Latest news with #Bunker
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospitals scan more patients with AI technology
Staff at NHS hospitals in Hull said AI technology had cut MRI scan times, allowing them to see more patients. Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the software used algorithms to help reduce background noise, helping to achieve sharper images in a shorter time. Karen Bunker, head of imaging, said: "This means we can reduce the scanning time on certain sequences, but still get the same imaging quality." The software has been installed at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital and will also be introduced at Scunthorpe General Hospital and Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby. The Air Recon Deep Learning (ARDL) software was installed on the hospitals' existing MRI machines. Staff said the software was cutting between 10 and 15 minutes from average scan times. A routine MRI head scan used to take 30 minutes but now takes 20, the trust said, while a prostate scan now takes 30 minutes instead of 45. The trust added it can now scan 31 lumber spine patients over a 12 hour period, instead of 21 before. Ms Bunker said: "People who struggle with claustrophobia or those with learning disabilities, who previously couldn't tolerate a scan, are finding they are able to endure the shorter scan times." Staff also reported fewer children needed to have a general anaesthetic to get through a scan. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. AI in healthcare: what are the risks for the NHS? Hospitals will use AI to speed up patient care AI 'co-pilot' used to speed up cancer diagnosis Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
India.com
05-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
10 times bigger than the Pentagon, spread over 1,500 acres, China building 'Beijing Military City' under..., big tension for US due to...
10 times bigger than the Pentagon, spread over 1,500 acres, China building 'Beijing Military City' under..., big tension for US due to... People often say that trying to understand China is like trying to measure the height of a mountain hidden in fog, you can't see much, but you know it is massive. China isn't just a country, it's a mysterious world filled with modern technology, silent strength, and secret planning. China believes in winning the battle before the war even begins. Its strategy is simple: don't show anything, but do a lot behind the scenes. And right now, China is quietly building something underground that has caught the attention of the world. There are no signboards, no official names, and no public maps. But satellite images don't lie. They have revealed something strange being built just outside Beijing and it doesn't look like a normal city. It feels more like a scene from a spy thriller movie. What's being built beneath 1,500 acres of land in China? This hidden area covers about 1,500 acres. No drones are allowed to fly over it. No one is allowed to take pictures. And if you get close, the guards simply say, 'Go away, there's nothing here.' But if there's really nothing, then why so much digging underground? Why are global intelligence agencies calling it the 'Doomsday Fortress'? Experts believe that China is building a massive underground bunker, much larger than even US's Pentagon. It is being called the 'Beijing Military City.' A satellite imagery time lapse of a new Chinese military command center under construction near Beijing, first reported by @Dimi. The facility is on track to be ten times larger than the Pentagon, according to US officials. — Brady Africk (@bradyafr) January 31, 2025 China building a 'Doomsday Bunker' beneath Beijing China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is building a massive underground complex in western Beijing, which U.S. intelligence agencies believe could be a wartime command center. According to American officials and intelligence experts, this secret site is spread across at least 1,500 acres and may be up to 10 times larger than the Pentagon.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Where is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? Iran's Supreme leader names ‘3 successors' amid assassination scare
Amid escalating Middle East conflict and rising fears of assassination, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is learnt to have taken refuge in a secure underground bunker and named three senior clerics as his possible successors, according to a report by The New York Times. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly hiding in bunker, names three possible successors(AFP) The move marks a dramatic shift in Iran's power structure as the country faces one of its gravest wartime threats in decades — a two-front war with Israel and US military involvement. According to the NYT report, Ayatollah Khamenei's son, Mojtaba — a cleric with strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and once widely speculated to be a leading contender — has not been included among the potential successors. Follow Iran Israel war live updates. Another prominent figure, former conservative president Ebrahim Raisi, had also been seen as a top candidate before his death in a helicopter crash in 2024, the report said. Questions on Khamenei's whereabouts have grown after US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday, with President Donald Trump asking Iran to 'end the war' immediately. 'Massive security breach' in Iranian intelligence team The 86-year-old leader, known for rarely stepping outside his heavily guarded compound in Tehran, has reportedly suspended all electronic communications and now relays instructions only through a trusted aide. Three Iranian officials familiar with the emergency plans told NYT that this is part of a sweeping wartime protocol aimed at avoiding detection by Israel and the United States, both of which have allegedly warned of a potential assassination plot. Also Read | Khamenei's circle issues stark warning after US strikes Iran: 'Target naval fleet' 'It is clear that we had a massive security and intelligence breach; there is no denying this,' said Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Parliament Speaker Gen. Mohammad Ghalibaf, in an audio clip obtained by NYT. 