Murray Brewster

Halifax has been chosen by the federal government to host the new North American NATO defence innovation office, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Friday.

Canada agreed at the last meeting of the military alliance's leaders in Madrid to host the North American regional office of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). The other offices are located in the United Kingdom and Estonia.

Kherson's liberation and the long road of healing ahead

Under Russian rule, daily life in Kherson city ground to a halt, with residents forced to navigate checkpoints and the threat of detention each time they went out. Days after liberation, they fill the streets again.

A woman embraces a Ukrainian service member in the city centre after Russia's retreat from Kherson, Ukraine November 16, 2022.  

Kherson retaking

Residents gathered in Kherson's downtown on Wednesday to receive humanitarian aid after the city was freed from Russian occupation.

Kherson residents receive humanitarian aid

Ukraine's energy supply pounded as Russia steps up attacks on eastern regions

Russian missiles and shells hit Ukrainian positions in several regions and there was no let up in heavy fighting in Donetsk in the east, the Ukrainian military said on Thursday night as Moscow's occupying forces appeared more active.

Pedestrians walk past a display of destroyed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles after snowfall in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.

Pedestrians walk past snow-covered Russian vehicles on display in Kyiv

Nord Stream pipelines show evidence of damage from explosives, Swedish team says

Investigators have found traces of explosives at the site of the damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines, confirming sabotage had taken place, a Swedish prosecutor said on Friday.

In this picture provided by the Swedish Coast Guard, a leak from Nord Stream 2 is seen, on Sept. 28. Swedish investigators found traces of explosives at the Baltic Sea site where two natural pipelines were damaged, the prosecutor leading Sweden's preliminary investigation said Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.  

Sweden Baltic Sea Gas Pipeline

A leak from Nord Stream 2 is seen on Sept. 28, in this picture provided by the Swedish Coast Guard. Swedish investigators have now found traces of explosives at the Baltic Sea site where two natural pipelines were damaged. 

The offices&nbsp;are meant to sharpen NATO's technological&nbsp;edge by working&nbsp;with private sector companies and academics. Their mandate is&nbsp;to&nbsp;engage with both high-tech startups and established companies to solve critical defence and security problems.

In&nbsp;her remarks on a blustery Halifax jetty Friday morning,&nbsp;Anand described DIANA as a "crucial initiative" that will be a great fit with Halifax, which is home to several major universities and a burgeoning high-tech sector.

Admiral Rob Bauer of the Netherlands chairs&nbsp;the NATO Military Committee, which is made up of the western alliance's military representatives. He said technology will swing the balance in modern conflicts — and the world is getting a demonstration of that right now in real time.

A High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in operation during military exercises at Spilve Airport in Riga, Latvia, on Sept. 26, 2022. Ukraine has used the mobile platform to force Russian troops to retreat in several areas.

Russia Ukraine War Military Woes Explainer

"One of the reasons that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been successful in pushing back the Russian invasion is their clever use of new technologies," said Bauer.

"And we have all witnessed the critical role of technology companies supporting Ukraine. Help has come both from Ukraine's own well-developed tech sector, as well as from big and small&nbsp;international players."

The private sector is playing a crucial role in the war in eastern Europe, he added.

"A few months ago, when we thought of a company like Microsoft or Starlink, we thought of laptops or satellites. Now we think of them [as] companies that help win the war," Bauer said.

Ukraine has relied heavily on Starlink's Internet satellite communication services to support&nbsp;both the&nbsp;civilian and military sectors.

Defence Minister Anita Anand chats with members of the guard as she attends an announcement in Halifax on Friday, Nov.18, 2022. Halifax has been selected to be the host of NATO's North American regional office for defence innovation.

Halifax to host new NATO operation to pursue next-level defence technology

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