Kidnapped German curator Hella Mewis freed by Iraq military

Ahead of a trip to Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron has outlined plans for a "noticeable reduction" in France's troop presence on the continent. France also intends to co-run African bases with African countries.

A year ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to upgrade the Bundeswehr with a massive one-off fund. Critics say not much has happened since.

Iraq's government is going after what it calls "decadent content" on social media. Users of TikTok, Instagram and other platforms who are found to breach "morals and traditions" can now be jailed. The campaign was announced in January and so far, a dozen people have been arrested. Our correspondent Marie-Charlotte Roupie reports.

Ghana’s military has come under criticisms after carrying out a swoop in a community where one of its officers was stabbed to death. Soldiers unleashed mayhem, brutalizing many residents of Ashaiman, a suburb of the capital Accra.The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) command said it sanctioned the operation and has apologized for the excesses that took place.

A number of countries, from Japan and South Korea to the Philippines, have been increasingly wary of Beijing's growing assertiveness and influence in the region.

Compulsory military service was suspended in 2011. A recent survey suggests 61% of Germans want it reintroduced, with over a third saying it should apply to women as well as men.

At the annual parliamentary meet, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced he would focus on developing security. He also announced an economic growth target of 5%, the lowest in decades.

Military commissioner Eva Högl called for an additional €300 billion in funding for Germany's Bundeswehr. She said that the force needed more soldiers and that little progress had been made on the enlistment of women.

In Israel, the ongoing protest movement against judicial reform has now spread to the ranks of the army and in particular, reservists of elite units. In recent weeks, hundreds of them have published open letters to express their doubts about continuing to serve if the plans of Benjamin Netanyahu's government are adopted.

Fallujah is one of the cities that has paid the highest price for the US-led invasion of Iraq two decades ago. A stronghold of support for former dictator Saddam Hussein, it quickly became the scene of brutal guerrilla warfare. The instability created by the conflict produced long-lasting effects. In particular, it laid the foundations for jihadism, giving birth to al Qaeda in Iraq, which later evolved into the Islamic State group.

On March 20, 2003, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq. Years of conflict and insecurity followed, with wide-ranging consequences to this day. In mid-April 2003, as American troops advanced on Baghdad amid the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, the Baghdad Museum was looted and tens of thousands of pieces disappeared. Twenty years later, many of these priceless artefacts are still missing and antiquity trafficking remains a serious problem in Iraq. Our correspondent reports.

Military reservists are threatening to stop reporting for duty if Israel goes ahead with its judicial reforms. The unprecedented military protests underscore the growing opposition to the legal overhaul.