Clashes between Syrian Army and militants near al Humaymah

Tehran said it would hit back in response to "the slightest step by Israel." Meanwhile, religious tensions in Jerusalem are once again close to boiling over.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the bloc "will continue" providing military support to Ukraine, while taking care not to become a "belligerent" in the conflict. Speaking to Europe Editor Catherine Nicholson, Borrell added that he expects the EU to eventually impose a total ban on imports of Russian oil in a bid to reduce the Kremlin's ability to finance its war in Ukraine.

The US and China spent the most on their military in 2021, accounting for 52% of the total global defense expenditure, according to a new SIPRI report. Russia also saw a spending jump ahead of its invasion of Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to speed up Pyongyang's nuclear development during a military parade to celebrate the founding of the country's armed forces.

Syrian pilot, Danielle Rezek, for years kept her dream of becoming a pilot alive until she finally found her place in the cockpit.

The French military left a remote base in northern Mali before dawn for the last time last week, with 100 vehicles forming a miles-long convoy across the barren desert terrain. Helicopters whirred above as air support for hundreds of troops in trucks and armoured cars leaving the camp near the town of Gossi.

Touring areas of the Kyiv region where Russian forces suffered a defeat, DW correspondent Mathias Bölinger saw not only signs of the clashes between the two armed forces but also between two different military doctrines.

In a decision that was long time coming, Malian ruling junta pulled the plug on a number of military accords with France. French soldiers and European partners are on track to leave Mali by the end of summer.

Germany is set to draw down its EU deployment in Mali and increase its UN deployment. France is withdrawing from Mali amid friction with the military junta there.

Since North Korea reported its first official coronavirus case last week, the WHO has warned it might spread rapidly in the unvaccinated country. Ruler Kim Jong Un wants the military to turn the tide.

Two new prospective members of the 73-year-old NATO alliance have submitted their applications to join. Their bids, which come in light of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, have already faced resistance from Turkey.

Germany's Humboldt Research Fellowships are very popular with visiting Chinese scientists. Back in China, some of them go on to do research for the military, a DW investigation finds.