Latest news with #K6
Times of Oman
13-07-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
India moves forward in developing K-6 missile
With a planned range of over 8,000 kilometres and the ability to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), the K-6 marks a bold leap in India's strategic weapons programme, firmly placing the country among the few global powers with ultra-long-range hypersonic strike capabilities. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and being readied for deployment on the future nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) of the Indian Navy, the K-6 represents not just technological advancement, but a powerful symbol of strategic maturity and self-reliance. A technological triumph The K-6 missile is being designed with cutting-edge propulsion and guidance systems that allow it to fly at hypersonic speeds — more than five times the speed of sound — and remain highly manoeuvrable through its flight path. This gives it not only speed and reach but also the ability to avoid interception from current-generation missile defence systems. The missile's MIRV capability — which allows it to carry and deploy multiple warheads to separate targets — represents a significant force multiplier. This technical complexity and precision underscore India's rising stature in the global missile development arena, positioning the country as a leader in high-end aerospace innovation. Strategic independence and Atmanirbhar Bharat The K-6 project is yet another shining example of India's resolve to develop indigenous defence capabilities. As part of the broader 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India) initiative, the DRDO and associated institutions have been committed to ensuring that India's most critical defence assets are developed and produced domestically. From advanced composites for missile airframes to indigenous solid-fuel propulsion technologies, and from indigenous inertial navigation systems to cutting-edge MIRV tech, the K-6 showcases the best of Indian scientific and engineering talent. Moreover, the missile project has created a ripple effect across India's defence ecosystem, fostering innovation among startups, boosting local manufacturing, and contributing to the growth of a self-sustaining defence-industrial base. Indian scientists, engineers, and strategists are now working at the frontier of global military technology. Navy's new era The development of the K-6 goes hand in hand with India's naval expansion strategy. With plans underway for constructing the next generation of SSBNs, including those with greater endurance and improved stealth, the K-6 is expected to be the principal strategic weapon aboard these vessels. This alignment between platform and payload signifies a strategic integration that ensures not just the deployment of high-tech systems but their seamless incorporation into operational doctrine and mission planning. With the induction of the K-6, the synergy between conventional maritime power and strategic capability will be complete.
The Sun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside UK's BIGGEST red phone box graveyard full of 70 rusting kiosks abandoned next to train line – and why it exists
EERIE snaps from the UK's biggest red phone box graveyard reveal rows of rusting kiosks. The chilling snaps show the 70 rotting booths stood next to the abandoned train line, but the graveyard hides a heartwarming secret. 6 6 6 When mobile phones became popular, phone booths fell out of fashion and many fell into disrepair. Left to decay, the 70 kiosks in Merstham, Surrey, are a sinister sight. However, the kiosks are actually part of a massive restoration project. Unicorn Restorations use the site to bring the boxes - which are a beloved national symbol - back to their former glory. The site's hardworking staff spend 30 hours on each box, stripping them down and repainting them in the General Post Office's iconic red. New glass is installed in the phone booths' doors to finish off the restoration. There are also three different models of red telephone booths, including the original K2, the famous K6 and the modern K8. The K6 boxes were designed in 1935 to mark King George V's silver jubilee and, at one point, 60,000 of the boxes were in use across Britain. Often the boxes are used in films to create quintessentially British sets. Film franchises including Harry Potter, Paddington and Disney's Christopher Robin are just a few famous productions to use Unicorn Restorations. I got drunk and bought a double decker bus online - now I've transformed it into the workshop of my dreams in the garden The booths are available to buy too and are priced from £4000 to £20,000. Nicolas Ritter, a professional photographer, recalled visiting the yard back in 2012. He said: 'Being at the telephone graveyard was a great experience for me. It felt like a journey back into the history of the country as the phone boxes are such a unique symbol of British culture. 'Viewing this museal location now after the beginning of a new age of communication the phone graveyard bears a mystic vibe of a past era.' The news comes as plans are made for an iconic steam train to return to the nation's rails. The 60163 Tornado will travel from London Waterloo towards Woking and Basingstoke from August 16. It will follow the route of the classic ACE trains which travelled along the South West coast. Kelly Osborne, managing director of The Railway Touring Company, said: "We are delighted to be working with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to provide opportunities for people from Woking and Basingstoke to travel with Tornado and for many more to see the locomotive in action. "It is very exciting that Tornado will be back on the national rail network." 6 6 6
