India’s Fauja Singh, believed to be the world’s oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday.
Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the “Turbaned Tornado”, died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state’s Jalandhar district on Monday.
“My Turbaned Tornado is no more,” Fauja’s biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X.
“He was struck by an unidentified vehicle… in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja.”
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Indian-born British national Fauja Singh speaks to the media after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911.
He ran full marathons (42 kilometre) till the age of 100.
His last race was a 10-kilometre (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.
He became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television.
Although widely regarded as the world’s oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011.
(FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. India’s Fauja Singh, believed to be the world’s oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said on July 15, 2025. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
His strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet “laddu” packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media.
“Fauja Singh was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness,” said Modi on X
MasterChef host John Torode has been dragged into the scandal surrounding his former co-star Gregg Wallace as he has been accused of using a racist remark and allegedly told to resign
John Torode has been dragged into MasterChef co-star Gregg Wallace’s investigation(Image: BBC/Shine TV)
The BBC have been alleged to have asked MasterChef host John Torode to resign from the cooking show after he was accused of using a racist remark – and blame mental health. It comes after the long-standing presenter admitted an allegation against him had been upheld.
John spoke out after his co-star Gregg Wallace was found to have been involved in 45 substantiated claims of misconduct.
A report by law firm Lewis Silkin for production company Banijay revealed that 45 out of 83 accusations against Wallace were corroborated. The findings also included two separate claims implicating others, with one involving racist remarks.
Hours after the report went public, Torode took to social media to publicly admit he is subject to an allegation of racist language.
The BBC said it welcomed the report and confirmed Wallace was told “we have no plans to work with him in future”.
Following Torode’s admission, a source alleged that the BBC told him to claim he had mental health issues and resign from MasterChef – following Gregg out the door.
Torode said he was ‘shocked’ by the claim against him(Image: BBC)
It has been claimed the BBC called John on Thursday night, followed by an email on Friday with him needing to make a decision by Monday.
“It was suggested he quit due to the stress and scrutiny of the furore around the show,” a source told the Sun. “Obviously he was absolutely shocked and appalled and told them quite firmly he didn’t have any mental health issues.”
They added: “John absolutely loves MasterChef, and doesn’t want to lose his job because of an investigation into his co-star.”
In the report, he was cited but not named. Torode, who has hosted the BBC show since 2005, claimed he had “no recollection of the incident” and expressed being “shocked and saddened”.
His Instagram statement read: “Following publication of the Executive Summary of the investigation into Gregg Wallace while working on MasterChef, I am aware of speculation that I am one of the two other individuals against whom an allegation has been upheld.
“For the sake of transparency, I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. The allegation is that I did so sometime in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.
“I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened. However, I want to be clear that I’ve always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. I’m shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence.”
Yesterday the BBC said it welcomed the findings from Lewis Silkin and confirmed that Wallace had been informed “we have no plans to work with him in future”.
A statement said: “The investigation details a substantial number of allegations of inappropriate conduct spanning 19 years. This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us.
“Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour – both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC. We accept more could and should have been done sooner.”
The BBC flagged that two allegations relating to “other individuals” working on MasterChef now needed to be urgently addressed by the production company.
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“Lewis Silkin’s findings include two further allegations which were upheld, relating to other individuals. The BBC takes these findings very seriously and we have asked Banijay UK to take action to address these issues, which is underway. This will be completed as a priority.”
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The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari have departed London in the United Kingdom for Daura, Katsina State, ahead of a state burial in honour of the late ex-Nigerian leader.
The body of the late president was conveyed on a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) craft on Tuesday before 8 am.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other top government officials accompanied the body of the late former president.
Buhari passed on on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in a London hospital, at about 4.30 pm, following a prolonged illness, though the nature of the illness was not disclosed. He was 82.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive the body of the late president in Katsina by Tuesday at noon.
Already, the Federal Government has declared Tuesday, July 15, 2025 a public holiday for the state burial of the former Nigerian leader in his rustic and agrarian hometown of Daura.
Buhari, whose ramrod-straight posture was admired by many, hailed from Daura, Katsina State, in Nigeria’s North-West zone. He served as the country’s military head of state between January 1984 and August 1985.
READ ALSO: Police, NSCDC Deploy Thousands Of Personnel For Buhari’s Burial
Known as ‘Baba Buhari’ on the streets of northern Nigeria where he enjoyed an unparallel, cult-like following, the late president was a political force that many of his colleagues couldn’t disregard.
With the country’s return to democracy in 1999, Buhari contested for president in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but he lost despite having 12 million votes in each of the elections.
In 2013, his Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) joined forces with Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), some factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to birth the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the 2015 election, riding on their ‘Change’ mantra, Buhari with his running mate Yemi Osinbajo ousted then-incumbent Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and got themselves the much-coveted Aso Villa spot.
Both Buhari and Osinbajo were sworn in on May 29, 2015 and returned elected on May 29, 2019. Their victory was the first time in the Fourth Republic that an opposition defeated an incumbent president and the party in power. Both men handed over to their partymen Tinubu and Shettima on May 29, 2023.
The Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Police Force said it has, in collaboration with other security agencies, led by the AIG Zone 14 Katsina, deployed adequate security measures in Daura town and across the command for the burial of late former president Muhammadu Buhari to ensure a hitch-free burial.
The command, headed by CP Bello Shehu, extended its deepest condolences to the government and people of Katsina State, the family, friends, and the entire nation on the passing of the former president.
The Command, in a statement by its Spokesman, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, acknowledged Buhari’s contributions to the nation’s development and growth.
In a related development, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Aminu Datti, announced the deployment of 2,807 operatives ahead of the burial of the former president.
Commandant Datti disclosed this during a brief meeting with senior management staff of the command earlier on Monday at the State Command Headquarters, Katsina.
Datti disclosed that Commandant General Abubakar Audi expressed deep grief over the passing of Buhari.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari
The CG also ordered adequate security deployment to ensure safety and security before, during and after the burial.
The Commandant also emphasised certain operational strategies to include intensive surveillance, gathering credible intelligence, community engagement, collaboration and synergy with other security agencies, among others.
Relevant departments, units and special forces were detailed and deployed to ensure adequate security in this period of grief.
Strategic deployment of personnel was done in Daura, the hometown of the late president, the Umar Musa Yar’adua International Airport, Katsina, the Palaces of their Royal Highnesses Emir of Katsina and Daura, as well as other sensitive areas of the state.
Both covert and overt personnel in all the 34 LGAs of the state were charged with adequate protection of all facilities belonging to LGAs, the State and the Federal Government.
After Gregg Wallace was sensationally dropped by MasterChef last week, his former John Torode talking about his ‘behavioural’ issues
John Torode said he and Gregg Wallace ‘were not friends’
John Torode and Gregg Wallace’s time on MasterChef has fallen under scrutiny in the last 24 hours with a series of bombshell allegations levelled at the presenters.
A report into Gregg’s conduct on the BBC One show revealed that claims about him using sexual slurs, making unwelcome physical contact and being in a state of undress had been upheld following an investigation. Gregg said he was ‘deeply sorry’ for any distress caused but warned he ‘would not be the last’ of stars being held to account.
Just hours later, his MasterChef co-judge John Torode spoke out to reveal that an allegation that he used racist language had been upheld in the report. John decided to out himself though he was not initially named.
Torode said he had ‘no recollection of the incident’ and ‘did not believe that it happened’, but wanted to admit his part in the allegations ‘for the sake of transparency.’
The future of the hit BBC cooking show is now in doubt, with the BBC admitting yesterday no decisions have been made about future series.
John admits that he was wary of working with Gregg at first, because of his ‘brash’ personality(Image: PA)
After Gregg was first accused of misconduct, John kept silent on the allegations. When Gregg later stepped down, John spoke out only to say that he ‘loved being a part of the show’ and would ‘continue to be a part of it.’
His reaction supported his previous comments about not always seeing eye to eye with his co-star. Speaking to the Mirror in 2017, John stated that he was “never friends” with Gregg.
During an appearance on the Desert Island Dishes podcast in 2023, john admitted they got on but had an unconventional relationship. He said: “He’s a friend, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t go to the pub with him, We’ve both not been to each other’s houses… we just don’t do it.”
John further explained that if he visited Gregg, he “wouldn’t know where to put him,” due to his severe OCD. He added: “He says he’s CDO because he wants it in the right order – that’s one of his favourite jokes.”
Despite a long professional partnership, John and Gregg have never been to each others’ houses(Image: BBC/Shine TV)
John added that they have “great respect for each other,” which has been crucial in maintaining their professional partnership for over two decades.
However, when the idea of collaborating on screen was proposed, John initially had his doubts. Speaking to The Independent, he said: “In 2005 I was asked to go to an interview about some cooking show and Karen Ross, the boss at Shine, the production company involved, said: ‘I’d love you to do it, but I need to audition people to partner you with.’ I had everyone from AA Gill to Oliver Peyton,” he remembered.
“One day she asked, ‘Do you know a guy called Gregg Wallace?’ I had reservations, as Gregg was large, boisterous and noisy. Actually, nothing has changed, except no one anticipated the success the show would have.”
He also mentioned that over MasterChef’s lengthy history, there have been moments of tension between them: “We used to argue about stuff, as we’re both so opinionated. In the first series it was over Thomasina Miers who went on to win that series.”
“Gregg said, ‘There’s no way I want her.’ Then in the second round he said, ‘I want her.’ And I said, ‘You git, how can you despise someone one day then like them?'”
John further revealed that Gregg had peculiar rules when it comes to sharing a dressing room, and told him: “Don’t put anything on my table, don’t touch my stuff and stay on the left-hand side of the room until lunch.”
He expressed that while he would have been open to turning their professional relationship into a friendship, he doesn’t believe Gregg would be receptive to that: “It’s frustrating, as I’m open to it, but I don’t feel Gregg is.”
Last night, John spoke out to reveal the allegation against himself in the MasterChef scandal.
In a statement posted on his Instagram page, Torode elaborated on the allegations against him but insisted that he had “no recollection of the incident” and said he “did not believe that it happened”.
He commented: “Following publication of the executive summary of the investigation into Gregg Wallace while working on MasterChef, I am aware of speculation that I am one of the two other individuals against whom an allegation has been upheld.
“For the sake of transparency, I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion.
“The allegation is that I did so sometime in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.
“I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says relations with Australia have “turned around” as the two countries stress dialogue and seek to stabilise trade in the face of global tensions.
Xi made the remarks as he hosted Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.
The six-day visit by Albanese – his second as prime minister – aims to boost economic cooperation with Beijing, Australia’s top trading partner.
“No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we should uphold this overall direction unswervingly,” Xi said, acknowledging that China-Australia ties had “risen from the setbacks”.
Relations between Beijing and Canberra have charted a bumpy course over the past decade, a period marked by repeated disagreements over national security and competing interests across the vast Pacific region.
Ties improved in December when China called off a ban on imported Australian rock lobster, removing the final obstacle to ending a damaging trade war waged between the countries from 2017.
Albanese said he welcomed “the opportunity to set out Australia’s views and interests” and stressed that “dialogue” must be at the heart of the ties between the two countries.
“Australia values our relationship with China and will continue to approach it in a calm and consistent manner, guided by our national interest,” Albanese, the leader of Australia’s centre-left Labor government, said.
“It’s important we have these direct discussions on issues that matter to us and to the stability and prosperity of our region. As you and I have agreed previously, dialogue needs to be at the centre of our relationship,” he said.
The meeting between the two leaders came as China tries to capitalise on United States President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs by presenting itself as a stable and reliable partner. Australia, which regards the US as its major security ally, has also pursued a policy on China of “cooperate where we can, disagree where we must” under Albanese.
Chinese officials have expressed interest in expanding a decade-old free trade deal and cooperating in artificial intelligence. Xi said China was willing to “promote further development in the China-Australia relationship”.
Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, described the meeting as “warm”, noting the “positive tone” Xi and Albanese projected.
“Prime Minister Albanese is really credited for bringing the Beijing-Canberra ties back to stability”, she said.
On Tuesday, the state-owned China Daily newspaper published a glowing opinion piece about Albanese’s visit and said it showed countries with different political systems could still cooperate.
However, any cooperation is likely to be constrained by longstanding Australian concerns about China’s military build-up and the jailing of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who was sentenced to death in China over allegations of espionage.
Beijing has also separately criticised Canberra’s increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese’s pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership.
