KOBE BRYANT SETS NBA RECORD FOR SEASONS PLAYED WITH ONE FRANCHISE
Among Kobe Bryant's many records and milestones, the one he reached Wednesday night was personally significant.
Bryant tipped off his 20th season with the Lakers in the team's regular-season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center, setting an NBA record for most seasons played with one franchise.
"That's probably the most special one to me," Bryant said after the Lakers' 112-111 loss. "I've always dreamed about being with one organization and being with this organization as a kid. I've been in this jersey for more than half my life. That's crazy."
Bryant surpassed John Stockton, who played for the Utah Jazz from the 1984-85 season until his retirement after 2002-03. Only four other players in NBA history have played 20 seasons: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Garnett, Robert Parish and Kevin Willis.
"It's unbelievable," coach Byron Scott said before the game in addressing Bryant's impending mark. "I don't know if we'll see that one again, either."
Bryant had 24 points on 8-for-24 shooting in the loss, missing his final eight shots down the stretch as Minnesota rallied.
Foreign legion lines up for new NBA season
A diverse foreign legion of 100 players from 37 countries and territories will be represented when the new National Basketball Association season when they tipped off earlier this week the league announced.
said it was the second year in a row where at least 100 or more international players featured in opening night rosters of the world's top basketball league.
A record 10 African players and a record nine Brazilian players were among the squads lining up for the start of the new season.
Canada was the biggest contributor of overseas players with 12 while France came in second for the second consecutive year with 10 players.
There were eight Australian players in the league, while Croatia and Spain both contributed four players each.
The biggest foreign contingent are on the books of the Toronto Raptors, with seven, while the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz each featured six.
There were no players from China or Taiwan in the list released by the NBA.
PABA Resumes
The pre-season games for the Provo Amateur Basketball Association will resume in Providenciales on Friday Oct 30th, 2015.
Sydwell Glasglow told RTC Sports on Wednesday night that resuming the season took a lot out of his team but they are excited to return and to showcase great basketball in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
The season will see the 3 time champions the Grand Turk Stallions returning for rings and more coached by Brother Will. Another great addition will be the return on the South Caicos Harbor Boys after taking a break last season.
A small fee is required to see the opening game on Friday at 7pm at the Gus Lightbourne Sports Complex.
West Indies Women wins the cricket series
President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron says he hopes West Indies Women's sweeping victory over Pakistan would inspire more young women in the region to take up the sport.
Cameron has showered praises on the team following its series victory in their One-day International Home Series against Pakistan Women in St Lucia.
The Windies Women, under the leadership of newly-minted captain Stafanie Taylor and the guidance of head coach Vasbert Drakes, clinched the four-match series 3-1, winning all three matches that counted towards the ICC Women's Championship.
"We want to acknowledge the achievements of all of the players that were the result of hard work and determination, and the contribution of the support staff who displayed keen awareness in order to promote the drive for excellence," declared Cameron in a WICB statement issued Monday.
"We hope that the achievements of the team will encourage more young ladies to consider and take up the game in St Lucia and across the rest of the Caribbean."
After losing the opening match in the series by six wickets, the home team won the second ODI by three wickets and then took the third match by 109 runs.
They won the final ODI by six wickets to sweep all three ICC Women's Championship matches.
Kerry on Syria
International talks on Syria's future are set to begin Thursday in Vienna, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry calling the summit the "most promising" opportunity in years to end the country's four and a-half years of "nonstop horror."
Senior diplomats from the U.S., Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey will participate in the informal talks Thursday. On Friday, the summit will expand to include representatives from other nations, including Iran, one of Syria's top international backers.
The talks notably will not include members of either the Syrian government or the main groups trying to overthrow it. Nonetheless, Kerry on Wednesday expressed optimism that the talks appear to be the best way to reach an eventual peace. "While finding a way forward on Syria will not be easy -- it's not going to be automatic -- it is the most promising opportunity for a political opening we have seen," Kerry said, speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Tanzania Opposition Rejects Presidential Vote Results
Main opposition candidate Edward Lowassa has rejected the results of Tanzania's presidential election, citing alleged fraud.
