Latest news with #Dome
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Defence Minister Judith Collins endorses Trump's Golden Dome
By Phil Pennington of RNZ US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defence project has won endorsement from New Zealand. The vision is of a vast shield of sensors, missiles and even laser beams designed to take out conventional and nuclear missiles. Critics of the proposed system say it may fuel an arms race in space, and China and Russia have condemned it. But Defence Minister Judith Collins told a security summit in Singapore it was justified. "It's a defence mechanism," she said during a panel on cyber, space and undersea challenges. "I don't see it as an attack mechanism. It's a defence mechanism. "And if people did not feel they needed to defend themselves, they wouldn't waste the money on it." The chorus of major defence contractors signalling their readiness to work on the Golden Dome has been growing, joined recently by New Zealand-founded and California-based company Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab used a $460 million acquisition of the parent company of Arizona firm Geost, to state how the deal secured "core capabilities" for achieving Pentagon goals in space, "like the proposed Golden Dome". Prime (major) contractor Lockheed Martin said on its website: "This next generation defence shield will identify incoming projectiles, calculate trajectory and deploy interceptor missiles to destroy them mid-flight, safeguarding the homeland and projecting American Strength [sic]." SpaceX, controversial software innovator Palantir and drone-maker Anduril also feature in media reports and speculation about the Dome. Trump has said it would be operational by the end of his term and over the next decade cost $300 billion, but many analysts doubt the timing, while the Congressional Budget Office has estimated it could cost as much as $1.4 trillion over two decades. Lockheed called it "a Manhattan Project-scale mission". Minister Collins told the Shangri-La Dialogue that taxpayers' money was hard-fought for. "Let me tell you, we are defence ministers, we know how that feels, we have to go in every day and try to get more money. "And we're not going to do it unless there's some reason to do it. So you know, don't be aggressive in space, we won't need Golden Dome or any other sort of dome." Collins told the summit New Zealand's proportion of defence spending on emerging technology would grow, noting that tech made in New Zealand was being used in the Ukraine war. "We are going to be using some of that," she said. Tauranga company Syos makes drones that have been used in Ukraine. 'Everyone wants a piece' China, Russia and North Korea have all condemned Trump's revival of a high-tech form of the Ronald-Reagan era Star Wars missile defence plan, 400 times larger than Israel's Iron Dome. Despite this and critics' fears, defence and high-tech military-linked contractors have begun jockeying for action. "Everyone Wants a Piece of Trump's 'Golden Dome' Defense Plan," a Wall Street Journal headline said. Reuters has reported that Elon Musk's SpaceX - the most prolific satellite launcher ever - was in partnership with two tech firms that had been muscling into the defence industry to become Golden Dome frontrunners. The Times of India asked if the Dome was a shield for the US "or just to make Elon Musk richer?" One of Musk's reported partners is Anduril, a supercharged start-up that has plans for a billion-dollar military drone factory, and the other is New Zealand citizen Peter Thiel's software firm Palantir. The US Army recently tested a Palantir system called Maven for rapid targeting, saying it allowed a 20-person unit to do more than a 2000-strong unit was able to target during the 2003 Iraq war. The track record with the US Army had boosted Palantir, market analysts said. Smart targeting is envisaged as part of Golden Dome, with the Pentagon saying that by 2029 it would deploy smart sensors in space that can distinguish missile threats from clutter. Canada's Globe and Mail reported a range of stocks were benefiting from Trump's talk of the Golden Dome, noting that Palantir was now worth more than Lockheed Martin. The SpaceX link-up with tech firms reported by Reuters, is a challenge to the entrenched defence industry players like Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and RTX (Raytheon), though these "primes" do figure in an Act introduced in February to enable Golden Dome, alongside a Trump executive order. Rocket Lab said in its media release citing the Golden Dome it was "positioning itself as disruptive prime to US national security". The Street financial news site said the Geost deal put the company that launches out of both Mahia and Virginia, "firmly in the national security conversation". America's Defence Intelligence Agency in mid-May profiled the forecast missile threat across six categories, including two hypersonics and two types of nuclear ballistic missiles. The Chatham House thinktank said the Golden Dome might suck resources from regional missile defence and cyber resilience, to go into unproven shield technology. "The plan also has potentially dangerous strategic consequences," it said. "A system that aspires to make the US invulnerable to missile attack would almost certainly be seen by its adversaries as an attempt to undermine the logic of nuclear deterrence. If Washington is perceived to be developing a shield that could one day neutralise a retaliatory nuclear strike, it risks triggering a dangerous global arms race."
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Judith Collins endorses Trump's Golden Dome amid contract frenzy
By Phil Pennington of RNZ US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defence project has won endorsement from New Zealand. The vision is of a vast shield of sensors, missiles and even laser beams designed to take out conventional and nuclear missiles. Critics of the proposed system say it may fuel an arms race in space, and China and Russia have condemned it. But Defence Minister Judith Collins told a security summit in Singapore it was justified. "It's a defence mechanism," she said during a panel on cyber, space and undersea challenges. "I don't see it as an attack mechanism. It's a defence mechanism. "And if people did not feel they needed to defend themselves, they wouldn't waste the money on it." The chorus of major defence contractors signalling their readiness to work on the Golden Dome has been growing, joined recently by New Zealand-founded and California-based company Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab used a $460 million acquisition of the parent company of Arizona firm Geost, to state how the deal secured "core capabilities" for achieving Pentagon goals in space, "like the proposed Golden Dome". Prime (major) contractor Lockheed Martin said on its website: "This next generation defence shield will identify incoming projectiles, calculate trajectory and deploy interceptor missiles to destroy them mid-flight, safeguarding the homeland and projecting American Strength [sic]." SpaceX, controversial software innovator Palantir and drone-maker Anduril also feature in media reports and speculation about the Dome. Trump has said it would be operational by the end of his term and over the next decade cost $300 billion, but many analysts doubt the timing, while the Congressional Budget Office has estimated it could cost as much as $1.4 trillion over two decades. Lockheed called it "a Manhattan Project-scale mission". Minister Collins told the Shangri-La Dialogue that taxpayers' money was hard-fought for. "Let me tell you, we are defence ministers, we know how that feels, we have to go in every day and try to get more money. "And we're not going to do it unless there's some reason to do it. So you know, don't be aggressive in space, we won't need Golden Dome or any other sort of dome." Collins told the summit New Zealand's proportion of defence spending on emerging technology would grow, noting that tech made in New Zealand was being used in the Ukraine war. "We are going to be using some of that," she said. Tauranga company Syos makes drones that have been used in Ukraine. 'Everyone wants a piece' China, Russia and North Korea have all condemned Trump's revival of a high-tech form of the Ronald-Reagan era Star Wars missile defence plan, 400 times larger than Israel's Iron Dome. Despite this and critics' fears, defence and high-tech military-linked contractors have begun jockeying for action. "Everyone Wants a Piece of Trump's 'Golden Dome' Defense Plan," a Wall Street Journal headline said. Reuters has reported that Elon Musk's SpaceX - the most prolific satellite launcher ever - was in partnership with two tech firms that had been muscling into the defence industry to become Golden Dome frontrunners. The Times of India asked if the Dome was a shield for the US "or just to make Elon Musk richer?" One of Musk's reported partners is Anduril, a supercharged start-up that has plans for a billion-dollar military drone factory, and the other is New Zealand citizen Peter Thiel's software firm Palantir. The US Army recently tested a Palantir system called Maven for rapid targeting, saying it allowed a 20-person unit to do more than a 2000-strong unit was able to target during the 2003 Iraq war. The track record with the US Army had boosted Palantir, market analysts said. Smart targeting is envisaged as part of Golden Dome, with the Pentagon saying that by 2029 it would deploy smart sensors in space that can distinguish missile threats from clutter. Canada's Globe and Mail reported a range of stocks were benefiting from Trump's talk of the Golden Dome, noting that Palantir was now worth more than Lockheed Martin. The SpaceX link-up with tech firms reported by Reuters, is a challenge to the entrenched defence industry players like Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and RTX (Raytheon), though these "primes" do figure in an Act introduced in February to enable Golden Dome, alongside a Trump executive order. Rocket Lab said in its media release citing the Golden Dome it was "positioning itself as disruptive prime to US national security". The Street financial news site said the Geost deal put the company that launches out of both Mahia and Virginia, "firmly in the national security conversation". America's Defence Intelligence Agency in mid-May profiled the forecast missile threat across six categories, including two hypersonics and two types of nuclear ballistic missiles. The Chatham House thinktank said the Golden Dome might suck resources from regional missile defence and cyber resilience, to go into unproven shield technology. "The plan also has potentially dangerous strategic consequences," it said. "A system that aspires to make the US invulnerable to missile attack would almost certainly be seen by its adversaries as an attempt to undermine the logic of nuclear deterrence. If Washington is perceived to be developing a shield that could one day neutralise a retaliatory nuclear strike, it risks triggering a dangerous global arms race."
Wales Online
26-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
'I'm Italian and pizza is serious business': Ooni pizza oven is now at cheapest price
'I'm Italian and pizza is serious business': Ooni pizza oven is now at cheapest price The Ooni Koda pizza oven, which even Italians love for its authentic creations, has dropped to a much cheaper price - but it won't be around for long The Koda pizza ovens cooks fresh pizza in seconds (Image: Ooni ) With summer on the horizon, more people across the UK will be looking to spend time in the garden. Having just spent a sunny Saturday having a BBQ in the garden myself, there's one latest Bank Holiday sale that's caught my eye. As Ooni slash the price of its fired pizza ovens. The outdoor appliances from Ooni can cook authentic homemade pizzas in seconds, and produce a gas flame for a wood-fired taste. I myself am one of many shoppers looking for patio gadgets I can share with my friends and family, and who doesn't love homemade pizza? Ooni has launched a huge 20% off bank holiday sale, available on a range of its gas-powered pizza ovens. One that caught my eye is the 12' Koda, that can be 'carried anywhere' for pizza on the go, and it's now dropped to a much cheaper price of £239.20. READ MORE: Matalan's 'luxury' £20 white bedding set is on offer for 50p in limited-time deal stack READ MORE: Limited 40% off sale on teeth whitening range that shoppers claim leave 'teeth looking amazing' The brand has cut £59.80 off the price of the model, which reaches 500 degrees in 15 minutes, meaning pizzas take seconds to cook. Plus, out of all the models offered by Ooni, it's their lightest one, the most recommended for taking out on picnics, to friends, or to the end of your garden. As Ooni says on their site: "Our lightest and easiest to set-up oven. Ultra-portable gas-powered convenience." The set-up is said to be simple, as 'it can be used straight out of the box' all users need to do is unfold the legs and connect to gas. Ooni also isn't the only brand offering this price, fellow retailer Lakeland has also reduced the price of the 12-inch Koda, to £239.99 in it's rival summer sale. Lakeland shoppers can also find discounts on other brands, including Sage and its high-end £769.99 Smart Oven Pizzaiolo. The Koda 12 is designed to be taken on the go (Image: Ooni ) Unlike Ooni, the Sage model is made to use indoors on the kitchen worktop but still has a 'woodfired' setting. For other outdoor shoppers, Gozney is also hosting a sale, with up to £200 off - which is where we spotted the Dome model, however, the brand's prices are a lot more expensive. Despite being a more affordable pick than Gozney's Dome or portable Roccobox, which is currently £80 off in its sale. The Ooni has a lot of rave reviews from users who say they taste authentic. As one shopper said: "I am Italian, and pizza is a serious thing. Thanks to Ooni koda 12 I can make professional pizzas at home for me and my family. It is an excellent product, and the dimensions are small even for small spaces" Another shopper said: "The koda 12 is awesome. Once it's up to temperature, this thing cranks out a pizza a minute - we've had 30 people over and as long as the kitchen is assembling pizzas, this oven can keep up! Super fun." Over at Lakeland, another Koda user said: "Fantastic little oven, cooks pizzas in a couple of minutes. Apart from making the dough it's all pretty quick and you get fresh stone-baked pizza." While another shopper said: "The oven was easy to set up and ready to use in 30 minutes. However, be aware that the pizza peel does not come as part of the oven. I had ordered one, but it is currently out of stock. Article continues below "Not realising how essential this is, and having promised the grandchildren pizzas, we tried using fish slices and cake tin bases with some success. The results were not pretty, but it did taste good. I feel strongly that the oven should be supplied with this necessary piece of equipment." Shoppers can also buy the Ooni Accessory Bundle for a sale price of £96, which includes a pizza peel, pizza oven brush, and thermometer. However, as the above shopper pointed out, this isn't included in the sale of the Koda oven.
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
‘Roger Waters: The Wall' is an epic watch of powerful music
'Roger Waters: The Wall' sees the rock star explore his emotional nostalgia. Music can be powerful. Incredibly powerful. It can agitate for social or political change, lament or celebrate love and speak for the collective. Other music speaks directly to the soul, the afraid in each of us, the trauma and the hurt. It can teach us lessons, inject new ideas, inspire and decelerate thoughts or speed up personal metamorphosis. Such is the power of Pink Floyd's music. And it's been around 45 years since the band released The Wall, toured the album and produced the first cinematic incarnation of the music's narrative. Yet, it's as relevant today and inwardly touching as it was on the first day of release. And Apple TV's now put the Roger Waters 2014 epic live concert documentary on its menu. It is a must-watch, a must-collect. But it makes you wish that you were in the audience, then. The film is long. It stretches over two hours with beautifully shot cinematic scenes of Waters on another kind of journey. While the music and the Alan Parker-directed 1982 film tells of the character's progressive journey as a reluctant rock star and the walls – demons he must manage inside – the clips spaced between the live performance tell a contra-narrative. Waters explores his emotional nostalgia, in many ways quietly faces his own demons and traces the actual moments and people in his family, like his dad and grandfather, who lie at the base of the original music. Biographical account of Waters' life Roger Waters: The Wall, after all, is a biographic recount of Waters' life, his struggle with the death of his dad in the Second World War, and being bullied at school. It's a treatise to the mistrust of the State at a grand scale. The film is Nietzsche's existentialism coupled with Orwell's Animal Farm, along with a measure of emotional turbulence that can resonate with both the dark and lighter side of our inner selves. Roger Waters: The Wall is in forward and reverse motion at the same time. And despite the long running time and numb-bum risk, it's an epic watch. The show is a far cry from the Dome performance in South Africa during the same tour. Here, Waters was close to unplugged and intimate. On stage in the film, he conducts a larger-than-life audiovisual spectacular that showcases his showmanship. Also Read: U2's 'How to Reassemble an Atomic Bomb' is a satisfying throwback If you are a Pink Floyd fan and followed the angry split between Waters and the rest of the band – the copyright punch-ups and mutual dislike between the parties – this is the moment to forget about it and just immerse yourself in the music. Drummer Nick Mason reunites with Waters in the film and, at the end, the pair answer questions from fans around the world. The two also spend some time talking and tracing nostalgia at earlier intervals. Last year David Gilmour joined Waters in celebrating the 45th anniversary of the album. Best-selling double album of all time The Wall remains the best-selling double album of all time with 30 million copies sold and ranks just behind the band's Dark Side of The Moon. The latter musical sortie holds the collective highest sales tally at 45 million copies. Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 – the anthem off The Wall – has been streamed well over a billion times. The band's progressive rock is not for everyone, and is for everyone at the same time. Because the truths in the lyrics are not unlike our own prayers for emotional asylum. Roger Waters: The Wall brings it all full circle. Of course, there are naysayers and when the film was first released it suffered some pretty nasty reviews from critics who relegated the entire effort to an ego trip. But when you watch the work and experience the music, it's easy to see the codswallop and ignorance of negative impressions. To fully understand the show, audiences new to Pink Floyd or anyone who has not seen Bob Geldof as Pink in the original film, must watch it. It is a cinematic masterpiece of its time and a sensory ride unlike any other. From the Nazi references to the evils of conformity, war and inner conflict, The Wall was an explainer film like no other. Roger Waters: The Wall sees it coming full circle. Also Read: Nasreen's the thinking Swiftie's kind of music
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Canada looking at investments in Golden Dome defense shield, PM Carney says
OTTAWA: Canada is looking at potential investments in U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed $175-billion Golden Dome missile defense shield, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday. Trump said on Tuesday he had selected a design for the project and named a Space Force general to head the program, which is aimed at blocking threats from China and Russia. Carney, who won an April election in part by promising to stand up to the threat posed by Trump, said he had discussed the concept of the Golden Dome a couple of times with the president. 'We have an ability, if we so choose, to complete the Golden Dome with investments in partnership. And it's something that we are looking at, and something that has been discussed at a high level,' he told a press conference. 'Is it a good idea for Canada? Well, it's a good idea to have protection for Canadians and Canada.' Carney declined to say how much Canada might spend if it decided to take part in the Dome project.
