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The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate range missile based on it’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions , as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ′′They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war , Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Lawless and Emma Burrows in London, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukrainebig fish casino real money 。

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Lewandowski joins Ronaldo and Messi in the Champions League century club with goal No. 100The 55th GST Council meeting, held under the leadership of the country's finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, came to an end on Saturday, December 21. The minister, along with her associates, is expected to hold a press conference at 18:00 IST. Insurance Tax Cut Deferred Some of the key aspects that have emerged from the meeting are decisions or lack of some much-discussed issues. When we look at the marquee issues that have been, the following have been learnt. Decisions on the most talked-about issues of insurance premiums (health and life), that is, lowering the GST rate on insurance premiums, have been deferred due to a lack of consensus among the GST council members. Let us know! 👂 What type of content would you like to see from us this year? Currently, a GST of 18 per cent is levied on entire life insurance and health insurance. States Oppose ATF Rate In this regard, a Group of Ministers or GoM is expected to meet on insurance premiums in January 2025. Up next, the issues of lowering tax on food delivery have been deferred due to a lack of consensus in the panel. Here again, the current GST rate on food delivery stands at 18 per cent. Let us know! 👂 What type of content would you like to see from us this year? Another major issue that has been deferred is the issue of bringing ATF, or Aviation Turbine Fuel under the ambit of the GST regime. This issue was also deferred as the states, that are a part of the council opposed the move. GST On Used Cars Some other aspects that have emerged in the meeting include a possible 18 per cent GST on the sale of used cars. Let us know! 👂 What type of content would you like to see from us this year? GST On Popcorn It is also being understood that the GoM report on rate tax Rationalisation has not being submitted. In addition, clarification on the GST levied on popcorn was also issued. A 5 per cent GST will levied on ready-to-eat popcorn, a further 12 per cent for pre-packaged, and an 18 per cent GST will added to caramel popcorn. Namkeens or savouries are currently taxed at 12 per cent, meanwhile, confectionary items are charged at 18 per cent.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he was focusing on outlining his election pitch to help people with disabilities instead of dwelling on his encounter with a care worker in Cork. Mr Harris spoke to Charlotte Fallon, a disability worker with St Joseph’s Foundation, after a clip of an exchange between them on Friday went viral. RTE footage posted to the social media site X shows Mr Harris on a canvass in Kanturk when Ms Fallon tells the Taoiseach carers “were ignored” and the Government has “done nothing for us”. Mr Harris responds by saying: “No, not at all”, and “that’s not true”, several times before shaking her hand. When asked whether he thought the clip would overshadow the Fine Gael campaign, Mr Harris said people would vote for the best plan on offer. “I hope people like to see humility in politics and if you get something wrong, you come out and you own it,” he said. “I’m human, I make mistakes,” Simon Harris said. “But you know what I do when I make a mistake? I own it. “There’s been far too many occasions during general elections in this country and abroad where something goes wrong on the campaign trail and people dilly dally and debate for days. “You know what? I put my hands up. “I got it completely wrong. I was wrong, simple as. Spoke to Charlotte. “But much more importantly to me now, in