Netherlands agrees to buy at least 46 Leopard 2A8 tanks from KNDS
AMSTERDAM, May 14 (Reuters) - The Dutch government said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement to buy at least 46 Leopard 2A8 tanks from German-French arms maker KNDS as the Netherlands builds a tank unit for the first time in over a decade.
The tanks will be delivered between 2028 and 2031 and form part of a push by the Dutch to increase military spending in order to comply with the NATO target of spending at least 2% of GDP on defence.
The new tank battalion, which could be expanded with another six tanks, will be stationed in Germany and include around 500 soldiers, the government said in a statement.
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Humiliation for Putin as £37m jets destroyed in strike before vengeful tyrant kills two in blitz on Ukraine tower block
UKRAINE has successfully blitzed a pair of Russia's prized Su-34 fighter jets - costing a humiliated Vladimir Putin £74million. Russia's despot hit back with a terrifying revenge strike which killed a married couple in a deadly attack on a Ukrainian tower block. Advertisement 6 Russian Su-34 bomber Credit: Getty 6 The Russian despot hit back with a terrifying revenge strike which killed a married couple in a deadly attack on a Ukrainian tower block in Odesa Credit: Reuters 6 A resident walks inside his decimated apartment building in Odesa Credit: Reuters The twisted tyrant decimated a 21-storey residential block in Odesa and left it up in flames as 14 others, including a child as young as 3, were rescued and rushed to hospital. Two other children were also among the wounded in the overnight attack, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said. Russia has drastically increased its drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks amid growing issues around securing a lasting ceasefire. Kyiv has continued to defend themselves valiantly against enemy attacks with them landing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin. Advertisement They launched a tactical drone attack on Russia's Marinovka military airfield in the Volgograd region in Friday. Ukraine used long range drones to fly 200 miles to inflict millions of pounds worth of damage to Putin's aerial firepower. The blitz targeted a set of four Su-34 fighter jets which are each worth a reported £37million. Furious Russian military analysts confirmed that two of the Su-34 multi-role fighters used on the frontline for bombing missions against Ukraine were destroyed. Advertisement The two others also suffered damage. Pro-war Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber raged that the hit 'could and should have been prevented'. Bodies pulled from under rubble after Vladimir Putin bombs Kyiv killing 28 as EU chief says 'fight or learn Russian' The channel expressed fury at the 'multi-billion dollar' losses Putin's forces are suffering each week to their military arsenal. Ukraine's SBU security service also commented on the successful strikes as they said: 'The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and the SBU used long-range drones to attack Russian fighter jets. Advertisement 'The attack also caused a fire in the technical and operational part of the enemy airfield, which is a critical infrastructure for a military facility. 'This is where the enemy prepares aircraft for flights, carries out their routine maintenance and repair work.' It came less than a month after Russia supposedly tightened its military air base security after 40-plus strategic bombers and spy planes were hit in Kyiv's audacious Operation Spiderweb. In Operation Spiderweb - one of the most stunning attacks of the war - drones were launched from trucks positioned close to at least four Russian airfields. Advertisement It crippled much of Putin's doomsday bomber flee with 41 of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac. Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia - caused by only 117 cheaply made drones. 6 The twisted tyrant decimated a 21-storey residential block in the overnight attack Credit: Reuters 6 Ukraine used long range drones to fly 200 miles to inflict millions of pounds worth of damage to Putin's aerial firepower Credit: East2West Advertisement Putin has launched countless revenge strikes since he was embarrassed by the attack. Last week, he unleashed the deadliest Russian strike on Kyiv in 2025 as 28 people were killed in airstrikes. Russia blasted 27 locations in Kyiv, with 440 drones and 32 missiles hammering the city for nine hours, according to Ukrainian officials. Buildings and critical infrastructure facilities were damaged. Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it 'one of the most terrible strikes on Kyiv'. Days earlier, Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv was bombarded with 48 kamikaze drones, missiles and guided bombs. The assault killed three people and injured 21. Inside Russia's faltering war By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter THE Russian invasion of Ukraine has been advancing at an incredibly slow pace - with Kyiv's "dronegrinder" warfare miring Putin's summer offensive. The rate at which Moscow is capturing land has been dubbed "slower than a snail" - all while the human cost of Russian casualties is sky high. After 448 days of fighting inside Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, the Russians reportedly only managed to take control of 50 per cent of the city. Which means the troops, on average, are only able to take 0.00629 square miles of land per day - which is a painfully low conversion rate. Even snails, which have a speed of 0.03 miles per hour, can cover more land than what the Russians have gained in the region. Meanwhile, Kyiv has ramped up its defences as it seeks to thwart Vladimir Putin's final killer summer offensive, which military analysts say could start as early as July. Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russian troops to stop in the Sumy region's border area, Kyiv's military Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky revealed. The military boss said that the Ukrainian armed forces managed to tie down a 50,000-strong force and stabilise the frontlines "as of this week". But, some 125,000 Russian soldiers are reportedly now massing along the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, according to Ukraine's military intelligence. Ukrainians have tasked a special defence group to strengthen fortifications near the frontlines, build anti-drone corridors and 'kill zones' It comes amid fears that Vladimir Putin may launch a fresh summer offensive to try and take as much land as he can before agreeing to a ceasefire. 6
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I spent 31 years advising US on the Iran threat – it's the last gaps of a dying regime, Trump's next move is crucial
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IRAN'S repressed nation should be encouraged to overthrow its barbaric regime by the US, an ex-Congress adviser said. Calls for regime overhaul in the rogue nation have rumbled louder since a 12-day war broke out between Israel and Iran erupted. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Smoke and fire rise following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Haifa Credit: Reuters 7 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went into hiding as Israel and Iran traded blows Credit: EPA 7 A demonstrator holding an Israeli flag and a poster demanding regime change during a protest against the Iranian government outside the Federal Building in LA Credit: Reuters Donald Trump unleashed the biggest blow of the conflict last Sunday when he ordered America's military to bomb Iran's nuclear sites. The US leader even hinted at toppling the regime as he wrote on Truth Social: "If the current Iranian regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a regime change? MIGA!". Authorities in the US insisted ousting the Ayatollah was not one of its goals - but question marks hang over whether his cruel regime can survive. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei has led a blood-soaked reign over Iran since 1989 following the death of his ruthless predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini. But the chorus of voices demanding regime change in Iran has amplified after decades of its people suffering a catalogue of human rights violations. Fears have also escalated that the wounded regime could deploy a dirty bomb in desperation after its nuclear ambitions were largely obliterated by the US and Israel. Kenneth Katzman, who spent 31 years briefing Congress on Iran as a top Middle East Analyst, believes the US should now take little action - except incentivise life under a new regime. Merciless Khamenei, 86, has been in hiding since Israel began a campaign to destroy his nuclear sites - and many senior figures believe his rule could be on its last legs. Katzman told The Sun: "These are the last gasps of a dying regime. "It's still in control nominally but I personally believe this regime is basically lost. Only the real diehards right now are behind this regime. 'Daddy' Trump stopped Israel and Iran war, Nato chief tells 'strong' Don "That doesn't mean it's going to collapse any day now, but it will eventually. This regime is in big trouble." Katzman, who retired in 2022 but has continued to watch Iran cut a menacing figure, said if it was still advise Congress to now "do as little as possible". The analyst, who worked at the US Congressional Research Service, added: "There is a war fever going on now, with a lot of piling on and dredging up past incidents with Iran, past grievances. 'If it were up to me I would say to send some kind of signal that if there is a new regime, the US is willing to lift sanctions, provide humanitarian aid, welcome defectors and investment from Iran. 'Signalling that if the people can get rid of this regime they can have the same future that Syria is now experiencing, where they got rid of a dictator and have had sanctions lifted. 'That would be the tone I would take. The regime can be toppled very suddenly, although it's not toppling just yet. 'If you take it from the Iranian people's perspective, there's no prospect of getting sanctions relief, they're in a war with Israel with no air defense. Evil Ayatollah could unleash dirty bomb, exiled prince warns Exclusive by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital), in Paris IRAN'S brutal regime could kill tens of millions of people by smuggling nuclear material and unleashing it on Europe, the rogue nation's exiled prince told The Sun. Reza Pahlavi warned while the US and Israel have eliminated the "immediate threat" of its atomic ambitions, barbaric leaders could still acquire a dirty bomb. Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, warned callous Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could still attempt to utilise his warped allies in a bid to get his hands on nuclear matter. Speaking to The Sun at an undisclosed location in Paris just hours before the ceasefire this week, he said: "Terrorism has many means of hurting big time. Nobody anticipated 9/11. It was a terrorist attack. "What keeps people not to worry about the fact that the call of these terrorist networks of sleeper cells could smuggle in a few grams of enriched plutonium, throw it in a lake in Europe, and instantaneously kill tens of millions of people who will be radioactively attacked. "You don't need a missile or warhead for that. "We have at least eliminated the imminent threat of the regime. Does that mean that the regime still doesn't have the capability to acquire nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb by purchasing it from the North Koreans? "It doesn't eliminate that, that's the entire point." Pahlavi, whose family was forced to leave Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, warned unless the Islamist regime is toppled, the threat of nuclear material being weaponised looms large. The self-styled crown prince - who has been advocating for regime change for decades - announced on Monday he is offering to lead a transitional government to make Iran a democratic, secular country. READ THE SUN'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW HERE 'The regime has now brought them into a war with the United States, although that may not continue. I think the people can only take so much.' Last week the US bombed nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan after Iran's devastating missile exchange with Israel. President Donald Trump has since announced a precarious ceasefire, but the world continues to nervously await what happens next. While Iran is currently in a ceasefire with Israel, fears continue to grow as to how long this will last. Trump was this week hailed a 'daddy' by Nato chief Mark Rutte at a landmark meeting in the Netherlands. Iran also finally admitted the US strikes had left their nuclear facilities 'badly damaged'. But it came after Trump made the astonishing claim on Tuesday that Israel and Iran 'don't know what the f*** they're doing' following doubts the agreement had been kept. Katzman believes Iran is very far away from developing a nuclear weapon. 7 And even if it did get one, it would be extremely difficult for it to ever threaten a launch given US and Israeli intelligence. He added: 'I think US intelligence is good enough to detect if they were actually going to try to use a nuclear weapon. 'You need a lot of steps to do that. It's not that easy to conceal, especially with the Mossad agents crawling all over the place as they are right now. 'There are radioactivity detectors. There's a lot of intelligence gathering going on. 'So I don't think it would be that easy for them to just go from where they are now with these destroyed facilities to suddenly producing a nuclear weapon. 'I could be wrong, but I don't think it's that easy.' Asked how the Iranian people could conceivably overthrow the regime, Katzman said he doesn't expect anything to happen soon. 7 Kenneth Katzman spent 31 years briefing Congress on Iran as a top Middle East Analyst Credit: soufangroup 7 Missiles fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps towards Israel Credit: Reuters 7 Satellite view shows Fordow in Iran after the US struck the underground nuclear facility Credit: Reuters He believes the conflict must settle first. Katzman added: 'It can be toppled. Is it close to being toppled? No, but it can be. 'Anything can really spark it. We had a partial prison break at Evin Prison. 'You can get incidents. I hear the IRGC is already cracking down by stopping every car that goes by to see if there are Mossad agents in there. 'They're sort of doubling down on their strategy in a way. That can work for a while, but the population is pretty fed up. 'Obviously the population has to get through this crisis first and then it can reassess what to do about the regime. 'So it's not going to do anything right now while the conflict is going on, but ultimately though, there's going to be a reckoning.' On Wednesday Nato leaders pledged to increase their annual defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Trump also said he no longer believes the organisation is a 'rip-off'.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
What I Own: We pay £450 per month for our £409,950 mortgage-free Watford flat
Welcome back to What I Own – Metro's property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder. Roy and Gil Hamilton, both 84, were living in a three-bed flat when, looking to downsize, they began exploring the possibility of living in a retirement village. They eventually settled on a two-bedroom apartment in Watford, down the road from their previous home. They paid £409,950, leaving them mortgage-free. Since the couple completed in 2022, they've found a community, with Gil taking up Pilates and cheerleading, while Roy enjoys watercolour painting. They initially paid a £500 reservation fee, and now their monthly costs total just £450, including all bills and service charges. Here's what Roy had to say about their property journey… You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK's leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won't charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. My wife, Gil and I, are both 84 years old and in September, we'll have been married for 60 years. Gil is French and was working as a translator when we met. I was an engineer before moving into selling high-value computers. We both have separate hobbies, and enjoy socialising too. Our reservation fee was £500, and we bought our property at Mayfield Watford Retirement Village outright two and a half years ago, so we don't have a mortgage. The service charge, including management fee and services, heating, electricity and water, is roughly £450 a month. Our first ever property cost £295,000 when we bought it after we got married, in 1964. It was a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Up Holland, which is a village in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. I can't quite remember how much the deposit was all those years ago, but we saved up £50 a month until we were able to buy. We've lived in six properties in different parts of the country since then, most recently the two-bedroom apartment in Watford. The proceeds from the sale of the flat were enough to buy our new home outright. We love the area as our previous property was nearby, so we've known it for years. We've got lots of family here, which is one of our favourite things about it. There's a thriving community at Mayfield. There are shops, a riverside park, as well as leisure facilities, such as a pool, sauna, gym, beauty treatment rooms and a café. We completed on September 30 2022, and the apartment cost £409,950. We lived in a flat in Watford with three double bedrooms and two bathrooms. Once we saw what Mayfield had to offer, we were particularly sold on the social aspect. There are many clubs and opportunities to socialise with people. My wife is part of the Mayfield Belles, the village's cheerleaders, who perform at our big events. We received a leaflet in the post and decided to visit. At the time we had no idea what a retirement village offered, but we haven't looked back since. We didn't bring any furniture with us, because it was all too big for our new, smaller, space at Mayfield. All of our furniture was bought to fit the available space, so we don't feel cramped. We both had the opportunity to pick what kind of wallpaper and paint we wanted, which was mainly chosen to go well with our new furniture. We're in the process of redecorating. Our kitchen units are grey, so we've repainted the walls in a deep reddish maroon to contrast. We've also added wallpaper in the lounge at the moment, which is patterned grey and silver. The lounge. It feels like the heart of the home to us. It's just right. Yes. We'd actually already downsized to our previous three-bed flat, as the home we lived in before that was becoming too hard to maintain. Our Mayfield apartment being smaller means it's easy to keep clean. More Trending Downsizing is one of the best decisions we've ever made. It's about reassessing where you are in life, and doing what's best for you, which means changing your attitude – and your furniture! There have been no problems with the property and Gil and I are very happy with our decision to move here. Moving to Mayfield is the best thing we ever did. It was a change of lifestyle, and for a better one. View More » But although buying a home is exciting, it can be a very stressful time. So, my biggest piece of advice is to make sure to support each other throughout the process. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Inside the new town being built in London with 56,000 new jobs MORE: Three sneaky tricks house sellers use to disguise issues — and what to look out for MORE: This is how long it takes to sell a home in each UK city
