Latest news with #mounted
News18
a day ago
- General
- News18
Is Taj Mahal Leaking? ASI Reveals Water Seepage In Main Dome Of UNESCO World Heritage Site
Last Updated: The Taj Mahal faces water seepage in its dome, detected by the ASI at 73 meters. Repairs will take six months due to deteriorated mortar, weakened structures, and rusted iron rods. The Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven wonders of the world, is now facing a worrying problem. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has detected a water seepage point in the dome of the Taj Mahal at a height of 73 metres during thermal scanning. According to the sources, the dome is currently encased in scaffolding for ASI to continue the inspection, which is likely to go on for 15 days. After this, experts will start the repair work on the dome, which will take about six months to complete. The sources claimed that the ASI's Light Detection and Ranging investigation of the monument of love revealed three key issues. The mortar between the stones on the main dome of the monument was found to have deteriorated. Additionally, the door and floor of the dome's roof have weakened. Furthermore, the final part mounted on the dome is supported by an iron rod that has eroded due to rusting, leading to the expansion of the surrounding mortar. Taj Mahal's Senior Conservation Assistant, Prince Vajpayee, said that the light detection inspections have nearly been completed. 'Now, physical inspection will be done. In view of the height of the main dome and pinnacle mounted on it at 73 metres, it will take around six months to complete the repair work."
AllAfrica
2 days ago
- Business
- AllAfrica
Japan's new hypersonic missile aims at China's navy, NoKo nukes
Japan has unveiled a mobile hypersonic missile system designed to outmaneuver China's layered carrier defenses and threaten North Korea's survivable nuclear arsenal, marking a decisive shift from a purely defensive posture to a counterstrike capability. This month, Asian Military Review reported that at Fuji Firepower 2025, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) unveiled the ground-launched Hyper Velocity Guided Projectile (HVGP), a mobile hypersonic strike missile system developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under contract from Japan's Advanced Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA). The HVGP program, launched in 2018, marked its first successful test firing in early 2024 at a US range. Its operational deployment has been advanced to 2026. The Block 1 HVGP, mounted on an 8×8 tactical truck with two containerized, solid-fuel boost-glide missiles, has a range of 500–900 km and reaches Mach 5. Upgraded variants, Block 2A and 2B, are planned for 2027 and 2030, with their ranges extended to 2,000 kilometers and 3,000 kilometers, respectively. The HVGP employs satellite and inertial navigation, with a naval-targeting variant using RF imaging derived from Doppler shift and a land-attack version deploying explosively formed projectiles. Both are designed for high-speed maneuvering post-boost. Planned deployments in Kyushu and Hokkaido underscore its strategic intent to counter regional threats. Concurrently, Japan is also developing the scramjet-powered Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCV) to extend strike capabilities further. These systems are at the core of Japan's revised defense strategy, which aims to safeguard its territorial integrity amid increasing regional security pressures. Previously, Asia Times reported that Japan announced four hypersonic missile tests conducted in California between August 2024 and January 2025. These systems are envisioned for strategic interdiction, counterforce, and even counter-leadership operations. In line with developing strategic interdiction capabilities, Japan has recently conducted the first domestic test firing of its short-range Type 88 anti-ship missile and plans to develop the long-range Type 12. However, James Conway and Jerry McAbee mention in a March 2024 RealClearDefense article that by 2030, subsonic cruise missiles and supersonic ballistic missiles may become obsolete against the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Japan's current arsenal of subsonic cruise and ballistic missiles faces significant limitations: subsonic cruise missiles allow a longer intercept window despite their maneuverability, while ballistic missiles, though fast, follow predictable arcs that are easier to track. These constraints justify Japan's shift toward maneuverable hypersonic systems, such as the HVGP. Underscoring this point, Daniel Rice's December 2024 report for the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) highlights that the PLAN carrier strategy is built around a three-layer defense system, enabling increasingly autonomous and far-reaching blue-water operations. Rice explains that the carrier battlegroup's defenses are arranged in concentric zones: the 'Outer Defense Zone' (185–400 kilometers), maintained by submarines and J-15 fighters for long-range strikes and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); the 'Middle Defense Zone' (45–185 kilometers), secured by destroyers and frigates equipped with radar, vertical launch systems (VLS), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities; and the 'Inner Defense Zone' (100 meters–45 kilometers), protected by close-in weapons and point-defense systems. Aside from strategic interdiction, Japan's hypersonic weapons may be poised to play a critical role in its counterstrike capabilities against North Korea's nuclear arsenal. In a March 2024 article for the United States Studies Center (USSC), Masashi Murano notes that Japan's counterstrike capability focuses on long-range, conventional counterforce strikes against military assets, such as missile bases, rather than leadership or cities. To that end, Murano mentions that Japan is acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles, improved Type 12 missiles, and hypersonic missiles. However, Murano cautions that Japan still faces deficiencies in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to hit time-sensitive targets such as transporter erector launchers (TEL), its counterstrike doctrine is still a work in progress, and the risks of escalation remain major issues it should tackle in building its counterstrike capabilities. In addition, North Korea has taken several measures to harden its nuclear arsenal against a pre-emptive counterforce strike. Hans Kristensen and other writers mention in a July 2024 article for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists that North Korea is actively pursuing solid-fuel rocket intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), sea-based platforms such as nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), and tactical nuclear weapons, which together enhance survivability by making its arsenal more mobile, concealable, and less reliant on vulnerable fixed launch sites. Kristensen and others note that North Korea's deeply buried enrichment sites, continued