Foreign
500 Trucks rapidly procured for British Army operations
500 support trucks will be delivered to the British Army in 2024 to support operational activity, following a rapid procurement process.
Under a £282 million contract, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will deliver the multipurpose trucks that will allow personnel to load flat racks onto the platform, which can carry essential logistics such as ammunition, food, water, and support materiel, to operational locations.
The newly procured vehicles will be from the HX family, which are a range of purpose-designed military trucks equipped with a multitude of protection capabilities, keeping our most important asset safe, our people.
The vehicles will be delivered under the Rapid Acquisition Project, expediting the procurement of the trucks with efficiency and precision, meaning these advanced mobility trucks reach operational deployment swiftly, ultimately enhancing our military’s agility and responsiveness.
Minister For Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said:
“The rapid delivery of transport capabilities to the front line is paramount to the lifeblood of British Army logistics and operations.
“This procurement demonstrates our commitment to equipping our Armed Forces with the best tools available, ensuring mobility, agility, and resilience in the face of evolving threats.”
The HX family stands as a proven and cost-effective mobility truck class, integrating military off-the-shelf components. Purposefully designed to bolster military operations, these HX vehicles offer high mobility and reliability in challenging terrains. The platforms have several capability improvements compared to those already in service, including an increased payload, a reduced turning circle, an underrun protection safety feature and a more efficient EURO 5 engine.
Major General Darren Crook, Director of the Land Equipment Operating Centre, DE&S said:
“In an ever-changing and demanding operational landscape, it is essential that we can quickly identify what equipment our soldiers need and procure it rapidly.
“This project demonstrates our agility and our commitment to push the boundaries; it shows what we can achieve when we work collaboratively to deliver the equipment our Armed Forces need, when they need it. I’m delighted that together with industry that we have been able to turn around this contract from conception, through approvals to contract award and first delivery, in just seven months.”
Colonel Stuart Nassé, Assistant Head Military Capability Delivery, Army Headquarters said:
“We are delighted with this project which provides essential reinforcement to the logistic spine of the Army.
“As a collaborative project, it shows that the acquisition process can be responsive to user demands, and more importantly that when the user, delivery agent and industry all work together we can achieve significant outcomes quickly. We are really excited to put this important capability in the hands of the soldiers this year.”
The rapid procurement of these vehicles comes at an essential time, as in 2024 the British Army will face increased commitments through Op MOBILISE and its offer to the NATO New Force Model. The procurement contract also delivers on the Chief of General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders’ objective of increasing logistical lift as a British Army capability.
A United States federal court has set August 21, 2026, as the deadline for the release of records linked to longstanding allegations concerning Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and U.S. financial accounts associated with him in the 1990s.
The records are being sought in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by Aaron Greenspan, which has reportedly been before the federal courts for more than three years.
The documents are understood to be held by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The development followed a reported request by the DOJ for an additional 10 days to comply with an earlier court order requiring the release of the records.
According to Von Batten, a Washington, D.C.-based Republican lobbying firm, Tinubu also joined the DOJ’s request for the extension.
The firm said it obtained a copy of a recent court filing submitted on Tinubu’s behalf and claimed that the Nigerian president formally joined the request just two business days before it became public.
However, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell rejected the request for additional time and directed that the records be released by August 21.
Von Batten said Tinubu’s reported decision to participate in the extension request raised questions about his reasons for seeking more time before the records are made public.
The firm alleged that the delay could potentially be used to lobby U.S. officials over concerns that releasing the documents might affect U.S.-Nigeria relations.
It further speculated that Tinubu could argue that disclosure of the records might affect his cooperation with Washington on counterterrorism and security matters.
The records relate to allegations dating back to the early 1990s, including the 1993 forfeiture of approximately $460,000 connected to accounts associated with Tinubu in a U.S. proceeding involving suspected proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
Tinubu has consistently denied wrongdoing and has rejected allegations linking him personally to drug trafficking.
Von Batten also warned against any attempt by U.S. officials to interfere with the FOIA or judicial process to prevent the records from being released.
The lobbying firm referenced U.S. President Donald Trump’s stated opposition to shielding individuals accused of serious criminal conduct, arguing that the legal process should be allowed to proceed without political interference.
With Judge Howell’s ruling in place, the records are expected to be released on or before August 21, unless further legal action changes the deadline.
The contents of the documents remain unknown, and their release could provide further information about the 1990s forfeiture proceedings and U.S. law-enforcement investigations involving accounts linked to Tinubu.
South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban on Monday.
The group marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigration and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
Announcing its latest action, the group said the September 30 deadline would mark the beginning of what it described as the “mother of all protests”, while urging South Africans to assist the police in identifying undocumented foreigners.
The protest took place as the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government got underway in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The demonstration has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens of other African countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, saying South Africa could not advocate regional integration at the SADC summit while practising exclusion within the country.
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals have prompted some African countries to evacuate their citizens from South Africa.
The latest protest has brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of the SADC summit, placing the issue before regional leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over future maritime navigation arrangements through the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, referring to the discussions between Oman and Iran as Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Iranian and Omani officials have been holding talks for weeks, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration on the strait.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, despite Iran maintaining an effective blockade that has severely restricted maritime traffic.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the strategic waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Trump also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, was previously regarded as an open international waterway and carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
AFP
There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.
Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.
“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.
The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AFP
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