Delano Williams prepares for upcoming IAAF Diamond League
TCI’s golden boy Delano Williams is on a quest to continue to make a name for himself at the upcoming IAAF Diamond League.
The 2015 IAAF Diamond League takes place over 14 world class meetings held over 4 months across 3 continents, the IAAF Diamond League features the world’s best athletes across 32 different event disciplines competing to win their Diamond Race and, with victory, the status as the most consistent athlete of 2015 in their event.
Delano shared with RTC Sports he’s currently on his way to Olso for the 2015 IAAF Diamond League, where he’ll be running the 400m. Delano made Great Britain 4x400m team to the European Championship in Russia, which will be held on June 20th to the 21st.
“I’m excited to be a part in these events and looking forward to competing to the best of my ability. I’m also preparing for the Great Britain Trials in July for The World Championship in Bejing, China. I’m running the 200m there,” Williams added.
Church softball draws close to playoffs
As we get closer to the play offs, the church Co ed softball league games are getting heated. Roman Catholic gave Church of God Of Prophecy their first lost of the second rotation all though Miguel of COGOP delivered two home runs, they lost 8-5.
Then we had St. Monica vs. Paradise Baptist which ended with the mercy rule at the bottom of the 3rd inning, after Damian scored two home runs for the night. Ending the game 19-3 in favour of St. Monica's.
Stay with RTC for further updates.
Netherlands pulls out as 2019 hosts for European
The Netherlands has pulled out of hosting the 2019 European Games, two days before the opening ceremony of the inaugural event in Baku, Azerbaijan.
It was the only candidate when awarded the event in May, which was due to take place across several cities.
European Olympic Committee (EOC) president Patrick Hickey said the news was "disappointing".
Baku has spent $1.2bn (£700m) preparing for the event, which will see 6,000 athletes competing in 20 sports.
Source-BBC
Argentina and Brazil among favourites in Chile for Copa America 2015
World Cup runners up Argentina start as favourites to win their first Copa America title in 22 years when this year's tournament kicks off in Chile in the early hours of Friday morning.
Argentina were beaten by Germany in last summer's World Cup final and will hope to go one better in the Copa, with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi captaining them.
Barca team-mate Neymar is captain of Brazil but the third member of their attack, Luis Suarez, is suspended and misses out for holders Uruguay.
The tournament begins with hosts Chile facing Ecuador in Santiago on Friday morning, kick-off 00:30 BST.
The three-week tournament sees 12 teams - 10 from south America and two invitees - compete in three groups, with the top two from each and the two best third-placed sides progressing to the knockout games.
The final is held in Santiago on 4 July.
Uruguay beat Paraguay to win the 2011 competition but will badly miss Suarez, who is still suspended from international matches after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during last summer's World Cup finals in Brazil.
Hosts Chile have never won the competition but impressed in Brazil and have in-form Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez in their ranks. Argentina have not won the cup since 1993 but with Messi joined by the recalled Carlos Tevez of Juventus, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain of Napoli they have formidable attacking options.
Brazil appear to have recovered from their thrashing by Germany on home turf last summer and have plenty of familiar faces to a Premier League audience in their squad, with Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho making the breakthrough into the side.
Also hoping to challenge will be Colombia, while a Jamaica squad containing players such as Leicester defender Wes Morgan and Leyton Orient winger Jobi McAnuff can expect a tough time of it in Group B alongside Argentina and Uruguay.
Mexico are fielding a second-string squad as many of their big names - including Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez and former Spurs forward Gio dos Santos - are in their squad for the Gold Cup later this summer, the competition in which countries from north and central America, and the Caribbean compete.
Source-BBC
Swiss police seize IT data from Fifa headquarters
Fifa has handed over computer data to the Swiss authorities investigating the World Cup bids for 2018 and 2022.
The information was seized at the Zurich headquarters of world football's governing body from offices which included that of its president Sepp Blatter, the BBC understands.
Fifa said it had co-operated fully with the authorities.
Swiss police said last month that they were looking into how the forthcoming World Cups were allocated.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also carrying out an investigation into corruption at Fifa. So far 14 people have been indicted, nine of whom are current or former Fifa officials.
