Latest news with #Skyfall
Japan Forward
4 days ago
- Japan Forward
Gunkanjima: An Island Frozen in Time
このページを 日本語 で読む The only sound that echoed was the crashing of waves against the pier. On this once-sealed island, it felt as if time had stood still. Gunkanjima, officially known as Hashima, is a small island about 1,200 meters (3,937 ft) in circumference, lying off the Nagasaki Peninsula. Once a thriving undersea coal mining site, it is now part of Nagasaki City. The island earned its nickname — meaning "Battleship Island" — because its silhouette resembles the warship Tosa. Remnants of what were once apartment blocks. Tourism and Global Recognition In April 2009, after 35 years of closure, Gunkanjima reopened to tourists. It has since appeared in several films, most notably the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall. The island gained further recognition in July 2015, when its coal mine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution." Tourists on Gunkanjima. Gunkanjima's history dates back to the early Meiji era. Before the mine shut down in 1974, approximately 15.7 million tons of coal had been extracted, with mining operations reaching depths of 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) below sea level. At its peak, the island was home to around 5,300 residents — making it the most densely populated place on Earth at the time. The buildings are now in a state of ruin. Prosperity Amid Hardship Coal mining was grueling, but life on the island was relatively prosperous. Goro Kumasho, who spent his twenties there, recalled: "We always bought the best — televisions, washing machines, everything," he said. "Every week, we'd take the ferry to Nagasaki just for fun." No matter how much overtime someone worked elsewhere, he added, they couldn't out-earn a coal miner. Today, what were once schools, hospitals, high-rise apartments, pachinko parlors, and movie theaters lie in ruins. The island that once bustled with life now stands abandoned. Yet its role in Japan's modernization is undeniable. (All photos and videos in this article are from 2015.) Advertisement RELATED: Author: The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Putin expands nuclear base after frozen site test kills five in radiation leak
A Russian military base that has reportedly seen Vladimir Putin's nuclear-powered missiles being tested appears to have been expanded according to satellite imagery One of Russia's military bases where Vladimir Putin's nuclear-powered missiles are believed to have been tested has been expanded. Satellite images show three new buildings around the size of a football field have been erected at the Nenoska naval testing facility in Russia. Nenoska is found in the north of Russia, around 40 miles from the city of Arkhangelsk, which is some 700 miles north of Moscow. Images from the site show that construction work on an expansion in a forest area began in 2023. It is a heavily fortified area that in 2019 was the scene of a serious accident that occurred when a Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile exploded. Five experts from the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom were killed after being exposed to radiation. Another accident happened in 2015, when a cruise missile struck an apartment block that housed a kindergarten during a failed test. The new buildings appear to be airtight and plastic and held up by metal, while the Norwegian news site The Barents Observer says there are also a number of blue containers there to hold missiles. A dedicated launch pad is present, with launchers directed towards the White Sea. Burevestnik, dubbed 'Skyfall' by NATO, was paused following the 2019 accident after a small amount of radioactivity from the missile powered by a tiny reactor exploded, although Russian officials never confirmed what type of weapon exploded. Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, said to The Sun: "Liquid fuel missile engines exploding do not give off radiation, and we know that the Russians are working on some kind of nuclear propulsion for a cruise missile." Putin has previously bragged the missile has unlimited range, but tests appear to still be in the development phase. Nils Andreas Stensønes, the boss of Norway's Intelligence Service, has previously said there could be 'an accident involving a risk of local radioactive releases' caused by the testing programme. Reports have suggested that missiles including the hypersonic Tsirkon, supersonic Oniks and the Kalibr missiles, could potentially be tested at Nenoska. Last month, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Russia reserves the right to deploy nuclear weapons in response to so-called 'unfriendly actions'. He said Russia was 'closely monitoring" military preparations by European countries as they increase defence production and spending. "In case foreign states commit unfriendly actions that threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, our country considers it legitimate to take symmetrical and asymmetrical measures necessary to suppress such actions and prevent their recurrence," he said.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brad Pitt's Apple ‘F1' Movie: Everything We Know So Far
