Latest news with #USDoD
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Thailand chooses Swedish Gripen jets over F-16s for its air force
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a multirole fighter jet manufactured by Saab, designed to perform various aerial missions. - Photo source: US DoD BANGKOK: Thailand on Wednesday (June 4) announced plans to buy four Gripen fighter jets in a US$500 million deal, choosing the Swedish-made planes over American F-16s as it renews its air combat fleet. The Gripen E/F models, made by Nordic industrial giant Saab, will replace the Royal Thai Air Force's older F-16 A/B jets bought in the 1980s. The announcement is the first phase of a 10-year plan to buy 12 fighter aircraft as Thailand updates its air power. "This is an important project to strengthen our force to protect our sovereignty," Air Force Chief Punpakdee Pattanakul told reporters. The procurement order will go to the Thai cabinet for approval around mid-July, and is expected to be finalised by the end of August. A procurement committee recommended buying the Gripen rather than the F-16 last August after a 10-month process of deliberation. The kingdom already operates 11 older Gripens, as well as dozens of F-16s. The decision to favour the Swedish fighter over the American one is unlikely to help Thailand's efforts to reach a tariff deal with US President Donald Trump's administration. Thailand is hoping to negotiate some kind of reduction or relief from Trump's threatened 36 percent levy, announced as part of the president's sweeping global "reciprocal" tariffs. - AFP
Gulf Insider
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Trump Shows Clip to Ramaphosa, Clashes with Reporter
Well, for those who were anticipating a Vance-Zelensky shitshow redux at today's meeting between US President Trump and South African President Ramaphosa… they were not disappointed. As the topic of white genocide cam up, Ramaphosa was quick to dispel the 'conspiracy'; but Trump very quickly told his aides to 'roll the tape' at which videos of black leaders in South Africa calling for the murder of whites (Boers) along with video of burial sites for whites killed in South Africa. Crushing. This is not only painful for the South African President but also for our mainstream media that desperately wants to cover up black-on-white violence in South Africa — Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) May 21, 2025 As the chants of 'kill the Boer' rang around The Oval Office, Ramaphosa grew very uncomfortable: Donald Trump playing video footage of South Africa's black party singing 'kill the Boer (Whites), kill the White farmer" in front of the South African president in the Oval Office. South African president is very uncomfortable. — Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) May 21, 2025 Ramaphosa, thoughtfully and quietly responded claiming that 'this is not government policy,' adding that 'our democracy allows for free expression' and reaffirmed that 'our government is completely against' what President Trump was describing. Trump responded: 'You have hundreds of people, thousands of people trying to come into our country because they feel they're going to be killed and their land is going to be confiscated, and you do have laws that were passed that give you the right to confiscate land.' As the clip (of burial sites and 100,000 people chanting for death to whites) ended and Trump turned to the reporter pool, NBC News reporter Peter Alexander shouted a question about the Qatari jet being offered to the US DoD, at which Trump exploded… NBC: 'The Pentagon announced it would be accepting a Qatari jet to be used…' TRUMP: 'WHAT are you talking about? You know, you ought to GET OUT of here! What does this have to do with the Qatari jet?' 'We're talking about a lot of other things. It's NBC trying to GET OFF the subject of what you just saw [white genoc*de].' 'For you to go into a [different] subject […] Go back. You ought to go back to your studio at NBC because Brian Roberts and the people that run that place, they ought to be investigated. They are so terrible, the way you run that network. And you're a DISGRACE. No more questions from you.' WATCH: President Trump unloaded on NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander after a question about a Qatari jet that is expected to be given to the U.S. to be used as a new Air Force One. — The Hill (@thehill) May 21, 2025 Ramaphosa (who handled the confrontation far better than Zelensky) diplomatically suggested to Trump that they take this discussion private, away from the media (by which point Trump had made his point and the world was now aware of Julius Malema's death chants and all talk of conspiracy was immediately dismissed). Apart from at CNN… A South African journalist appeared on CNN today, saying South African political leaders calling for the killing of white Afrikaners would 'potentially appear to be more literal' for people lacking 'historical context'. — DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) May 21, 2025 'Context', always context. Context this!!!! 🚨 JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa. — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 21, 2025 Also read: 'It Went Very Well' – Trump Sees Imminent 'End To The War' After Two-Hour-Call With Putin
Cision Canada
01-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
NORTHCLIFF ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SISSON CRITICAL MINERALS PROJECT
Canadian Tungsten to Address Critical Mineral Supply Chain Vulnerability VANCOUVER, BC, May 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Northcliff Resources Ltd. ("Northcliff" or the "Company") (TSX: NCF) is pleased to announce the United States Department of Defense ("US DoD") has awarded the Company a US$15 million (~C$20.7 million) award under the Defense Production Act ("DPA") Title III program to expand tungsten's domestic capacity, sustainment of its critical production and address vulnerability in the Critical Minerals supply chain in the United States and Canada. This important non-share dilutive funding will allow Northcliff to advance the Sisson Tungsten-Molybdenum Project in Canada (the "Sisson Project") toward a project construction decision. The Company has also obtained conditional funding from the Government of Canada, pending due diligence, under Natural Resources Canada's Global Partnerships Initiative for up to C$8.2 million (~US$5.9 million) to support the project. Located near tidewater on the southeastern coast of Canada in New Brunswick, the Sisson Project hosts a deposit with the Critical Mineral tungsten and the strategic mineral molybdenum. Northcliff advanced resource, engineering, environmental and economic studies that culminated in a positive feasibility study in 2013, then progressed the project through provincial and federal environmental assessment and other processes to gain key approvals, expending some C$70 million. The Company developed a detailed work program and is currently focused on advancing the project