'Our senior commanders were all assassinated within one hour.' 865 dead, Over 3000 injured in Iran Iran-Israel war entered its tenth day on Sunday since Israel's surprise offensive. More than 865 Iranians have reportedly been killed, and 3,396 injured, according to a human rights group cited by The Associated Press. The strikes have hit deep into Tehran and targeted Iran's nuclear scientists, military bases, and energy infrastructure. Now with President Donald Trump at the helm, US inserted itself in the middle East conflict with airstrikes on three nuclear sites in Iran. Washington launched its powerful B2 bombers, Bunker busters and Tomahawk missile strikes on three of Iran's nuclear sites — including the highly fortified Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan Also Read | How China, Pak, others reacted to US airstrikes on Iran: 'Catastrophic consequences' The strike, involving B-2 bombers and long-range assets, marks a significant expansion of hostilities and an aggressive phase of direct US attacks on Iran. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror,' Trump said in a nationally televised address, a day after US bombed Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei has reportedly instructed Iran's Assembly of Experts — the powerful clerical body that selects the Supreme Leader — to be prepared to appoint his successor from the three candidates he has named, should he be killed. Typically, such a transition would take months, but Khamenei's directive seeks to ensure a 'quick, orderly transition,' the report notes. 'It is clear that we had a massive security and intelligence breach; there is no denying this,' said Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Parliament Speaker Gen. Mohammad Ghalibaf, in an audio clip obtained by NYT. 'Our senior commanders were all assassinated within one hour.'
South Wales Guardian
10-06-2025
- Science
- South Wales Guardian
Wildlife declining in UK woods despite more tree cover, study finds
The paper, published by the Woodland Trust on Tuesday, found the quantity and variety of wildlife is plummeting despite a marginal rise in tree cover. This is due to the deteriorating ecological condition within UK woodlands, the environmental group said. Abigail Bunker, director of conservation and external affairs at the Woodland Trust, said findings show the UK's 'once rich, complex woodlands have become simpler and less biodiverse over time'. While woodland cover has increased from 13.2% of UK land area in 2020 to 13.5% in 2024, just 45% of the Government's woodland creation targets have been met by the UK over those years, the report said. To hit the UK's net zero targets, the authors cited the Climate Change Committee's assessment that current tree planting rates need to double by the end of this decade. Pulling together a range of different scientific studies, the report outlines findings that point towards a significant loss in woodland wildlife in recent decades. These includes a 47% decline in butterflies between 1990 and 2022, as well as a 37% reduction in the number of woodland birds in the past 50 years, and 15% in the past five. The population of dormice in surveyed woodland fell by 70% between 2000 and 2022, and the richness of different plant species has reduced by 22% over the past 50 years, more research found. And only one in 50 native woodlands were found to have more than one veteran tree per 200,000 metres squared, which are especially valuable to wildlife thanks to their damage and decay features that provide food and habitat. While approximately one quarter of all forest species depend on deadwood for their lifecycles, almost half (46%) have no deadwood at all, it was also found. Ms Bunker said: 'UK woodlands lack open spaces, such as glades, which allow light to reach the forest floor and young trees to grow. 'There are also fewer older trees, which, along with their soils, lock in carbon from the atmosphere. Alarmingly, many British woodlands have very few – if any – ancient and veteran trees left.' Other threats identified in the paper include 121 different species of pests which have been introduced to UK native trees, many from the international plant trade. The report predicts that climate change will allow these, and potentially other pest species to further thrive, to the detriment of British trees, with the UK spending an estimated £919.9 million per year managing only six of these pests. The Woodland Trust also warned that healthy woodlands are key to UK plans for tackling and mitigating the effects of climate change, such as flooding and sequestering carbon. Sensitive management of woodlands can help to make them more resilient to the escalating suite of threats, it added. Elsewhere, the report focused on the impact woodlands have on wellbeing and communities. It highlighted poll findings that suggest nine in 10 people agree woodland biodiversity has a positive impact through features such birdsong or the sound of rustling leaves. The richest woodlands for wellbeing were also found to be very unevenly distributed across the UK, with lower value woodlands found in more deprived areas Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery – whose players supported the report, said: 'Trees and woodlands are a huge part of our nation's wellbeing and heritage, so it's fantastic our players were able to support this important report, which uses such a breadth of scientific evidence to reveal what we need to do to ensure UK woodlands survive and thrive for people and nature.' Ms Bunker said: 'We are calling on the Government and others to invest in the management of our woodlands, so that people and wildlife can experience the benefits of these precious ecosystems, particularly in mitigating the effects of climate change. 'It's also vital that the government start hitting their tree-planting targets, so that there is time to grow the veteran trees of the future and help shape woodlands to better withstand challenges like new diseases, or rising temperatures.' An Environment Department (Defra) spokesperson said: 'Trees are at the forefront of our plans to reduce emissions and help reverse biodiversity loss. 'This Government is investing up to £400 million in tree planting and peatland restoration over the next two years, and have announced the Western Forest as the first new National Forest in 30 years. 'We're also taking action to bring more existing woodlands into sustainable management, helping to restore nature-rich habitats and support wildlife.'
Rhyl Journal
10-06-2025
- Science
- Rhyl Journal
Wildlife declining in UK woods despite more tree cover, study finds
The paper, published by the Woodland Trust on Tuesday, found the quantity and variety of wildlife is plummeting despite a marginal rise in tree cover. This is due to the deteriorating ecological condition within UK woodlands, the environmental group said. Abigail Bunker, director of conservation and external affairs at the Woodland Trust, said findings show the UK's 'once rich, complex woodlands have become simpler and less biodiverse over time'. While woodland cover has increased from 13.2% of UK land area in 2020 to 13.5% in 2024, just 45% of the Government's woodland creation targets have been met by the UK over those years, the report said. To hit the UK's net zero targets, the authors cited the Climate Change Committee's assessment that current tree planting rates need to double by the end of this decade. Pulling together a range of different scientific studies, the report outlines findings that point towards a significant loss in woodland wildlife in recent decades. These includes a 47% decline in butterflies between 1990 and 2022, as well as a 37% reduction in the number of woodland birds in the past 50 years, and 15% in the past five. The population of dormice in surveyed woodland fell by 70% between 2000 and 2022, and the richness of different plant species has reduced by 22% over the past 50 years, more research found. And only one in 50 native woodlands were found to have more than one veteran tree per 200,000 metres squared, which are especially valuable to wildlife thanks to their damage and decay features that provide food and habitat. While approximately one quarter of all forest species depend on deadwood for their lifecycles, almost half (46%) have no deadwood at all, it was also found. Ms Bunker said: 'UK woodlands lack open spaces, such as glades, which allow light to reach the forest floor and young trees to grow. 'There are also fewer older trees, which, along with their soils, lock in carbon from the atmosphere. Alarmingly, many British woodlands have very few – if any – ancient and veteran trees left.' Other threats identified in the paper include 121 different species of pests which have been introduced to UK native trees, many from the international plant trade. The report predicts that climate change will allow these, and potentially other pest species to further thrive, to the detriment of British trees, with the UK spending an estimated £919.9 million per year managing only six of these pests. The Woodland Trust also warned that healthy woodlands are key to UK plans for tackling and mitigating the effects of climate change, such as flooding and sequestering carbon. Sensitive management of woodlands can help to make them more resilient to the escalating suite of threats, it added. Elsewhere, the report focused on the impact woodlands have on wellbeing and communities. It highlighted poll findings that suggest nine in 10 people agree woodland biodiversity has a positive impact through features such birdsong or the sound of rustling leaves. The richest woodlands for wellbeing were also found to be very unevenly distributed across the UK, with lower value woodlands found in more deprived areas Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery – whose players supported the report, said: 'Trees and woodlands are a huge part of our nation's wellbeing and heritage, so it's fantastic our players were able to support this important report, which uses such a breadth of scientific evidence to reveal what we need to do to ensure UK woodlands survive and thrive for people and nature.' Ms Bunker said: 'We are calling on the Government and others to invest in the management of our woodlands, so that people and wildlife can experience the benefits of these precious ecosystems, particularly in mitigating the effects of climate change. 'It's also vital that the government start hitting their tree-planting targets, so that there is time to grow the veteran trees of the future and help shape woodlands to better withstand challenges like new diseases, or rising temperatures.' An Environment Department (Defra) spokesperson said: 'Trees are at the forefront of our plans to reduce emissions and help reverse biodiversity loss. 'This Government is investing up to £400 million in tree planting and peatland restoration over the next two years, and have announced the Western Forest as the first new National Forest in 30 years. 'We're also taking action to bring more existing woodlands into sustainable management, helping to restore nature-rich habitats and support wildlife.'
