Indonesia has pulled out of a Fed Cup tennis tie with Israel in Tel Aviv later this month because of Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said yesterday. Israel launched the operation with the goal of forcing Palestinian militants in Gaza to release a soldier they captured in a cross-border raid on June 25. Leading women tennis players from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, had been due to take on their Israeli counterparts in a World Group II play-off on July 15-16.

Cricket

England captain Michael Vaughan has been ruled out of the Ashes series in Australia later this year, media reports said yesterday. Vaughan, who has not played for England since returning home early from the tour of India in February, had a fourth operation on his right knee on Monday.

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