United News of Bangladesh

The live final of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! South Africa turned tense on Friday night, with arguments breaking out among contestants after a drama-filled series. A heated row began when actor Adam Thomas confronted former footballer Jimmy Bullard over a challenge that nearly led to his exit from the camp. The situation escalated quickly, forcing hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly to step in and calm things down. During the argument, singer Sinitta and TV personality Gemma Collins walked off the set. Despite the tension, Thomas was later voted the winner by the public and crowned king of the jungle. Other finalists included Olympic star Mo Farah, TV presenter Craig Charles and former football manager Harry Redknapp. After the show, Thomas shared a message on Instagram, saying he stayed true to himself despite difficult moments during the competition. The clash with Bullard came during a trial where the losing pair faced elimination. Bullard chose to quit the challenge early, prompting an angry reaction from Thomas, who criticised his teammate for not completing the task. However, fellow contestants later voted to keep Thomas in the competition. Some contestants later said the full extent of the argument was not shown on television. Bullard defended his decision, saying he withdrew because he wanted to leave the show. The series, filmed months earlier in South Africa, also saw several other dramatic moments. Actress Beverley Callard had to leave the show after collapsing during filming. She later revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was unable to attend the final on medical advice. Boxer David Haye also drew criticism for controversial comments during the show. Meanwhile, Collins’ return to the programme ended early after she was voted out. The season featured returning contestants from previous editions, adding to the intensity and emotional moments throughout the series. With inputs from BBC

Two male runners have been disqualified after they were found to have competed in the women’s category of the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town, officials said. The men ran using race bibs registered to two female athletes and finished among the top 10 in the women’s half-marathon, initially taking positions that should have gone to female competitors. The issue was detected by a race official, leading to the disqualification of the men from their 7th and 10th place finishes. The two rightful female runners were later awarded those positions. Race board member Stuart Mann said Larissa Parekh allegedly allowed Luke Jacobs to run using her bib, while Tegan Garvey is accused of giving hers to Nic Bradfield. All four individuals could face disciplinary action, including a possible two-year ban from the event. The Two Oceans Marathon is one of South Africa’s most well-known races, featuring both a 56-kilometre ultramarathon and a 21.1-kilometre half-marathon, and attracts more than 16,000 participants each year. Finishing in the top 10 is considered a major achievement. Mann described the practice of swapping bibs as unethical and potentially dangerous, noting that it could create serious medical risks in emergencies if runners are misidentified. He said runners sometimes give their bibs to others due to last-minute injuries or personal reasons, while others do it to gain unfair advantages, such as achieving faster times to qualify for future races. The incident came to light after photos shared on social media showed Jacobs wearing a bib with Parekh’s name, raising suspicion. Jacobs later issued a written apology, admitting it was a mistake and saying he did not consider the consequences. Garvey also acknowledged giving her bib to Bradfield, saying she was unable to run due to a hip injury. Both women have apologised, according to officials.

The knockout stage for the T20 World Cup is officially set. Following the conclusion of the Super Eight phase, South Africa, England, India, and New Zealand have emerged as the final four contenders remaining from the 20-team tournament. Defending champions and tournament hosts India secured the last available spot by defeating the West Indies in their final Super Eight match. By finishing as the runners-up in Group 1, India booked a blockbuster second semi-final clash against two-time champions England. The high-profile encounter is scheduled to take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 5 at 7:30 PM. The knockout phase will commence a day earlier on March 4 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Group 1 champions South Africa will lock horns with New Zealand in the first semi-final at 7:30 PM. Both teams will be fighting fiercely for a spot in the title clash, as neither nation has previously won the T20 World Cup. The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the grand finale to crown the world champions. The championship match is set to be held in Ahmedabad on March 8 at 7:30 PM.