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Sage Bambino Plus coffee machine review: the perfect espresso machine for beginners
The Sage Bambino Plus is a £350 espresso machine that leaves the espresso brewing to you but automatically steams the milk at the press of a button. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but this is probably the best beginner's espresso machine on the market. Whether you're starting out or just want to upgrade from a more basic machine, such as the excellent De'Longhi Stilosa, it's a great choice. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The simple design and ease of use are all part of the appeal and are among the reasons why I still enjoy using it as much as I do, despite far pricier machines dotting my household. To be clear, this isn't a fully assisted machine that holds your hand throughout the process. You still need to learn the manual espresso ropes by dialling in the correct grind size and dosage for the perfect shot. But the combination of the useful tools in the box and an informative, helpful manual means that even beginners will soon find their feet. Once you've done your bit – brewing an espresso to the best of your ability – the Bambino Plus is happy to take over. Fill the supplied stainless steel jug with a little milk, place it on the drip tray and submerge the steam wand, then all that's required is to press one of the little buttons on the machine's front and wait. The quiet rumble and splutter turn to a rhythmic pulse, and after a minute or so, your jug of cold milk is steamed to a hot, silken froth. Pour the milk into your espresso, and voilà – you're now a barista. Congratulations. I'll have a cappuccino, please. No sprinkles. View at SageView at Amazon The Bambino Plus's silver exterior evokes the polished metal of far pricier machines, but its compact footprint tiptoes more daintily on the kitchen surface, making it perfect for slotting in neatly between microwave and food mixer. And its price, while hardly pocket money, puts it firmly in the realms of the affordable runaround when compared with the four- and five-figure tags of turbocharged enthusiast machines. Almost everything you need comes in the box. There's a stainless steel milk jug, a light plastic tamper, a razor tool for getting the pucks of ground coffee just so. There's also a little pin mounted on a plastic fob for clearing the steam wand's nozzles when they inevitably get blocked with dried milk. You get a light metal portafilter, which is helpfully accompanied by a range of baskets for single and double shots. The reason I say almost everything is because the one essential missing is a coffee grinder. I'd recommend something like Kingrinder's K6 (£99), if you can put up with a hand grinder, or Baratza's Encore ESP (£159.94), if you can stretch to it. A pair of scales to measure out your dosage of beans would also come in handy. I'd recommend buying some that are accurate to at least 0.1g. The selection of filter baskets is useful, especially for those just starting out. The single- and double-shot pressurised baskets are ideal if you want to make espresso from supermarket ground coffee: the dual-wall construction aims to increase the brew pressure to create a frothy, rich crema from coffee that's neither ground finely enough nor as fresh as it could be. If you do have access to fresh, good-quality coffee and a grinder, then you can use the unpressurised baskets instead. That's what I'd recommend doing. Type: manual espresso machine with automatic milk frothingDimensions: 19 x 36 x 30cm (WDH)Water tank: removable 1.9lReplaceable water filter: yesAccessories supplied: 54mm portafilter (3 ear), tamper, razor dosing tool, water filter, 480ml milk jug, pressurised baskets (single and double), unpressurised baskets (single and double), cleaning tool, back flush discTime to heat up: 6secsTime to steam milk: 56secsGrinder included: noNoise: 46dB (brew), 59dB (steam)Weight: 5.9kgWarranty: two-year repair, replace or refund at Sage's discretion View at SageView at Amazon The Bambino Plus is easy to get to grips with. The front fascia is simply laid out, with a couple of bigger buttons for pouring single or double shots. There's a button to start the milk frothing and two smaller buttons to tailor the milk temperature and frothing level – each of which is adjustable through three preset amounts. It doesn't hurt that the user manual is written to be read and referred to rather than flung immediately into the recycling bin. Around the back, the removable 1.9-litre water tank feels sturdy and clips home with a reassuring thunk. There's a single ClaroSwiss water filter in the box, which slots into the bottom of the tank and provides up to three months of filtration. Replacement filters cost £14.95. That water is heated by a Thermoblock boiler, which takes only three seconds to heat up, unlike traditional boilers. Turn on the machine, and the buttons flash for a few seconds, then illuminate constantly once the brew temperature is reached. Unlike most sub-£500 machines, that brew temperature is managed by a PID temperature controller to maintain the right degree of heat, crucial for creating a consistently rich, flavourful espresso. There's even low-pressure pre-infusion, a feature generally found only on pricier machines, which saturates the coffee puck with water for a more even extraction. Pouring a perfect espresso still requires trial and error – par for the course with any manual espresso machine – but Sage's user manual and catalogue of YouTube videos make it as undaunting as possible for beginners. Even if you don't have accurate scales, the razor tool ensures you don't overfill the filter baskets, and getting that unctuous texture of espresso – almost slowing to a drip but just barely flowing into the cup – is a fairly simple case of adjusting the grind size and dosage. As with most things, a little patience reaps rewards. Those rewards are uniformly lovely indeed. I tried various medium- and dark-roast beans from my usual roaster, Craft House Coffee, and the Bambino Plus did a good job with all of them. The only potential shortfall is that the preset brew temperature isn't hot enough to get the best from light roasts, so it's tricky to get a balanced-tasting shot – they tend towards sourness. If light roasts are your thing, you'll need to look for a pricier machine with an adjustable brewing temperature. For anyone wondering why they can't just save a few bob and opt for the standard Sage Bambino instead, well, you can – but I'd advise against it. The Bambino omits the automatic milk frothing and lacks the pressure-relief valve of the Plus. The utility of the latter shouldn't be underestimated: if you grind so fine that the machine chokes and espresso slows to a drip, the Plus will release that pressure into the drip tray. Do the same on the standard Bambino, and your only option is to remove the portafilter, at which point the pressure will escape suddenly and sneeze coffee grounds and brown water in every direction. Scientia potentia est-presso. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion Getting the best from the machine requires a little coaxing, but it's not complex. For instance, pouring a few shots of hot water through the empty pressurised portafilter gets everything nice and hot, making it easier to get consistent-tasting shots. You can use that water to preheat your cups – the top of the Bambino Plus has a ridged area for cups, but it doesn't get usefully hot enough. If you're wondering why there isn't a hot water button for americanos and the like, then you'll find the answer on page 14 of the manual. Press the single-shot and milk-foam buttons simultaneously, and the steam wand will do exactly that. Frankly, though, a dedicated button wouldn't have gone amiss – hopefully Sage will add one for the Bambino Plus's eventual successor. If you're a fan of fast, hassle-free coffee and you've managed to read this far, then I'd still strongly advise that you consider this purchase carefully. The theatrics of grinding, measuring, tamping and brewing are all part of the appeal of manual espresso, but this is still nowhere near as immediate as a capsule or bean-to-cup machine, despite the Bambino Plus's rapid warmup and automatic milk frothing. I'd keep a less involved brewing method – a cafetiere, AeroPress or perhaps even a basic capsule machine – close to hand for when you want a less involved brewing process. My final quibble is that the price could be more competitive. Pre-pandemic, the Bambino Plus used to retail for about £250 – the price soared during the appliance shortages of lockdown and never came back down. If its current price of £349.95 is too spendy for your liking, then patience will reap rewards: you'll regularly find it discounted during sale periods. Sage provides a two-year repair or replace warranty against faulty workmanship and materials – as you'd expect, anything deemed to be standard wear and tear isn't included. If a replacement machine is warranted, it's worth noting that the original warranty period is not extended. Should issues arise outside the warranty, however, most of us would rather avoid retiring a coffee machine to landfill. I spoke with Radu Bria, the owner of a coffee and espresso machine repair business in Stockport, to get his opinion on the Bambino Plus's repairability. It gets off to a good start: Bria indicated that it was easy to disassemble the machine to access the internal parts, which isn't always a given on more affordable machines. He did raise that sourcing replacement parts can take time, as there's only one official supplier in the UK, and restocking takes several weeks. Going by the Bambino and Bambino Plus machines that pass through his workshop, the most common problems are a faulty solenoid coil, a faulty temperature probe/sensor or a blocked thermojet due to hard water – and repairing these costs from about £80 to £120. If you're hoping to keep the Bambino Plus brewing beyond its warranty period, it should be possible to maintain it for a good few years. However, when it comes to a blocked thermojet, don't think that the included filter – or a simple water-filter jug – will prevent limescale. It won't: you'll need an under-sink water softener or reverse osmosis filter to achieve that. Quibbles aside, the Bambino Plus is quite possibly the most perfect beginner machine. Over the several years that I've owned one, it's been one of my favourites for its ease of use, small footprint and quality brews – and that's despite a multitude of pricier pretenders having attempted to usurp its place in the kitchen. The only question that remains is whether I really need a fourth cappuccino before lunchtime. Thank heavens there are some decaffeinated beans in the cupboard. View at SageView at Amazon Sasha Muller is a freelance tech and consumer journalist, avid coffee drinker and craft beer enthusiast with more than two decades of experience in testing products and avoiding deadlines. If he's not exploring the local woods with his kids, boring people talking about mountain bike tyres or spending ill-advised amounts on classic drum'n'bass vinyl, he's probably to be found somewhere swearing at an inanimate object
Korea Herald
27-04-2025
- Korea Herald
S. Korean soldier accidentally fires machine gun at inter-Korean border
A South Korean soldier at the inter-Korean border accidentally fired a machine gun toward North Korea last week, prompting the military to air broadcasts to notify the North of the mistake, military officials said Sunday. The accident happened at around 6:00 a.m. Wednesday when the soldier mistakenly fired a single round from the K6 heavy machine gun from a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in Cheorwon County, about 70 kilometers north of Seoul, according to the officials. The South Korean military immediately notified North Korea of the incident by airing broadcasts, the officials said, adding they presume the round did not reach the North's side as it went through a reinforced door, likely slowing it down. The South Korean military said it has yet to detect any unusual signs of North Korean military activity. (Yonhap)
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
No change needed: campaigner saves his last local phone box
An 89-year-old man has won his battle to save the last remaining phone box in a village in East Anglia. Derek Harris learned in January that BT was planning to remove the K6-style box in Sharrington, Norfolk, where he has lived for 50 years. Harris and his fellow campaigners argued it was 'an iconic heritage asset' and a vital asset to the community, due to the poor mobile signal in the rural area and North Norfolk having the highest proportion of older residents in England and Wales. On Monday, BT informed Harris it has decided not to withdraw the payphone. In a letter, the company said: 'Given the poor mobile service in the area and the significant number of calls made from this payphone, it is clear that it serves an important function for the community. Therefore, we are withdrawing it from the removal program. 'We understand the importance of maintaining reliable communication options, especially in areas where mobile service is lacking. The payphone has proven to be a vital resource for residents, ensuring that they have access to emergency services and can stay connected. 'Our decision reflects our commitment to supporting the community's needs and ensuring that essential services remain accessible.' Harris was born in 1935, the same year that the K6 style of red phone box was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. It went into production in 1936, becoming a familiar sight across the UK in just a few years. Last month, Harris told the Guardian of the need for the phone box to remain. 'We live next to perhaps the most beautiful part of Norfolk, the tranquil Glaven Valley with a pure chalk stream running through it,' he said. 'It attracts ramblers, walkers, the lot, and everyone knows that there's a working kiosk.' In the event of an emergency and the mobile network being down, he added, 'Wouldn't it be awful if someone said: 'If only they had kept that working kiosk'? 'What you have to bear in mind is the few calls that have been made have been vital, they've probably saved someone's life. Not that long ago, there was a snowstorm.' On that occasion, the mobile network was down and the call someone made from the phone box 'was the only way that rescue came to save this driver whose car was completely covered in snow – it fell off the top of the hedgerows onto his car, and he was trapped.'
