Toronto was awarded the 2015 Pan American Games, beating off competition from South American capitals Bogota and Lima. The city has a budget of 2.5 billion dollars, ten times that of its competitors.
Lebanon plays host to the nine-day Francophone Games starting Sunday, an event that it is hoped will improve the country's image abroad. Some 3,000 athletes from 42 countries will be taking part in six sports disciplines and seven cultural events.
Argentine maestro Lionel Messi (pictured) has committed his long term future to reigning European champions Barcelona, after signing a new two-year deal which will keep him at the club until 2016.
Former French Olympic swimming champion Laure Manaudou has announced that she is retiring in a newspaper interview. The 22-year-old earlier decided to pull out of the 2009 season, saying she had lost the will to compete at the highest level.
Following in the footsteps of her compatriot Kim Clijsters, former world No.1 Justine Hénin is reportedly considering a comeback. Belgium's Hénin, who is back in training officially for exhibition matches, has not confirmed her return.
A man was stabbed as violence erupted between several hundred football fans outside West Ham's stadium in London before a match against local rivals Millwall on Tuesday. The police and the Football Association are investigating.
Rubens Barrichello has claimed victory in the European Grand Prix for championship leaders Brawn GP, beating world champion Lewis Hamilton by 2.3 seconds at Valencia on Sunday. It's the first F1 victory for the veteran Brazilian in five years.
Xue Bai became the first Chinese woman to win the marathon world championship title on Sunday, surging ahead of Japan's Yoshimi Ozaki in the final kilometre to win at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in 2 hours 25 minutes 15 seconds.
Olympic champion Steve Hooker of Australia won the gold in the pole vault at the Berlin World Championships on Saturday, beating Frenchmen Romain Mesnil and Renaud Lavillenie, who took silver and bronze.