my engagement with Charlotte and my engagement with people right across this country, it’s what I’m going to do for people with disabilities.” Asked about the encounter, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that Ms Fallon had spoken “truth to power”. “The unfortunate thing is, in this case, power didn’t want to hear the truth, and that’s hugely, hugely problematic. “You hear all sorts of things out on the campaign trail, and I think a wise leader, a person who would wish to be taoiseach, listens and accepts that when somebody is telling you that your policies are hurting, hurting them, hurting the people that they represent and work for – you should hear that lesson. “If you’re not hearing that lesson, you’re not going to change your approach and in that meeting that happened in Kanturk, I think people just got a glimpse of actually what it would mean for Fine Gael to be back in government with Fianna Fail, because that’s their approach. “They don’t listen, they don’t respond, and they seem to think, astonishingly, that people ought to be grateful for their efforts, rather than hearing, reflecting and changing.”ESSENTIAL LINKS Preseason Top 20 Can’t-miss games Player of the Year watch list FEATURED COVERAGE Saturday, Dec. 21 Brick City Showcase George (PA) (1-1) vs. University (0-2) at Weequahic, 10am East New York Family Academy (NY) vs. Morris Catholic (2-0) at Weequahic, 1pm Dr. Gerald E. Glisson Classic Hackensack (1-0) at Paterson Eastside (1-0), 12:30pm Blue Devil Holiday Tournament at Shore Regional Monmouth (1-1) vs. Manalapan (1-1), 10am Long Branch (1-0) vs. Shore (1-0), 11:45am Freehold Borough (1-0) vs. Sayreville (0-1) at Shore, 1:30pm Jackson Liberty (0-1) vs. Neptune (1-1), 3:15pm Ocean Township (0-2) vs. Raritan (1-1), 5pm Ocean City PBA Tipoff Wildwood Catholic (2-0) vs. Atlantic Tech (2-0), 1:45pm Egg Harbor (2-0) vs. Cinnaminson (2-0), 3:30pm Score at the Shore at Southern Mainland (1-1) at Southern (1-1), 10am Woodbury (1-2) vs. Trinity Hall (1-1), 11:45am Westampton Tech (1-0) vs. Pingry (2-0), 1:30pm Shore Games Ramapo (1-0) vs. Cherokee (0-1) at The Fort, 10am Germantown Academy (PA) vs. Ranney (0-3) at The Fort, 11:40am Gill St. Bernard's (2-1) vs. Virginia Academy (VA) (0-1) at St. John Vianney, 12:20pm Life Center vs. St. Laurent (Canada) at Sportika, 12:40pm Ewing (1-1) vs. Chatham (3-0) at The Fort, 1:20pm Lenape (2-0) vs. Montclair Immaculate (2-0) at St. John Vianney, 2pm Archbishop Molloy (NY) vs. Rutgers Prep (3-0) at St. John Vianney, 3:40pm Brooklyn Tech (NY) vs. Bishop Eustace (2-0) at Red Bank Catholic, 3:50pm Union City (1-1) vs. Holmdel (1-0) at The Fort, 4:40pm Franklin (1-1) vs. St. Mary's (Lancaster) (NY) at St. John Vianney, 5:20pm Archbishop Carroll (PA) vs. Thrive Charter (2-0) at Red Bank Catholic, 5:20pm Saddle River Day (1-0) vs. Rumson-Fair Haven (1-1) at Sportika, 5:40pm Penn Charter (PA) (1-0) vs. Pope John (1-0) at The Fort, 6:20pm Neumann Goretti (PA) vs. Manasquan (2-0) at St. John Vianney, 8:40pm Toys For Tots Showcase Belvidere (1-1) at Hackettstown (1-1), 2pm Regular Season Florence (1-0) at Princeton Day (1-1), 10am Paterson Kennedy at Wayne Hills (0-1), 11am DePaul (1-0) at Demarest (1-0), 11am Wayne Valley (0-1) at Clifton (0-1), 11:30am Passaic Valley (0-1) at Fort Lee (0-1), 12pm Dwight-Morrow (1-0) at Tenafly (1-0), 12pm Bergenfield (1-0) at Cliffside Park (0-1), 12pm Mahwah (0-1) at Lakeland (1-0), 12pm Passaic Tech (1-0) at Ridgewood, 1pm Indian Hills (0-1) at Dumont (0-1), 1pm Westwood (0-1) at West Milford (1-0), 1pm Ramsey (0-1) at Paramus Catholic (1-0), 1pm Pascack Valley (1-0) at River Dell (1-0), 1pm Fair Lawn (0-1) at Holy Angels (1-1), 1pm Ridgefield Park (1-0) at Pascack Hills (0-1), 4:15pm Paramus (1-0) at Old Tappan (1-0), 4:15pm Cumberland (1-2) at Bridgeton (1-0), 11:30am Haddonfield (1-1) at Our Lady of Mercy (0-2), 1pm Atlantic Tech (2-0) at Wildwood Catholic (2-0), 1:45pm Camden Tech (0-3) vs. Gloucester (2-0) at Gloucester City HS, 11:30am Haddon Township (2-0) at West Deptford (1-1), 11:30am Haddonfield (1-1) at Our Lady of Mercy (0-2), 1pm Robbinsville (1-1) at Matawan (1-1), 9am Florence (1-0) at Princeton Day (1-1), 10am Nottingham (0-3) at New Egypt (1-0), 10am Hamilton West (0-2) at Trenton (1-1), 11:30am Colts Neck (1-0) at West Windsor-Plainsboro North (1-1), 11:30am South Hunterdon (2-0) at Steinert (2-1), 11:30am Allentown (2-0) at Marlboro (0-1), 11:30am Middletown North (0-2) at Hightstown (2-1), 11:30am Immaculata (1-1) at Hopewell Valley (1-2), 1pm Colonia (0-1) at Monroe (0-1), 11am Edison (2-1) at South Plainfield (1-0), 11:30am Spotswood (1-1) at J.P. Stevens (0-1), 11:30am South Brunswick at East Brunswick (0-1), 11:30am Woodbridge (0-1) at Middlesex (0-1), 11:30am Old Bridge (0-1) at Piscataway (1-0), 11:30am Perth Amboy (0-1) at North Brunswick (1-0), 11:30am South River at Manville, 12pm New Brunswick (0-2) at South Amboy (1-1), 12pm St. Thomas Aquinas (2-1) at North Plainfield (1-1), 1pm Freehold Borough (1-0) vs. Sayreville (0-1) at Shore, 1:30pm North Bergen (2-0) at Hoboken (0-1), 10am St. Dominic (0-2) at Bayonne (2-0), 12pm Memorial (0-1) at Lincoln (0-2), 12pm Newark Global Studies (1-0) at McNair (3-0), 1pm Roxbury (1-0) at Hopatcong (0-2), 9:30am Morristown (1-1) at Sparta (1-1), 10am Morris Knolls (2-0) at Caldwell (2-0), 10:30am Morris Hills (1-1) at Jefferson (2-0), 11:30am Mount Olive (0-2) at Whippany Park (0-2), 11:30am Vernon (1-1) at Newton (2-0), 11:30am Mountain Lakes (2-0) at St. Elizabeth (1-1), 11:30am Madison (1-0) at Hillsborough (3-0), 11:30am Parsippany (1-1) at Pequannock (0-2), 12pm Mendham (2-1) at Morris Tech (1-2), 12pm American Christian (0-1) at High Point (1-1), 12:30pm West Morris (1-1) at Randolph (1-1), 1pm Montville (0-2) at West Essex (1-1), 1pm Hanover Park (2-0) at Parsippany Hills (0-1), 2:30pm Bernards (2-0) at Morristown-Beard (0-2), 4pm Saddle Brook (0-2) at Paterson Charter (1-1), 10am Ridgefield (0-2) at Palisades Park (0-2), 10am Midland Park (2-0) at Waldwick (2-0), 10am Cresskill (2-0) at Emerson Boro (2-0), 10am Hasbrouck Heights (0-2) at Becton (0-2), 10am Glen Rock (2-0) at Butler (2-0), 10am Leonia (0-2) at Bogota (0-2), 10am North Arlington (2-0) at Harrison (1-0), 10am Wood-Ridge (0-2) at Wallington (0-2), 10:30am Weehawken (2-0) at Secaucus (2-0), 11am Rutherford (2-0) at Lyndhurst (2-0), 11am Glassboro (0-1) at Cherry Hill West (2-0), 10am Camden Catholic (2-0) at Cherry Hill East (1-1), 11am Hunterdon Central (0-2) at Shawnee (1-0), 11:30am Nutley (1-1) at Mount St. Dominic (0-1), 10am East Orange (0-1) at Livingston (2-0), 10:30am Morris Knolls (2-0) at Caldwell (2-0), 10:30am Cedar Grove (0-2) at Millburn (1-1), 10:30am Montclair (2-1) at Newark Tech (1-1), 11am Weequahic (1-2) at Bard (2-0), 11:30am North Star Academy (0-2) at Newark Lab (0-2), 11:30am Belleville (1-1) at Technology (0-2), 1pm Glen Ridge (2-1) at Payne Tech (2-0), 1pm Bloomfield (2-0) at Montclair Kimberley (1-0), 1pm Irvington (1-2) at Golda Och (1-1), 1pm Montville (0-2) at West Essex (1-1), 1pm Robbinsville (1-1) at Matawan (1-1), 9am Nottingham (0-3) at New Egypt (1-0), 10am Brick Memorial (0-2) at Toms River North (1-0), 10am Donovan Catholic (0-1) at Freehold Township (0-1), 10am Colts Neck (1-0) at West Windsor-Plainsboro North (1-1), 11:30am Allentown (2-0) at Marlboro (0-1), 11:30am Middletown North (0-2) at Hightstown (2-1), 11:30am Toms River South (1-0) at Point Pleasant Boro, 11:45am Keyport (0-1) at Koinonia (0-2), 12:30pm Freehold Borough (1-0) vs. Sayreville (0-1) at Shore, 1:30pm Delaware Valley (2-0) at Ridge (0-2), 11:30am Hunterdon Central (0-2) at Shawnee (1-0), 11:30am South Hunterdon (2-0) at Steinert (2-1), 11:30am Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1) at Gov. Livingston (1-0), 11:30am Madison (1-0) at Hillsborough (3-0), 11:30am South River vs. Manville at Manville High School, 12pm Phillipsburg (0-2) at North Hunterdon (0-2), 12pm Linden (1-2) at Mount St. Mary (1-1), 1pm Somerville (1-1) at Central Jersey College Charter (0-1), 1pm Immaculata (1-1) at Hopewell Valley (1-2), 1pm Bernards (2-0) at Morristown-Beard (0-2), 4pm Glassboro (0-1) at Cherry Hill West (2-0), 10am Cumberland (1-2) at Bridgeton (1-0), 