fissile production, and development of tactical warheads all point to a doctrine that embraces redundancy and dispersion, hallmarks of a survivable deterrent. Given that sanctions and threats of military action have failed to dissuade the North Korean regime from continuing its nuclear program and stopping its belligerent behavior, some strategists argue that targeting the regime itself might compel behavioral change. In an April 2023 NK News commentary, Bruce Bennett notes that the Kim regime's prioritization of military buildup over basic human needs, along with exhortations to the North Korean public to sacrifice for the country's defense, reflects deep anxiety over regime survival and control. Bennett observes that deployments like MQ-9 Reaper drones in Japan, air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM) from B-52s flying over the Korean Peninsula, and Japan's new hypersonic systems may concern the Kim regime over its survival. Yet, as Lauren Sukin points out in a February 2024 article for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), North Korea's nuclear policy calls for automatic nuclear retaliation should its command and control system, including Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, be attacked. Sukin adds that the US, and by extension, its allies, forcing regime change on North Korea could end, at best, in an even more anti-US regime than that headed by Kim Jong Un. At worst, she says such attempts could result in regional instability or North Korea using chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. Japan's rollout of hypersonic strike weapons marks a significant moment in Northeast Asian security. While they offer a powerful conventional deterrent against China's carrier strike groups and North Korea's dispersed nuclear forces, they also heighten the risk of arms racing, strategic miscalculation, and regional instability.
Business Standard
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
ABB unifies motor and drive in a streamlined plug-and-play platform
PRNewswire Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 26: ABB's new LV Titanium Variable Speed Motor platform delivers the benefits of a high-efficiency motor and variable speed drive (VSD) technology in a single, compact, customizable, plug-and-play solution that enables industrial customers to minimize their energy consumption, save money and reduce carbon emissions. The LV Titanium offers a simple and cost-effective way to provide IE5 Ultra-Premium efficiency for pumps, compressors and many other applications. As a drop-in replacement for existing direct-online (DOL) induction motors, the Variable Speed Motor provides an easy upgrade path to a VSD-driven motor with a fast ROI. The innovative LV Titanium platform is far more than a drive simply bolted on to a motor. Instead, it is engineered as a fully integrated concept, with an advanced drive module purpose-designed from the outset for optimal performance with a high efficiency permanent magnet (PM) motor. This sleek, streamlined design, with the axial drive mounted on the end of the motor, saves space and makes the LV Titanium ideal for applications like vertical pumps. It is also remarkably quiet in operation. A further advantage of the LV Titanium is that it can operate over a wide range of speed and torque requirements, with the capability to deliver high torque at low speeds. "We developed the LV Titanium in collaboration with customers who asked us to help them achieve energy savings and reduced carbon emissions without installation complexity," said Stefan Floeck, Division President, IEC Low Voltage Motors at ABB. "This Variable Speed Motor delivers just that - advanced performance in a compact, user-friendly and speed-controlled motor package that draws on our decades of application expertise." Plug-and-play functionality means the LV Titanium needs no commissioning, as the fully integrated motor and drive are commissioned and optimized to work together before leaving the factory. This makes installation fast and easy, with no need for cabinets or electrical rooms, and specially trained personnel are not required. The LV Titanium has an intuitive control panel with customer friendly analog and digital inputs and outputs (I/O) together with a simple built-in PLC, while its connectivity features include the Modbus RTU communications protocol for easy integration with PLCs and other control devices. Thanks to its compact design and high power density, the Variable Speed Motor is at least two frame sizes smaller than comparable induction motors, making it suitable for installations where space is at a premium, such as in replacing older, inefficient motors. The possibilities for energy cost savings by switching to the LV Titanium are illustrated by comparing it with a conventional, standalone, fixed speed motor in a 7.5 kW centrifugal pumping application - one of the main sweet spots for the IE5 Variable Speed Motor. The possibilities for energy cost savings by switching to the LV Titanium are illustrated by comparing it with a conventional, standalone, fixed speed IE3 motor in a 7.5 kW centrifugal pumping application - one of the main sweet spots for the IE5 Variable Speed Motor. The annual savings on the electricity bill are estimated at approximately ₹1.8 lakh based on a typical energy cost for India ₹9/kWh. At the same time, there is an yearly reduction of ~14,200 kg in CO2 emissions based on the average carbon intensity factor of 708 g/kWh. (source - The LV Titanium Variable Speed Motor is currently available in smaller sizes from 1.5 kW while the platform will expand to cover applications up to 30 kW for a wide range of industrial sectors - from water treatment and chemical processing to food and beverage. In addition to being available off the shelf, the motor can be customized to suit specific customer requirements. With its groundbreaking efficiency, versatility, robustness, and compact design, the LV Titanium is poised to transform industrial operations worldwide by offering a forward-thinking solution that not only meets current needs but also anticipates future industry demands. ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this 'Engineered to Outrun'. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB's shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). ABB Motion, a global leader in motors and drives, is at the core of accelerating a more productive and sustainable future. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to contribute to energy efficient, decarbonizing and circular solutions for customers, industries and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services we support our customers and partners to achieve better performance, safety and reliability. To help the world's industries outrun - leaner and cleaner, we deliver motor-driven solutions for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Building on over 140 years of domain expertise in electric powertrains, our more than 23,000 employees across 100 countries learn and improve every day.
9 News
16-06-2025
- 9 News
Park searched after Melbourne man disapearred in May
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A search is underway at a park in northern Melbourne as police continue to investigate the disappearance of a 23-year-old Sunbury man. Joshua Bishop was last seen in Lalor Crescent at about 9.30pm on Tuesday, May 27, by his housemate. He was reported missing by his mother on May 29. Joshua Bishop, 23, disappeared in Melbourne in May. (Victoria Police) His behaviour is believed to be completely out of character, prompting concerns for Bishop's welfare. Today, police, along with mounted officers and SES volunteers, are searching Broadmeadows Valley Park on Barry Road. His phone was last tracked to the park on May 27. The park was previously searched by police on June 4. Bishop's phone and bank accounts have not been accessed, and he has made no contact with family and friends. Police have not been able to rule out that his disappearance is suspicious and, while Bishop has never been reported missing before and is not known to police, detectives are investigating whether he has been involved in criminal activity. His bank accounts and phone have not been accessed since he vanished. (Victoria Police) Bishop is Caucasian and described as being of average build, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black singlet and tracksuit pants. Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who may have any information about Bishop's disappearance, or who has seen him since 27 May. Anyone who sees him or has information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online . missing persons Missing Melbourne Victoria Australia national CONTACT US
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Skating past the Caitlin confusion
You can call her Judy. Among Queenstown's Wakatipu Wild women's ice hockey team are sisters Caitlin and Abbey Heale, though to help with the confusion, the former's going by 'Judy'. That's because there's another Caitlyn (Hollyer) on the team, while Kaitlyn Gruber's the team's GM. Both Judy and Abbey are in their first season for the Wild — Judy, 27, spent the last three years with Dunedin Thunder Women while Abbey, 24, had four years there before a stint with Australia's Melbourne Ice. Between them, they have 23 years' ice hockey experience. Judy started playing about 2009 — she made the national development team at 14 and was selected to represent the New Zealand Ice Fernz in 2013, when she was just 15. She then headed to Canada, playing for the Leaside Wildcats in Toronto for two years while finishing high school, then to Norwich University to study andplay. Back in New Zealand, the forward played for Canterbury before heading back to Dunedin, having moved there when she was 10. But when she got a job teaching geography and social studies at Invercargill's Southland Girls' High School, Judy decided to switch allegiances. "The schedule worked a bit better with the school holidays for me, playing for the Wild, but also it's a bit of a change of scenery, and getting to play with players I haven't played with before." Though the geographical distance between her residence and new team is proving slightly challenging — she's not able to train with the Wild, instead doing her own thing and linking up with them on game weekends. Abbey, who lives in Tekapo, is in the same boat. That aside, Judy says she's loving the Wild experience. "It's nice to be in a different environment — different team systems, different coaching systems — you kind of get to reinvent yourself a little bit, which is nice." She's also relishing being on the home team when they play in front of a Queenstown crowd. "In Queenstown, for men and women, they do really well to promote ... and support their teams in the Queenstown community. "I've had the opportunity to come as an away player and see what it's like to play ... with the Queenstown crowd going against you. "It's definitely a boost when you're playing for them." Currently in fourth place on the NZWIHL table, they're playing third-placed Canterbury at the Queenstown Ice Arena this weekend. Judy says they're feeling "pretty confident" to come away with two wins. Meantime, the SkyCity Stampede had a massive turnaround in Auckland last weekend. After losing to the West Auckland Admirals 5-2 on Saturday night, the Stampede — in first place on the table — mounted an almighty comeback, to take the 'W' 9-1 on Sunday. They'll next play the Canterbury Red Devils next weekend in Queenstown Wakatipu Wild v Canterbury Inferno, Friday and Saturday nights, Queenstown Ice Arena; puck drop 7pm.
