Iraqi forces celebrate in Mosul as military says “victory” is imminent

Argentina's football team led by Lionel Messi returned home after winning the World Cup in Qatar. Thousands of fans waited to greet them.

Five years after the end of the war against the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq, the fight against jihadist holdouts continues in some areas. In Mosul, which lived for more than three years under the yoke of the terrorists, residents are determined to reconquer their cultural and historical heritage.

Some of the fiercest fighting during the war in Ukraine has occurred in Soledar. The city is strategically important because of its massive network of subterranean tunnels and salt mines.

The atmosphere at the Pentecostal church in the city of Kasindi in eastern Congo was upbeat on Sunday as hundreds gathered for a series of baptisms. The congregation swelled beyond capacity, forcing organisers to move the service outside.

The Pentagon revealed on Thursday that U.S. forces conducted an assault in northern Somalia the day before and killed Bilal-al-Sudani, an ISIS leader in the country who has played a key role funding operations around the world — including in Afghanistan where 13 US service members were killed in a 2021 ISIS bombing

Award-winning French journalist Samuel Forey joins us for Perspective to discuss his newly-released book, which retraces six years of reporting from the Middle East. He tells us more about why he decided to become a war reporter and also reacts to the devastating twin earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

The former commanding US general in Europe, Ben Hodges, has told DW that the West should provide Kyiv with fighter jets. He said that providing Ukraine with the planes could lead to a victory for Kyiv within the year.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

The United Kingdom's Supreme Court has ruled that Ukraine can defend a Eurobond lawsuit brought by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed a victory.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.⁣

Khalid Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri, a senior IS leader tied to planned attacks in Europe, was killed in an unknown location in Syria by US forces.

France's President Macron has won the day after the Constitutional Council gave him the go-ahead for the key points of his pension reform. But he might struggle to win back French hearts, analysts say.