Seven-time major singles champion Venus Williams said Sunday she's driven to play good tennis - and "it gives you great legs" - as she prepares for an Australian Open tilt at age 45. A five-time Wimbledon champion, Williams was an Australian Open singles finalist in 2003 and 2017 and won the doubles title four times alongside sister Serena. Williams' last tournament was the US Open in August, not long after returning from a 16-month break. She will play warmup events in Auckland next week and Hobart ahead of the January 18-February 1 Australian Open and hoped she can shake rust out of her system. "The good news is that, you know, tennis matches are long and you have a chance to figure things out."

Australia pulled a 138-year first Sunday by failing to pick a spinner for a Sydney Cricket Ground Test, with skipper Steve Smith saying he had been backed into a corner. It is becoming a trend in Australia with the home side overlooking veteran Nathan Lyon for the pink-ball second Test in Brisbane before his injury replacement Murphy's non-selection in Melbourne and Sydney. In Sydney, England also failed to play their top spinner Shoaib Bashir for a fifth straight game, meaning he will return home having not bowled a ball in a Test in Australia. "With a lot of the wickets we're playing on now, I think spin ... is the easiest thing to face," he said. "I love seeing spinners play a part in the game, but right now, why would you?"

Ferry services on the Shariatpur-Chandpur Harinaghat river route have been suspended since 11:30pm on Saturday due to dense fog, disrupting transport on both sides of the river. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Narsinghpur ferry terminal Assistant Manager Md Iqbal Hossain said ferry operations were suspended at around 11:30pm on Saturday as thick fog engulfed the river basin, gradually reducing visibility. At one stage, he said, navigation marker lights along the waterway became unclear, prompting authorities to suspend all ferry and vessel movement to prevent accidents midstream. As a result, passenger buses, goods-laden trucks and other vehicles were stranded at ferry terminals in both Shariatpur and Chandpur. “Ferry services will resume once the fog density decreases and visibility improves,” he added.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) has arrested one person in connection with the murder of HSC student Sakibul Hasan Rana, who was killed during a clash between two Chhatra Dal factions at the Tejgaon College hostel. Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Rakib Khan said two DB teams are simultaneously conducting operations outside the capital to arrest others involved in the incident. No one will be spared,” DC Rakib Khan said, adding that all those responsible, regardless of position, would be brought to justice. Students have blocked the Farmgate intersection in the capital demanding justice for Sakibul Hasan Rana’s killing. Sakibul Hasan Rana, 18, a second-year higher secondary science student of the 2024–25 academic session, was injured during a clash between two Chhatra Dal groups at the Tejgaon College hostel on the night of December 6.

A protest by mobile phone traders against the implementation of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) escalated into clashes with police in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Sunday, as law enforcers used water cannons, baton charges and sound grenades to clear a key intersection and restore traffic movement. The blockade began in the morning when mobile phone traders gathered at the Karwan Bazar intersection, halting vehicular movement and causing widespread disruption in the area. The traders were protesting the rollout of the NEIR system, which they claim would adversely affect their businesses. “The government has already responded to the demands of mobile phone traders by significantly reducing duties on legally imported handsets and providing an opportunity to regularise devices brought in through tax evasion,” he said. “I have no personal relationship with any mobile phone manufacturer.

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to remove deceased voters from the electoral roll throughout the year. According to the office order, a 10-member committee has been formed to ensure year-round removal of deceased voters from the voter list. At present, deceased voters are removed from the electoral roll only during door-to-door voter list updates. Following the formation of this committee, names of deceased individuals can now be removed from the voter list at any time of the year. Most recently, approximately 2.1 million deceased voters were removed during the door-to-door voter list update process.

Eight flights scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka were diverted to alternative destinations on Sunday due to dense fog. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed the matter on Sunday morning. CAAB Public Relations Department official Kawsar Mahmud said poor visibility caused by dense fog disrupted safe landing operations, prompting authorities to divert several inbound flights as a precautionary measure. Of the diverted flights, six were rerouted to Sylhet Osmani International Airport, one to Kolkata airport in India, and another to Hanoi airport in Vietnam, he added.

Venezuelan Vice President Rodriguez on Saturday reaffirmed that Nicolás Maduro remains “the only president” of Venezuela, denouncing the recent US military operation targeting the country’s leadership. Speaking live on state-run television, Rodriguez emphasized that Venezuela will never be a colony of any foreign power. In the early hours of Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale military operation in Caracas, capturing Maduro and his wife. US President Donald Trump later claimed that Rodriguez had been sworn in as president and noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “just had a conversation” with her. Trump said she is ready to take actions the US deems necessary to “make Venezuela great again.”The international community has expressed shock over the US raid, condemning the use of force against a sovereign nation and its sitting president.

As Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived in New York on Saturday, video footage emerged showing him walking in handcuffs. In the clip, Maduro is seen being escorted by security officers while saying “good night” and “happy new year” as he is led away. President Donald Trump also shared a photo on Saturday showing Maduro in custody aboard a US naval vessel. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” alongside an image that appeared to show the Venezuelan leader hours after being detained by US forces. In the photo, Maduro appears to be wearing a blindfold, handcuffs, noise-canceling earmuffs, and a grey Nike-branded sweatpants and jacket set.

Lawyers in Dhaka on Sunday formed a human chain protesting the killing of Pabna Judge Court trainee lawyer Naeem Kibria, who was beaten to death after his private car was hit by a motorcycle in the capital’s Bashundhara Residential Area. Addressing the program, Advocate Anwarul Islam strongly condemned the killing and demanded a visible and speedy trial. Drawing the attention of the legal affairs adviser, he said: “Several days have passed since the murder of lawyer Naeem Kibria, but not a single person has been arrested yet. Advocate Parveen said: “Naeem Kibria was our brother. Police sources said that around 10pm on Wednesday, Naeem was driving through the Bashundhara area when his car collided with a motorcycle.

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder today spoke at a press conference at his ministry office in the Secretariat.Photo: PIDDHAKA, Jan 4, 2026 (BSS) - Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder today said the country is currently holding its highest-ever food stock, with accumulated reserves standing at more than 20.27 lakh metric tonnes. Breaking down the stock, Majumder said it includes about 16,96,787 metric tonnes of rice, 2,33,224 metric tonnes of wheat and 97,409 metric tonnes of paddy. He noted that the country's highest food stock in previous years stood at 18.81 lakh metric tonnes in 2022, followed by 18.02 lakh metric tonnes in 2023, 7.26 lakh metric tonnes in 2021, 15.52 lakh metric tonnes in 2024 and 11.44 lakh metric tonnes in 2025. Referring to surplus stock and procurement, the food adviser said procurement targets were fixed at a Food Monitoring Committee meeting. The food adviser also informed journalists that the government-run public food distribution system is fully active and dynamic, and that all related programmes are being implemented effectively.

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BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin opened her 2026 season with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriele Ruse in the Brisbane International on Sunday. Kenin, who won the Australian Open as a 21-year-old in 2020, recovered from a second-set lapse to outlast Ruse and set up a second-round clash against seventh seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. But I trusted the pre-season I had and I felt like I was playing good tennis," said the 27-year-old American. Australian wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic eased into the second round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over France's Elsa Jacquemot and will now play 11th seed Karolina Muchova. In the men's draw, American Francis Tiafoe was too strong for Australian wildcard Aleksandar Vukic 6-2, 6-2.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Hanging out close to home could feel good today, even though something reactive could arise. Better to put a pin into anything volatile, Universal stars aren’t supporting resolution or reprieve today. Not to make yourself small, but because smart people play the odds and today’s odds don’t make for a great outcome. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There’s the chance for a nice exchange of ideas in your sectors of communication, but negative Universal stars could overshadow this possibility. Keep your cool, adjust expectations, and don’t let discouragement bring you down during this early period of the year.

BEIJING, Jan 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Irish prime minister Micheal Martin arrived in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese state media said, kicking off a five-day visit aimed at boosting trade between the two countries. His arrival, reported by state broadcaster CCTV, marks the first visit to China by an Irish taoiseach since 2012. "I will stress the importance of a strong EU-China relationship, as well as robust and effective multilateral institutions," he said. China is Ireland's largest trading partner in Asia and its fifth largest globally, according to Dublin. Key Irish exports to China include medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, computer services and agricultural products.