United News of Bangladesh

Arsenal will look to end a 20-year wait for a UEFA Champions League final appearance when they host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their semifinal on Tuesday. The tie remains finely poised after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last week, with both sides scoring from penalties as they chase a first European Cup title. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, "After 20 years to be in this position again, We are so hungry to get the game that we want (Tuesday) and go through to that final.” Arsenal had earlier beaten Atletico 4-0 at home during the league phase in October, though Atletico coach Diego Simeone expects a more disciplined performance from his side. “I’m going to try to tell the team to play like they did in the second half (in Madrid)," Simeone said. "If it’s that easy it would be great. We have a lot of faith in what we’re doing.” Both teams have received boosts with key players returning from injury. Forward Julian Alvarez is expected to play for Atletico, while Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard and forward Kai Havertz are available. Atletico have reached the Champions League final twice under Simeone, in 2014 and 2016, losing both times to Real Madrid. Arsenal’s only final appearance came in 2006, when they were beaten by Barcelona. The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final. PSG lead 5-4 from the first leg ahead of Wednesday’s return match. Arsenal’s pursuit of their first Premier League title in 22 years also received a boost after Manchester City drew 3-3 with Everton. Arsenal can secure the title by winning their remaining three matches. Atletico are currently fourth in La Liga, trailing leaders Barcelona by 25 points.

Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu got her first taste of the Met Gala’s grandeur — and her own rising fame — as she mingled with celebrities at the star-studded event in New York. Attending the gala for the first time, Liu described the experience as “big,” while appearing in a striking red custom gown by Louis Vuitton. What surprised her most, however, was how widely she was recognized among the elite crowd gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Still adjusting to her rapid rise after winning Olympic gold, Liu expressed amazement at the sudden global recognition. She was later seen socializing with fellow guests, including Connor Storrie. The gala setting transformed the museum’s Great Hall into a Northern Italian-style garden, complete with floral displays, a suspended moon installation, and live harp music. Guests lined up to greet co-chairs such as Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour, while Beyoncé arrived later in the evening. Attendees enjoyed gourmet snacks while mingling. Celebrities including Zoë Kravitz, Bradley Cooper, Gigi Hadid, Hugh Jackman and Lindsey Vonn were among those seen interacting throughout the venue. The presence of billionaire Jeff Bezos as an honorary chair drew some criticism, though civil rights leader Al Sharpton dismissed concerns, noting such figures have long been part of the gala’s history. Musician Jon Batiste attended as a guest this year, enjoying the evening as a personal outing with his wife rather than performing. The event also highlighted efforts toward inclusivity. Activist Sinéad Burke worked with organizers to ensure accessibility, while model Lauren Wasser emphasized the need for broader diversity beyond the gala. Later in the evening, high-profile arrivals included Beyoncé alongside Jay-Z. The night concluded with the much-anticipated appearance of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who shared a lighthearted moment with Heidi Klum. The event once again showcased a blend of fashion, celebrity culture and cultural conversation under one roof.

Aaron Hardie starred with both bat and ball as Peshawar Zalmi secured their first Pakistan Super League (PSL) title since 2017, defeating debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final on Sunday. Hardie took 4 for 27 to help bowl out Hyderabad for 129 in 18 overs, with Saim Ayub fighting hard for 54. He then remained unbeaten on 56 off 39 balls to guide Zalmi to 130 for 5 in 15.2 overs in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium crowd. Peshawar captain Babar Azam described the triumph as a major achievement for the team and fans. "It's a very big achievement for me, for Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans," he said. "Throughout the tournament we've performed really well as a team … every player executed the plans they were given in batting, bowling, and fielding. Our plan was to go match by match." Chasing a small target, Peshawar suffered an early collapse, slipping to 40 for 4 inside five overs, with Babar Azam out for a golden duck, while Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell also fell cheaply. However, Hardie turned the game around with a crucial 85-run partnership with Abdul Samad, who made 48 before falling just short of his half-century when victory was near. "It was just a great game of cricket," Hardie said. "Kingsmen came out of the blocks really hard. They've certainly had a lot of momentum from the last couple of games and they carried that in, but I'm really proud of the way the boys were able to fight back." Earlier, Hyderabad made a strong start, reaching 69 for 2 in the powerplay, but lost momentum after the break and collapsed to 73 for 6 in a dramatic batting slide. Their innings was derailed by disciplined bowling, including key breakthroughs from Sufyan Moqim and Nahid Rana, while sharp fielding also led to two run-outs. Hyderabad captain Marnus Labuschagne admitted his side fell short with the bat. "As a batting group, we probably left a few runs out there," he said. "We showed once again that belief in the side and what we can do… but just not enough runs on the board tonight." Despite the defeat, Hyderabad had a remarkable tournament run after losing their first four matches, later bouncing back to reach the final by defeating former champions Multan Sultans and Islamabad United in the playoffs.

