Jayne Bryant, Wales’ local government secretary, said Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Newport and Powys will pilot automatic registration between December 2024 and September 2025. She told the Senedd that the Electoral Commission will evaluate the pilots before a wider roll out, with an estimated 400,000 people set to be added to the register in Wales. Ms Bryant suggested UK Government colleagues will be watching closely, with Labour committed to following Wales’ lead to add millions more people to the electoral roll. Responding to the statement about elections on November 19, the Conservatives’ Darren Millar questioned whether automatic registration will lead to an increase in engagement. He said: “I don't actually think it's going to deliver a significant change in the turnout figures.” But Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths supported the “simple” measure, arguing it will make participating in Senedd and council elections more accessible for everyone. He said: “It will ensure that people in Wales, particularly young voters and qualifying foreign citizens, remain on the electoral roll without the risk of unknowingly dropping off. It will also help enfranchise groups that are often under-represented and under-engaged in politics.” Mr Millar also raised alarm about the “shocking” state of town and community councils after a report warned challenges threaten the very foundation of local democracy. Ms Bryant said the Welsh Government would consider any necessary reforms of town and community councils following an ongoing Senedd local government committee inquiry. Turning to principal councils, she said ministers gave local authorities the option to choose between first past the post and the single transferable vote (STV) electoral systems in 2021. Owen Griffiths urged the Welsh Government to introduce a proportional system for council elections by 2032 to bring Wales in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland. Mr Griffiths also raised concerns about voter ID requirements introduced by the previous UK Government, saying: “These requirements, rather than protecting democracy, risked undermining it by creating unnecessary barriers for citizens to engage in politics.” Ms Bryant assured Senedd members that the Welsh Government remains committed to not introducing voter ID for devolved elections.Welling scores 21 as Utah Valley takes down West Georgia 77-74
Nova Leap Health Corp. enters into Term Sheet to amend its Credit Agreement for up to an Additional $7 million to Support Continued GrowthAutomatic voter registration set to get underway in Wales
Justice Minister commends Nikita Hand after McGregor caseBOSTON , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RapDev, a leader in site reliability and DevOps solutions, has earned a spot on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list for the second consecutive year . To be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary technology that contributes to the majority of their operating revenues, have at least $50,000 in base-year revenues and $5 million in current-year revenues, be in business for a minimum of four years, and be headquartered in North America . RapDev achieved an impressive rank of 171. RapDev's recognition highlights its engineering-first approach and proprietary technology that helps customers build, scale, and maintain enterprise software platforms. Patented solutions like CSDM as Code and the newly launched T ag Generator for ServiceNow, are transforming how customers manage CMDB and configuration data in Platform-as-a-Service environments. On the observability front, RapDev is the pre-eminent Datadog partner and has built 45+ integrations with key platforms, including IBM Cloud , Nutani x , and Ansible , to extend and enrich visibility in customer environments. "Innovation, transformation, and disruption of the status quo are at the forefront for this year's Technology Fast 500 list, and there's no better way to celebrate 30 years of program history," said Christie Simons , partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications within Deloitte's Audit & Assurance practice. "This year's winning companies have demonstrated a continuous commitment to growth and remarkable consistency in driving progress. We congratulate all of this year's winners — it's an incredible time for innovation." "Our success is driven by our team's focus on creative engineering, helping our customers realize the value of ServiceNow and Datadog investments," said RapDev Founder Tameem Hourani . "This achievement reflects our team's ongoing commitment to our customers and partners, remaining hyper-focused on raising the bar for talent and gaining momentum as an organization." About RapDev Founded in 2019, RapDev is the go-to partner for Fortune 1000 organizations looking to accelerate and optimize their Datadog and ServiceNow implementations. As a trusted Datadog Premier Partner and ServiceNow Elite Partner, RapDev offers unparalleled expertise in implementation at scale. RapDev expertly guides organizations through their Engineering and DevOps transformations from beginning to end. For more information, visit www.rapdev.io . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rapdev-named-one-of-north-americas-fastest-growing-tech-companies-on-the-2024-deloitte-technology-fast-500-list-302313538.html SOURCE RapDev
A Walk Through The Orchard: Reflections On Faith And Life As I returned to reality, I felt an unexpected sense of tranquillity. All my worries and uneasiness had vanished, replaced by a deep sense of peace. A few weeks ago, I strolled through my in-laws’ dense apple orchard, located just a few kilometres from my residence, my mind burdened with negative thoughts. The apple harvest had already concluded, and the trees were bare of any fruit. My father-in-law had hired a well-known local pruner who was preparing to prune the trees. With a faint glimmer of hope of finding any unharvested red delicacies, I ventured deep into the orchard. As my eyes scanned the branches, I chanced upon a spider meticulously spinning a web from the proteinaceous silk extruding from its spinnerets. The spider was indeed a clever architect, suspending its thin and intricately woven masterpiece between the neighbouring branches of two nearby trees. While the spider may have woven its creation to snare its prey, create a resting place for its young, or shelter itself from predators, for me, the web served a different purpose. As I watched the eight-limbed arthropod weaving its intricate trap, transfixed and mesmerized by its artistry, I felt as though I was transported across centuries to a different era. I found myself standing a few kilometres from the holy city of Makkah, in front of a cave named after the mountain—Ghaar-e-Soor. The cave resonated with amazingly beautiful voices that moved my inner soul and captivated my heart. I drew closer to the cave and strained my ears to listen. Who possessed such unparalleled beauty in their voice? What message did they convey? These questions intrigued me. As I listened intently, the words became clearer: “Oh Prophet of Allah! If some of them lower their sight, they will see us.” “Silence, Abu Bakr! What do you think of those with whom the third is Allah?” Ah, it was our Beloved Prophet, the Mohsin-e-Insaniyat, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad Rasoolullah (SAW), and his close companion, the leader of the truthful, Sideeq-e-Akbar, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA). I had found the answer to my first question, but new questions arose. What were they doing in the cave? Who were they hiding from? I was eager to knock on the mouth of the cave, enter, kiss their feet and ask my questions. But my inner self stopped me. It resonated with several thoughts: Was I worthy of standing in front of the most noble fugitives? Did I qualify, even in the slightest, to call myself a true Ummati of the Beloved Prophet? What if he (SAW) pointed out my wrongdoings? As I reflected on my deeds, I found them riddled with dark spots. The feeling of shame reduced me to a deeply humble and contrite state. Overwhelmed with reverence, I lacked the courage to face my Beloved Prophet (SAW). Silently, I retreated, but not before casting one last look at the abode of the most loved and noble fugitives in history. I beheld the mouth of the cave, covered by a spider web, with the proud spider lying beside it like a triumphant soldier after a hard-fought battle. Perplexed and moved by the experience, I wandered from place to place, city to city, and land to land, seeking answers. Luckily, my journey brought me to Baghdad, the city of Iraq, where I met one of the most venerated intellectual figures in Islamic history, Imam Ahmad (May Allah be pleased with him). After exchanging greetings, I shared my experience and pleaded for answers. Imam Ahmad listened to me patiently, offered me a glass of water, and then handed me a book, politely asking me to read the hadith pertaining to the Prophet’s (SAW) overnight stay at Ghaar-e-Soor. In that particular hadith, Imam Ahmad narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA): One night in Makkah, the Quraysh gathered to plot against Prophet Muhammad (SAW) due to his rising popularity and the daily influx of new followers into