through the pre-construction phase. In that regard, the US DoD funding from the DPA Title III program and the Government of Canada's funding under the Global Partnerships Initiative, in total up to ~C$29 million (US$20.9 million) will be used to update Northcliff's feasibility study as well as support related pre-construction work programs. This work would involve completion of engineering activities and studies needed to satisfy the technical conditions associated with its in-hand environmental approvals and project development workstreams (project finance and offtake sounding), to provide the necessary economic and technical information to support a construction decision. As a project at the pre-construction phase, the Sisson Project is well positioned to help address the demand for tungsten and molybdenum. Tungsten is an essential ingredient in modern and emerging technologies, has few substitutes and could face high supply risks in Western economies. Tungsten carbides are an integral part of the tools that are used to shape metals, alloys, wood, composites, plastic, and ceramics and to power the oil and gas, mining and construction industries. A key alloying metal, molybdenum is an essential component in steel production. Both tungsten and molybdenum play a key role in many defense and aerospace applications and are growing in importance in the production and improved performance of batteries 1,2 used in energy storage and other green transition technologies. According to a Geoscience Australia synthesis of individual country rankings 3, tungsten is among the minerals recognized as most critical by the United States, Japan, Republic of Korea, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, ranking as the fourth-most critical mineral. The United States and its allies currently rely on sources such as China for tungsten. China produces about 80% of the world's tungsten, a supply that lacks pricing transparency causing market disruptions in the past. If developed, the Sisson Project would become an easily accessible and reliable supplier of tungsten and molybdenum, strengthening and diversifying the supply chain for these metals used in important industrial, electronic, aerospace and defense applications, and new technologies with the additional advantage of being produced under North American standards for transparency and Environmental Social Governance. Andrew Ing, Northcliff's Chairman, President and CEO commented, "Northcliff's aim is to contribute to the efforts to build a resilient North American supply chain and support development of new technologies through becoming a reliable, easily accessible producer of tungsten and molybdenum. We greatly appreciate this strategic financial support by the US Department of Defense and the Global Partnerships Initiative. These funds will be collectively used to update the project economics and finalize details of the mine development plan, secure the remaining permits, and obtain the required authorizations to accelerate the Sisson Project toward a construction decision." The proposed operation in the 2013 feasibility study for the Sisson Project is an open pit mine with conventional processing facilities, supplemented by value-added downstream and on-site processing of tungsten concentrates in an ammonium paratungstate ("APT") plant. The Company plans to update the feasibility study as part of the focused work program described above. The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Tanya Yang, a Qualified Person who is not independent of the Company. The Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rate used in the conversions is US$1 = C$1.38. About Northcliff Resources Ltd. Northcliff is a mineral resource company focused on advancing the Sisson Tungsten-Molybdenum Project located in New Brunswick, Canada, to production. Additional information on Northcliff is available on the website at Investor services can be reached at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. On behalf of the Board of Directors Andrew Ing Chairman, President & CEO This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities law. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address the use of the DoD funds, and Government of Canada funds, if awarded; advancement of the Sisson Project towards a project finance decision, including the successful development and construction of the planned Sisson tungsten-molybdenum mine, concentrator and APT plant to become a reliable source of tungsten and molybdenum, and the projected average annual production of tungsten and molybdenum are forward looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The assumptions used by Northcliff to develop forward-looking statements include the following: the actual receipt of funds from DoD and the Government of Canada, the Company's ability to complete construction of Sisson Project mine and facilities, the Company's ability to arrange the necessary financing beyond the DoD funding and Government of Canada funding to continue operations and develop the Sisson Project, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals for the construction and operation of the Sisson Project; the relevant laws and regulations in Canada and the US; studies and development of the Sisson Project will continue to be positive; our expectations of continued availability of capital and debt financing, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. These factors include the risks that may interfere with the Company's ability to continue development of the Sisson Project, the Company may not be able to finance and develop the Sisson Project on favourable terms or at all, relevant regulatory changes, uncertainties with respect to the receipt or timing of required permits, approvals and agreements for the development of the Sisson Project, the Company may not be able to secure offtake agreements for the metals to be produced at the Sisson Project, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties and in the mining industry in general, the financial markets and in the demand and market price for tungsten, molybdenum and other minerals and commodities, and fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with respect to the value of the US Dollar and Canadian Dollar; the exploration and development of properties located within First Nations treaty and Aboriginal groups asserted territories may affect or be perceived to affect treaty and asserted aboriginal rights and title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups or communities, environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining including processing and stockpiling; changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, as well as risks relating to the uncertainties with respect to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company reviews its forward-looking statements on an ongoing basis and updates this information when circumstances require it. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's annual information form that is available on its profile at
