FRONTLINE NEWS PORTAL
31 May 2023
(CBC)
The RCAF plans to integrate two Airbus A-330s purchased from Kuwait into Trenton-based 4356 Transport Squadron this summer as replacements for its aging A-310s flown as CC-150 Polaris. The immediate plan is to maintain the civilian layout for passenger and cargo operations without a private cabin for prime ministerial transport but at least one will be reconfigured within the next two years.
31 May 2023
(AP)
Sudan’s military announced today that it has suspended participation in talks with a paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Force, which it has been battling for control of the country for weeks. A spokesman said the decision is due to the RSF’s “repeated violations” of a cease-fire and its continued occupation of hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in Khartoum.
31 May 2023
(Reuters)
The United Arab Emirates confirmed today its withdrawal from a U.S.-led maritime coalition but that it remains committed to dialogue and diplomatic engagement to advance regional security and stability. Headquartered in Bahrain, the multinational coalition was created to counter terrorism and piracy in the Red Sea and Gulf.
31 May 2023
(AP)
International efforts to defuse a crisis in Kosovo intensified today as ethnic Serbs held more protests in a town where clashes with NATO-led peacekeepers earlier this week left dozens injured and sparked fears of renewed conflict. Serbians want Kosovo special police and ethnic Albanian officials withdrawn from northern Kosovo where Serbs are a majority.
30 May 2023
(BBC)
A day after 30 NATO peacekeepers and 52 Serbian protesters were hurt in clashes in Kosovo over the appointment of ethnic Albanian mayors, the alliance said today it is deploying 700 more troops. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by many European states as well as the U.S., but Russian-backed Serbia refuses to follow suit.
30 May 2023
(CNN)
Ukrainians are familiar with seemingly endless Russian drone attacks as Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” moves into its 16th month but today saw residents of Moscow under drone attack. Neither confirmed nor denied by Ukraine, the early morning attack damaged high-rises and an exclusive residential area.
30 May 2023
(EuroNews)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s weekend re-election has been followed by his government’s demand that Sweden take legal action against a Kurdish separatist group which mounted a May 28 political stunt in Stockholm. Turkey considers the group terrorists and has blocked Sweden’s NATO membership over what it says is Sweden’s inaction to date.
30 May 2023
(Breaking Defense)
Eighteen Leopard 2A6s donated to Ukraine by Germany are to be replaced with new 2A8 models, in a €525-million contract with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. There also is an option for 105 more which would push the total cost to some €2.9 statement. Germany currently has 321 Leopards in service as well as others in storage.
29 May 2023
(BBC)
Two dozen NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo were injured today, three seriously, in attacks by Serb demonstrators angered at having ethic Albanian mayors. The crisis dates to April when Serbs boycotted local elections, allowing Albanians to take control of local councils with a less than 4% voter turnout. Ethnic Albanians account for more than 90% of the Kosovar population but Serbs are the majority in the north.
29 May 2023
(Reuters)
After Russia President Vladimir Putin reiterated a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, his counterpart there suggested May 28 that any other neighbouring country could expect the same arrangement. “No one is against Kazakhstan and other countries having the same close relations that we have with the Russian Federation,” Lukashenko said on Russian state TV. “It is very simple: join in the Union State of Belarus and Russia. That's all: there will be nuclear weapons for everyone.”