At least 11 people, including a schoolchild, were killed in a collision between a minibus taxi and a truck in South Africa, officials said Thursday. The accident occurred in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. According to Siboniso Duma, a provincial transport department official, the fatalities were reported at the scene based on preliminary information. Garrith Jamieson, spokesperson for private paramedic service ALS Paramedics, confirmed that 11 people died and several others sustained critical injuries. The driver of the minibus was among those trapped in the wreckage. Read More: 13 children killed as school bus collides with truck in South Africa The deadly crash comes just over a week after a head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a truck killed 14 schoolchildren in the country.

A Bangladeshi youth died in a road accident in South Africa on Monday night while seeking livelihood abroad. The deceased was identified as Enamul Haque, 34, son of Mojibul Haque of Udrajpur village in Feni district. According to family sources, he arrived in South Africa on Saturday night. On Sunday, he and 18 other Bangladeshis were traveling in a microbus in Delmas area of Mpumalanga province when the vehicle lost control and overturned. Two other expatriate Bangladeshis, Nurul Amin of Begumganj in Noakhali and Naeem Ahmed of Manikganj, died on the spot. He was admitted to a local hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries late Monday night. 3 killed as truck hits three wheeler in Gaibandha He was the youngest among four siblings. He left behind a three-year-old daughter and a four-month-old son. His cousin Shahid Ullah confirmed the death and said that after receiving the news of his death, his mother Peyara Begum fainted several times, while their elderly father remains speechless from shock. Arrangements are underway with expatriate Bangladeshis to bring his body back home. Acting officer-in-charge of Daganbhuiyan police station Wahid Parvez said they came to know about the accident through social media and confirmed the death of the youth in South Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed claims that white people are being persecuted in the country, calling it a "completely false narrative" in his latest attempt to refute allegations from US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and some white minority groups in South Africa. Elon Musk, born in South Africa, has frequently accused the country's Black-led government of being anti-white. Over the weekend, he reiterated a claim on social media that some South African political figures are “actively promoting white genocide.” South African NGOs fear HIV treatment disruptions amid Trump’s aid freeze In his weekly address, Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to let external events divide them. He particularly emphasized the need to challenge the "completely false narrative" that the country is targeting individuals of a specific race or culture for persecution. Though Ramaphosa did not name names, his statement appeared to be a direct response to accusations made by Trump and others that South Africa is deliberately mistreating the white Afrikaner minority by encouraging violent attacks on their farms and introducing a law to seize their land. These allegations were central to an executive order Trump issued last month, which cut funding to South Africa’s government while offering refugee status to Afrikaners in the U.S. Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French colonial settlers, played a key role in South Africa’s apartheid government, which oppressed non-white populations. However, since apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa has made significant progress in reconciling its racial groups. Musk, in his social media post on X, referred to a rally in South Africa where leaders of a far-left opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, sang a song with the lyrics “Kill the Boer, the farmer.” The term "Boer" refers to Afrikaners. South African miner recalls horrors of months spent underground “Very few people know that there is a major political party in South Africa that is actively promoting white genocide,” Musk wrote, linking to a video of the rally. The Economic Freedom Fighters, South Africa's fourth-largest party in Parliament, opposes Ramaphosa's African National Congress. It received 9.5% of the vote in last year’s elections and has been criticised for inflaming racial tensions, particularly for singing the song, which was used during apartheid as a call to resist oppression. The song's modern-day use has sparked controversy in South Africa. While some parties and groups, including an Afrikaner association, challenged its use in court, it was ruled as hate speech and banned more than a decade ago. However, in 2022, a court determined that it was not hate speech and protected under free speech as it did not incite violence. Since Trump's executive order, the South African government has been working to correct what it says is misinformation surrounding the issue of white farmers, who sometimes fall victim to violent attacks. While the government condemns these attacks, experts argue there is no evidence of widespread targeting of whites. They suggest that such attacks are part of South Africa's broader violent crime rates, which affect all races. The Afrikaner group has claimed that farm homicides have been underreported by the police. For instance, it reported eight farm homicides in the three-month period between October and December last year, while the police recorded only one. During the same period, South Africa's police reported a total of 6,953 homicides nationwide.