IT data from the offices of secretary general Jerome Valcke and the organisation's financial chief Markus Kattner is also believed to have been released to Swiss police.
Fifa reiterated that it had instigated the inquiry and the organisation was, according to the Swiss Attorney General, the "injured party".
The criminal investigation focuses on the mismanagement of funds in relation to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Both countries have denied any wrongdoing.
The bidding process for the 2026 World Cup has been postponed. Mr Valcke said on Wednesday that it was "a nonsense" to begin the process in the current climate.
Mr Blatter has announced he will step down from his role as president, amid the ongoing allegations.
He is expected to be replaced at an election on 16 December.
Former Brazil midfielder Zico announced on Wednesday that he intends to try to stand for the presidency.
Source-BBC
The 2016 BMW 7 Series is the smartest kid in class
BMW’s flagship sedan has upgraded its grey matter.
Faced with the frightfully capable Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a car that all but drives itself (and sometimes does), BMW has nevertheless set new standards for automotive gee-wizardry.
A keyfob contains a smartwatch-style LCD screen that relays all manner of vehicle data. A tablet computer controls wifi-based multimedia functions. Audio volume can be controlled by a finger wag in mid-air.
Of more visceral delights, the top-line 750i accelerates from zero to 62mph (100km/h) in 4.4 seconds.
Vijay Pattni over at Top.Gear.com added:
There are plenty of sensors to tell you about traffic and other cars, and plenty of assistance to make sure you don't join them in a tangled mess.
The seats are new (and massaging, if optioned). There's a panorama glass roof (again, if optioned). There's even the option of a ‘remote control parking' mechanism, whereby you can manoeuvre the 7-er into and out of a tight spot from outside the car, using just the key. Superb, right?
The BMW 7 Series is due in showrooms worldwide by end of 2015. In the US, pricing begins at $81,300.
Source-BBC
New Study: Hackers Possibly Gaining in Cyber Attacks
A study released Wednesday suggests that despite the growing time and resources companies spend on cybersecurity, they’re at best keeping even with the hackers and may in fact be losing ground.
Hackers, the study said, are becoming more skillful and their tools more effective, and the market for their stolen information is flourishing.
The study, conducted by the RAND Corporation, was based on extensive interviews with 18 chief information security officers or CISOs — traditionally the top cybersecurity position in corporate organizations — as well as a review of current cybersecurity products on the market.
The authors of the study, “The Defender’s Dilemma: Charting a Course Toward Cybersecurity,” conclude that worldwide corporate spending on cybersecurity now nears $70 billion annually and is on track to grow at a rate of 10 percent or more each year.
Despite that investment, report authors say, CISOs are relatively pessimistic about their battle against cyberattacks and believe that hackers may in fact gain the upper hand in a matter of a few years.
That last finding was among several that report authors suspected even before the study was conducted. Other initial preconceptions that were confirmed were that larger businesses often had more options for strengthening cybersecurity than smaller ones, and that walling off specific parts of corporate computer systems from the Internet can help guard against attack.
Among the more surprising findings for the report authors was that CISOs often view the greatest damage caused by cyberattacks to be on a corporation’s reputation, rather than the actual stolen data or intellectual property.
“The bedrock of cybersecurity is good system software,” the authors wrote. “Companies often find themselves having to invest in defensive measures because foundational systems and software are unsecure. The security and solidness of the actual software helps to prevent attackers from gaining a foothold on a network.”
The report said that recent high-profile data breaches at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Anthem Insurance and many other private firms have paradoxically strengthened corporations’ cybersecurity posture, because corporate boards are taking the issue much more seriously.
“Core software is improving, and cybersecurity products are burgeoning,” the authors write. “The combination is likely to make the attacker’s task more difficult and more expensive — which will not solve the problem, but will make it more manageable.”
Several recent studies have shown that many companies are more worried about the damage to their reputations from cyber attacks than the actual loss of intellectual property or other valuable information.
A previous study by the Ponemon Institute says the most costly cyber crimes include attacks by malicious insiders and "denial of service" attacks that overwhelm a firm's computer systems. The Ponemon study also says the longer such attacks continue, the more costly they become, with business disruption the largest expense.