Kolkata Knight Riders secured a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad with 10 balls to spare in the Indian Premier League on Sunday. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy led the bowling attack with 3-36, while Sunil Narine (2-31) and Kartik Tyagi (2-30) provided strong support as Hyderabad were bowled out for 165 in 19 overs. Opener Travis Head struck a rapid 61 off 28 balls, but Hyderabad suffered a dramatic collapse, slipping from 135-4 to lose their last six wickets for just 30 runs. Chasing 166, Kolkata reached 169-3 in 18.2 overs. Impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi top-scored with 59 off 47 balls, including five fours and two sixes, while captain Ajinkya Rahane contributed 43 off 36 balls. The victory marked Kolkata’s third consecutive win, though the team remained eighth in the standings after nine matches, following a difficult run that included five losses and one no-result. Hyderabad stayed third despite the defeat, which was their fourth in 10 games, missing an opportunity to move to the top of the table. In another match later in the day, Gujarat Titans hosted Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad. Hyderabad made a strong start, with Head hitting nine fours and three sixes in his innings. He added 44 runs with Abhishek Sharma (15) and then shared a 61-run stand with Ishan Kishan, who scored 42 off 29 balls. The hosts posted 71-1 in the powerplay. However, Chakravarthy removed Head in the ninth over, triggering a collapse. Hyderabad slipped to 122-4 after Heinrich Klaasen (11) was dismissed and Ravichandran Smaran (4) fell soon after. Narine further dented the innings in the 16th over by taking two wickets, including Kishan’s, leaving Hyderabad with little momentum in the final overs. From 105-1 in 8.5 overs, Hyderabad eventually lost nine wickets for 60 runs. Kolkata began their chase briskly, with Finn Allen scoring 29 off 13 balls before being dismissed by Pat Cummins. The team matched Hyderabad’s powerplay score of 71-1. Rahane and Raghuvanshi then put together an 84-run partnership for the second wicket, effectively taking the game away from the hosts. Raghuvanshi brought up his third half-century of the season off 39 balls. Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 22 off 11 deliveries sealed the win for Kolkata. The result also marked Kolkata’s 21st victory in 32 IPL matches against Hyderabad, their most successful record against any opponent.

Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the table after a convincing 3-0 home victory over Fulham on Saturday, intensifying the title pressure on Manchester City. According to Premier League, two goals from Viktor Gyökeres and one from Bukayo Saka secured the win for Arsenal by halftime, as the Gunners extended their lead in the title race. Manager Mikel Arteta rotated his squad following a 1-1 draw in Madrid in the Champions League semifinal first leg against Atletico Madrid, with Saka particularly impressing on his return to the starting lineup. FIFA updates red card rules after recent controversies Manchester City, who have two games in hand, must win both fixtures to stay in control of the title race. Their next challenge comes with an away match against Everton on Monday. At the bottom of the table, Tottenham Hotspur could move out of the relegation zone on Sunday if they beat Aston Villa away, after West Ham United suffered a 3-0 defeat at Brentford. Brentford’s win included an own goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos as well as strikes from Igor Thiago and Mikkel Damsgaard, lifting them to sixth place. Newcastle United ended a poor run of form with a 3-1 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Goals from William Osula, Dan Burn and Harvey Barnes secured the victory, while Jack Hinshelwood scored a consolation for Brighton. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland played out a 1-1 draw in a match with no competitive significance. Wolves, already relegated, earned a point through Santiago Bueno after Nordi Mukiele had given Sunderland the lead. Sunderland were reduced to 10 men following Dan Ballard’s 24th-minute red card. On Friday, Leeds United moved close to securing survival in the top flight after a 3-1 home win over Burnley, reaching 43 points. Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Leeds 3-0 ahead against the already-relegated visitors, who recently dismissed coach Scott Parker, before Loum Tchaouna scored a late consolation.

