Latest news with #Beasts
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Inside Trump's massive ring of steel for Scotland visit – from nuke codes, the Beast & ‘shoot to kill' special agents
The massive security operation around his last three-day UK trip cost around £30million LINE OF DEFENCE Inside Trump's massive ring of steel for Scotland visit – from nuke codes, the Beast & 'shoot to kill' special agents Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DONALD Trump is due to fly to Scotland for the first time since his return to the White House — teeing up a massive security operation. The US President, 79, is expected to jet into Prestwick on Air Force One later this month, with plans for a ring of steel well under way. 9 Donald Trump is reportedly set to visit Scotland in the coming weeks Credit: Getty 9 Trump's team will bring several "Beasts" - the nickname given to the US President's armoured Cadillacs Credit: Alamy Live News 9 Counter-terror cops have been deployed on previous President visits Credit: Getty - Pool His armoured motorcade is expected to whisk him to his nearby Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, which was vandalised with pro-Palestine graffiti in March. It is believed he will also travel via presidential helicopter Marine One to open his second course at Menie, Aberdeenshire, named after his late Scots mother Mary Anne MacLeod. But it is understood a proposed meeting with King Charles will not take place. However, the US leader is scheduled to make a full state visit to the UK soon, most likely in September. Police Scotland last night said no date has been confirmed for the president's first visit here since his election victory in 2023. But no hotel rooms are available to book at his two golf resorts from July 24-28. Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said: 'Planning is under way for a potential visit to Scotland by the President of the United States. 'While official confirmation has not yet been made, it is important we prepare in advance for what would be a significant policing operation.' Security and policing insiders have said meetings are ongoing this week with the possibility of up to 5,000 officers being required to work 12-hour shifts. While global tensions also mean more security could be in place. Hear incredible moment Trump reveals threat to 'bomb the s*** out of Moscow and Beijing' - & Putin's gobsmacked reaction Back in 2018, during Mr Trump's first visit to the UK as President, a massive security operation was launched, with the three-day trip totalling around £30million. This included rooftop snipers, undercover Secret Service agents and elite SAS soldiers, as well as a number of British cops drafted in from forces all over the UK. At the time, security expert and the author of Parent Alert: How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online, Will Geddes, told The Sun Online: "If you think of it like a fried egg, the yolk is Trump and his team, and the white is everything else the police can do around it. "It will be primarily led by the police but they will also be working along counter-terrorism command, the Secret Service, MI5, and inevitably additional support from Special Forces - that's SAS and SBS. "Counter terrorism, their role will be in providing assistance and intelligence coordination with their American counterparts." Air Force One Trump is expecting to fly into Prestwick on Air Force One - which is one of two specially modified Boeing 747-200B jets which carries the US President. The 4,000sq feet plane can act as a mobile command centre in the event of an attack on the United States. It is outfitted with military technology and has classified communications gear and defences in case it is attacked by a missile. 9 The last time Air Force One landed in Scotland The plane can be refuelled in the air as it has a special fuel cap on its nose so a second plane can connect to it while flying above. This means the plane could technically stay in the air indefinitely in case of an emergency. Details of the plane's defence capabilities are top secret but it has the ability the function as a bunker in the event of a nuclear attack. It's also reported to be capable of repelling airborne missiles and has a special electronic defence system that can jam enemy radars. Electronics on board are designed to protect against an electromagnetic pulse and the aircraft is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment. The 'Beasts' Trump's team will bring several "Beasts" - the nickname given to the US President's armoured Cadillacs. The £1.2million vehicles weigh eight tonnes, is bulletproof and able to survive a direct rocket or chemical warfare attack. 9 The £1.2million vehicles weigh eight tonnes, is bulletproof and able to survive a direct rocket or chemical warfare attack Credit: Splash News Encased in ballistic armour and weighing about nine tonnes, each contains a sealed cabin with an oxygen supply and bags of blood matching the President's type in case of a medical emergency. Anyone foolish enough to grab the cars' door handles without authorisation can expect to be hit with a 120-volt shock delivered at the flick of a switch from those inside. The massive motors can also emit tear gas and flood the road with nails or an oil slick if being pursued. CAR FORCE ONE: Trump's bulletproof Cadillac with panic button Trump's Car weighs eight tonnes, is bulletproof and able to survive a direct rocket or chemical warfare attack. It has a Halon fire-suppression system, used on race cars. Here are some other secret features that keep Donald Trump safe anywhere in the world... Cameras: Night-vision lenses fitted and controlled from the dashboard. Night-vision lenses fitted and controlled from the dashboard. Windows: Five layers of glass and polycarbonate mean they can withstand bullets. Only the driver's window opens. Five layers of glass and polycarbonate mean they can withstand bullets. Only the driver's window opens. Driver: Specially trained Secret Services officer can perform 'J-turn' to spin car 180-degrees before continuing, facing forward, without changing the direction of travel. Specially trained Secret Services officer can perform 'J-turn' to spin car 180-degrees before continuing, facing forward, without changing the direction of travel. Panic button: The Beast has alarm, own oxygen supply in