Willy Adames agrees to $182 million, 7-year deal with the Giants, AP source says Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year deal with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move. The 29-year-old Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers. Georgia QB Carson Beck knocked out by hand injury in SEC championship game against Texas ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will not return after he was hit on his throwing hand on the final play of an ugly first half in the Southeastern Conference championship game against Texas. Beck was hit by outside linebacker Trey Moore, forcing a fumble recovered by Anthony Hill Jr., who then lost the ball on an errant attempt to extend the play with a lateral as time expired. Beck was one of the last players to return to the field following halftime. Backup Gunner Stockton led the offense to a touchdown on the Bulldogs’ first drive of the second half. Arizona State makes College Football Playoff with 45-19 win over Iowa State in Big 12 title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Big 12 newcomer Arizona State will represent the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Cam Skattebo ran for 170 yards and two scores while adding a touchdown catch the 12th-ranked Sun Devils beat No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game. The Sun Devils with 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham are 11-2 after being the preseason pick to finish at the bottom of their new 16-team league. They have won six games in a row. Iowa State is 10-3, already the first 10-win season in the program's 133-year history. LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win their record 6th MLS Cup championship CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed a lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league’s biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of the founding MLS franchise’s first Cup championship. No. 16 Iowa State falls short in Big 12 title game again, this time with CFP at stake ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. No. 16 Iowa State was playing for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in a 45-19 loss to 12th-ranked Arizona State. Four years ago, neither Iowa State nor Oklahoma had a realistic path into the four-team tournament before the Sooners' 27-21 victory. The Cyclones haven't won a conference title since going 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1912. Big 12's Yormark brings up hard choices for fans before sparsely attended title game ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — College football fans are facing some hard choices in the expanded playoff system with some teams set to play away from home multiple times. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark raised that point No. 12 Arizona State's 45-19 victory over 16th-ranked Iowa State. The announced crowd of 55,889 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys appeared far smaller. Yormark says he remains committed to having a Big 12 title game. Besides the issues of fans, there have been suggestions that some leagues might be better off without title games as it relates to playoff hopes. Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn finished in the middle of the pack in a pair of lower-level downhill events as she competed for the first time in nearly six years. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail after stepping away from the sport because of injuries. Vonn wasn't concerned with times and places in the races so much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races she had enough points to enter World Cup events. Justin Thomas with big drives and a few big putts takes 1-shot lead over Scheffler in the Bahamas NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Justin Thomas has a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Thomas is using a slightly longer driver and has been blasting away. He also was helped by two long putts on the back nine that carried him to 66 at windy Albany Golf Club. Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole that cost him the lead and he never caught up. He still shot a 69 and will be in the last group with Thomas on Sunday. Tom Kim had a 62 and was two shots back. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy gets restructured deal after 3-9 season, according to reports Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy will be staying on with a restructured deal. That's according to news reports published on Saturday. The deal reportedly will shift some of his salary to revenue sharing with players. The Cowboys were among the preseason favorites in the Big 12, but a rash of injuries and problems at quarterback tanked the team, and the Cowboys went 3-9. The school's Board of Regents held a special meeting on Friday morning regarding his status, but no immediate action was taken. The fact that Gundy has 169 wins in 20 years plus a hefty buyout likely saved him from being fired outright. Norris takes pole for season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and Hamilton 18th in Mercedes farewell ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Lando Norris took pole position for the last Formula 1 race of the season alongside teammate Oscar Piastri to put McLaren on the verge of a first constructors’ title in 26 years. Norris’ last lap put him .209 of a second faster than Piastri, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. .020 further back. Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton qualified 18th for his last race with Mercedes after a bizarre incident wrecked his final qualifying lap. A plastic pole marking the inside of a corner was knocked loose by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Hamilton drove over it.Ajyal fest a ‘beacon of hope’, says Saleh Bakri
Early footfall data gathered by MRI Software indicated that footfall on UK high streets is down 6.2% on 2023 while shopping centres saw a 4.2% fall in visitors. The slump has been attributed to several factors such as cautious spending in the wake of the cost of living crisis, online shopping and Black Friday sales being not that long ago. READ MORE: WATCH: Barrow BID releases 'Live Aid' video featuring local businesses READ MORE: Shop Barrow Day 2024 hailed as 'best trading day of the year' READ MORE: Furness Coastguard appeal after vessel drifting in Walney Channel Boxing Day sales can also be tricky for smaller or independent businesses which usually run on tighter margins. Even many major retailers such as Next, M&S and John Lewis chose not to open the majority of their stores this year to give staff a break over the festive period. This is the case for many of Barrow's smaller shops that run on smaller numbers of staff. Jenny Stitches Fabrics shop on Dalton closed on Saturday, December 21and opened briefly on Saturday December 28 for anyone needing bits. The store will fully re-open Thursday, January 2. Marshal Lea Bridal Studio on Cavendish Street is also enjoying a well-deserved rest and will re-open on January 3. Footwear and Fascinators at Portland Walk opened briefly after Christmas however had to close due its owner coming down with a nasty bout of the flu. Owners Shelagh Morrall and John Hambler outside their shop Crafty Hobbies (Image: Crafty Hobbies) A store that closed on Boxing Day but chose to re-open on Friday, December 27 was Crafty Hobbies on Cavendish Street. Co-owner Shelagh Morrall said: "We don't really have a Boxing Day sale as such. We tend to reduce stock as and when needed throughout the year. "Since we re-opened it's been quite busy which is great - particularly on Saturday as we had people from all over come in - one man from as far as Birmingham - so it's nice to know people are coming in from outside to shop in Barrow. "We sold a number of vouchers before Christmas too so we'll be expecting an influx of those soon." Also enjoying a brisk trade was Expressions gifts, clothes and piercing shop. Expressions shop on Portland Walk in Barrow (Image: Newsquest) A spokesperson said: "We have plenty of reduced items in our sale at the moment with 20 - 25% off clothing and 50% off other bits. "It's gone very well after Christmas, especially in terms of