11:30am Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 1:30pm Rahway (1-0) at Brearley (0-1), 10am Oak Knoll (2-0) at Dayton, 10am Roselle at Union Catholic (0-1), 10:30am Roselle Catholic (1-0) at Elizabeth (0-1), 11am Hillside (0-1) at Union (0-1), 11:30am Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1) at Gov. Livingston (1-0), 11:30am Westfield (1-0) at Plainfield (2-2), 12pm Linden (1-2) at Mount St. Mary (1-1), 1pm Scotch Plains-Fanwood (0-1) at New Providence (1-0), 1pm Summit (0-1) at Johnson (0-1), 2:30pm Camden Tech (0-3) vs. Gloucester (2-0) at Gloucester City HS, 11:30am American Christian (0-1) at High Point (1-1), 12:30pm Keyport (0-1) at Koinonia (0-2), 12:30pm Gateway Academy at Koinonia (0-2), 12:30pm Newark Global Studies (1-0) at McNair (3-0), 1pm Somerville (1-1) at Central Jersey College Charter (0-1), 1pm Sunday, Dec. 22 Boardwalk Classic at Wildwood Convention Center Kingsway (1-0) vs. Cape May Tech (2-0), 12:30pm Timber Creek vs. Williamstown (1-1), 2:15pm Lower Moreland (PA) at Wildwood (1-0), 3:45pm Brick City Showcase at Weequahic George (PA) (1-1) vs. Plainfield (2-2), 10am St. Frances (MD) vs. Morris Catholic (2-0), 10:30am In-Season Tournament West Orange (2-0) at Old Tappan (1-0), 1:30pm Ocean City PBA Tipoff Red Bank Regional (2-0) vs. Atlantic City (0-2), 12pm Hammonton (1-1) vs. Absegami (1-1), 1:45pm Holy Spirit (1-1) at Ocean City (2-0), 5:15pm Shore Games Hudson Catholic (1-1) vs. Life Center at St. John Vianney, 9am Immaculate Heart (1-0) vs. Scranton Prep (Pa.) (1-0) at St. John Vianney, 12:20pm South Shore (NY) at Red Bank Catholic (1-0), 12:30pm Union City (1-1) vs. Teaneck (1-0) at St. John Vianney, 2pm Cheltenham (PA) vs. Paterson Eastside (1-0) at The Fort, 2pm St. Rose (1-0) at St. John Vianney (3-0), 3:40pm Grand Street Campus (NY) vs. Franklin (1-1) at The Fort, 3:40pm Bayonne (2-0) vs. Nazareth (NY) at Red Bank Catholic, 3:50pm Regular Season Mahwah (0-1) vs. Paterson Kennedy at Paramus Catholic, 5:30pm Ramapo (1-0) at Mount St. Mary (1-1), 5:30pm Park Ridge (2-0) at Paramus Catholic (1-0), 7:30pm Park Ridge (2-0) at Paramus Catholic (1-0), 7:30pm Red Bank Regional (2-0) vs. Atlantic City (0-2) at Ocean City, 12pm Ramapo (1-0) vs. Mount St. Mary (1-1) at Paramus Catholic, 3:30pm

Chhatarpur: Land Dispute Turns Violent As 2 Families Hit Each Other With Sticks, Pull Hair; Over Dozen Injured (Watch Video)Directors of this ASX 200 stock just sold $65 million of shares

For Hoosiers looking to get outside the day after Thanksgiving, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will offer free admission on Nov. 29 to all Indiana State Park properties that normally charge a gate fee. In addition to the 24 state parks, participating properties also include Raccoon Lake at Lieber State Recreation area. “Visit any of our properties on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and you’ll score the best Black Friday deal around – free admission to explore the beautiful scenery and the chance to get away from it all, relax and recharge,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. Opt Outside Day participants can be entered in drawings for 2025 DNR annual entrance passes, Outdoor Indiana magazine subscriptions, Indiana DNR camping and inn gift cards and opt outside promotional gear. Do either or both of the following, and you’ll increase your chances of winning prizes: • Share your photos. Post photos of your adventures at DNR properties on social media. When posting photos, use the hashtag #OpOutsideIN2024 and tag the DNR or the property you are visiting in your post. More details and rules of the contests are at on.IN.gov/optoutside . • Opt Outside Scavenger Hunt. Download and complete the form at on.IN.gov/optoutside and email it to SPContests@dnr.IN.gov to be entered in a separate drawing for prizes.