case of chemical attack and bags of the President's blood type in case he needs transfusion. The Beast has alarm, own oxygen supply in case of chemical attack and bags of the President's blood type in case he needs transfusion. Weapons: Pump action shotguns and tear gas cannons are carried in the car. Guns are also hidden in the front grille. The boot is also equipped with tear gas, smoke-screen dispensers and a firefighting system. Pump action shotguns and tear gas cannons are carried in the car. Guns are also hidden in the front grille. The boot is also equipped with tear gas, smoke-screen dispensers and a firefighting system. Bodywork: Five inches thick military-grade armour, created from aluminium, steel, titanium and ceramic, covered with fiberglass panels. Additionally, the undercarriage is made from armoured steel floor plates to protect from grenades and bombs thrown underneath the vehicle. Five inches thick military-grade armour, created from aluminium, steel, titanium and ceramic, covered with fiberglass panels. Additionally, the undercarriage is made from armoured steel floor plates to protect from grenades and bombs thrown underneath the vehicle. Reinforced tyres: The puncture-resistant tyres are reinforced with heat-resistant Kevlar. If destroyed, the car can be driven on wheels' steel pins. The puncture-resistant tyres are reinforced with heat-resistant Kevlar. If destroyed, the car can be driven on wheels' steel pins. Doors: Eight inches thick armour-plated and the weight of a cabin door on a 757 jet. Eight inches thick armour-plated and the weight of a cabin door on a 757 jet. MPG: The Beast uses diesel but due to the weight and design it only does four miles per gallon. The Beast uses diesel but due to the weight and design it only does four miles per gallon. The cost: The Beast costs £1.2million to make plus £11million on its research and development. The President has TWELVE of them. Mr Geddes said: "Trump will be likely bringing a couple of Beasts. There will be various vehicles that will support that. "They'll be a mix of SUVs and Range Rover Discoveries. Then in support vehicles there will be protection officers, counter attack teams. "They'll be incredibly well positioned to provide a response in the event of an attack." 'Shoot to kill' agents During his 2018 visit, the huge security operation included rooftop snipers, undercover Secret Service agents and elite SAS soldiers. Trump was also flanked at all times by security detail from the US and the UK. Around 150 'shoot to kill' special agents were deployed to watch his every move. 9 Specialist firearms officers during the President's visit in 2018 9 A sniper team on alert during Donald Trump's last visit to Turnberry Mr Geddes added: "MI5, they'll be looking at any kind of chatter around the visit that's existing already and prioritising those they think are of greater risk, or expediting the arrests of any individuals. "Secret Service will inevitably already be here operating out of the US embassy. They will be doing the advance reconnaissance. "They are looking at all the venues where Trump is going to be staying, how he will move ... whether it's by road or helicopter." He added that counter-terror officers - armed with sub-machine guns, glock pistols and Heckler and Koch assault rifles - will also be out in force. Marine One & undercover agents Thousands of uniformed officers were guarding Trump as well as undercover agents hiding among the crowds. He continued: "You're going to have spotters and you're going to have top cover - that will be guys on roofs with sniper rifles. 9 Donald Trump pictured in front of Marine One "There will probably be Marine One, Two and Three, the presidential helicopters, and if he does use those they generally fly in a pattern of three, so nobody knows which helicopter the president is travelling on. "There's every likelihood there will be a restricted air zone around the areas Trump is in. One of the biggest concerns is potential drones." Nuclear football The "nuclear football" refers to the briefcase which accompanies the President while he's away from the White House to deploy nuclear weapons if necessary. The briefcase was handed to Mr Trump when he took office and it never leaves the president's side. Inside is a black book of strike options for him to choose from, once he has authenticated his identity using a plastic card nicknamed 'the biscuit'. Once the president has selected his strike options from what has been compared to a restaurant set menu, the order is passed via the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Pentagon's war room. 9 A military aide carries the 'nuclear football' which contains launch codes for nuclear weapons Credit: Getty Using sealed authentication codes it's then sent on to US Strategic Command HQ in Offutt Airbase in Nebraska. The order to fire is transmitted to the actual launch crews using encrypted codes that have to match the codes locked inside their safes. The origins of the Football can be traced back to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis when JFK ordered locks to be placed on nuclear weapons and demanded alternatives to an all-out nuclear war plan. Military drafted in As security ramped up in 2018 special forces helicopters - £50million V-22 Osprey tiltrotor military aircrafts - swept through the sky above London as part of the intricate operation. And the nuclear-powered USS Harry S Truman was in European waters, ready to be deployed.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dutch beach beasts find a final resting place in a new exhibition