Lowassa told reporters Wednesday in Dar es Salaam that results from the opposition coalition's tallying unit showed the opposition leading the vote count before police raided the unit Monday.
The opposition Chadema party, part of the coalition, said police detained 40 of its volunteers who were tallying results. The police commissioner said the arrests were based on “violations of electoral procedures.”
There was no immediate comment from the ruling CCM party.
The latest official results from Tanzania's election commission, released Wednesday evening, showed Lowassa, of the Chadema party, trailing CCM candidate John Magufuli 59 percent to 40 percent. The tally covered results from 184 out of 264 constituencies, or about 70 percent.
US, China to Discuss South China Sea Tensions
China’s Defense Ministry said it will voice its “solemn position” to the United States when top navy officials from both countries hold an hour-long video teleconference Thursday to discuss tensions in the South China Sea and naval ties.
Admiral John Richardson, the U.S. chief of naval operations, and his Chinese counterpart Admiral Wu Shengli will participate in the talks. The two countries have previously held two other video teleconferences.
According to the U.S.-based news website Defense News, a U.S. official said the call on Thursday was not scheduled but the two navies agreed to hold the teleconference “in light of current events.”
Earlier this week, Washington took its biggest step to date to challenge China's claims in the South China Sea, sailing a U.S. navy warship within a 12 nautical mile zone of man made islands in the hotly disputed waters.
Trinidadian ordered extradited to Canada
52-year-old Trinidad and Tobago national, who was deported from Canada in 2010 having been convicted for manslaughter and other offences, has been ordered extradited to Canada to face 54 charges including murder and kidnapping.
Chief Magistrate Marcia Caesar-Ayers ruled that Septimus Neverson also known as Christopher David Munroe, Richard Murphy and Septimus Samuel, be returned to Canada to answer the charges.
A statement from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said that Neverson is charged with murder, three counts of attempted murder; four counts of kidnapping; six counts of attempted robbery, 13 counts of breaking and entering a dwelling house for unlawful purposes and 27 counts of robbery.
The offences are alleged to have occurred over the period May 4 to July 20th, 2006, in Canada.
The accused has been remanded in custody without bail and advised of his rights to appeal the order within 15 days.
IMF funds for storm to assist Dominica
WASHINGTON (CMC) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday said it was providing US$8.7 million for Dominica to be drawn from the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) as the island rebuilds following the battering it took from Tropical Storm Erika in late August.
The RCF provides immediate financial assistance with limited conditionality to low-income countries with an urgent balance of payments need. Financing under the RCF carries a zero interest rate, has a grace period of 5.5 years, and a final maturity of 10 years. The Fund reviews the level of interest rates for all concessional facilities.
“Dominica was hit by Tropical Storm Erika in August 2015, which resulted in significant loss of life and substantial damage to physical infrastructure.
The Assessment Report by the World Bank and Government of Dominica estimates total damage and loss at US$483 million making this storm one of the worst natural disasters to ever strike the country,” said IMF deputy managing director Mitsuhiro Furusawa.
Italian PM visits Cuba
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi arrived in Cuba Wednesday for the first-ever visit by an Italian head of government, seeking a trade foothold as the communist island renews ties with the US and Europe.
Renzi, who is traveling with a large delegation of business executives and investors, will meet with Cuban President Raul Castro and seek to boost Italy's presence in the tourism, restaurant, construction, recycling and renewable energy sectors, Italian press reports said.
Cuba, which depends heavily on oil imports, is looking to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix from 4.3 per cent to 24 per cent by 2030.
And Italy, which is in the midst of a renewable energy boom, thanks largely to generous state subsidies, is keen to strike partnerships in the sector.
Italy is currently Cuba's eighth-largest trade partner and an increasingly popular destination for Italian tourists: arrivals are up 34 per cent so far this year, to 77,000 -- the fifth-highest number of any country.