The National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Government of Guyana (GOG), Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) as well as the Privatisation Unit (PU) are currently seeking Expressions of Interest from local or Foreign Investors to tap into to a billion-dollar operation in the wake of the Omai pullout in October. Read the full story

Guyana is one of the first 14 developing countries that the World Bank will pay to combat tropical deforestation and climate change, under a new partnership and international financing mechanism.
According to a statement from the Bank, Guyana will receive initial funding from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) which aims to reduce deforestation and forest degradation by compensating developing countries for greenhouse gas emission reductions. Read the full story

Previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto lost his WBA welterweight title when he was stopped by Mexican Antonio Margarito in the 11th round of their Las Vegas bout.

The Puerto Rican had won all 32 of his previous fights. But he was sent to the canvas twice in the 11th, beating the count the first time before going down again, prompting his corner to throw in the towel. Margarito, who gave up his IBF belt to fight Cotto, was leading 96-94 after 10 rounds on the cards of two judges. Read the full story

South Africa’s all-rounder, Jacques Kallis, will play in Wednesday’s third Test against England at Edgbaston despite injuring his ring finger while batting against Bangladesh A during their one-sided warm-up game at New Road on Thursday. Read the full story

Carlos Sastre sealed his first Tour de France crown and became the third Spaniard in three years to win.

The CSC rider, 33, retained the lead he carried over from Saturday’s decisive time trial and cantered to the finish among the peloton to win by 58 seconds. Australia’s Cadel Evans, runner-up in 2007, took second place again while Austria’s Bernhard Kohl was third. Belgium’s Gert Steegmans won the final 143km stage from Etampes to Paris, which finished in the Read the full story

Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Rogers Cup in Montreal with tendonitis in her knee.

The American, 28, was forced out of this week’s tournament in Los Angeles with the same problem. Williams has not played since Wimbledon and is now due to return to competitive tennis at next month’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China. World number 12 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia has also withdrawn from Montreal due to a schedule change.

Dinara Safina’s excellent season continued as she clinched the East West Bank Classic title in Los Angeles.

The fourth seed, who reached the French Open final, beat surprise finalist Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-2 to win her second title of the year. Pennetta was playing in her 13th singles final but was no match for the big-hitting Russian. Safina ended Jelena Jankovic’s hopes of becoming world number one in the previous round. Read the full story

Rafael Nadal continued his seemingly unstoppable march towards the world number one spot by capturing the Toronto Masters title.

The Spaniard brushed aside Nicolas Kiefer 6-3 6-2 to clinch his fifth straight tournament and take his winning streak to 29 matches. Nadal is now only 300 points behind Roger Federer in the world rankings. The 22-year-old has a chance of ending the Swiss star’s reign at the Cincinnati Masters this week. Read the full story

A BBC investigation has raised concerns that a cycling event may have bought its way into the Olympic Games.

Documents given to the BBC suggest that $3m (£1.5m) was paid by organisers of a Japanese cycling event to the UCI - the world cycling body.

The payments were allegedly made in the 1990s. The event, called the keirin, was supported for inclusion into the Games by the UCI, and admitted in 1996.

The UCI and its president at the time, Hein Verbruggen, deny any wrongdoing. Read the full story

Squeezing some family fun between campaign stops, Sen. Barack Obama kicks a soccer ball to his 10-year-old daughter Malia and, with a wink to a reporter on the sidelines, confides one of his wife Michelle’s secret talents: “She is the best Hula-Hooper I know. Once she gets the rhythm going, she can drop to her knees!”
And what about the Democratic presidential nominee? “That is one thing you will never see – me Hula-Hooping. I think that’s clear.”
Also clear: That even on the campaign trail, this is a brood almost like any other, with set routines (chores!), boundaries ($1 allowance!) and playtimes (movie nights!). The Obamas opened up to PEOPLE – first, at the family’s three-story home in Chicago in June, and again on July 4, at a park in Butte, Mont., where the family campaigned and celebrated Malia’s birthday – about the task of raising two girls, including 7-year-old Sasha, under the public eye.