Rescuers and volunteers have pulled at least 78 dead miners and more than 160 survivors from an abandoned South African gold mine, where they have languished for over two months during a standoff with authorities who demanded they surrender to police because they were mining illegally. Hundreds are still believed to be trapped Wednesday and the death toll is expected to rise in a disaster that has focused criticism on the South African government’s decision to try to “smoke them out” by cutting off food and other supplies for a time. Civic groups claim authorities also removed the ropes and pulley systems that the miners used to enter and exit at least one shaft and send down supplies. The groups say the government's weekslong refusal to stage a rescue effectively left scores of miners to die of starvation or dehydration. A rescue is now underway — after a court order — but only a few miners can be pulled up at a time, and the operation could take 10 days. South African authorities have argued that the miners were always able to exit through another shaft at Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, one of the deepest in the mineral-rich country. But activists said that would involve a dangerous trek underground that could take days for some, and many became too weak or ill after months underground with little food and water. Police contend some miners refused to come out. Rescuers attempt to free survivors from trapped South African miners Authorities ordered to launch a rescue operation In response to a request by a relative of one of the miners, a court last week ordered a rescue operation, which began Monday. A specialist mining rescue company has been dropping a small cage thousands of meters (feet) into the mine to retrieve survivors and bodies. But no personnel from the company entered the shaft because they consider it too dangerous — instead community volunteers headed down in the cage to help the miners out. Police first tried to force the miners out of the closed mine near the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, in November by cutting off their supplies. The move, part of a larger crackdown on illegal mining, began a standoff between authorities and the miners and members of the community. A court ruled that authorities had to allow supplies in — but civic groups argue that officials needed to do more at that point because even without police interference the miners weren't able to get enough food and water into the mine and the situation was becoming dire. The mine is 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) deep with multiple shafts, many levels and a maze of tunnels. A group representing the miners said there are numerous groups in various parts of the mine and estimated that more than 500 miners were underground when the rescue started. It's unclear exactly how long they've been underground, but relatives say some of them have been there since July. Chinese gold mining endangers Congo's protected UN heritage site A rising death toll Police said Wednesday that 78 bodies have been recovered so far, and 166 survivors brought out since the official rescue operation began. A community group says another nine bodies were recovered on Friday and an unconfirmed number in the previous weeks after members of the community attempted to rescue miners themselves. Civic groups representing the miners say at least 100 have died. The official rescue is now proceeding slowly because only a few people can fit in the cage at a time and because the shaft is so deep. Authorities have argued that the miners could have exited if they wanted to — and police say more than 1,000 did before the rescue operation — but they didn't because they feared arrest. Police say they have arrested everyone who has surfaced both before and after the rescue operation. They will face charges of illegal mining and trespassing. Authorities seized gold, explosives, firearms and more than $2 million in cash from the miners.

Efforts are underway to rescue survivors from one of South Africa’s deepest mines, where hundreds of illegal miners have been trapped underground for months. A cage-like structure was sent down to the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine in a bid to bring out the survivors. Authorities believe over 100 miners have died from starvation or dehydration, AP reports. Since Friday, 18 bodies and 26 survivors have been recovered from the mine. However, more than 500 miners are feared to still be trapped underground. While police are uncertain about the exact number, it is estimated that hundreds remain inside. The mine, located near Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, has been at the center of a standoff between miners, police, and local communities since November. The conflict began when authorities launched an operation to remove illegal miners. Some miners have reportedly been underground since July or August of the previous year. Chinese gold mining endangers Congo's protected UN heritage site Authorities insist the miners are refusing to leave, but rights organizations have contested this claim. They have criticized police for cutting off food and water supplies to force the miners out. Activists argue that many miners are unable to climb out because the shaft is too steep, and the ropes and pulley systems they used to enter have been removed. Illegal mining is widespread in South Africa, especially in abandoned, gold-rich mines. Miners often stay underground for months, relying on supplies sent from the surface by others. Some miners have escaped since November, but many fear arrest if they emerge. Rights groups say the miners’ only escape route is a dangerous journey to another shaft, a trek that can take days. The mine, 2.5 kilometers deep, is a maze of tunnels and multiple shafts. In December, a mining advocacy group took authorities to court to ensure food, water, and medicine were delivered to the trapped miners. Two cellphone videos released by the group show emaciated miners and numerous dead bodies. South African authorities continue to face scrutiny for their response to the crisis.