Islam. Some suggested imprisoning him, others advocated for his execution or exile. However, Allah informed the Prophet (SAW) of their devilish plans. That night, on the Prophet’s (SAW) instructions, Hazrat Ali (RA) slept in his bed while the Prophet (SAW), accompanied by his sincerest companion, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), set out southwards. They climbed the lofty peak of Jabl-e-Soor and took refuge in a cave. The next morning, the disbelievers attacked Hazrat Ali (RA), mistaking him for the Prophet (SAW). Upon realising their error, they launched an intense search for the Prophet, scouring the mountain and passing by the cave. But seeing a spider’s web covering the cave’s entrance, they assumed no one had entered and abandoned their search. The Prophet (SAW) and his companion remained safe in the cave for three nights—a divine miracle indeed. I closed the book, satisfied with the answers I had sought. Now it was time to reflect on the episode of Ghaar-e-Soor. It taught me valuable lessons, such as having unwavering faith in Allah, no matter the circumstances. Allah says in the Quran, “Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” It also reminded me of the virtue of patience, as Allah promises, “Innallaha ma’as sabireen”—”Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.” Furthermore, it reinforced the importance of seeking guidance, help, and protection from Allah alone. Regarding the Prophet’s (SAW) safe escape, Allah says in the Quran (36:9): “And We have put a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up so that they cannot see.” Just as Allah protected His Prophet (SAW) and his companion from the Quraysh by ordering a spider to weave a web, He is there for all of us. With firm belief in Him, we can overcome the most challenging situations in life. He will guide us and provide solutions. Suddenly, a chilly breeze swept through the orchard, rustling the leaves and shaking the branches. A nearby branch brushed against my shoulder, pulling me back to the present. As I returned to reality, I felt an unexpected sense of tranquillity. All my worries and uneasiness had vanished, replaced by a deep sense of peace. I took a moment to express my gratitude to Allah for the countless blessings He had bestowed upon me. With a heart full of joy and appreciation, I made my way back home. The writer is a teacher Bashir Ahmad Dar [email protected]Anxiety about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high on list of American's concerns Limiting your news consumption may help ease stress and anxiety More than before, Americans surveyed say they'll make mental health resolutions for 2025 FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Should you cut back on doom scrolling in 2025? Worries about money, gun violence and hate crimes ranked high among many people's lists of worries at the end of 2024, according to a poll that is part of American Psychiatric Association (APA) The survey included 2200 U.S. adults. Reducing news consumption may be beneficial for your , experts say. "If current events seem overwhelming it may be time to limit your news consumption,” , medical director of the APA, said. “While we like to stay informed, the news can also impact our mental health, and being mindful of that impact is important," Wells said in a news release. According to the APA's research, American adults have remained most anxious about the economy and gun violence throughout 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, more than 1/3 of Americans surveyed (33%) say they will make mental health-related New Year’s resolutions, which is a 5% increase from last year. In fact, the increase is the highest result the APA has collected since it began asking the question in 2021. As usual, many people report that they will pledge to be more physically active in 2025; other resolutions focus on participating in mentally healthy activities. Spend more time in nature (46%) Meditation (44%) Focus on spirituality (37%) Take a social media break (30%) Journaling (29%) “A new year brings with it new opportunities but also renewed concerns about the very important issues that impact our lives,” Wills said, adding that “any time of the year, mental health matters. Staying mindful of how we’re doing while taking active steps to care for ourselves is a terrific resolution.” has more on stress and anxiety management. SOURCE: American Psychiatric Association (APA), news release, Dec. 13, 2024; APA, press release, Dec. 18, 2024 If you make resolutions, consider starting or re-starting a practice that will nurture your mental health, such as meditating or taking a break from social media.
