200 join Harvest Wine Run at Monsoon Valley Vineyard

FUNCHAL: Hundreds of Cristiano Ronaldo fans reportedly gathered outside a historic cathedral in Portugal over the weekend, hoping to catch a glimpse of the football superstar on his wedding day — only to discover that they had arrived for someone else’s ceremony. Rumors circulating on social media and in media reports claimed that Ronaldo was set to marry his longtime partner, Georgina Rodriguez, on Saturday in Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira island. Although Ronaldo’s family reportedly denied the claims, the speculation was enough to send scores of excited fans and journalists to the city’s historic Sé Cathedral. Many waited outside for hours, holding mobile phones and cameras in anticipation of the arrival of the Al Nassr star and Rodriguez. But the expected celebrity wedding never happened. Instead, the cathedral was preparing to host the wedding of a local couple, Nicole and Fabio. Fabio had already arrived at the church, while Nicole faced an unexpected challenge: getting through the crowd that had gathered outside believing Ronaldo would soon appear. The unusual situation created confusion around the cathedral, with tourists, fans and members of the media filling the surrounding streets. The Sé Cathedral administration later addressed the incident on its official Facebook page, congratulating the newly married couple while explaining that the large number of journalists and tourists had caused considerable confusion. The church eventually had to be closed while the wedding ceremony took place. In another post, the cathedral described the scene outside as something it had never experienced before, noting that the bride had difficulty entering the church because of the crowd. The guests also appeared to find the situation amusing. One guest joked to local media that they suddenly felt like celebrities themselves. Another questioned how anyone could have believed Ronaldo would arrive for a wedding without significant security arrangements. Ronaldo himself appeared to see the funny side of the episode. The footballer reportedly reacted to an Instagram post about the confusion with laughing-with-tears emojis, giving fans a glimpse of his reaction without directly confirming or denying any future wedding plans. Ronaldo and Rodriguez have been together for years and became engaged last year. Reports have previously claimed that Ronaldo presented Rodriguez with an expensive engagement ring featuring a large diamond. Despite the latest frenzy in Madeira, the couple has not announced a wedding date. For now, fans hoping to witness Ronaldo walk down the aisle will have to wait — and perhaps check the guest list before heading to the church.

COLOMBO: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has reportedly withdrawn from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, bringing an early end to a turbulent campaign that was overshadowed by an administrative mix-up and below-par performances. According to media reports, the 26-year-old informed his franchise, Kandy Royals, that he was leaving the tournament for personal reasons. Neither Afridi nor the franchise has disclosed further details, while Kandy Royals are yet to announce a replacement. Afridi’s departure comes just days after he was at the centre of an unusual selection controversy. Reports claimed he had initially been listed as the team’s Impact Player for a match against Colombo Capitals, but was unable to feature after an administrative error left his name off the official team sheet. The mistake reportedly occurred after Kandy Royals elected to bat first, with team officials later informing Afridi that an analyst had accidentally omitted his name from the final squad submitted before the match. The incident prompted the Pakistan pacer to raise the issue with an official from the tournament’s Anti-Corruption Unit, after which the matter was referred to the match referee for review. Franchise officials and tournament organisers later apologised to Afridi for the error. Reports suggested the left-arm fast bowler had briefly considered leaving the competition immediately after the incident but decided to stay with the squad following the apology. Despite remaining in the tournament, Afridi struggled to make his usual impact with the ball. He claimed seven wickets in six matches, averaging 32.00, while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.18, figures well below the standards expected from one of Pakistan’s premier fast bowlers. Meanwhile, the LPL continues to see changes in team combinations, with two more Pakistani cricketers joining the competition as replacement signings. Young batter Khawaja Nafay has been drafted by Jaffna Kings to replace Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran, while experienced all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has signed with Dambulla Sixers as a replacement for Afghanistan fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi. Shaheen’s reported withdrawal marks another twist in an eventful LPL campaign and is likely to spark further discussion about player management and tournament administration as the competition heads toward its decisive stages.

Pakistan’s disappointing run in swimming continued on the second day of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. All four Pakistani swimmers competing on Saturday failed to advance beyond the heats in their respective events. In the women’s 200-metre freestyle, Jehan Ara Nabi finished 29th among 36 competitors. She recorded a time of 2 minutes and 11.16 seconds. Her performance was not enough to secure a place in the final. Ahmed Durrani competed in the men’s 400-metre freestyle. He completed the race in 4 minutes and 14.85 seconds. He finished 22nd among 27 swimmers. As a result, he could not qualify for the final. Hamza Asif took part in the men’s 50-metre freestyle. He finished the race in 24.17 seconds. He stood 39th among 68 swimmers. Only the top 16 competitors progressed to the semi-finals. Asif therefore missed out on the next round. Hareem Malik represented Pakistan in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke. She clocked 1 minute and 22.51 seconds. She finished 27th among 28 swimmers. Her result also ended her campaign in the event as she failed to qualify for the semi-finals. The results added to a difficult start for Pakistan’s swimming team at the Games. None of the four swimmers competing on the second day managed to move into the next stage of their events. Durrani and Jehan Ara Nabi had also failed to advance beyond the heats on the opening day. Their second-day performances therefore continued Pakistan’s struggle to make progress in the swimming competition. Pakistan is competing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a 36-member contingent. The national athletes are taking part in different sporting events and are seeking strong performances against competitors from across the Commonwealth. For the Pakistani swimmers, however, the opening days in Glasgow have proved challenging. The national contingent will now look to its remaining athletes and events for improved results as Pakistan continues its campaign at the Games.