piercings. We've seen more people over the past few days who have had Christmas money to spend and have been eager to get something pierced." The Lazy Days Home Furnishings store when it first opened on Dalton Road (Image: Lazy Days Home Furnishings) Lazy Day Home Furnishings has enjoyed its new location in the old Sports Direct unit on Dalton Road for just on a year now. The store is currently closed until January 4 when it will hold its own 'Genuine January Sale', however it has been enjoying a traditional Boxing Day sale online. Owner Rebecca Hill said: "We have £1m worth of stock to clear at cost and even less than cost prices in our January sale - until then we are only running a Boxing Day sale online until New Year's Day where customers can get 25% off. "In terms of our online Boxing Day Sale, sofas have been really busy so far and everything else has kept going steady."Missed kicks. Poor tackling. Costly penalties. Week 12 was filled with sloppy play around the NFL, leading to some upsets and surprising outcomes. Jayden Daniels nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback down 10 in the final two minutes against Dallas only to fall short because Austin Seibert's extra point sailed wide left. After a field goal and successful onside kick, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Commanders within one point with 21 seconds remaining. But Seibert's point-after attempt failed and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown to seal a 34-26 victory. Special teams were atrocious for both teams. Seibert also missed his first extra point and Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys missed a field goal, had another blocked and had a punt blocked. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals, just a number of things going to that spot," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Washington (7-5) was a 10 1/2-point favorite over the undermanned Cowboys (4-7) but ended up losing a third straight game. The Houston Texans were 8-point favorites against the lowly Tennessee Titans and let the game come down to Ka'imi Fairbairn missing a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it with just under two minutes left. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and the Texans (7-5) committed 11 penalties, including an illegal shift that negated a go-ahead 33-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the drive that ended with Fairbairn's miss in the 32-27 loss. The Titans (3-8) averaged just 17 points per game before putting 32 on the scoreboard against Houston's defense that entered No. 4 in the league. "We didn't do anything well enough to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives. Too many negative plays. Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board." The San Francisco 49ers didn't have quarterback Brock Purdy, star edge rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams against Green Bay. That was no excuse for their undisciplined performance. The Niners committed nine penalties and their tackling was shoddy in a 38-10 loss to the Packers. The defending NFC champions are 5-6 with a trip to Buffalo (9-2) coming up. They're still only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. "I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys were missing. We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But, when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. When you have those penalties and we didn't stop the run like we did and we had those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed." Coming off their first loss of the season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes' heroics on the final drive to beat Carolina 30-27. Mahomes ran 33 yards to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas City had 10 penalties, including a pass interference that gave the Panthers (3-8) another chance to make the 2-point conversion that tied the game with 1:46 remaining. On defense, the Chiefs (10-1) suddenly shaky unit gave up 334 total yards against Bryce Young and an offense that entered last in the NFL. "We've got to do better. We're doing good in the red zone but that's only a third of the field," Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. "We will go back and look at the film to see what we're doing week to week, and see the tendencies that we're giving up, and just move forward from there. At the end of the day, we're all vets in the room for the most part. ... got to go back to the drawing board and see what we're doing and correct it from there." The Vikings allowed the Bears to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left and Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal. But Minnesota won in overtime, 30-27. The Chiefs and Vikings overcame their mistakes in narrow victories. The Commanders, Texans and 49ers couldn't. They have to be better down the stretch to make a playoff run.I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here has kicked off for the 2024 season and already the show is in for a shake-up. Irish TV personality Maura Higgins has now joined the camp, which includes the likes of Coleen Rooney and Alan Halsall, as a late entrant. The 33-year-old rose to fame following her appearance on Love Island in 2019 where she finished in fourth place with then-boyfriend Curtis Pritchard. She has since transferred into the presenting space with shows such as This Morning and currently fronts the Love Island USA Aftersun show. Maura, who was a model before her rise to fame, has been through many high-profile romances from fellow islanders Curtis and also Chris Taylor to Strictly star Giovanni Pernice. She was also friends with fellow islanders Molly-Mae Hague and Lucie Donlan though she reportedly fell out with the later in 2023. Island romances, cheating rumours, and Giovanni Maura reportedly dated fellow campmate Barry McGuigan’s son Shane before jetting off to the Love Island villa. Her dating life has been the centre of intense media attention since the show where she started dating dancer Curtis. They dated for several months before splitting in March 2020. Cheating allegations were made on both sides with Curtis taking aim at her on his Channel 4 comedy show Stand Up and Deliver. She also dated another Love Island 2019 contestant and close friend Chris Taylor with Maura confirming their relationship in November 2020 before they separated in May 2021 in what was said to be a painful break-up for the pair. The Irish reality TV star has also dated Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice who was embroiled in controversy recently with internal investigations into his alleged conduct on the show. Recently it has been rumoured Maura is dating current Strictly contestant Pete Wicks with the couple reportedly spotted sharing a kiss. However she insists they are just friends. Celebrity friends and fallout with Lucie Donlan Maura made close friendships in and out of the villa with Molly-Mae and Lucie. Molly-Mae and Maura’s friendship has blossomed since leaving the villa having been in a love triangle with boxer and co-star Tommy Fury on Love Island. Maura showed her support for Molly-Mae in August, after her split with Tommy, commenting on her Instagram post announcement saying: “LOVE and ADORE YOU”. Maura’s relationship with Lucie did not have the same success as the two, who were very close friends, reportedly had a high-profile fallout in 2023. Maura unfollowed Lucie on Instagram in autumn 2022. An insider later told The Sun that “Lucie and Maura just drifted apart”. What is she up to now? Maura is currently a presenter on Love Island USA’s Aftersun show after her role as social host for Love Island USA and Love Island games. She has also recently taken her first steps into film with her role on comedy flick the The Spin where she played a character named Rose. Speaking to Digital Spy about her role she said: "Being on set was an incredible experience and I enjoyed every moment of it." Now she's set to head into the Australian jungle. She described being selected for the cast of I’m a Celebrity as a real “pinch-me moment," she told ITV . “I am ready to step outside my comfort zone. I hope I do make myself proud and I am both excited but also very nervous."