Bevon Jacobs scored an unbeaten 53 in a stunning counter-attack to guide New Zealand to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in a rain-shortened Twenty20 International on Saturday, securing a 1-1 draw in the three-match series. Chasing 103 to win in 15 overs, New Zealand reached the target in 11.4 overs. The visitors initially struggled, falling to 33 for four inside five overs. Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam struck quickly to keep the hosts in the game, dismissing Katene Clarke, Dane Cleaver, and opener Tim Robinson, who scored a rapid 23 off 14 deliveries. Shoriful finished with figures of three for 19.

The third and final T2oI between Bangladesh and New Zealand resumed around 4:30 pm on Saturday following a nearly two-hour rain delay. Umpires halted play at 2:37 p.m. due to heavy rain, with Bangladesh reaching 50 for three in 6.4 overs.  Before the interruption, New Zealand bowler Nathan Smith took two wickets in the fifth over to disrupt the Bangladesh top order. Smith dismissed Tanzid Hasan for six runs and removed Parvez Hossain Emon on his first delivery. Opener Saif Hassan contributed 16 runs off 10 balls, including two boundaries, before his dismissal. Bangladesh lose early wickets in last T20I vs New Zealand Bangladesh leads the three-match T20I series 1-0 following a victory in the first game in Chattogram. Heavy rain forced the abandonment of the second match at the same venue. Prior to the T20I fixtures, Bangladesh won a three-match one-day international series against the touring New Zealand squad.

Bangladesh lost the openers inside the powerplay of the third and final T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand on Saturday in Dhaka. In the fifth over, Nathan Smith struck twice to send Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon back. Tanzid scored six but Emon fell off the first ball he faced. Before them, Saif Hassan fell for 16 off 10 balls. He hit two fours. Bangladesh won the first T20I in Chattogram, and the second match was washed away due to heavy rain at the same venue. Before the T20I series, Bangladesh won the three-match ODI series against the visitors.

Palestine Football Association (FA) President Jibril Rajoub on Thursday criticised the Israeli federation during a tense moment at the 76th FIFA Congress, where he refused to stand alongside Israeli FA vice president Basim Sheikh Suliman. Both officials were invited to the stand by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the event, but Rajoub declined to move closer to Suliman, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel. Infantino placed his hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to step forward, but Rajoub did not comply. FIFA raises World Cup prize money by 15 percent Palestine FA Vice President Susan Shalabi, who was present at the scene, quoted Rajoub as saying, “I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering, says report” Source: Al Jazeera

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) ad-hoc committee chief Tamim Iqbal announced an upcoming board election timeline, a new domestic cricket tournament, and addressed the status of former captains facing legal issues during his first formal press conference Thursday in Mirpur. The election process for the BCB's board of directors will begin at a board meeting on May 3, with the vote expected within 30 to 45 days. Tamim said the elections should conclude two to three weeks before the ad-hoc committee's tenure officially ends. Addressing the potential return of Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim said that former captains Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Naimur Rahman are in the same situation. All three face legal cases filed after the fall of the Awami League government in 2024. He said the board is prepared to provide cricketing support and will welcome the players back if they resolve their legal problems, adding that the sports minister has indicated flexibility on the matter. To develop domestic cricket, the interim board will launch a three-day Second XI tournament to run parallel to the first-class National Cricket League this season. Tamim said the initiative aims to provide a platform for up to 200 players from lower divisions and eliminate the culture of abruptly drafting unregistered players for specific matches. Participating players will receive match fees and standard facilities, and the NCL will reinstate a home-and-away format. The committee also approved infrastructure upgrades for the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The plans include installing a 27,000-square-foot canopy over the currently roofless Eastern gallery and exploring preliminary options to transition the entire stadium to solar power.