MELBOURNE, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Australian Open suffered more disruption Tuesday when it hit its maximum "heat stress" rating with forecasts of 45C, meaning the day's remaining quarter-finals will take place under a closed roof until the weather relents. The Melbourne major reached the highest level of five for the second time in four days on its scale designed to protect players, fans and officials. That means centre court, Rod Laver Arena, which hosts the day's four quarter-finals, closed its roof. The opening quarter-final of the day, between Aryna Sabalenka and Iva Jovic, took place in blazing sunshine. Temperatures reached 40C on Saturday, with matches on outside courts paused for about five hours.

WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, the US military said on Monday, dramatically boosting American firepower in the region. The carrier and its accompanying ships were ordered to the region as Iran cracked down on mass protests. Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it killed protesters, the United States would intervene militarily, and also encouraged Iranians to take over state institutions, saying "help is on the way." But he pulled back from ordering strikes earlier this month, saying Tehran had halted more than 800 executions under pressure from Washington. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has warned against intervention and said the country was "confident in its own capabilities."

LONDON, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Frank Lampard's Coventry crashed to a 2-1 defeat at struggling Norwich on Monday as the Championship leaders suffered another away-day disappointment. Romain Esse, on loan from Crystal Palace, fired Coventry in front seven minutes before the break with a well-taken finish after Ruairi McConville blocked Victor Torp's shot. Coventry almost made it 2-0 three minutes later, with Vladan Kovacevic needing to be at his best to palm away a rising drive from Hadji Wright. But Anis Ben Slimane equalised for Norwich, slotting home from Ali Ahmed's pass just 35 seconds after the interval. Ahmed's first goal in English football came from Papa Diallo's pass and Coventry were unable to respond as their winless away run extended to six league matches.

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Professor Dr Asif Nazrul on Tuesday said Bangladesh is firmly committed to developing a skilled workforce to meet future challenges and to respond to the growing global demand for skilled manpower. He made the remarks while addressing the Global Labor Market Conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he highlighted the qualitative transformation of Bangladesh's labour market. In line with this commitment, he said, the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 has been promulgated to facilitate trade union formation, eliminate gender-based wage discrimination and prohibit blacklisting of workers, thereby ensuring their legitimate rights. He also expressed hope that the recently signed labour recruitment agreement between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia would play a significant role in promoting safe migration. The third edition of the Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC), held in Riyadh this year, was attended by labour ministers from 35 countries, including the ILO top leaders.

MELBOURNE, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Aryna Sabalenka overcame heat set to hit 45C and one of the most exciting talents in tennis to power into the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where Carlos Alcaraz bids to join her later Tuesday. World number one Sabalenka tamed 18-year-old American Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0 and faces either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina for a place in the final. Sabalenka, the top seed from Belarus, is aiming to win a third Melbourne crown in four years and looks in ominous form, yet to drop a set. "These teenagers have been testing me in the last couple of rounds," said Sabalenka, 27, who is on a 10-match win streak after victory in Brisbane this month. The 22-year-old Spaniard Alcaraz has won six Grand Slams, but is yet to go past the last eight in Melbourne.

HONG KONG, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Asian markets rose Tuesday following gains on Wall Street, with tech firms leading Seoul to another record as investors brushed off Donald Trump's threat to hike tariffs on South Korean goods. While carmakers slipped, tech firms ploughed higher with chipmaking giant SK hynix up more than five percent and Samsung Electronics up two percent. There were also big gains in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta. Tech firms are enjoying a fresh boost ahead of earnings releases as traders continue to pile into all things AI. At the same time, major tech firms have leaned more heavily into debt issuance to fund the infrastructure race".

PARIS, France, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s, a move championed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time. As social media has grown, so has concern that too much screen time is harming child development and contributing to mental health problems. He added that "social media platforms will then have until December 31 to deactivate existing accounts" that do not comply with the age limit. - 'Destiny of our country' -In addition to combatting the impact of screens and social media on the mental health of young adolescents, Attal stressed that the measure would counter "a number of powers that, through social media platforms, want to colonise minds". On Monday, nine child protection associations urged lawmakers to "hold platforms accountable", not "ban" children from social media.

BEIJING, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Chinese athletic goods giant Anta Sports will purchase a leading stake in German sportswear brand Puma, a stock exchange filing showed Tuesday. Anta acquire a share of about 29 percent in Puma, taking over from the French billionaire family Pinault as its largest shareholder. According to the agreement, Anta will buy just over 43 million shares in Puma from the Pinault holding company Artemis, priced at 35 euros apiece, the statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange showed. The firm, based in China's southeastern Fujian province, is one of the world's largest sportswear companies. Anta closed its acquisition of Finland-based Amer in 2019, leading a consortium in a deal worth about $5.2 billion.