Died: December 29th, 2024 The death at 100 of the US’s 39th and longest living president , James Earl Carter, a peanut farmer and Baptist preacher, sees the passing of a remarkable Southerner who infused his politics with a rare down-to-earth moralism, sincerity and honesty. A refreshing outsider to Washington politics, he surprised all by sweeping aside the capital’s old post-Watergate elite to leave a legacy that pointed in new directions even if it never quite achieved his promise. “He decided to use power righteously,” biographer Kai Bird would write, “ignore politics, and do the right thing. He was, in fact, a fan of the establishment’s favourite Protestant theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, who wrote, ‘It is the sad duty of politics to establish justice in a sinful world’.” Although he had notable successes in office from 1977 to 1981, not least the Camp David Accord between Egypt and Israel, he would be the first incumbent president since Herbert Hoover in 1932 to lose a re-election bid. Ronald Reagan used the economic challenges and oil crisis faced by his administration, and the disastrously bungled attempted Iran hostage rescue, to successfully portray Carter as a weak and ineffectual leader. In some ways Carter was a paradox. Although an opponent of segregation in a segregationist state, he played the race card to get elected to governorship in 1971, then announcing that “the time of racial discrimination is over”. From then on, however, he was an unwavering champion of civil rights, and his presidential bid attracted some 85 per cent support from the black community. Born on October 1st, 1924, in tiny Plains, Georgia, to Bessie Lillian Gordy and James Earl Carter snr, a shopkeeper and investor in farmland, the young Carter would successfully develop a peanut farm as an offshoot of the family business. His father was a descendant of English immigrant Thomas Carter, who settled in the Colony of Virginia in 1635. Carter enrolled in the US Naval Academy in 1946 and while there met and married Rosalynn Smith, a friend of his sister’s. He served in nuclear submarines, and was drafted in to assist in the dismantling of the Chalk River nuclear reactor in Canada following a partial meltdown. His experience, he would later say, shaped his views on atomic energy and led him to end development of the neutron bomb. The early death of his father saw his return to the family business and a gradual immersion in the Democratic politics of Georgia. Although opposed to segregation – as a member of the Baptist Church he spoke openly against racism and attempts to segregate worship – he tempered his approach when he ran for office, even courting the arch-segregationist Wallace vote. Still an outsider in national politics, he surprised observers by winning the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination and narrowly defeating incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford. As the campaign developed in the wake of the still-fresh reverberations of the Watergate scandal, Carter, now with running mate senator Walter Mondale, tirelessly travelled the country projecting himself as an outsider with an easy common touch, not averse to populist slogans. He won the popular vote by 50.1 per cent to 48.0 per cent. Within two days of assuming the presidency he took the controversial step of pardoning all Vietnam War draft evaders. Carter was actively engaged on the world stage, from day one, hoping above all to broker peace in the Middle East. He invited Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin to the presidential lodge Camp David in September 1978 with the negotiations resulting in an end to the state of war between the two countries, Egypt formally recognising Israel for the first time, and the creation of an elected government in the West Bank and Gaza. [ Leo Varadkar could learn something from Jimmy Carter about how to retire Opens in new window ] He oversaw the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, and signed the landmark Salt II treaty on ballistic arms reductions with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. (Although the latter was signed in 1979 in Vienna, the US Senate refused to ratify it in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.) Following that invasion, Carter allowed the sale of military supplies to China and started talks about sharing military intelligence. He began a programme of what would become hugely controversial covert assistance to the Afghan mujahideen, some of them precursors to today’s Taliban. He sought closer relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), continuing the rapprochement engaged in by Richard Nixon. The end of his presidency was blighted by the Iran hostage crisis. Misbriefed by the CIA about the stability of the Shah’s regime, Carter pledged in 1977 that his administration would continue with positive relations between the US and Iran, calling the latter “strong, stable and progressive”. After the surprise revolution installed an Islamist regime in November 1979, a group of Iranian students took over the US embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for the next 444 days. An airborne mission to free them failed, leaving eight American servicemen dead and two aircraft destroyed. The hostages were freed immediately after Ronald Reagan succeeded Carter as president – leading figures in the Reagan campaign are reported to have signalled to the Iranians not to release the hostages until Carter was defeated, as Reagan would give them a better deal. Breaking with traditional US unwillingness to step out of line from its closest ally, the UK, Carter in 1977 agreed to issue a declaration on Ireland calling for the establishment in Northern Ireland of a government which would command widespread acceptance and for an overall solution which would involve the support of the Irish government. The US would facilitate any such agreement with assistance in creating jobs, he said. “The precedent created by Carter has facilitated the enormous involvement in Ireland of his successors,” Ireland’s then-ambassador to the US, Sean Donlon, has written. It was an engagement and pledge that would be honoured by Reagan in his talks with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, and in the establishment of the International Fund for Ireland. The latter has seen close to $1 billion invested in Irish projects since then. In 1979, Carter invited taoiseach Jack Lynch on an official visit to the US and paid a private visit to Ireland in 1995, fishing in Kilkenny and indulging his woodworking skills by helping to build a house in Ballyfermot for Habitat for Humanity, an NGO he worked closely with. Domestically, Carter had an uneasy relationship with both his own party and Republicans in Congress. His tenure in office was marked by an economic malaise, a time of continuing inflation and recession, and the 1979 energy crisis. His administration established the department of energy and the department of education. He also created a national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. He installed solar water heating panels on the White House and wore sweaters to offset turning down the heat. He deregulated the airline industry, paving the way for middle-class Americans to fly for the first time in large numbers, and deregulated natural gas, laying the groundwork for the country’s current energy independence. He forced through the Alaska Land Act, tripling the size of the nation’s protected wilderness areas. The battle for renomination loomed. Carter had to run against his own stagflation-ridden economy, while the hostage crisis in Iran dominated the news every week. He alienated liberal college students, who were expected to be his base, by reinstating registration for the military draft. [ ‘He’s an inspiration’: tributes pour in after Jimmy Carter enters hospice care Opens in new window ] Though initially trailing Carter by several points, Reagan saw a surge in polling after the TV debate, in which he practised the patronising put-down – “there you go again” – that became his election mantra. Carter’s defeat was a landslide. After leaving the White House, he became an activist former president, ploughing a largely solitary but effective furrow. In the view of many it is his retirement that will be seen as his singular legacy. In 1982, he established the Carter Center to promote and expand human rights. Its work would earn him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. In July 2007, he joined Nelson Mandela to announce his participation with former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, among others, in The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work on peace and human rights issues. He travelled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, monitor elections and further the eradication of infectious diseases. He played a key role in the NGO Habitat for Humanity, and wrote books and memoirs, often sharply critical of US policy, not least over the Iraq War. In a work on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict he controversially labelled the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians “apartheid”. Though he praised Barack Obama in the early part of his tenure, Carter attacked the use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists and the decision to keep Guantánamo Bay detention camp open. His blunt critiques of his Democrat successors meant they would all keep him at arm’s length until Joe Biden latterly re-engaged with him enthusiastically. To the end he worked tirelessly. Biographer Bird, who insists that Carter “remains the most misunderstood president of the last century”, described one recent meeting: “He was in his early 90s yet was still rising with the dawn and getting to work early. I once saw him conduct a meeting at 7am at the Carter Center where he spent 40 minutes pacing back and forth onstage, explaining the details of his programme to wipe out Guinea worm disease. He was relentless. Later that day he gave me, his biographer, exactly 50 minutes to talk about his White House years. Those bright blue eyes bore into me with an alarming intensity. But he was clearly more interested in the Guinea worms. “Carter devoted his life to solving problems,” Bird says, “like an engineer, by paying attention to the minutiae of a complicated world. He once told me that he hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm. Last year there were only 13 cases of Guinea worm disease in humans. He may have succeeded.” Rosalynn Carter died in November 2023 and Jimmy Carter emerged from hospice care to mourn her. They had three sons, Jack, Chip and Jeff; one daughter, Amy; nine grandsons (one of whom is deceased), three granddaughters, five great-grandsons, and eight great-granddaughters.PEMBROKE, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Hamilton Re, the Bermuda-based insurance and reinsurance underwriting platform of Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE: HG) (“Hamilton” or “the Company”), today announced its expansion into Credit, Bond and Political Risk Reinsurance with the appointment of Sergio Lottimore to the role of Vice President, Credit, Bond and Political Risk Reinsurance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125313447/en/ Sergio Lottimore, Vice President, Credit, Bond and Political Risk Reinsurance, Hamilton Re. (Photo: Business Wire) Based in Bermuda, Lottimore will report to Peter Riihiluoma, Senior Vice President and Head of Specialty Reinsurance at Hamilton Re. Hamilton Re offers a wide breadth of reinsurance solutions across multiple Property, Casualty and Specialty lines of business to meet the demands of its clients worldwide. The new Credit, Bond and Political Risk Reinsurance offerings will be incorporated within the Specialty Reinsurance portfolio, and further expands our offerings to clients. “Our expansion into Credit, Bond and Political Risk Reinsurance marks a significant milestone for Hamilton Re in its commitment to building a globally diversified reinsurance offering,” said Hamilton Re CEO Megan Graves. “This exciting development is bolstered by Hamilton’s AM Best financial strength rating upgrade to “A” (excellent) announced earlier this year. “I’m delighted to welcome Sergio to Hamilton. He brings dedicated expertise and experience in Mortgage, Trade Credit, Surety, Political Risks and Structured Credit lines to our already strong Specialty Reinsurance team.” Lottimore has 18 years of specialty and financial lines market experience. He joins Hamilton from Validus Re where he was Vice President, Credit Lines Underwriter for three years. Prior to that, he spent 15 years in roles of continuous progression at MS Amlin. About Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. Hamilton is a Bermuda-headquartered specialty insurance and reinsurance company that underwrites risks on a global basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Its three underwriting platforms: Hamilton Global Specialty, Hamilton Select and Hamilton Re, each with dedicated and experienced leadership, provide access to diversified and profitable business around the world. For more about our company, visit www.hamiltongroup.com or find us on LinkedIn at Hamilton View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125313447/en/ CONTACT: Media contact Kelly Corday Ferris kelly.ferris@hamiltongroup.comInvestor contacts Jon Levenson and Darian Niforatos investor.relations@hamiltongroup.com KEYWORD: CARIBBEAN UNITED STATES BERMUDA NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INSURANCE FINANCE SOURCE: Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 04:15 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 04:16 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125313447/enWASHINGTON (AP) — In the two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidency, he's tried to demonstrate his dominance by naming loyalists for top administration positions, even though many lack expertise and some face sexual misconduct accusations. It often seems like he's daring Congress to oppose his decisions. But on Thursday, Trump's attempt to act with impunity showed a crack as Matt Gaetz , his choice for attorney general, withdrew from consideration. Trump had named Gaetz, a Florida congressman, to be the country's top law enforcement official even though he was widely disliked by his colleagues, has little legal experience and was accused of having sex with an underage girl, an allegation he denied. After being plagued by investigations during his first presidency, Trump wanted a devoted ally in charge of the Justice Department during his second. However, it was never obvious that Gaetz could win enough support from lawmakers to get confirmed as attorney general. Trump chose for a replacement Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who defended him during his first impeachment trial and supported his false claims of voter fraud. Now the question is whether Gaetz was uniquely unpalatable, or if Trump's other picks might exceed his party's willingness to overlook concerns that would have sunk nominees in a prior political era. The next test will likely be Pete Hegseth, who Trump wants to lead the Pentagon despite an allegation of sexual assault that he's denied. So far, Republicans are rallying around Hegseth , an Army veteran and former Fox News host. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the controversy over Gaetz would have little bearing on Trump’s other choices. He said they would be considered “one at a time.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, suggested otherwise, claiming “the dominoes are falling.” “The drip drip of evidence and truth is going to eventually doom some others,” he said. Trump's election victory was a sign that there may not be many red lines left in American politics. He won the presidential race despite authoritarian, racist and misogynist rhetoric, not to mention years of lies about election fraud and his role in sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was also criminally convicted of falsifying business records to pay hush money, and he was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case. Empowered by voters who looked past his misconduct and saw him as a powerful agent of change, Trump has shown no deference to Washington norms while working to fill his second administration . The transition team hasn't pursued federal background checks for Trump's personnel choices. While some of his selections have extensive experience in the areas they've been chosen to lead, others are personal friends and Fox News personalities who have impressed and flattered Trump over the years. Several have faced allegations involving sexual misconduct . Hegseth is facing the most scrutiny after Gaetz. Once Trump announced Hegseth as his nominee for Pentagon chief, allegations emerged that he sexually assaulted a woman in California in 2017. The woman said he took her phone, blocked the door to the hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a police report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing, the report said. However, he paid the woman a confidential settlement in 2023. Hegseth's lawyer said the payment was made to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. Trump’s choice for secretary of health and human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has faced allegations of misconduct too. A woman who babysat for him and his second wife told Vanity Fair magazine that Kennedy groped her in the late 1990s, when she was 23. Kennedy did not deny the allegation and texted an apology to the woman after the article was published. That isn't the only hurdle for Kennedy; he's spent years spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines, raising fears about making him a top health official in the new administration. Linda McMahon, chosen by Trump to be education secretary, is fighting a lawsuit connected to her former company, World Wrestling Entertainment. She’s accused of knowingly enabling sexual exploitation of children by an employee as early as the 1980s, and she denies the allegations. Tulsi Gabbard is another person who could face a difficult confirmation battle, but for very different reasons. The former Democratic representative from Hawaii has been a vocal Trump ally, and he chose her to be national intelligence director. But there's grave concern by lawmakers and national security officials over Gabbard’s history of echoing Russian propaganda. Critics said she would endanger relationships with U.S. allies. Gaetz was investigated by federal law enforcement for sex trafficking, but the case was closed without charges and Republicans have blocked the release of a related report from the House Ethics Committee. However, some allegations leaked out, including that Gaetz paid women for sex. One of the women testified to the committee that she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl, according to a lawyer for the woman. As Gaetz met with senators this week, it became clear that he would face stubborn resistance from lawmakers who were concerned about his behavior and believed he was unqualified to run the Justice Department. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction,” Gaetz wrote on social media when announcing his withdrawal. Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, said he believed there were four to six members of the caucus who would have voted against Gaetz, likely dooming his nomination, and “the math got too hard.” He said some of the issues and allegations around Gaetz were “maybe beyond the pale." “I think there were just too many things, it was like a leaky dike, and you know, it broke," Braun said. Trump thanked Gaetz in a post on Truth Social, his social media website, without addressing the substance of the allegations against him. “He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect,” Trump wrote. Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Stephen Groves and Lisa Macaro contributed from Washington. Jill Colvin in New York and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also contributed.
Making spiking a specific offence is about making sure the law is up to date to deal with it as a crime, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones has said. Labour plans to make spiking a specific offence and has laid out plans for venue staff to be trained in relation to spiking, with a pilot to begin within weeks before a wider rollout next year. Ms Davies-Jones, asked about why it was worthwhile to make spiking a new offence when it is already illegal, said: “Spiking is a crime already. “A lot of people don’t realise that it is a crime already, which is part of the problem.” She said there were around 6,000 reports of spiking last year but that because it is an underreported crime, it is not clear how big of a problem it is. 'Legislation won't fix this on its own...this is about a culture shift' challenges Minister for Victims on the govt plan to change the spiking law even though it is already a criminal offence. 📺 Sky 501 — Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (@SkyPoliticsHub) “Part of the problem we’ve got is around the data collection, so you don’t know if you’ve been spiked with a drink, a needle, a vape, for example,” she told Politics Hub on Sky News. Modernising the offence and giving police the tools to get accurate data allows a clearer picture of where, how and how often spiking is happening, she said. It is about “clarifying it, modernising it, making sure that people know exactly what this is...the law isn’t quite, it isn’t up to date. “It isn’t modern enough.” Sir Keir Starmer earlier said he hopes the change will give people “the confidence to come forward”, in a meeting of police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street. Spiking will be made a criminal offence. My government was elected to take back our streets, central to this mission is making sure women and girls can feel safe at night. Perpetrators of spiking will feel the full force of the law. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) Ms Davies-Jones and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were among the attendees at the round-table discussion on Monday morning. Labour pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime, though it promised to ensure an improved police response to cases. According to information published by the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are currently covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Sir Keir told the meeting: “There are a number of measures that we are setting out this morning – we want to talk it through with you. “The first is to make spiking a specific offence so that it counts, it’s reported.” He said that such a measure would mean that it “enables everybody to have the confidence to come forward” and also “it allows perpetrators to know that it’s a specific offence”. Detailing the training scheme, he went on: “We’re beginning the piloting of training for staff in venues.” He said the scheme would be “partly to spot what’s happening, but also to know what to do in the event that there is an incident in a venue”. “That will start in December with a pilot then it will be rolled out from March of next year,” Sir Keir added. He also said that the “final” point of discussion for the morning was “police indexing – (the) way that we count it across different police forces”. Sir Keir added: “At the moment it’s quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers.” Plain clothes officers are being deployed in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour. The text-to-report number, 61016, that allows women to contact British Transport Police to report harassment on the train, is due to be relaunched. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims. “That’s why today we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and to crack down on perpetrators, by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide. “People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out. “These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever these appalling crimes take place.”Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothesText-recognition election audit verifies voting machine count in Georgia
Tigo Energy stock hits 52-week low at $0.85 amid market challenges
PPP decries 'unilateral decisions'New insolvency framework to be creditor-led: IBBI chairman Ravi MitalExperts fear new jab may not be able to fight pre-Christmas flu outbreak By ANDY BEAVEN Published: 23:33 GMT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 23:54 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments The flu vaccine given to millions may be much less effective than expected as a pre-Christmas outbreak sweeps Britain, experts warn. The NHS reported an unusually early start to the flu season last week with the number of people in hospital with the dangerous virus four time higher than this time last year. This is despite the fact that more than 15 million eligible Britons have had the latest flu vaccine since September - an above average uptake for the jab which reduces the risk of infection and serious symptoms. Now, experts are warning that the vaccine - which is updated every year to protect against the latest form of flu - may provide inadequate protection against the version of the virus spreading in the UK. The vaccine rolled out in Britain is modelled on the jab used in southern hemisphere countries like Australia and New Zealand which had their winter flu season six months ago. This is because the same form of flu which affected those countries usually reaches the UK in the winter months. But data suggests that, this year, the vaccine was around 30 per cent less effective than normal in those countries. In parts of Australia, the Government was forced to implement emergency measures to boost the number of nurses, hospital beds and medical clinics after the worst flu outbreak in seven years saw thousands hospitalised. The flu vaccine given to millions may be much less effective than expected as a pre-Christmas outbreak sweeps Britain Data suggests that, this year, the vaccine was around 30 per cent less effective than normal in those countries (Stock Image) Experts have warned that an ineffective flu vaccine - known as a mismatch - could trigger an NHS crisis, with routine procedures like hip replacements and eye surgery cancelled and lengthy delays for ambulances and A&E admission. In 2017, a mismatched flu vaccine was responsible for 50,000 extra deaths in the UK, according to the Office of National Statistics. ‘Looking at the numbers of people being hospitalised, it’s clear the kick-off rate is much steeper this year,’ says Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College, London. Read More Should YOU have a flu jab? Read our ultimate guide to whether it's worth it ‘A well-matched flu vaccine should provide around 60 to 70 per cent protection from hospitalisation. ‘But data suggests the southern hemisphere vaccine which ours is modelled on was only 40 per cent effective – which is quite low. ‘It’s possible we have a vaccine that is badly matched to the virus strains that are circulating.’ Flu, or influenza, is responsible for around 40,000 hospitalisations and more than 10,000 deaths in the UK every year. The symptoms typically include fever, sore throat, muscle aches and a cough. People over the age of 65, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions are all more at-risk of life-threatening symptoms. Every year, these groups, along with NHS staff and carers, are offered a vaccine. The jab does not provide complete protection against the virus, but reduces the risk of dangerous symptoms and infection. Last week, NHS chiefs warned of a potential ‘quad-demic’ with rising cases of flu, Covid, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the stomach bug norovirus. Around 95 per cent of hospital beds in England were occupied each day last week, the highest figure on record for this time of year. People over the age of 65, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions are all more at-risk of life-threatening symptoms (Stock Image) Around 95 per cent of hospital beds in England were occupied each day last week, the highest figure on record for this time of year Experts say it is too soon to consider implementing Covid-style social restrictions like face masks or social distancing. However, they say there are steps people can take to reducing the risk of infection. ‘If you are showing symptoms of flu or Covid-19 such as a high temperature, cough, and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable,’ says Dr Alexander Allen, consultant epidemiologist, at the UK Health Security Agency ‘Washing your hands regularly and using tissues can also help to reduce the spread of illness.’ Experts also say that, even if the vaccine is less protective than usual, it is still the most effective measure of reducing serious illness. ‘It’s better to receive a vaccine that is well matched to the strain you encounter,’ says Prof Ward. ‘But even if the vaccine is not a good match, it still offers protection against more severe disease.’ NHS London New Zealand Share or comment on this article: Experts fear new jab may not be able to fight pre-Christmas flu outbreak e-mail Add comment
Jetliner skids off runway and bursts into flames in South KoreaALBANY – The leaders of three state government watchdog organizations are asking State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to conduct a “top-to-bottom” audit of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. to assess the public benefit corporation's benefit to the public. State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “We have grave concerns about Western OTB and appreciate your office helping to restore public trust in this historically troubled unit of government,” stated the letter to DiNapoli signed by Common Cause New York Executive Director Susan Lerner, Reinvent Albany Executive Director John Kaehny and Erica Smitka, the executive director of Women Voters of New York State. WROTB, which oversees OTB betting sites and the Batavia Downs racing and casino resort, has brought more than $240 million to 15 counties – including Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Orleans, Wyoming and Genesee, as well as the cities of Buffalo and Rochester – since its start in 1973. It also has brought controversy in the form of decades-long allegations of patronage, inefficiency and poor management. On Oct. 16, former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, the city’s longest-serving mayor, began his job as WROTB’s new president and CEO at a salary of $295,000. The WROTB board approved corporate restructuring last week, and some of the hirings didn’t sit well with Erie County’s appointee to the WROTB board, Timothy Callan, or with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. The ex-mayor's former first deputy mayor, Steven Casey, is now second-in-command at WROTB at $190,000 annually; former Brown mayoral spokesperson, Michael DeGeorge, is making $130,000 as communications director, a new position; and Bernadette Taylor, the ex-mayor's office manager at City Hall, is making $80,000 annually as WROTB's executive business administrator. In 2021, DiNapoli's office announced the results of two audits of WROTB: One of the fiscal examinations determined that the authority spent at least $121,000 on tickets for the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans, concerts, food and alcohol for WROTB board members and other employees without state-required oversight. A second audit found WROTB’s then-president and CEO, Henry Wojtaszek, did not reimburse the organization $3,484 for his personal use of an official vehicle in a timely manner. Byron Brown attends the Off-Track Betting Corp.’s board of directors meeting at Batavia Downs on Oct. 24. Brown resigned as mayor of Buffalo and began working as CEO and president of WROTB on Oct. 16. At the time, DiNapoli said WROTB "needs to clean up its operations." In their Nov. 22 letter to DiNapoli, the trio of good-government advocates asked the comptroller to provide answers to basic questions about WROTB, such as the breakdown of public funding from horse racing streams as opposed to slot machine-like Video Lottery Terminals and casino gaming. "We are asking your office to take a top-to-bottom look at Western OTB that answers fundamental questions about the public benefit provided by Western OTB, the board’s fulfillment of its fiduciary duty and independence from partisan political considerations that directly affect hiring, procurement, and spending decisions," the letter said. "We draw your attention to a steady stream of news stories about government officials exploiting Western OTB – a public authority – to benefit themselves, family members, and political confidantes," the letter stated. "We hope you share our concern about the golden parachutes for departing executives, nepotistic hiring, and an outsize salary for the incoming CEO." State Sen. Sean M. Ryan and Assemblywoman Monica Wallace, in letters to the State Inspector General's Office and the State Attorney General's Office, say that compensation for three WROTB officials violates Section 2854 of the Public Authorities Law, which prohibits golden parachutes. Jennifer Freeman, a spokesperson for DiNapoli, said: "We received the request and are reviewing it." A spokesperson for WROTB could not be reached. In September, Sen. Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, and Assembly Member Monica Wallace, D-Lancaster, asked for Attorney General Letitia James and Inspector General Lucy Lang to review $508,000 in buyouts given to Wojtaszek, ex-WROTB Chief Financial Officer Jacquelyne Leach and William White, ex-vice president of administration. The lawmakers argued that it violated state law limiting severance for at-will employees of state public authorities to no more than three months of pay. Ryan has since announced that he will run in 2025 for Buffalo mayor . Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Albany Bureau Chief {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Hurricane Helene wrought devastation on the Cartner's Christmas Tree Farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina , where the Cartner family has been growing trees for more than six decades. The storm, which killed more than 100 people when it reached western North Carolina in late September, destroyed thousands of trees — but not all of them. First lady Jill Biden on Monday unveiled one of the surviving trees, a 20-foot Fraser fir, as this year's White House Christmas tree. "The Cartner family lost thousands of trees in the storm, but this one remained staining," the first lady said Monday, accompanied by grandson Beau Biden, Jr. "And they named it Treemendous for the extraordinary hope that it represents." Members of the North Carolina National Guard who worked on hurricane recovery efforts were welcomed to the White House Monday, along with their families. The Fraser fir will be displayed in the White House's Blue Room, where hundreds of holiday visitors to the White House will have a chance to see it during Mr. Biden's final holiday season in office. It was a multi-holiday event day at the White House, where only hours earlier, President Biden pardoned turkeys Peach and Blossom in an annual Thanksgiving tradition. Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.What to know about a Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled to Eastern Europe
(UCAN) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and rights activists have called on Sri Lankan lawmakers to act more responsibly in parliament and not replicate deplorable behavior as seen in the past. The call for better parliamentary proceedings followed the recent inaugural session of Sri Lanka’s parliament following a snap election on Nov 14. Previous parliaments have often been criticized for the unruly behavior of lawmakers, according to observers. “Discipline in parliament was weak in the past,” the 77-year-old cardinal who heads Colombo archdiocese told reporters during a meeting with House speaker Ashoka Ranwala at the Archbishop’s House on Nov. 27. It is the duty of the speaker to bring decorum back to the House, Cardinal Ranjith added. Ranwala was elected speaker shortly after the recent polls to elect the 225-member House. During the inaugural session of the new parliament on Nov. 21, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed the need for restoring the dignity of the House and listed it as a top priority of his new government. The once revered institution has become an “object of public distrust, hostility, and contempt,” the president said. Many lawmakers in the previous parliament were accused of unruly behavior, including using offensive language and fighting during their term that started in 2020. In 2023, seven lawmakers, including then-state minister for tourism, Diana Gamage, were suspended for disciplinary issues. Rushi Almeida, who organized street protests against former lawmakers, said many politicians, including opposition MPs, behaved in a disgraceful manner to pass laws to “further their hidden agendas.” “This is why people rejected many of them” in the polls, said Almeida. At least 100 lawmakers in the previous parliament failed to win seats this time round. “They [lawmakers] behaved like kindergarten kids,” Almeida, a university student from Colombo, told UCA News. Sukumal Antony, a political analyst and a university lecturer in social science, said incompetent individuals should not be selected to represent people in parliament. Antony said debates in parliament have been reduced to unproductive arguments, eroding public trust. “Many of the former lawmakers lacked education,” Antony observed. To rebuild trust, parliamentary debates “should be more focused and constructive,” he suggested.Article content A 29-year-old Windsor man faces charges after the sexual abuse of a 3-year-old child was livestreamed on social media. Officers with the Windsor Police Service internet child exploitation (ICE) unit began an investigation Friday after receiving a tip from the Toronto Police Service that a Windsor man had made and shared a child sexual abuse video on a popular social media platform. Police said investigators quickly traced the video to a local residence and identified the suspect. “Within two hours of receiving the initial report, members of the ICE and target base units located and arrested the man near downtown,” police said in a news release. “ The 3-year-old child involved in the abuse video was also identified.” The suspect, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, has been charged with sexual assault, sexual interference with a person under 16 years of age, making child pornography, possession of child pornography, transmitting child pornography, and accessing child pornography. Anyone with information about possible child sexual exploitation is urged to immediately contact the ICE unit at 519-255-6700, ext. 4896. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at http:// catchcrooks.com . mholmeshill@postmedia.com
Hong Kong becoming a hub for financial misconduct, US warns
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Tyrese Hunter scored 17 of his 26 points after halftime to lead Memphis to a 99-97 overtime win against two-time defending national champion and second-ranked UConn on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational . Hunter shot 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Tigers (5-0), who were 12 of 22 from beyond at the arc as a team. PJ Haggerty had 22 points and five assists, Colby Rogers had 19 points and Dain Dainja scored 14. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Climate Change, Environment, Civil Service, Information, Public Enterprises and Veteran Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka will officially open the Top Executive Conference 2024 at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa on Denarau in Nadi this morning. The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation’s (FCEF) premium business conference is being attended by 400-plus delegates representing a wide range of sectors. FCEF president Vinay Narsey said this year’s theme – ‘Collaborative Action for Sustainable Growth: Delivering On Our 2030 Commitment – underscored their obligation as Fiji’s leading employer organisation and to address local and global business concerns. “It presents an invaluable opportunity for us to learn from real-world experiences and insights on relevant and timely issues,” Mr Narsey said. This year’s conference features 10 sessions with 23 speakers. That will include three distinguished international presenters: Mark McCrindle – social researcher, best-selling author and TEDx speaker; Sadhana Mohan – Private Sector Coordination Specialist Asia and Pacific, Connecting Business Initiative (CBI); and Alex Teh – CEO of multi-vendor powerhouse Chillisoft in Auckland, New Zealand. Day one will feature sessions on the next generation leadership, steering through economic challenges and seizing opportunities, powering progress in sustainable leadership, and leveraging human capital in labour markets and the private sector.LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Tyrese Hunter scored 17 of his 26 points after halftime to lead Memphis to a 99-97 overtime win against two-time defending national champion and second-ranked UConn on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational . Hunter shot 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Tigers (5-0), who were 12 of 22 from beyond at the arc as a team. PJ Haggerty had 22 points and five assists, Colby Rogers had 19 points and Dain Dainja scored 14. Tarris Reed Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Huskies (4-1). Alex Karaban had 19 points and six assists, and Jaylin Stewart scored 16. Memphis led by as many as 13 with about four minutes left in regulation, but UConn chipped away and eventually tied it on Solo Ball’s 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining. Memphis: The Tigers ranked second nationally in field goal percentage going into the game and shot it at a 54.7% clip. UConn: The Huskies saw their string of 17 consecutive wins dating back to February come to an end. The teams were tied at 92 with less than a minute remaining in overtime when UConn coach Dan Hurley was assessed a technical foul for his displeasure with an over-the-back call against Liam McNeeley. PJ Carter hit four straight free throws — two for the tech and the other pair for the personal foul — to give Memphis a 96-92 lead with 40.3 seconds to play. UConn had three players foul out. Memphis attempted 40 free throws and made 29 of them. Memphis will play the winner of Colorado-Michigan State on Tuesday in the second round of the invitational. UConn will play the loser of that game in the consolation bracket. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball .