Roger Federer began his quest for a sixth Wimbledon title and record 15th grand slam with a straight sets win over Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan. The Swiss maestro survived going a break down in the opening set to win 7-5 6-3 6-2 in one hour 44 minutes on Monday. He had been accorded the honor of opening on Centre Court after his arch-rival and defending men's singles champion Rafael Nadal pulled out through injury. The world number two did not ...

Former champion Maria Sharapova came safely through a testing first round encounter with Ukraine's Viktoriya Kutusova as she won 7-5 6-4 on Court One on Monday. The Russian superstar is playing only her fourth tournament since recovering from shoulder surgery last year and despite some shaky moments emerged unscathed. "It's so wonderful after not playing tennis for such a long time," she told BBC Sport. "To be on Court One at Wimbledon is unbelievable and I am so glad I ...

Iran on Monday accused the West of "meddling" in its disputed presidential election even as its election authority reportedly acknowledged that the number of ballots cast in dozens of cities exceeded the number of eligible voters in those areas. Speaking to reporters, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi alleged that foreign media organizations, such as CNN and BBC, were mouthpieces of their respective governments that were exaggerating reports of police clashes with protesters who have demonstrated daily since the June 12 ...

Iran has expelled a BBC journalist who had been based in the capital of Tehran, the network said Sunday.

The remains of two bodies -- possibly British hostages taken more than two years ago in Baghdad, Iraq -- have been handed over to British authorities, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Saturday. "We know only that late last night we received the bodies of two hostages," he said. He emphasized that British authorities had not yet identified the bodies but also said the country's thoughts were with the families of five British men who were kidnapped in Baghdad in ...

Sebastian Vettel maintained the impressive form he showed in practice by comfortably securing pole position in his Red Bull for Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The German, the only driver apart from world championship leader Jenson Button to win a Formula One race this season, finished nearly four tenths of a second quicker than Button's Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello, with the other Red Bull of Mark Webber third on the grid. Button, who leads the standings by 26-points ...

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says it's his "gut feeling that Iran definitely would like to have the technology" enabling it to possess nuclear weapons. Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency told the BBC this week that Iran wants to "send a message" to its neighbors and the rest of the world: "Don't mess" with Iran and "we can have nuclear weapons if we want to." ElBaradei made the remarks as political upheaval ...

Motorsport governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), plan to sue Ferrari and the seven other Formula One teams threatening to set up a breakaway championship next season, for breach of contract. Following meetings between FIA president Max Mosley and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone at Silverstone on Friday, the FIA has now decided legal action is their only recourse. Confirming their intentions, a statement read: "The FIA's lawyers have now examined the threat by the eight-member Formula One ...

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders is urging nations to not recognize the results of Iran's presidential election, citing censorship and a crackdown on journalists. The nongovernmental group, which advocates freedom of the press, said it has confirmed the arrest of four reporters by Iranian authorities, including one who won the organization's press freedom prize in 2001. In addition, the France-based group said, it has no information on 10 other reporters who have either gone into hiding or have been ...

UK broadcaster BSkyB said Wednesday that it had refused a request for a £50 million ($82 million) lifeline from troubled Irish sports pay-TV broadcaster Setanta, as it seeks to avoid administration. BSkyB, which is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, was offered the live rights to 46 English Premier League football matches next season as an add-on option to its Sky Sports service. It already holds four packages of rights to show a total of 92 games next season. BSkyB ...