Trump says hiking tariffs on South Korean goods to 25%WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would raise tariffs on South Korean goods including autos, lumber and pharmaceuticals, accusing the country of not living up to an earlier trade pact struck with Washington. "South Korea's Legislature is not living up to its Deal with the United States," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The agreement was finalized after Trump met his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung in October, and included investment promises by South Korea alongside tariff cuts by the United States. Under the pact, Washington would maintain levies of up to 15 percent on South Korean goods including vehicles, car parts and pharmaceuticals. Crucially, the deal's terms brought US tariffs on South Korean cars down from a 25 percent level.

Reading time: about 4 minutesThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology is hosting a Bird-Friendly Student Art Contest this semester, inviting students to submit imaginative window decal designs by March 30 to help prevent bird collisions at Stocking Hall. Courtesy of Daniel SheireDesigns will be evaluated by a diverse panel including representatives from Stocking Hall, the Bird Friendly Cornell Group and CALS leadership. The winning design will be applied to the windows of Stocking Hall facing Tower Rd. They’ve also had collisions on Stocking [Hall],” Pollock said. “So it’s not just migratory songbirds, but all birds can be at risk.”In addition to reducing bird collisions at Stocking Hall, the competition aims to raise awareness of bird-window collisions and to engage students in bird conservation efforts on campus.

That's because much of the world's top ice dancing talent has gravitated to a pioneering training site called the Ice Academy of Montreal. The academy where they train, known as I.AM, is housed in the unassuming Gadbois sports complex, tucked into what was once a working-class neighborhood of Montreal. The last three Olympic champions have all trained in Montreal and the academy's delegation at the upcoming Winter Games could surpass that of some countries, he said. - 'Loving environment' -Founded in 2014, the Montreal academy has aimed to break away from the rigidity that once defined elite ice dance training. The Montreal academy also opens the bleachers to the public during training, which allows ice dance enthusiasts like Anne Belcourt-Lafleur to look on.

MELBOURNE, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Relentless top seed Aryna Sabalenka muscled past American teenager Iva Jovic and into the Australian Open semi-finals Tuesday to accelerate her bid for a third Melbourne title. It booked the 27-year-old a 14th career Grand Slam semi-final and fourth in a row at the season-opening major. Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for 18-year-old Jovic, the youngest player in the women's top 100 and seeded 29. Jovic made some early errors and sent the ball long on break point to surrender her serve and fall 2-0 behind. Sabalenka held to pile on the pressure before Jovic fended off a break point on her next serve to get on the scoreboard.

Beverly DeMario Shea of The Villages, Florida, passed away peacefully on December 16 at Bradley Hospice House with her devoted husband of 54 years, Skip, by her side. She was born on January 15, 1950 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While living in The Villages, she was a member of St. Mark the Evangelist Church and its Women's Guild. Memorial mass will be held at St. Mark The Evangelist, Summerfield, FL on February 10 at 10 AM in the Chapel. Reception will follow at St. Mark social hall.

Leonard "Bud" Sawdy passed away January 14th, 2026 at UF Health Leesburg Hospital with his family by his side. Bud was born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan area. Bud and his wife of 66 years, Shirley, moved to The Villages 14 years ago, and he truly loved The Villages experience. You couldn't hang out with Bud and not have a good time and a good laugh. Bud is survived by his wife of 66 years, Shirley Sawdy, three children, Michael Sawdy, Debra Critser (son in law Jerry Critser) of Oxford, Fl, Patrick Sawdy of Utica, MI and two grandchildren Michael and Christopher Sawdy.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) - Champions Bangladesh women's team will return homefrom Bangkok on Thursday (January 29) after finishing their campaign in thejust concluded inaugural SAFF Women's Futsal Championship. A BG 389 flight, carrying the women's team, is expected to land at HazratShahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 6 pm. The Bangladesh women's team, led by Sabina Khatun, emerged champions in theseven-team championship securing highest 16 points in the points table fromsix matches. Earlier, Bangladesh eve team made a winning start in the tournament beatingIndia by 3-1 goals in their match. Meanwhile, Bangladesh men's team is expected to return home tomorrow(Tuesday) from Bangkok and expected to land at 6 pm.