Ponemon Institute founder Larry Ponemon said the problem of cyber attacks is huge and getting worse at an “exponential” rate. In a VOA interview, he said such attacks had already put some small and medium-size companies out of business, and that it was “just a matter of time” before a large firm, like Target, is closed by cyber issues.
A separate report Tuesday from the Standard & Poor’s rating agency says global business losses from cyber attacks may run as high as $400 billion per year.
S&P says it evaluates how management handles all risks, including this complex and growing one, as it determines credit ratings. The rating agency says some insurance companies offer protection for financial losses due to cyber attacks, but that the field is so "fluid" and unpredictable that insurers are having difficulty judging how to evaluate risk and price their products.
Ponemon said insurance protection against cyber attacks is getting better but has a “long way to go.”
Source-VOA
Obama to Send Up to 450 Military Advisers to Iraq
President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered 450 additional military advisers to Iraq in a new effort to bolster Iraqi troops as they try to retake Ramadi, the Anbar provincial capital seized last month by Islamic State insurgents.
The White House said the extra troops would not serve in a combat role and would augment the 3,100 trainers the U.S. already has in Iraq to "train, advise and assist" Iraqi forces and Sunni fighters.
But Obama is continuing to rule out sending ground troops back into Iraq after withdrawing them in 2011.
A statement said the president was adding the new advisers at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the recommendation of U.S. defense chiefs.
"These new advisers will work to build the capacity of Iraqi forces, including local tribal fighters, to improve their ability to plan, lead and conduct operations against ISIL in eastern Anbar under the command of the prime minister,'' White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Under the plan, the U.S. would open a new training site at al-Taqaddum, a desert air base that once served as an American military hub, in eastern Anbar province. The move will increase the number of U.S. training sites in Iraq from four to five.
At the Pentagon, spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said the new U.S. forces could begin operations at al-Taqaddum in six to eight weeks. Their objective, he said, will be "to engage with the leadership of Iraqi units at the brigade and higher level and advise and assist them on how to conduct their operations.”
U.S. deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Wednesday that the advisers would give the U.S. greater capacity to strengthen Iraqi forces, while working with Sunni tribal fighters who are essential to coalition efforts to combat the Islamic State group. Most of the trainees would be Sunni tribal volunteers.
Source-VOA
ARRANGEMENTS CONFIRMED FOR QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PARADE
The Turks and Caicos Islands will join sister Commonwealth nations around the world in celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday on Monday, 15 June 2015.
The occasion will focus on the nation’s capital, Grand Turk, where the annual Queen’s Birthday celebrations will take place on the parade ground at 10am.
“The Governor’s Office would like to invite all everyone to come out and enjoy this special event marking the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen,” said James Astwood, Director, TCI Governor’s Office.
The ceremony will include participants from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF), staff from HM Prison, Customs and Immigration officials, Fire fighters, the Ex-Serviceman Legion, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Girls Brigade, Pathfinders and children from the island’s schools. All will be accompanied by the RTCIPF band.
Following the parade, Governor Peter Beckingham will present long service awards to key members of the uniformed services in recognition of their 18, 25 or 30 years of service to the Crown.
The ceremony will last for approximately 60 minutes and it will conclude with a royal salute taken by the Governor.
As is traditional in the TCI, the Governor’s Office will provide refreshments to all those participating in the parade and there will be a reception at his official residence, Waterloo, at 6pm for invited guests.
Local officers to conduct overseas investigation
Four RCIPS officers will be travelling to the Turks and Caicos Islands to conduct an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of an armed robbery suspect on Saturday, 6 June, by a Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) officer. It is alleged that around 12:58am on Saturday RTCIPF officers were responding to an armed robbery of a male, when they were confronted by the gunmen who pointed their guns at them. One suspect was shot and later pronounced dead at a Medical Centre. The second robbery suspect escaped.
Due to the seriousness of the incident, a request for an independent investigation was made by RTCIPF Commissioner, James Smith, to RCIPS Commissioner David Baines over the weekend.
The RCIPS officers – two Sergeants and two Constables will be travelling to the Turks and Caicos Islands as early as this evening, Tuesday, 9 June, to help with investigation of the matter.