Brad Pitt's Apple film F1 has a finish line in sight as well as other important details about the making of the movie that will interest viewers. The film, made in partnership with Formula 1 and its 10 teams, will arrive in 2025 with real racing world experts behind the product as well as big-name movie makers. More from Deadline Brad Pitt's F1 Racing Pic For Apple To Film At British Grand Prix In Silverstone This Weekend Apple Original Films' Formula 1 Brad Pitt Movie Lands Summer 2025 Global Theatrical Release With Warner Bros Apple CEO Tim Cook Sees $900 Million Hit From Tariffs In June Quarter If Rates Stay The Same - Update Read on for everything we know about Apple's Brad Pitt F1 movie: The film, officially titled F1 as of July 5, will roll into theaters on June 27, 2025. Pitt plays a former driver who returns to Formula 1 racing alongside his teammate (Damson Idris) at the fictional team APXGP on the grid. Aside from Pitt and Idris, the film also stars Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin, Better Call Saul), Javier Bardem (Skyfall, No Country For Old Men), Tobias Menzies (Manhunt, Outlander), Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso, I May Destroy You), Kim Bodnia (Pusher, The Bridge) and Samson Kayo (The Bubble, Our Flag Means Death). RELATED: Professional drivers who will also star include Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz and others who play themselves as a result of the embedded filming at real-life racetracks while competitions take place. Pitt and Idris will actually drive the cars, according to director Joseph Kosinski. He and producer Jerry Bruckheimer sat down with Deadline for an exclusive Q+A ahead of the British Grand Prix. They filmed at the iconic Silverstone racetrack in the actual British Grand Prix. Other tracks featured will include Daytona, Hungary, Spa (Belgium), Monza (Italy), Zandvoort (Netherlands), Japan, Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi and Mexico City. Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is also producing the film through his Apollo Dawn Films banner while he still races professionally. 'He's the first person I contacted three years ago. I knew for us to make it as authentic as possible, someone on the team who lives it day-in and day-out would be invaluable,' Kosinski told Deadline. 'Lewis has been an incredible partner; he jumps on Zooms with me between races to go through the script, line by line, turn by turn, you know, tire compound by tire compound, to make sure that we are getting all the details right. Beyond that, on a creative and story level, he also has input.' RELATED: Kosinski also shared that embedding into the racetracks to capture specific scenes while races are happening adds intensity to creating and completing the scenes. One scene at Silverstone had a 9-minute window to nail. Pitt and Damson were trained for almost three months before getting in the movie-making vehicles. They started in Formula 3 cars before moving up to Formula 2 cars. Working with Mercedes and Toto Wolff, team CEO, Co-Owner and Team Principal, the film's team constructed modified Formula 2 cars with 15 camera mounts built into them to shoot films. 'They all complain that racing movies aren't fast enough because usually when they build these cars, they're movie cars. You know, they look right, but they aren't real race cars,' Kosinski said. 'At one of our first meetings, Toto said: 'You should build this off a Formula 2 car, but make it look like a Formula 1 car,' so it's a Formula 2 chassis and engine. We worked closely with Mercedes and their design team and aerodynamicists to develop a custom body that resembles the latest generation Formula 1 car. They're built specifically for this movie. RELATED: Kosinski also described the technology and equipment used to capture footage as 'the next generation from what we did on Top Gun.' 'We have bespoke cameras for this that are very small and light so that they don't impede the performance of the car too much and that's key because you don't want to have a race car and then put 200 pounds of gear on it. Our camera mounts were designed with Mercedes as well. The cameras are specially designed by Sony,' he said. 'The big innovation is that we're now able to control the movement of the cameras on the cars. We're not locked into these kinds of fixed positions we had on Top Gun. Now we have real-time control of panning and focusing them while shooting through a very extensive RF network that we've built around the tracks.' Kosinski directs from Ehren Kruger's script and produces alongside Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer said that Hamilton galvanized the film's development. 'From Lewis, we got to Mercedes, from Mercedes, we got the car; if you approach it the right way it's not as difficult as you think,' Bruckheimer told Deadline. 