United News of Bangladesh

South African police have found the bodies of eight women in the Kempton Park area, east of Johannesburg, over the past two months, prompting widespread concern and anger. The deaths have led to a high-level police investigation and renewed attention to femicide and violent crime in South Africa. Police investigate possible links Gauteng provincial police commissioner Fred Kekana said investigators are examining whether the cases are connected but cautioned against concluding too early that a serial killer or a single suspect was responsible. "Investigators are considering all possibilities, including the possibility of multiple suspects or separate perpetrators," he said. Police are comparing evidence, timelines, locations, victim profiles and other circumstances before drawing conclusions. Kekana said, however, that the similarities among the cases and the close proximity of the locations where the bodies were found were concerning. Some of the more recently discovered bodies were found in Olifantsfontein and Kwa-Thema, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) and 34 kilometers (21 miles), respectively, from Kempton Park, where the first five bodies were found. "While investigations are still underway and SAPS has not, at this stage, confirmed that the deaths are linked to a serial killer, the similarities are sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning and intensify investigations," Kekana said. All victims were young women Police said Wednesday that eight women had been identified as victims. They were between 20 and 38 years old and were found either naked or partially clothed, with bruises on their bodies. The first body was found July 17. The woman was naked and had been restrained with cable ties. Police arrested a suspect believed to be her boyfriend, who remains in custody. One of the victims was identified as 38-year-old runner Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo, who went missing last week. Her disappearance was reported after her 8-year-old daughter told relatives that Moselakgomo had not returned from her usual afternoon run. Her body was found several days later. Another body recovered in Olifantsfontein on Tuesday was found naked and in an advanced state of decomposition. The youngest victim was identified as a 20-year-old woman. Deaths highlight high levels of violence The cases have renewed concerns over femicide and violent crime in South Africa and triggered an outcry over women's safety. The country recorded 5,427 murders between April and July this year, an average of about 45 killings a day, according to the latest crime statistics. The United Nations agency responsible for gender equality says South Africa has one of the world's highest femicide rates. A 2022 study by a South African think tank found that more than 35% of adult women in the country had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point. Police have offered a cash reward for information that could help solve the killings.

The Trump administration has announced new travel restrictions on South African officials it accuses of supporting discrimination against white people and other minority groups. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the United States would revoke visas or reject visa applications from foreign nationals found responsible for or involved in enforcing laws and policies that permit uncompensated land seizures, racial discrimination or incitement of violence against minority ethnic and racial groups in South Africa. "The United States will not allow such behavior to go unchecked," Rubio said in a statement, adding that such actions undermine peace, economic stability and the rule of law and conflict with the principles of US foreign policy. The South African government has strongly rejected the US allegations, describing claims of discrimination against whites as baseless and saying they have resulted from misinformation since US President Donald Trump returned to office last year. Rubio did not name any officials who could face the restrictions. However, a South African lobby group representing white minorities has previously urged the US to sanction officials from the African National Congress (ANC), the party of President Cyril Ramaphosa and the largest party in Parliament. The announcement is the latest step by the Trump administration against South Africa over its claims that white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, face discrimination under the country's Black-led government. Afrikaners are largely descended from Dutch and French settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th century. They were central to the country's former apartheid system of racial segregation. South Africa has a population of about 62 million, including roughly 4.5 million white people of Afrikaner, British and other backgrounds. The United States has pointed to a controversial South African law allowing the government, under certain conditions, to expropriate unused private land without compensation. Washington has also cited affirmative action policies aimed at expanding opportunities for Black South Africans and others, as well as a small number of violent crimes against white farmers, as evidence of what it describes as broader anti-white discrimination. The Trump administration has also criticized South Africa's decision to accuse Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza before the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest court. Israel strongly denies the allegation. During Trump's second term, the United States has imposed several other measures against South Africa over what it describes as anti-white and anti-American policies. These include excluding South African officials from meetings of the Group of 20 major economies held in the United States this year and reducing aid to the country's HIV treatment program. The United States has also introduced a refugee program for Afrikaners and other white South Africans, claiming they face a humanitarian emergency in the country. South Africa has rejected that characterization. Washington says the latest measures are necessary because South Africa has not changed its policies. "This visa restriction policy is only the first step in a series of escalatory measures that will show America's firm resolve in this matter," the official US ambassador to South Africa account said on X on Wednesday, referring to Rubio's announcement.

South Africa’s departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been postponed because of delays in obtaining Mexican visas for several players and officials, according to the South African Football Association (SAFA). The national team, known as Bafana Bafana, had been scheduled to fly from Johannesburg to Mexico City on a chartered flight on Sunday morning. However, the trip could not proceed after some members of the delegation had not yet received visas for Mexico, one of the tournament’s co-hosts. “The South African senior men’s national team has experienced challenges regarding visas for some players and officials, and as a result the group could not travel to North America this morning as originally planned,” SAFA said in a media release. South Africa are set to face Mexico in the opening match of the World Cup at Estadio Azteca on June 11. “SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible ahead of the opening match,” it said. “We remain committed to ensuring that the team’s preparations for the tournament remain on track and, in the meantime, Bafana Bafana will continue to train in Johannesburg until departure.” The team received a celebratory public farewell in Johannesburg on Saturday ahead of their first World Cup appearance since they hosted the tournament in 2010. Despite the event, their planned flight from OR Tambo International Airport to Mexico City was later delayed. SAFA announced that an emergency committee meeting would be held on Sunday to address the matter. The delay drew sharp criticism from Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who described the situation as “embarrassing and grossly unfair”. “We are being made to look like fools,” McKenzie said on social media platform X. Before the World Cup begins, South Africa will play a friendly match against Jamaica on June 5. Following their opener against Mexico, they will face Czechia on June 18 and South Korea on June 24 in the group stage. Head coach Hugo Broos named his 26-player squad on Wednesday, including two players who have yet to earn an international cap. The visa issue also sparked debate online, with some social media users questioning why the team held a public sendoff if officials already knew that certain players had not received their visas. South Africa are not the only nation facing travel-document complications ahead of the tournament. Iran’s World Cup squad is also awaiting visas for the United States, where the team will play New Zealand on June 15 before competing in two additional group-stage matches. Iranian state media reported on Saturday that FIFA had informed Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) vice president Mahdi Mohammadnabi that visa processing was ongoing and that the documents were expected to be issued during the week. FFIRI president Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday that he anticipated the United States would grant multiple-entry visas to the Iranian delegation because the team will travel in and out of the country during the competition. Last week, Iran moved its World Cup base camp from Arizona in the United States to Mexico. Source: Al Jazeera  

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.