Browns restructure QB Deshaun Watson's contract to create cap space, flexibility, AP source says
Durga On Location: Head-To-Head Fight With Paani Bai, Durga Bring 'Prasad' For AnuragDid you know with a Digital Subscription to Belfast News Letter, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Industry bodies say it’s too early to tell how sales are going, and that it’ll be next month before full details are known. But anecdotal evidence suggests that far fewer people are heading out to scoop a bargain immediately after Christmas. Advertisement Advertisement Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, suggests that could be down to what he calls ‘promotions fatigue’ – that people are so gorged on pre-Christmas deals and offers like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they don’t come out in force for Boxing Day. “That, plus the fact that the bulk of sales are online now,” he says. "It’s estimated that last year, 63% of sales were online. When you take that into account, it’s very easy to see why footfall would be down.” Asked if he believes this could be a marker of a cultural shift that’s seeing traditional British Boxing Day deals edged out in favour of the likes of Black Friday, an American import largely brought in by massive international internet-based retailers, Mr Roberts agrees. Advertisement Advertisement "Yes,” he says. “But from a retailer’s point of view, joining in with that is understandable – they’ve bought a lot of stock in specifically for Christmas, so they want to make sure it sells in advance of the day.” One shop manager in the Belfast area, who asked to remain nameless, said she’s seen a noticeable fall in Boxing Day customers over the past few years. "There has been a decline,” she said. “Obviously Covid was a hit, but after that the cost of living crisis had people prioritising paying their winter food and energy bills, and I think many would still be in that situation. "It’s difficult for a bricks and mortar store to compete with the prices and convenience of the internet, and many of the big retailers on there have huge sales before Christmas and not so much on Boxing Day. It seems to be a trend, people follow where they go.” Advertisement Advertisement Data gathered across the UK on Boxing Day indicated the number of people heading out to sales was down almost 5% compared to last year. Many preferred to browse sales online, it’s suggested, and several major retailers such as Next, John Lewis, and Marks and Spencer deciding to stay shut until December 27. Mr Roberts reinforced that the actual amount of money spent on Boxing Day isn’t known yet, stating: “It’s not footfall that counts, it’s sales, and we won’t know that detail for quite a while.” But, he added, online retail continues to have a massive effect on the ability of High Street stores to survive, to the point that he believes government intervention may be necessary. Advertisement Advertisement “Online retailers have a number of advantages over bricks and mortar stores,” he said. “For example, they don’t pay rates in the same way as a High Street store does. "I think there may need to be some legislation to correct that and help small businesses thrive. All I want to see is a level playing field; currently, we don’t have one.”
UNIVERSITY PARK — As No. 4 Penn State went through warmups at Beaver Stadium ahead of Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale vs. Maryland, No. 2 Ohio State and Michigan were locked in a low-scoring duel with significant implications. A loss by the Buckeyes coupled with a Nittany Lions win would propel Penn State into the Big Ten championship game Dec. 7 vs. No. 1 Oregon. The Nittany Lions got the help they needed from Michigan, which upset Ohio State, and Penn State took things from there, overcoming a sluggish start to dispatch Maryland, 44-7, on senior day while punching a ticket to the league title game for the first time since 2016. Only 11 seconds into the game, Penn State (11-1, 8-1) was down 7-0, but the Nittany Lions scored 44 unanswered points. Drew Allar finished the day 17 of 26 for 171 yards and two total touchdowns, and Tyler Warren became the Big Ten’s single-season record holder for catches by a tight end (76) in addition to Penn State’s all-time leader in touchdowns by a tight end (17). Warren caught six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, rushing three times for an additional 32 yards. Penn State amassed 412 yards of total offense and held Maryland to 194. Nick Singleton fumbled on Penn State’s first play of the game, with Maryland recovering at the 25-yard line before MJ Morris threw a touchdown pass to Kaden Prather on the Terrapins’ opening play. Penn State answered with a 49-yard field goal by Ryan Barker, making the score 7-3 with 12 minutes, 47 seconds left in the first quarter. Neither Penn State nor Maryland (4-8, 1-8) was productive for a large chunk of the opening quarter. However, the