'Then we went to Stefano [Domenicali, Formula One Group CEO], we went to [FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem], we went to the Principals of every team. We've met with all the drivers to tell them what we were doing. We met with just about everybody in Formula 1.' RELATED: Jerry Bruckheimer And Joseph Kosinski On 'F1': Filming At Grand Prix, The Bottom Line On The Budget, How Lewis Hamilton Helped Steer The Project And His Take On Brad Pitt's Driving Kosinski and Bruckheimer shot down the reports that the film's budget would cash in at $300 million. Both said that the estimate was too high. Yes, two trailers have been released for the racing movie — one in a Super Bowl 2025 ad spot and one clip following that. RELATED: The first ten minutes of the film were also screened exclusively at CinemaCon 2025 in April. As released by Atlantic Records, the soundtrack to the racing movie will feature the below artists: Ed Sheeran Rosé Burna Boy Dom Dolla Roddy Ricch Myke Towers Madison Beer Pawsa Darkoo Don Toliver Doja Cat Tate McRae Raye Chris Stapleton Tiësto Sexy Red Peggy Gou Obongjayar Mr Eazi Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far
Russia Today
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Beyond reach: Why America's ‘Golden Dome' may be powerless against Russia's doomsday missile
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump launched the ambitious 'Golden Dome' initiative – a sweeping plan to build a national missile defense system capable of shielding America from modern threats: ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and advanced cruise missiles. Designed as a next-generation shield, the Golden Dome aspires to close gaps in the nation's defenses and guarantee security against a broad range of airborne dangers. But even the most sophisticated defense can face a threat it wasn't designed to stop. As Washington doubles down on its plans for a new shield, Russia is preparing a weapon unlike anything currently in existence – a nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range. And it's a threat the Golden Dome may struggle to counter. Russia is on the verge of deploying an entirely new class of cruise missile that could fundamentally alter air defense paradigms: nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missiles. Chief among them is the Burevestnik. It's only logical that US missile defense planners are thinking ahead to such unconventional threats. Open-source intelligence researchers like MT_Anderson have recently shared satellite imagery revealing suspected construction of Burevestnik launch facilities near Vologda. If verified, this would mark the next phase in the deployment of a weapon capable of shaking the foundations of global strategic stability. 🇷🇺Burevestnik Launch Site🇷🇺Looking back to last summer, one can tell the pace at which they've built it out. They've been busy bees...@SkyfiApp | @planet imagery from Jun / Oct 2024, respectively Russia first revealed the Burevestnik missile during President Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2018. Dubbed SSC-X-9 'Skyfall' in the West, the missile has been cloaked in secrecy ever since. The commonly used designation '9M730 Burevestnik' is actually a misnomer, as the 9M730 label originally referred to a version of the Iskander-M missile system – but that's a minor detail in the larger picture. Reports suggest that Burevestnik testing has been ongoing for years at sites like Novaya Zemlya, the Nenoksa naval testing range near Severodvinsk, and the Kapustin Yar missile complex – the latter featuring specialized infrastructure operated by Rosatom. As recently as two years ago, it seemed Russia was still far from completing development. Now, however, signs point to a major shift: operational launch sites are reportedly under construction. Visually, the Burevestnik resembles a traditional cruise missile, with folding wings for compact launch storage. It launches from a ground platform using a solid-fuel booster, then switches to an air-breathing nuclear-powered jet engine once it reaches cruising speed. In theory, this engine heats incoming air via a compact nuclear reactor, allowing the missile to stay airborne for weeks or even months without refueling. Sources estimate the missile's operational range at 22,000km, though in practice it may be virtually unlimited. Such a missile could patrol potential conflict zones indefinitely, awaiting launch commands. Upon receiving orders, it could maneuver toward targets from unpredictable vectors, making interception extraordinarily difficult. Effectively, the Burevestnik is designed to serve as a 'doomsday weapon' – a guaranteed retaliatory strike platform in the event of nuclear war. A nuclear-powered cruise missile would be capable of striking anywhere on the globe from any direction. It could exploit satellite communications to update flight paths, evade interception, and even receive new target information mid-flight. Naturally, preventing accidents is critical, but it's likely that specialized recovery systems – possibly involving parachutes – have been developed. The ability to safely operate a nuclear-powered engine stems from technological breakthroughs achieved in the 1990s and 2000s, when Russian scientists successfully built compact nuclear reactors. These advancements paved the way not only for the Burevestnik, but also for other projects like the Poseidon underwater drone. Notably, the US and the Soviet Union both explored nuclear-powered aircraft concepts during the Cold War. Despite extensive research on platforms like the B-36 and Tu-95, both nations ultimately abandoned the projects due to insurmountable engineering challenges, astronomical costs, and radiation safety concerns. Today, with more advanced reactor technology, Russia seems poised to achieve what Cold War engineers only dreamed of: a practical, nuclear-powered, unlimited-range missile. Can the Burevestnik be considered operational? Full details remain classified, but tests in 2020–2021 at Kapustin Yar and Nenoksa strongly suggest significant progress. The completion of permanent launch sites points to an impending deployment phase. According to some reports, Russia could begin fielding Burevestnik missiles as early as 2025-26 – potentially in large numbers. Thanks to their nearly limitless range, these missiles could patrol vast areas, including the Arctic, Siberia, or the Pacific Ocean, remaining invisible to conventional defense systems. A major challenge for America's Golden Dome initiative will be detecting and tracking such missiles – no easy task. It would likely require unprecedented coordination with the US Navy and the full use of space-based tracking systems. Ultimately, defeating a weapon like the Burevestnik would demand a fully integrated space-based missile defense component. Satellite tracking, rapid identification of launch zones, and intercept capabilities far beyond current systems would be necessary. Even advanced naval assets like Aegis-equipped ships would face a monumental challenge. For now, there is no simple solution. And while Washington scrambles to prepare, Moscow holds a major advantage – especially when considering additional next-generation weapons like the Poseidon nuclear drone. In this high-stakes race, Russia may have already moved the strategic chessboard – and set up a checkmate that America's Golden Dome might not be able to prevent.
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Daily Record
The picturesque Scottish island that is Reddit's most upvoted UK landscape photo
A new study by Adobe has revealed Britain's most beloved photography spots, as voted by Reddit users. Members of the r/LandscapePhotography subreddit picked their favourites from hundreds of images posted by both amateur and professional photographers. The research ranked locations across the UK based on how often they were mentioned, the number of upvotes received, and overall user engagement on the forum. And one stunning Scottish region came out on top, the Scottish Daily Express reports. At the top of the chart was the Highlands , where 38 stunning shots amassed a combined total of 15,814 upvotes. Within that was the most popular photo of all. The favourite among the Redditors was a moody, atmospheric image of the Isle of Skye that captured the imagination of viewers. The beautiful photo racked up more than 1,600 upvotes. One Reddit user commented: 'Beautiful. You've captured the mood so well. I'd go back in a heartbeat.' Another simply wrote: 'Wow awesome photo.' Skye featured again in the top rankings, with a dramatic image of the Old Man of Storr claiming fourth place and earning 490 upvotes. A delighted fan declared: 'Scotland rocks baby!! Beautiful picture.' In 2023, the Highlands welcomed 2.29 million overnight tourism visits, generating an impressive £762 million in spending, according to VisitScotland. The national tourism body encourages visitors to "explore the mysterious Loch Ness, pass through the striking Cairngorms National Park, walk up Britain's highest peak, Ben Nevis, or discover the rugged coastline of Caithness." Another Scottish entry to make the top 10 was a striking photo of Glen Etive and Buachaille Etive Mòr. Glen Etive is a glen situated in the Highlands known for being the iconic filming locations from Skyfall and Braveheart. The original poster wrote: 'Still from the Scottish Highlands trip, between two rain showers, when the sun rays are coming out of the sky. It makes the landscape look dramatic and beautiful (at least for my eyes).' Across the rest of the UK, Devon was named the top spot in England, with Dartmoor featuring in half the county's most upvoted photos. In Wales, Snowdonia came out on top, while County Down proved the favourite in Northern Ireland, thanks to its scenic Mourne Mountains and the charming coastal town of Donaghadee. Researchers carried out the analysis using a dataset of hundreds of images shared on the Landscape Photography subreddit (r/LandscapePhotography). By scraping 300 UK-related posts from the past year using an API, the team gathered photos with tagged or described locations. Each destination was then scored out of 100, based on how often it was mentioned, the number of upvotes and user engagement it received, and the level of discussion it sparked among Reddit users. This approach allowed the team to pinpoint the most popular photography spots across the UK, according to the online landscape photography community.
