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By Elizabeth Pineau and Ingrid Melander PARIS (Reuters) -France’s outgoing parliament president Yael Braun-Pivet won a second mandate on Thursday, in a vote that President Emmanuel Macron’s camp hopes will boost their chances to run the government and defeat the left. Braun-Pivet scored 220 ballots while her main rival for the job, veteran communist lawmaker …

French lawmakers re-elect Macron’s ally Braun-Pivet as speaker in blow to left Read More »

By Ismail Shakil OTTAWA (Reuters) – General Jennie Carignan took over as Canada’s chief of the defense staff on Thursday in a ceremony that made her the first woman to command the country’s armed forces. Trained as a military engineer, Carignan has commanded troops in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Syria during her 35 years in …

First woman to lead Canada’s armed forces takes command Read More »

PARIS (Reuters) – Lawmakers in France’s National Assembly on Thursday handed centrist politician Yeael Braun-Pivet, a loyal ally of President Emmanuel Macron, a second term as speaker in a tight win over the candidate from the left. Braun-Pivet scored 220 ballots while her main rival for the job, veteran communist lawmaker Andre Chassaigne, received 207 …

French lawmakers re-elect Macron-ally Braun-Pivet as speaker in blow to left Read More »

LONDON (Reuters) – Senior executives from British defence firms including BAE and Babcock met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday to discuss the need to boost military support for the country in its conflict with Russia. Zelenskiy was in Britain for a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and the meeting in London also …

UK defence firms discuss boosting support for Ukraine with Zelenskiy Read More »

By Kirsty Needham DARWIN, Australia (Reuters) – An Italian carrier strike group on its first deployment to the Indo-Pacific region will sail through the South China Sea to the Philippines after participating in war games with U.S. allies in Australia, a senior Italian navy official said on Thursday. The moves come amid rising tensions between …

Italy carrier strike group joins Australia war games, will visit Philippines Read More »

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Thursday that pledges by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to create “a true European Defence Union” if she won a second term spoke to the mood in Europe towards militarisation and confrontation. In a document setting out her programme ahead of a European Parliament vote on …

Kremlin says proposed ‘European Defence Union’ is sign of EU’s militarisation Read More »

BLENHEIM PALACE, England (Reuters) – A NATO command to coordinate support for Ukraine will be operational in Germany from September, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. “We have agreed to establish a command to coordinate and provide security assistance and training for Ukraine,” he said on arrival at a European Political Community meeting …

NATO command to support Ukraine will be operational in Sept – Stoltenberg Read More »

By Kate Abnett and Marta Fiorin STRASBOURG (Reuters) -European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Thursday to create a “European Defence Union” and to stay the course on Europe’s green transition while cushioning its burden on industry as she pitched for a second term. Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen …

EU’s von der Leyen vows defence push, climate continuity in bid for second term Read More »