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Feds say Canada’s air defence donation to Ukraine has final hurdle to clear from U.S. – Global News

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The Department of National Defence says Canada’s donation of an air-defence system to Ukraine is in the midst of clearing one final administrative hurdle with the U.S. government.

A spokesperson says Ukraine and the U.S. are finalizing a letter of acceptance that will confirm delivery timelines for a surface-to-air missile system Canada pledged to pay for more than a year ago.

Ukraine has been asking allies for air defence systems to help fend off Russian airstrikes and cruise missiles.

It took more than a week to get the response from the Defence Department, which sought information from the U.S. government.

The department spokesperson also says Defence Minister Bill Blair met with U.S. ambassador David Cohen Thursday to ask for an expedited timeline.

Canada announced the donation of a national advanced surface-to-air missile system, known as NASAMS, in January 2023. It paid the US$406 million for it last March.


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The U.S. entered into a foreign military sales agreement with Ukraine directly, giving notice to Congress last May. That process continued through the summer and fall.


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The arrangement allows Canada to avoid applying to the U.S. government for further approval to send the system on to Ukraine, which is needed any time American military technology is sold outside the country.

“The United States and Ukraine are currently working on finalizing the letter of acceptance, which outlines the donation and the expectations on its use and confirms delivery timelines. The letter of acceptance is the final administrative step in the FMS process,” Defence Department spokesman Alexandre Tetreault wrote in an email Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been ramping up the pressure on allies to provide more air support for the embattled country.

“Our entire diplomatic team, everyone in charge of communicating with partners, and all Ukrainian representatives around the world are fully committed to ensuring the delivery of additional air defence systems and ammunition,” he said in a Jan. 4 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ukraine says the medium-range missile systems are critical to defending its territory from Russian bombardment. They’re capable of taking down aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.

Zelenskyy also posted on Jan. 1 about a conversation he had with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying “I am grateful to Prime Minister Trudeau for his willingness to assist us in protecting the Ukrainian sky, particularly by providing additional NASAMS systems and missiles.”

It is not clear whether Zelenskyy was referring to the system Canada agreed to pay for last year, or if the two spoke about a new donation. The Prime Minister’s Office refused to clarify.

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Sixth-ranked Canadian women to face World Cup champion Spain in October friendly

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The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.

Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.

In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.

Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.

Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.

Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.

It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.

Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.

FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.

“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024

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Former Oilers assistant GM Brad Holland follows his father out the door in Edmonton

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EDMONTON – The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that assistant general manager Brad Holland is leaving the club.

The move comes almost three months after the departure of former Oilers general manager Ken Holland, Brad’s father.

Oilers chief executive officer and president of hockey operations Jeff Jackson said in a statement that Brad Holland and the team parted ways so Holland could “explore other opportunities.”

Holland, 43, joined the Oilers as a scout in 2019. He was promoted to assistant GM in July 2022.

He had a hand in building the team that advanced to Game 7 of the 2023-24 Stanley Cup final before losing to the Florida Panthers.

The Oilers hired former Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman to replace Ken Holland on July 1.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

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Dolphins place Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after latest concussion, AP source says

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are placing Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the move. Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games with the designation.

He was hurt in the third quarter of a Thursday night game against the Buffalo Bills on a play where he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. He ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.

Players from both teams immediately motioned that Tagovailoa was hurt, and as he lay on the turf the quarterback exhibited some signs typically associated with a traumatic brain injury. He remained down on the field for a couple of minutes, got to his feet and walked to the sideline.

Tagovailoa this week began the process of consulting neurologists about his health. He was diagnosed with two concussions in 2022 and one while in college at Alabama.

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