't worry, we got you all covered. Find out the gist of the top 5 stories of The Daily Star today (December 26, 2022).

Metro rail to initially run for 4hrs from 8am

Metro rail will initially run for fours a day from 8:00am and the duration will be increased as passengers get habituated with the new mode of public transport. In the beginning, the trains will run between Uttara and Agargaon without any stoppages.

Star file photo

The authorities will start selling single- and multiple-use cards on Thursday, a day after the inauguration of the country's first metro rail. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Uttara-Agargaon section of the metro rail on Wednesday and people will be able to commute from the following day.

Guards up as new Omicron strain looms

The new coronavirus subvariant that is ripping through China has compelled the Bangladesh government to step up guard.

Health officials are urging people to take caution including taking booster jabs and wearing masks in crowded areas, while the Directorate General of Health Services has instructed the officials concerned to strengthen screening at all entry points. The hospitals have been instructed to be on standby in case of a fresh surge.

Non-bank deposits on the wane

Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) have been witnessing a persistent fall in deposits for the past one year as many clients withdrew their savings to manage expenses amid the soaring cost of living and lower returns.

Banks, the main pillar of the financial sector, also registered a slowing growth in deposits for the higher inflation and shifting of investments by a section of savers to alternative areas, namely property, because of the very low interest rate offered by lenders.

Deposits at the NBFIs declined 3 per cent year-on-year to Tk 41,585 crore in July-September. It was Tk 42,790 crore in the identical three-month quarter a year ago.

Remittance outflow crosses $100m -- thru legal channel

Outward remittances from Bangladesh through legal channels crossed the $100-million mark for the first time in 2021 as more foreigners are working in the fast-growing economy. Foreigners remitted $101 million last year, up 6.3 per cent from $95 million in 2020, according to the new estimates of the World Bank's Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD).

It was $32 million in 2015, $41 million in 2016, $47 million in 2017, $57 million in 2018, and $83 million in 2019. Outgoing remittances accounted for 0.02 per cent of Bangladesh's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021.

US blizzard death toll rises to 31

A brutal winter storm brought Christmas Day danger and misery to millions of Americans Sunday as intense snow and frigid cold gripped parts of the eastern United States, with weather-related deaths rising to at least 31.

Lyla Kelly plays with her dog Maggie in the snow during a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region in East Amherst, New York, US December 24, 2022. Sara Kelly/ Reuters

A crisis situation was unfolding in Buffalo, in western New York, where a blizzard has left the city marooned, with emergency services unable to reach high impact areas.

More than 200,000 people across several eastern states woke up without power on Christmas morning and many more had their holiday travel plans upended, although the five-day-long storm featuring blizzard conditions and ferocious winds showed signs of easing.

The extreme weather sent wind chill temperatures in all 48 contiguous US states below freezing over the weekend, stranded holiday travelers with thousands of flights canceled and trapped residents in ice- and snow-encrusted homes.

Thirty-one weather-related deaths have been confirmed across nine states, including four in Colorado who likely died of exposure and at least 12 in New York state, where officials warned the number would likely rise.