Dutch artist Theo Jansen is interviewed in front of his 'strandbeesten' or Beach Beasts, wind-powered creatures made from yellow plastic tubes, displayed during an exhibit in Delft, Netherlands, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) The famous wind-powered beach beasts have scuttled along the Dutch North Sea coast, into a swanky Miami art show and even onto "The Simpsons." Now. they have a final resting place in a Dutch city most famous for "Girl with a Pearl Earring" painter Johannes Vermeer and blue-painted pottery. The "bones" of Theo Jansen's "strandbeesten" - beach animals in Dutch - have taken over a former cable factory in Delft, the small city in the western Netherlands that Jansen has called home for decades. "During the years, there has been a sort of evolutionary history, you could say. And you could see these animals as sort of natural historical objects," the 77-year old artist told The Associated Press before the installation's opening. The Strandbeesten Mortuary, as the exhibition is called, follows the various versions of the mobile sculptures since 1990 when Jansen created the first one from plastic pipes and tape. As the animals evolved, Jansen incorporated plastic bottles, wooden planks, cloth and cardboard. The life and death cycle of these famous animals - formed mostly out of PVC pipes - has left behind an impressive fossil record, which is on display at the exhibition. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Marloes Koster, who organized the exhibition for Delft's Prinsenhof Museum, said that Jansen's ultimate goal is to create a beast that will live forever. "He's not there yet, so these are the ones that didn't make it," she added. The museum is undergoing major renovations, so Koster and her colleagues have been putting together arts and culture events at alternative venues around the city while the building is shut. Born near the North Sea, Jansen grew up captivated by the wind that often hits the Dutch coastline. He harnessed it to allow his animals to "walk" along the beach. Every year, he creates a new strandbeest and, at the end of the summer, declares the animal dead. "All summer I do experiments, and in the fall I'm a little bit wiser (about) how these animals should survive in the future," Jansen said. Many of the visitors to the opening of the exhibition had followed Jansen's work for years and were keen to understand how the strandbeesten had changed over time. "You see a kind of development in the way he does things. So they start out very simple, and then it gets increasingly complicated. So they evolve," said Cor Nonhof, a Delft local who had come to see the exhibition with his wife. Even at the opening, Jansen was already keen to return to the beach to work on the latest evolution of his strandbeesten. "I cannot do anything else," Jansen said. "And I am very happy with that.
The National
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Ramadan TV 2025 review: Kuwaiti true crime series Wuhoosh tackles infamous incidents that rocked the Gulf
Despite its popularity globally, true crime is not a well-tread genre in the Gulf. Due to conservative cultural norms, most avoid discussing heinous crimes openly to spare the families of those involved from the public gaze. Wuhoosh a new series from Kuwait is attempting to push the envelope on this taboo subject this Ramadan. Translating to 'Beasts', the 10-episode series streaming on Shasha is directed by filmmakers Mohamed Salama from Egypt and Saeed El Marouk from Lebanon. The show stars some of the most talented and famous names in Kuwaiti television including Shujoun Al Hajri, Haya Abdel Salam, Faisal Al Omairi, Bashar Al Shatti, Ali Kakooli and Mansour Al Bloushi. Divided into four stories, two are told over two episodes while the other two are told in three episodes. All 10 episodes released on the first day of Ramadan, and the series has since sparked debate on social media between viewers who enjoyed its daring way of telling real-life stories and those who condemned it for using these traumatising events for a television drama. The first of the four stories is about a fire that ravaged a wedding tent in 2009 which took the lives of 57 people and severely injured 90. The arsonist that started the fire is the first wife of the groom, who was not in the tent at the time. Having grown apart, the groom falls in love with another women and marries her. Fuelled by jealousy and blind rage, the woman takes douses the outside of the tent with petrol and lights it on fire. In the ensuing panic, a stampede occurs inside the tent, with many being trampled over before being burnt to death. Investigations then lead to the arrest of the arsonist, before she is sentenced to death for her crime. Right from the start, the show establishes two crucial things with this first story. The first is that this is going to be a tough, perhaps excruciating watch for many. Seeing a person commit these crimes and witnessing the result and how it affects people will make many feel uneasy. The second thing it establishes is the quality of the filmmaking, acting and storytelling. There's very little glamour in these roles, whether portraying a criminal or a detective, the actors make sure to do it sincerely without belittling the event or the people affected. With all these stories being set at some point in the past 40 years, much attention and effort is put into getting the details of the time period right. From the cars to the clothes or even the locations, the result is very impressive. The second and third stories are both told in two episodes. The first is about a child abuser who abducted and assaulted 17 children before being caught in 2007 and hanged in 2013. The second is about a thief who in 1983 would ask for a ride home in front of banks before murdering the drivers and stealing their money. The fourth and final story is perhaps the hardest to watch. In 2002, a countrywide search began after a girl, 6, went missing. Days later, her body was found in a remote area, showing signs of being brutalised and tortured. The case truly rocked Kuwaiti society, with many hoping it would be solved as they started to live in fear from what is out there. After a thorough investigation, it was found that three men had abducted the child for what they claimed was an 'honour killing' to avenge an illegal relationship between the victim's brother, and the sister of two of the killers. With stories like these, there's no enjoyment to be taken outside of appreciating the effort and craft put into making it as good as it is. The stories have been told for generations either as cautionary tales or injected with saucier details to make it more scandalous. Presenting the facts in this way sets the record straight on many things, especially being crimes so notorious in society at this point. It is very refreshing that a Gulf drama would not hold back in its presentation, allowing the filmmakers to direct something that can be appreciated for its style while also giving the actors roles in which they can dive into and fully embody. One hopes that this is the start of a trend and not a flash in the pan.
CairoScene
20-02-2025
- Science
- CairoScene
Egypt's ‘Cave of Beasts' Holds the Haunting Secrets of a Lost People
Egypt's 'Cave of Beasts' Holds the Haunting Secrets of a Lost People The first thing to know about the Cave of Beasts is that reaching it is no small feat. The Western Desert of Egypt does not accommodate visitors easily, and Wadi Sura—where the cave is located—stretches deep into a landscape that, for millennia, has rejected human habitation. The heat is unrelenting, and the sand moves in ways that disorient even seasoned desert travellers. But somewhere at the southwestern base of the Gilf Kebir plateau, near the borders of Libya and Sudan, there is a cave unlike any other. Inside, preserved in pigments that have clung to the rock walls for over 7,000 years, is the immutable evidence of human creativity and ingenuity. Discovered in 2002 by an Egyptian-Italian team led by Massimo Foggini and Ahmed Mestikawi, the Cave of Beasts—also referred to as Wadi Sura II—holds over 5,000 figures painted in red, yellow, white, and black. Some of them are unmistakable: human figures in various stances, animals that almost seem to gallop across the stone, scenes that suggest movement, story, perhaps even ritual. Others defy immediate explanation. There are creatures with human bodies but animal heads, others that lack heads entirely. Hundreds of hand and foot stencils punctuate the space, but not all of them are human. Some are so different in shape that researchers have suggested they might have been made using the hands of monitor lizards, a detail that complicates—and deepens—the mystery of the site. The significance of the Cave of Beasts extends beyond its artistic breadth. These images, left by a culture whose name remains unknown, suggest a way of life that is both familiar and alien. At the time these paintings were made, the Sahara was not the dry and inhospitable landscape it is today. It was humid, with lakes and vegetation—in other words: an environment that welcomed human settlement. Evidence of a lake at the base of the cave supports this, though whatever civilisation once thrived there was eventually forced to leave. Around 6,000 years ago, the climate shifted, the rains ceased, and the desert claimed what remained. It was not the first time the Sahara had transformed, nor would it be the last, but the Cave of Beasts seems barely concerned with the seismic natural forces changing everything around it. Some of the figures depicted across the cave's walls, especially the therianthropic ones, suggest a mythology that is now lost to time. Were these deities? Spirits? Symbols of transformation? The presence of acephalic figures raises questions that have no simple answers. The Cave of Beasts is often compared to the nearby Cave of Swimmers, a site made famous by its depiction in The English Patient as the place where Count Laszlo and nurse Hana fall madly in love. But where the swimmers are thought to represent early ideas of floating or drowning, the Beasts elude such straightforward interpretation. Over the years, researchers have worked to document and preserve the cave, recognizing its importance as one of the most significant prehistoric sites in Africa. In 2010, a team from the University of Cologne conducted an in-depth study, attempting to analyse the meaning and chronology of the paintings. But some things resist excavation. Much to the chagrin of historians, the cave does not leave any tangible explanation for what was left behind. And even that is incomplete. What these people believed, what stories they told—these things remain locked in stone, unchanged, perpetually unyielding. To reach the Cave of Beasts today requires careful planning. The journey is long, and the conditions harsh, but for those who make it, there is the rare chance to stand before something ancient, something that predates even our most ancient of documented civilisations. If nothing else compels you to make the journey, let it be this—seven thousand years ago, someone stood in that cave and left behind a message. What it means is still unknown. But if you go, if you stand where they once stood, you might be the one to finally listen.