Nittany Lions eventually got their wheels turning, embarking on a 13-play, 60-yard touchdown drive, which Singleton capped with a short run from the 2-yard line to give his team a 10-7 lead with 12:53 left before halftime. Though Penn State’s offense didn’t shower itself in glory early, the defense came up with several big plays, including three first-quarter sacks and two picks in the first half. A few minutes after Singleton’s touchdown run, Penn State stuffed a Maryland fourth-and-1 try from the Terrapins’ 30-yard line. On Penn State’s ensuing drive, Allar scored on a keeper at the goal line, giving the Nittany Lions a 17-7 lead at the 10:11 mark. A wacky play on Penn State’s next possession set up a short Beau Pribula rushing touchdown, making the score 24-7. Faking a handoff to Singleton in the backfield, Allar lost the football, with Maryland’s defense swarming the backfield. But Allar shook off the pressure and, as he was being dragged down, managed to toss the football to Warren, who turned the broken play into a 29-yard gain, with Singleton adding another 18 on the ground to get the Nittany Lions to the goal line. Pribula did the rest as Penn State went up by 17 with 6:53 remaining in the first half. Audavion Collins intercepted Morris on the Terrapins’ next drive, leading to a 7-yard scoring pass to Warren and a 31-7 advantage. The Terrapins got themselves in good position to put some points on the board at the end of the half, but Tony Rojas intercepted Morris at Penn State’s 9-yard line. Maryland made a change at quarterback in the third quarter, inserting Champ Long, but it did not lead to improved offense. Following a scoreless third, Singleton put Penn State up 38-7 with an 18-yard touchdown run 46 seconds into the fourth. Singleton led the Nittany Lions backfield with 13 carries for 87 yards and two scores. Penn State pulled Allar from the game in the fourth quarter, and the Pribula-led offense penetrated as far as Maryland’s 12-yard line before being stopped on fourth down with 3:42 to play. With Morris back in the game late, Penn State picked him off for the third time. Dejuan Lane returned it 54 yards deep into Terrapins territory. Pribula hit Tyseer Denmark for a 15-yard score as time expired in the blowout.
Kane Crichlow scored twice in Chelmsford City’s 3-1 win at home to Slough Town in the Vanarama National League South today [November 30]. The Bermuda striker, who came on as a substitute at half-time, made an instant impact, scoring in the 66th minute before adding his second two minutes later. Chelmsford are fifteenth in the table. : ,Flatbush Man Sentenced to 20 Years to Life For Fatal Stabbing of Teen in Prospect Park South
Do You Know Him? Police Release Video of Hockessin Porch Pirate
Intel ( INTC -3.30% ) stock lost ground in Tuesday's trading. The company's share price closed out the daily session down 3.3%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq Composite index ended the day up 0.5% and 0.6%, respectively. Intel stock fell today after it was revealed that the company had only received $7.9 billion in direct funding through the CHIPS Act. Previously, the company had been on track to receive an $8.5 billion grant. Intel's CHIPS Act grant comes up a bit short Intel stock gained ground yesterday after it was announced that its federal funding dispersals through the CHIPS Act had been finalized. But with an announcement that it published today, the semiconductor company revealed that it had only received $7.9 billion in funding through the legislation -- short of the $8.5 billion in direct funding that had previously been outlined. The chip giant had also been on track to receive up to $11 billion in additional loans through the CHIPS Act, and it remains to be seen what happens with that funding. What's next for Intel? In response to the news, Citi published a new research note on Intel stock. The firm noted that it believed that performance issues at the company and delayed construction for its semiconductor fabrication plant had led to the funding shortfall. While Citi's analysts believe that Intel is poised to match Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in fabrication in the second half of next year, they're not bullish on the company's ability to turn the fab business into a profitable performance driver. Citi maintained a neutral rating on the stock and a one-year price target of $22 per share, suggesting downside of 8.5% based on today's closing price. Federal funding should help Intel continue to build up its fab business, and it's possible that the company will receive additional government support in the coming years even with the change in the presidential administration and congressional makeup. If Intel is able to scale its third-party fabrication business and attract high-end chip-design customers, its stock could soar above current levels. But the company still has a lot of proving to do on that front.