San Francisco Unicorns secured a hard-fought five-run victory over Perth Scorchers XI in their Global Super League (GSL) 2026 clash at Providence Stadium on Sunday, thanks to an outstanding all-round team performance led by Hammad Azam. After being put under pressure early in their innings, the Unicorns recovered impressively to post 152-8 in their allotted 20 overs. The foundation of the total was laid by Hammad Azam, who produced a composed unbeaten knock of 64 from 46 deliveries. The Unicorns’ batting line-up struggled at the start, slipping from 42-1 to 46-5 inside the opening six overs as the Scorchers’ bowlers dominated with the new ball. With wickets falling regularly, Hammad steadied the innings and prevented a complete collapse. He mixed caution with aggression, striking four boundaries and five sixes during his match-defining innings. His ability to rotate the strike while punishing loose deliveries helped the Unicorns recover from a difficult position and reach a competitive total. Chasing 153 for victory, Perth Scorchers XI also found themselves in early trouble. Opener Andre Fletcher was dismissed for just one in the opening over, while Joel Curtis managed only 16 before departing. Experienced batter D’Arcy Short anchored the chase with a patient 43, attempting to guide his side through the middle overs. He built useful partnerships with Usman Khan, who scored 14, and Ashton Turner, who contributed 13. Despite those efforts, regular wickets kept disrupting the chase and prevented the Scorchers from building lasting momentum. The turning point came in the 16th over when Short was dismissed with the score on 103-7, leaving Perth Scorchers XI with a difficult task in the closing stages of the innings. Just when the contest appeared to be slipping away, Brody Couch produced a spirited late assault to revive his team’s hopes. The lower-order batter blasted 23 runs from only 12 balls, smashing two fours and two sixes in an entertaining cameo. Couch and Akeal Hosein added 39 runs for the ninth wicket, reducing the target significantly and setting up a tense finish. Hosein also played an important supporting role with 16 runs as the pair pushed the match into the final over. However, the Unicorns held their composure under pressure. Hosein was dismissed on the penultimate delivery of the innings, ending the Scorchers’ hopes of completing a remarkable comeback. Perth Scorchers XI finished on 147-9, falling just five runs short of the target. With the ball, Ghulam Mudassar delivered a match-winning spell for San Francisco Unicorns, claiming four wickets at crucial moments to derail the Scorchers’ chase. His breakthroughs, combined with disciplined bowling in the closing overs, ensured the Unicorns successfully defended their total. Hammad Azam’s unbeaten half-century and Ghulam Mudassar’s four-wicket haul proved decisive as San Francisco Unicorns registered a memorable victory in a closely contested Global Super League encounter, strengthening their campaign with an impressive all-round performance.

LAHORE: Pakistan’s national hockey team has left Lahore for the Netherlands and Belgium, where the Green Shirts will begin their long-awaited campaign at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. The team departed from Allama Iqbal International Airport on Sunday, August 9, with players and coaching staff heading to Europe with hopes of making a strong impression on the world stage. The World Cup is scheduled to take place from August 15 to 30, with matches being played across venues in the Netherlands and Belgium. Pakistan are returning to the tournament after an eight-year absence, adding extra significance to their campaign. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has also released Rs200 million in foreign daily allowances for the players ahead of the competition. The amount has been transferred to the accounts of the team members. According to the PHF, all major logistical arrangements for the squad have been completed. Travel, accommodation and food arrangements for players and coaching staff have also been finalised, allowing the team to focus fully on preparations for the tournament. PHF President Mohyuddin Wani said the welfare of players and coaches remained a top priority. He added that financial and administrative matters had been addressed before the team’s departure. Pakistan secured their place in the World Cup after producing a dramatic comeback against Japan in the qualifying tournament earlier this year. The victory ended an eight-year wait for the former world champions to return to hockey’s biggest stage. The Green Shirts have been placed in Pool D alongside England, India and Wales, setting up a demanding group-stage campaign. Pakistan will open their World Cup campaign against England on August 15, followed by Wales on August 17 and arch-rivals India on August 19. With the team now on its way, attention will turn to whether Pakistan can turn its return to the global stage into a memorable tournament.