Hyderabad: As part of Hyderabad’s Old City metro corridor project, officials, on Saturday, December 21, initiated the process of property acquisition for Corridor VI, which will connect MGBS to Chandrayangutta. Notifications have been issued for the acquisition of 800 properties along the proposed route. To speed up the process, officials have discussed and finalised compensation rates with property owners. The state government will pay Rs 81,000 per square yard, along with the construction value of the properties. Owners willing to accept the compensation can visit Metro Bhavan at Rasoolpura, Begumpet, and provide their consent, read a statement from the city’s district collector. Assuring that the entire compensation will be disbursed via cheque within 10 days of consent, this significant step will allow Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) to advance the long-awaited Phase-2 expansion, aimed at enhancing connectivity in its southern regions. The MGBS to Chandrayangutta corridor is a critical part of Hyderabad’s Old City metro corridor project. It is expected to boost urban mobility and reduce congestion in key areas of the city. Authorities are working to minimize inconvenience to affected residents while ensuring the project’s timely completion.Sony to Take On Nintendo with New PlayStation Handheld - IGN Daily Fix

BEDFORD — Bedford County officials spent heavy discussion this week on a plan to increase funding for volunteer fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies while also stressing a need to recruit more men and women to give of their time in serving those departments. Janet Blankenship, chief of fire and rescue, presented the funding plan to the Bedford County Board of Supervisors at a work session Monday. The plan focuses on sustaining daily operations, training and maintenance of fire and rescue departments, helping fund apparatus, equipment and facilities upkeep and assisting in overcoming challenges of rising costs and volunteer retention and support. The county is proposing to establish a new performance and percentage-based funding formula for agencies. The current base funding is $25,000 for fire and $34,000 for rescue, according to Blankenship’s presentation. The proposed base funding tiers are $30,000 for agencies with fewer than 25% of calls covered, $38,000 for 25% to 50% of calls covered, $46,000 for those covering 50% to 75% of calls and $53,000 for those covering 75% or greater of calls, the report shows. “Anyone falling below 10% is at risk of losing their funds,” Blankenship told the board. “However, we do have a one-year grace period to work with an agency that has the potential to miss their funds.” Firefighters listen to their instructor while training on a house donated by Forest Alliance Church across the street from Forest Volunteer Fire Department on May 1, 2021. The News & Advance file The county’s total current funding for fire departments is $840,828 per year, according to figures Blankenship presented. The proposed funding increase is set to go up to $1.4 million, a 66% boost that would be just more than $562,200. For rescue, the current funding of $457,710 is set to go to $666,508, a 46% increase of $208,798. The county currently pays $130 per call for fire and rescue. Blankenship said the new funding plan would bring consistency and a predictable funding stream, provide incentives and support for retaining volunteers, include personal protective equipment, allow agencies to budget and establish capital improvement projects and eliminate reimbursements the county pays for maintenance, fuel and some other expenses. The county also is planning long-term for apparatus purchases and replacement and ensuring they meet safety and operational standards. For fire apparatus, the county will give 100% funding for one engine per agency and 50% funding for tankers, brush trucks and boats, the report states. Crews work on firefighter removal without a ladder while training on a house donated by Forest Alliance Church across the street from Forest Volunteer Fire Department on May 1, 2021. The News & Advance file Ashley Anderson, director of finance, presented to the board a capital funding proposal for rescue, ladder and fire trucks over a long-term period. Anderson said she is budgeting on the conservative side in factoring in inflationary rates and the county will realize cost savings upfront. “I appreciate the fact you are being conservative with the planning,” Supervisor John Sharp told Anderson. The new plan is more affordable than what the county currently is funding for fire and rescue apparatus investments and CIP needs, Anderson told supervisors. “I think in reality this plan is going to be cheaper long-term,” Anderson said. Supervisor Bob Davis said if some agencies are underperforming there should be a way for the county to address it. Anderson said she believes the departments will get a “substantial increase” when factoring in increased apparatus funding, equipment purchases and budget planning. “It’s substantially more than $30,000 to $38,000 based on pay per call,” Anderson said. Anderson said the board could always revisit how the county pays toward agencies and make any adjustments it chooses. In comparing the new plan to the current model, Anderson told the board it is projected the county will realize a $20 million difference in the long run. When asked to explain the benefits to the fire and rescue departments across the county, Anderson said by giving each a 100%-funded engine it frees up cash and gives them more money to put toward operations. “Cashflow wise, I think it is going to be substantially better for them,” Anderson said. Another area where a major chunk of savings comes into play is the county not waiting until the year a vehicle purchase is due to fund it. For example, if an engine purchase is due in 2027, the county would put money toward it three years ahead of time and allowing more savings to be realized with that method, she said. Sharp said he sees where savings will come but he doesn’t want to unintentionally put any extra burden on agencies while fixing a funding problem. “I don’t see it being an issue, I really don’t,” Ashley said, adding the county needs to make sure the departments are brought up to speed on the funding mindset. “My office is willing to sit down with the chiefs to figure out how we budget for capital needs...” A Bedford County Fire and Rescue ambulance leaves the scene of a hazardous-materials incident at the Bedford Wastewater Treatment Plant on Orange Street in the town of Bedford in this April 2022 file photo. Kendall Warner, The News & Advance file Ambulance funding also was presented as part of the plan, including 100% for one per agency and one-time only. The total funding needed for vehicles combined is $8.3 million, including $3.8 million in orders for the current fiscal year and $4.4 million next fiscal year, the report shows. Much of the money would come from remaining balances within the county’s CIP, $1.1 million from EMS reserves and $2.2 million from federal money the county has received in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and $3.5 million would come from an unassigned fund balance. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Supervisor Charla Bansley during the presentation asked if the county is “just throwing money” at the fire and rescue community and leaving them suffering because the county is not recruiting volunteers. Bansley asked what the county can do to help in recruitment and if it needs to hire a position for that sole purpose. “Recruitment, as you are aware, has been an issue ongoing for a long time,” Bansley said. “We currently have that discussion with them about recruitment and retention, which is currently a problem, and it will be one ongoing.” Blankenship said it is beneficial for the county to have strategies for attracting volunteers. A fire and EMS study in the works can also look at opportunities for those ongoing efforts, she told the board. “It’s great we are doing all of this to get the apparatus,” Bansley said. “The other big piece is getting more volunteers.” Bedford County Firefighter-EMTs Kevin Musgrove and Jarrett Branch take a stretcher into a home in preparation to transport a patient in this December 2021 file photo. Kendall Warner, The News & Advance file Davis asked if any classes are taught in the Bedford County public school system. Blankenship said at one time they were at the Susie G. Gibson Science & Technology Center, a career and technical school in the town of Bedford that serves the county’s three high schools, but finding instructors has been difficult. Attracting volunteers from the county’s younger population should be a priority, Davis said. “I just think you’ve got to start folks out at an earlier age,” Davis said. “There’s got to be some young folks throughout Bedford County that would be interested in attending classes such as this. Just talking about it is not going to get the job done.” County Administrator Robert Hiss said the topic was discussed at a recent Virginia Association of Counties conference he attended. Hiss agreed the county and schools should talk about making the right connections so fire and EMT classes could be an option for students to sign up for if they choose. Some state officials may say volunteer retention is a responsibility of localities, but VACO would like to see some level of state funding involved, perhaps for supporting apparatus and equipment. Blankenship spoke of “getting out there and trying to capture” people who can serve and a continued collaboration with the school system is beneficial for those efforts. Davis said fire and EMS being taught to youth is “critically important” the way trades are and noted very few volunteers in one county volunteer agency in his district are younger than age 50. “We need to act quickly,” Davis said. Bansley said a class doesn’t have to be students sitting at a desk and teenagers can come to local fire stations. “It can be learning hands-on,” she said. She stressed the importance of volunteers in helping the county meet core services and while the county has grown a lot in recent years, it can’t transition to all-career fire and EMS. “We certainly don’t have that kind of money,” Bansley said. Blankenship said in the recent meetings with local fire and rescue leaders she would say that 99% are favorable to her recommendation going forward. A volunteer stipend sliding scale credit of points per call going to agencies also was discussed in those meetings, Blankenship said. Based on that feedback, she recommends changing 2 points per call to 3 points per call. The 2 points per call model is estimated to cost $62,800, the 3 points per call is projected at $82,300 and despite the increase, Blankenship said she agrees with honoring their suggestion. The county has 549 volunteers on fire and rescue department rosters across the county as of Aug. 30 and about 60 paid career staff, Blankenship said during a late September work session. The board discussed making sure the volunteer buy-in is part of the changes that are set to come about. “I think the county, the government can always overstep its bounds where these guys have been doing a good job, all of them, for a long, long time,” Davis said. Edgar Tuck, the board’s chair, said departments he has conferred with in his district, which includes much of the Smith Mountain Lake area, were OK with the plan. He said agencies could elect not to take part if they so chose. “That would be correct,” Blankenship said. Hiss said the board is expected to take up a resolution at its December meeting to obligate the federal American Rescue Plan Act portion of the money it plans to use for fire and EMS needs, so the county is not giving those dollars back to the federal government. “We’re willing to work with each agency,” Blankenship told the board. “We’re going to continuously look at this. We’re going to make sure that it’s efficient for what the needs are but also establish some performance bases along the line to ensure we are being accountable for our taxpayers.” Blankenship said a number of agencies have recognized the county stepping up funding for apparatus a few years ago and coming back to the table to give more help. The report states the county’s investment will strengthen agencies and enhance their ability to serve community needs. Supervisor Mickey Johnson commended staff for bringing the plan forward and said the task was not easy. “I’m appreciative of the hard work,” Johnson said.