The ICC has fined Pakistan players 25 percent of their match fee and also docked the team five World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against South Africa in the second test at Newlands. South Africa, which will take on Australia in the WTC final at Lord’s in June, swept Pakistan 2-0 in the series with a 10-wicket win inside four days in the second test. Defiant Masood narrows Pakistan's deficit to 109 in 2nd test against South Africa The ICC said in a statement that match referee Richie Richardson of the West Indies imposed the sanction after “Pakistan was ruled to be five overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.” According to the ICC code of conduct, players are fined five percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. The teams are also penalized one WTC point for each over short. The ICC also said that Pakistan captain Shan Masood accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. Pakistan is at No. 8 in the points table just above last-placed West Indies.

Pakistan had an injury scare when opening batter Saim Ayub twisted his right ankle on the field as South Africa reached 72-3 at lunch on day 1 of the second and final test on Friday. Ayub fell awkwardly in the outfield and was visibly in lot of pain as he received brief treatment on the ground before he was rushed to a hospital for precautionary scans. The Pakistan team management said an update on the extent of Ayub’s injury “will be provided in due course.” South Africa, which has already sealed its place in June’s World Test Championship final with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first test at Centurion inside four days, lost three wickets for nine runs in the latter half of first session after getting a promising start of 61. Ryan Rickleton completed his half century in the last over before lunch and was unbeaten on 50, but off-spinner Salman Ali Agha pegged the home team further when he had Tristan Stubbs caught behind for zero which gave wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan his third catch of the morning session. Young Maphaka makes debut as SAfrica wins the toss and bats 1st in 2nd test vs Pakistan South Africa settled in well despite Aiden Markram surviving a close lbw off Mohammad Abbas’ first ball after skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bat on a dry wicket. Rickleton batted aggressively against an all-pace attack but Markram looked shaky in his 17-run knock off 44 balls and was also dropped at covers by Ayub’s substitute Abdullah Shafique. However, the lapse didn’t cost Pakistan as Khurram Shahzad broke the opening stand when he found the inside edge of Markram’s bat. Wiaan Mulder, one of the three changes South Africa made from its Centurion playing XI, fell to Abbas when the seamer found the thick outside edge before Agha got rid of Stubbs at stoke of lunch interval. Kwena Maphaka was among the three changes the Proteas made as the fast bowler became the youngest South African to make his test debut. At 18 years, 270 days, Maphaka broke the record of Paul Adams, who played his first test against England in 1995 at the age of 18 years, 340 days. The home team, which has six successive test wins, opted to go with the express pace of Maphaka in place of Dane Paterson, who was dropped after picking up his second successive five-wicket haul at Centurion. India's top order collapses to 57-3 at lunch vs Australia on Day 1 of 5th test Corbin Bosch was left out after making a stunning test debut in the first test where he took a wicket with his first ball and then made a scintillating unbeaten half century in the first innings which gave South Africa a match-winning lead of 90 runs. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has recovered from a groin injury and replaced Bosch. Opening batter Tony de Zorzi had a thigh strain and was replaced by Mulder as the all-rounder recovered from a finger injury and returned to the playing XI. Pakistan, which has won just two of its last nine test matches in this WTC cycle, once again went without a specialist spinner. It rested fast bowler Naseem Shah and brought in left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza.