Facts on Mexico, who play in World Cup group F: Country: Mexico Honours: Olympic Gold 2012; Confederations Cup winners 1999; 10-time winners of the CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup Past World Cup performance: Sixteenth appearance. Best result: quarter-finalists in 1970 and 1986 FIFA ranking: 15th Main clubs: America, Guadalajara, Cruz Azul, Pumas Nickname: El Tri How they…

Facts on Serbia who play in World Cup Group E: Country: Serbia Honours: Gold medal at the 1960 Olympics Past World Cup performance: 12th participation, including nine as Yugoslavia, one as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (composed of Serbia and Montenegro) in 1998 and one as Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. Participation under the flag…

Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal breezed into the French Open third round and a clash against childhood friend Richard Gasquet on Thursday, as Maria Sharapova closed in on a potential reunion with longtime rival Serena Williams. Top seed and world number one Nadal, chasing an 11th title, swept past Argentinian Guido Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-1, showing no signs of…

Facts on Iceland, who play in World Cup Group D: Country: Iceland Honours: none Past World Cup performance: First participation FIFA ranking: 22nd Main clubs: KR Reykjavik, Valur Nickname: “Strákarnir okkar” (“Our boys”) How they qualified: Finished top of UEFA qualifying Group I  Friendly matches scheduled:  – June 2 v Norway (Reykjavik) – June 7…

Disgraced Australian stars David Warner and Cameron Bancroft will return to competitive cricket at a low-level limited-overs tournament in the country’s tropical north in July, it was announced Tuesday. Warner is serving a year-long ban from state and international cricket and Bancroft a nine-month suspension over a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March that…

The European Union proposed Monday a bloc-wide ban on single-use plastics such as straws, cutlery and cotton buds while urging the collection of most plastic drinks bottles by 2025. The set of proposals are part of a growing EU drive to rid the environment of plastic waste which has begun showing up in the food…

The president of a top California university resigned Friday in the wake of a growing scandal over a former campus gynecologist who stands accused of sexually abusing thousands of students over a period of decades. C.L. Max Nikias’ departure was announced in a letter by the board of trustees as the University of Southern California…

Pakistan People’s Party Senator Raza Rabbani said that that the decision to merge Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will not pave the way for the formation of new provinces. The former Senate chairman, addressing a session of the Parliament’s upper house on Friday, said that every province has its own rules depending…

At least 100 samples of Zamzam water are checked everyday during Ramadan to ensure that it is not contaminated and is free of microbes.             The tests are conducted by Suqiya Zamzam, which works under the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi Gazette reported. Zamzam water samples are collected for test…

The two-day practice match between Pakistan and Leicestershire will be played from Saturday at Leicester. The visitors drew against the hosts when the two sides played each other back in 2010. Fast bowler Mohammad Amir is also fit and is expected to bowl in the match today. It is the perfect opportunity for Pakistan to…

Britain’s Prince Harry weds US former actress Meghan Markle on Saturday in a pomp-filled ceremony at Windsor Castle, a globally-watched event overshadowed in the build-up by her fractious family’s feuding. Some 100,000 people are expected in Windsor, west of London, for the historic moment and street parties and afternoon teas are being held around the…

Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi will not be a part of ICC World XI’s squad for the Twenty20 fixture against West Indies scheduled to take place at Lord’s. Afridi has suffered a knee injury and has been advised four weeks of rest. “Went to see my doctor in Dubai,” Afridi tweeted on Thursday. “The knee hasn’t recovered…

Rafael Nadal got his claycourt season back on track with a 6-1 6-0 victory over Bosnian Damir Dzumhur to reach the third round of the Italian Open on Wednesday, while sixth-seed Dominic Thiem suffered an early exit. Nadal, who lost his number world one ranking after his 14-match winning run on clay was snapped by…

Lewis Hamilton roared back to form and secured a stunning pole position for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix when he delivered a record-breaking qualifying lap on Saturday. The defending four time world champion and current series leader broke the track lap record with a series of laps that culminated in him clocking 1:16.173, 0.040 seconds ahead of his…

Petra Kvitova outlasted the unseeded Kiki Bertens to win a thrilling Madrid Open final on Saturday 7-6(8-6) 4-6 6-3 and become the first player to lift the trophy for a third time. Czech Kvitova, ranked 10th in the world, struck the first blow in a tense match which lasted two hours 52 minutes by edging…

Brazil forward Neymar is focusing on getting fully fit in time for next month’s World Cup following foot surgery but his future at Paris St Germain looks increasingly uncertain. He was absent from PSG’s Ligue 1 title celebrations in April although he was at the Stade de France on Tuesday to watch his side beat…

Rafael Nadal suffered his first clay-court defeat in almost a year when the world number one was shocked 7-5, 6-3 by Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Masters quarter-finals on Friday. Defending champion Nadal, who came into the tournament having won both Monte Carlo and Barcelona for an 11th time, also saw his record 50-set…

Manchester United secured the point they needed to finish second in the Premier League with a dull 0-0 draw at West Ham United on Thursday. There were few chances in a tepid first half, though Alexis Sanchez forced a good save from West Ham keeper Adrian and Marko Arnautovic looked the most likely West Ham…

Mesut Ozil has joined the list of Germany stars currently injured, but the Arsenal midfielder insisted Monday he will be fit for their World Cup title defence in Russia. “It’s a pity I missed yesterday’s match with my back injury,” Ozil wrote on his Instagram account after sitting out Arsenal’s 5-0 rout of Burnley on…

President Donald Trump will not travel to Israel next week for the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, the White House said Monday, announcing that Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, senior White House aide Jared Kushner, will also be part of the…

Pakistan will be hosting a six-nation hockey tournament in the first week of September. This has been stated by Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Shahbaz Ahmad Sr in an interview with APP. He said that the foreign teams to participate in the tournament include Pakistan, Oman, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Sri Lanka. Shahbaz senior said…