Doomsday prepper reveals $430,000 personal bunker ‘for WW3 protection' and steps you can take to start stockpiling
A DOOMSDAY prepper who has a personal bunker with goods worth $430,000 has shared an urgent warning as tensions rise from global conflicts.
Rowan MacKenzie is well-known for her expert advice in preparing for any disaster – including the end of the world.
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Following escalating strikes between Iran and Israel, the 40-year-old is sharing what she believes to be crucial advice for anyone worried about possible gray-zone attacks.
Rowan has admitted that she is concerned that World War III is just around the corner, so is preparing how she sees fit.
'Gray-zone attacks are exactly what the name says – it's the gray area between a time of war and peace,' the homemaker and estate agent told NeedToKnow.
'It's something we preppers consider when stockpiling.
'They need to be taken extremely seriously, as the economic crash can be just as disastrous as an actual physical war.
MacKenzie also revealed how many days' worth of items to have in your stockpile at the very minimum.
'[You should] stockpile at least 72 hours' worth of essentials.
'This includes water, food, medications [and] power sources, such as rechargeable batteries," she explained.
'Keep a wind-up radio nearby to stay informed if the internet goes down.
'Learn basic first aid and fire safety.
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'Practice emergency routines with household members, especially little ones.
'Get to know your local resilience forum and available services.
'As defense evolves, so too must public readiness.'
Although gray-zone attacks might not involve tanks or other weaponry, their impact can be just as severe on society.
Rowan, from the US, says her own prepping is no longer a hobby – she now considers it a necessity.
She added: 'It's becoming more and more practiced worldwide. 'It never hurts to protect the people you love. 'Don't panic; make a list and execute.
'I've said it time and time again, you've got to be prepared for anything at any time.'
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Times
3 days ago
- Times
Inside the B-2 raid: Pick-up pills, 18 hours flying, then bombs away
It's a long haul racing the sun from Knob Noster, Missouri, to the mountains of Qom and the nuclear bunker buried deep at Fordow. At 37-hour haul, to be precise, there and back. Even before the pilots charged with flying their $2 billion B-2s to drop the world's largest non-nuclear bombs on Iran were in position, they would have already spent 18 hours in the air. Given the secrecy surrounding the B-2, a projection of military power that paradoxically exists never to be seen, little is known about who the men and women who flew the sorties that effectively forced the regime into a ceasefire with Israel. They were, the Pentagon said, as far from the macho shirt-off volleyball-playing fighter aces portrayed in Top Gun as you could care to imagine. It is, however, possible to piece together how the mission unfolded, beginning long before the planes took off from Whiteman Air Force Base, about an hour east of Kansas City, racing to strike as the Iranians slept. For the aviators and air crews from the US air force and the Missouri air national guard, ranked from captain to colonel, the raid felt like the Super Bowl, military chiefs said this week, with 'thousands of scientists, airmen and maintainers all coming together'. • How badly damaged are Iran's nuclear sites and missiles? In the previous weeks they would have flown to Fordow and back dozens of times in a state-of-the-art simulator at Whiteman base, near Knob Noster, which includes a replica of the B-2 cockpit, complete down to the cot where they can sleep and the toilet that is used by the pilots; only if they really must. In many ways, when President Trump gave the go-ahead, the real mission would have felt similar to the simulations. One former pilot said the big difference would be over Iran, where they would 'feel the clunk' of their weapons bay doors opening, then a lightening of the aircraft as it was relieved of its two massive ordnance penetrator (MOP) bombs, each weighing 30,000 pounds. There would have been a sharp turn as soon as 'bombs away' was called as the stealth bombers headed out of Iranian airspace. Then, one pilot on the mission said, there was the 'brightest explosion I have ever seen, it literally looked like daylight'. By that time, according to pilots, the two in the cockpit may already have felt the need to take two pills that have long been issued to those who fly long missions. The so-called 'pick-up pills' or 'go pills', which are likely to be amphetamine-based to keep aviators awake, have been issued to bomber pilots about to undertake missions through the night. • The Iran-Israel conflict in maps, video and satellite images If Melvin G Deaile, who flew the longest recorded B-2 mission at 44 hours to Afghanistan and back in 2001, knows whether the pilots needed the pills, he was not saying this week. Speaking to The Times, the retired air force colonel said the pilots would have been remarkable for being unremarkable. 'The B-2 is still a technological marvel,' said Deaile, 59, of the bomber that entered service in 1997. There were originally plans to build 132 B-2s, but the cost of each and the end of the Cold War brought an end to that. The 21st and last B-2 entered service in 2000. 'The amazing thing is, whether it's the pilots this past weekend or myself or anybody, they're just average Americans who signed up to do a mission and go out and do it.' The bomber has seen action in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, where Deaile flew in October 2001 after President Bush ordered strikes on the Taliban in response to the 9/11 attacks. Though perhaps not quite as fraught with risk as attacking Iran, which once had a proud air force and strong air defences, the mission to strike the Taliban was complicated by a late change of targets while they were in the air. For military planners at the Pentagon, however, Fordow has always been the main prize in Iran. Alongside Captain Brian Neal, Deaile piloted a B-2 named Spirit of America — poignant, given the raid took place in the months after 9/11. He admitted they had been given pills to keep them alert during the mission, which included multiple refuellings and spending two hours over Afghanistan. The mission was so long because after dropping 12 JDAMs — guided bombs — on Taliban forces, commanders asked them to go back over enemy territory and release four more explosives. Deaile and Neal finally touched down on the Diego Garcia military base after being in the air for 44 hours and 20 minutes. According to some reports, the pilots who completed the Iran mission had a microwave oven on board to provide warmed-up snacks for the trip. That is a luxury Deaile, who grew up on a farm in Fresno, was not afforded. While the army has 'meals, ready-to-eat' (MREs), Deaile said the air force equivalent was kinder to the digestive system and better adapted to long flights. He also brought sandwiches on board and was allowed a flask of coffee. But sometimes the snacks would go uneaten. • The Times view: Iran crisis is putting our special relationship to the test 'Most of the time we didn't really eat that much after a day and a half in the cockpit because we weren't really exercising,' he said. 'You don't really get hungry if you're not doing much.' Even if the work is not too physically demanding, the pilots must still sleep. Deaile used to have a cot behind the two seats so that an airman could sleep when not in 'critical phases of flight' — take-off, landing, mid-air refuelling and bombing. It was not a luxury bed, but good enough. 'It's the military; you learn to sleep wherever you can,' Deaile said. 'And we'll get the job done and if it means staying awake for 40 hours, we stay awake for 40 hours.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
A street in Gaza, a map of dreams, and the people desperate to live
Before it was bombed into a long grey line of rubble and dust cutting across Gaza City, Omar al-Mukhtar street was full of life – shoppers in the day, friends and families on evening outings after dark. Running from east to west through the city, this artery road is home to some of Gaza's most significant landmarks. It connects the city's historical sites to the centre of modern commercial activity and leads down towards the port, which has for centuries been crucial to life in Gaza. Heavily damaged in Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, in which 56,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the health ministry, the area around Omar al-Mukhtar is now crowded with people who have fled from parts of Gaza City which are now entirely flattened. For the repeatedly displaced people of this city, the street is where many still return, trying to bring it back to life. Here we look at some of the places that made up this main artery of Gaza City, seeing them through the eyes of those who live there, fighting to survive. Capital Mall shopping centre The Capital Mall opened its doors in 2017. It had clothing, perfume, home goods and mobile phone shops, a bookshop and food court. For Gaza's middle class youth, it was the place to hang out and be seen. Yousef Eljojo, a 21-year-old architecture student, drew the mall from memory and posted it on Instagram at the beginning of this year. You can see it in the video above. 'I try to remember the buildings, the streets, the trees – I draw what I used to live. We were never just numbers. We are people who had dreams like you, hopes to fulfil. We had warm and safe homes. 'Now, we are trying to rise again. I am studying architecture remotely, without resources like electricity or internet. I look at my papers with a burning heart, will they remain blank? Or will I colour them once again?' The conditions in Gaza have worsened significantly since he made that drawing and posted it on Instagram. 'We don't even have a single loaf of bread at home. The price of one kilo of flour is 90 shekels, which is about $26 [£20], and therefore a single loaf of bread costs $25. We're talking about a war that has been going on for nearly two years. So, those who once had thousands of dollars now have absolutely nothing,' he says. The city has become more like a jungle. It used to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We were very happy – we used to go to university, learn, go on leisure trips and night camping in open areas. We also used to have money, and life was good 'We were never used to life in tents, or chasing after a bag of flour, or standing in long lines for food distribution. We were the ones distributing food before the war. We were never used to such a miserable life. 'I don't know if I will die, or if the war will end, or if we will leave the country. But in all cases, I will be very happy.' Eljojo remembers a stationery shop called Pens & Pins where he used to get his drawing materials. The shop reopened in February and is still operating but Capital Mall itself has not survived, he says. 'It's difficult for it to operate at this stage. It needs generators that require a massive amount of fuel. It also has empty restaurants and cafes – there's nothing in them except the equipment. The building is completely shut down and no one enters it.' Islamic University of Gaza With 17,000 students, the Islamic University of Gaza was one of three large universities around Omar al-Mukhtar street. It was bombed on 10 October 2023 by the Israeli forces who posted a video of the destruction. According to the official university website, 19 buildings and 500 classrooms across the three campuses were completely destroyed. The main auditorium, which once staged joyful graduation ceremonies, is now a refuge for displaced people. Students have scattered. Aya Talb was a medical student. She has wanted to be a doctor since she was 10, when her parents were ill and didn't have the money to get the treatment they needed: 'I believed with all my heart that once I became a doctor, I would help my family's suffering.' But that happiness was short-lived. Just one week after she started her studies the war began and with it, a whole new chapter of unbearable suffering. Her home was bombed and she has been living in a tent with her family since August 2024. Talb and her family are struggling with the the current blockade as they cannot get enough food and have to bake bread using spoiled flour. What's worse is when hunger is accompanied by illness in a deadly way, with the spread of fleas, scabies and contaminated water, all while food is completely absent She still managed to complete a full year of medical school under bombardment. 'Countless times, I studied while lying flat on the ground under a tent roof, terrified of the bullets flying around us. In addition to the unbearable hunger we experienced, I walked hundreds of metres just to find an internet connection so I could attend lectures and take exams. I completed that year as if I were carving through stone with my bare nails.' She says she hasn't been able to register for a second year of online study because she doesn't have the tuition fees. 'My family and I are forced to prioritise using our limited money to buy spoiled and infested flour, to purchase firewood so we can cook, and – worse yet – to pay for transportation just to move from one place to another during forced displacement. 'You might laugh at me, but honestly, what's worse than hunger was having to run from one street to another just to find internet access, and then checking what each professor had posted for their course. The internet access lasted only three to four hours for a fee, so I would download the lectures from YouTube and watch them later in my tent, using a small phone that survived the bombing of our home.' Abdullah Salama lives in Rimal, Gaza City. He earned a bachelor's degree in maths in 2020 and was pursuing a master's in data science when the war started. He couldn't continue after the university was bombed multiple times. He remembers the many hours he used to spend in its beautiful gardens and says the university was ranked 68th globally in terms of green space. I was passionate about those gardens and used to spend hours there – it felt like a second home to me. When the university was bombed, I grieved just as I did for my own home that was destroyed In July 2024 he resumed his studies, getting online where and when he can. He is in the research phase of his degree, but says some of his friends are watching lectures and submitting assignments and exams online. He walks up to 10km a day to find places that offer electricity generated through the solar panels that were installed before the war. The power is unstable and unreliable. 'We rely on alternative power sources such as solar energy. The internet is also very slow and unstable, which makes it extremely difficult for students to continue their education. This is just one part of the daily struggles we face, alongside finding water, food, and enduring many other hardships. Still, we continue to pursue our education.' The Families Bakery The popular Families Bakery chain used to post photos on its Instagram account of counters full of bread, pastries, cakes and pizza. Treats for every occasion: Ramadan, graduation, breakfast, nights out with the family. The posts stopped in October 2023, and the shops took on greater significance as one of the World Food Programme (WFP)-subsidised bakeries that fed people during the war and the recent blockade. During the brief ceasefire from January to March this year, the bakery received some flour from the WFP and sold it for less than a dollar. Photographer Majdi Fathi, who has been documenting the daily struggles of life during the war on his Instagram account and for international media, took the video above. Many children and people stand in a queue to buy the bread for half a dollar then sell it to others for two dollars Fathi had been displaced from Gaza City, but when the ceasefire happened, he returned alongside thousands of others. 'My house was destroyed during the war in the neighbourhood of Shujaiya and now I am having to rent a house.' Throughout the war, keeping bakeries open has been a battle. People rely heavily on bread for sustenance and bakery ovens are often one of the only places families short of fuel can cook. The Families Bakery had to shut down again after the closure of all crossings into Gaza in March stopped supplies stock of flour, yeast and cooking gas. When aid convoys were allowed back in after more than 80 days of Israeli blockade in mid-May, some of the bakeries resumed bread production, but according to a WFP report, 'due to the lack of food and desperation of the population, situations of insecurity forced the bakeries to close'. Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, who owns the Families Bakery and is the head of the bakery owners' association in Gaza, told The New Arab on 27 May that, before the war: ' …about one hundred and forty bakeries were operated, but the Israeli army destroyed about 90 and left only 50. Around 25 bakeries are working with the WFP, and we have no news about dozens of them'. He also told the UN: 'The situation is extremely dangerous because people have no alternatives. They can't bake because they don't have electricity, energy, gas or fuel. The situation is extremely tough. Ask any citizen, and you will find out that they want to cry because of the tough situation they are living in: 'I will die of hunger alongside my children.' They have no alternative for bakeries.' Falafel Sousi Before the war, a short walk away from the bakery, one shekel (about 20p) could have bought someone a falafel sandwich at one of Falafel Sousi's several restaurants across Gaza City, including a couple on Omar al-Mukhtar street. 'The heart of Gaza City, which had pulsated with life, was now lifeless,' says a Palestinian influencer with the TikTok handle mta3mgaza. They used to uploaded videos reviewing restaurants in Gaza, but says Omar al-Moukhtar street, once made vibrant by the restaurants that lined it, is now decimated. Even the animals were dead and lying in the streets. The smell of death rose up from where bodies could not be retrieved from the rubble Majdi Fathi photographed a branch of the shop as it attempted to reopen during the brief ceasefire. He found a throng of people queueing for a sandwich even though the prices had soared, with falafel costing about five times as much as before. 'The crowd of people jostling at Falafel Sousi was because of the closure of the crossings for 52 days, when no food or vegetables were coming in. Gaza is empty of food, whatever is available is very expensive,' says Fathi. Today, the shop might open for a few days then has to close again because of the lack of resources. 'Falafel is now five shekels because chickpeas have become expensive and the sellers need firewood to cook because there is no gas supply,' says Fathi. Omari mosque The 7th-century Omari mosque, known as the Great Mosque, is Gaza's oldest and largest. Only metres from it sits one of the world's oldest active churches. In their vicinity are a gold market and traditional bathhouse, both centuries old. These buildings formed part of Gaza's old city and are the most significant cultural landmarks of a city that, contrary to the struggles of recent years, was historically wealthy because of its port's strategic location. The image of Omari mosque's minaret cut down by bombing in December 2023 hurt many Gazans – a terrible example of cultural history being destroyed. Once spanning an area of about 1,100 sq metres, the mosque's usable space has been reduced to just 300 sq metres due to damage caused by Israeli attacks. So when the ceasefire began and allowed many people to return to Gaza City, the youth began cleaning up the rubble so that prayers could begin again and by Ramadan they had constructed a temporary hall for nightly evening prayers. 'It was business as usual for Ramadan in Omari, the mosque was filled with worshippers remembering God,' says a member of the team's management. They also had plans to accommodate more worshippers during the last 10 days of Ramadan but those were put on hold when Israel ended the ceasefire and began a new military operation. Port of Gaza In the mornings, Gaza City's port would be busy with fishers heading out to sea and returning with whatever they could catch from within the confines of an Israel-imposed fishing zone to sell at the city's fish market. In the evening, families would arrive with flasks of tea and snacks to sit down and look out to sea. For many, the sea offered a form of escape from more than a decade of blockade in Gaza that prevented them from travelling. Even now, Gaza City resident Bader al-Zaharna returns to the coast when he needs a break but the view is very different, he says: I look at the beach and there are tents everywhere – it's a reminder of what's happened to us The port has become a makeshift refuge for thousands of displaced Palestinians that have sought refuge there and are facing harsh conditions living in tents without electricity or clean water. More than 90% of Gaza's fishing boats, fishers' storage and equipment have been destroyed. At least 4,500 fishers and 1,500 workers have lost their only source of income. They are also at risk: at least 202 people working in the fishing industry have been killed, 50 of them at sea. Fisher Zaki al-Najjar, who lost his brother in an Israeli attack, gave an account to UN officials: 'Every day we go out to sea, we stare death in the face. We bring back fish stained with blood, just to feed our children. Despite everything, we will never give up the sea. This is our livelihood, and we will hold on to it at any cost.'
The National
3 days ago
- The National
RTS switch-off in July will put vulnerable Scots at risk
Good evening! This week's edition of the In Common newsletter comes from Dr Ron Mould, net carbon manager at Bield Housing. AFTER 14 years of missed deadlines and shifting timetables, we've now entered the final month before the nationwide switch-off of the radio tele-switch (RTS) signal and the reality is looking increasingly grim. With tens of thousands of homes still awaiting smart meter installation, we are now in a desperate scramble to avoid a full-blown crisis. This is no small problem. An estimated 30% of the UK's remaining RTS meters are in Scotland, disproportionately affecting rural, elderly, and vulnerable households. The consequences of failure are significant and at this late stage, feel inevitable. As Net Carbon Manager at Bield, a housing provider supporting older people across Scotland, I've seen first-hand how badly this transition has been handled. Our tenants are among those directly affected, people who rely on electric storage heating and trusted the RTS system to manage their energy needs affordably and safely. Many are now facing anxiety, confusion and rising costs, with little to no support from the systems meant to protect them. Across the country, residents reliant on RTS for their heating are experiencing a barrage of issues, repeatedly aborted meter installations, often with no communication or learning applied to subsequent attempts. READ MORE: 'Deep concerns' over lack of urgency to replace soon to be switched off meters Some can't even get appointments, with suppliers routinely stating there are 'no engineers available in your area.' Even when installations do go ahead, the problems don't stop. New meters can trip electrics, prompting a game of finger-pointing between energy suppliers and electricians. More commonly, the issue lies in the specification of the new meters themselves. Despite supplier claims of a like-for-like swap, many smart meters provide a continuous 24-hour supply, in contrast to the timed circuits of RTS systems. Without integrated timers for heaters and hot water (previously controlled by the RTS signal) householders are left with systems that run around the clock, racking up unnecessary costs. Timers, if installed at all, often don't align with off-peak periods, which themselves have been allowed to erode, some tariffs now offer just a 1p difference between peak and off-peak. The BBC's longwave broadcasting equipment, which transmits the RTS signal, has genuinely reached the end of its life. But while the technology may be out of date, the strategy to replace it is even worse. Ofgem has not delivered a clearly communicated, nationally coordinated plan. Instead of a well-managed transition, we've had vague reassurances and rumours of a phased switch-off—starting with regions that have the fewest RTS meters remaining. READ MORE: 'Strength has emerged': Ex-Iran prisoner looks back on life in notorious jail Ofgem's own position is not especially reassuring: they admit they 'don't know what will happen.' Whether we experience a complete signal loss or a cascading failure across zones, one thing is certain- there will be no further UK-wide delays. Even a phased switch-off is expected to take place over just a few months, with no guarantee of any extension for Scotland. This is the sort of groundwork that should have been laid months ago, not weeks before the switch-off. Ad campaigns fronted by Lorraine Kelly have only recently hit the airwaves- despite repeated warnings that the RTS switch-off would create confusion and difficulty if not properly addressed early on. These last-minute efforts, while welcome, reflect a broader lack of long-term planning. At Bield, we're doing all we can to support our tenants — helping them navigate bookings, installations, and even explaining why their heating now works differently. But the scale of the issue is bigger than any one organisation can solve alone. We're seeing the real-world consequences for those left in limbo by unclear processes and mixed messaging. For those with electric heating, I urge you to contact your energy supplier immediately and request a smart meter. If you've already had a failed visit, rebook — and keep rebooking until the job is done. If you already have a smart meter, check that your hot water and heating systems have timers. Confirm they match your tariff's off-peak hours. If they don't, you'll need to adjust or retrofit them—otherwise, the promised cost savings will be lost. The RTS switch-off is no longer a future event — it's here. The headlines this July are, sadly, predictable. A lack of coordination, planning, and urgency from energy suppliers and regulators alike has led us to the brink of a national energy blunder. And as someone working closely with the people now facing the fallout, I can say this with confidence: Scotland deserves better.
