内容摘要：He has been fiercely criticised by Israel, with the foreign ministry on Friday saying: "Instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state."

He has been fiercely criticised by Israel, with the foreign ministry on Friday saying: "Instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state."

But there has been a growing recognition of the need to reverse this, with even the Green Party coming onboard a recent vote to lift restrictions on Germany's defence spending.But as Western military and political leaders say they are ready for the fight, questions remain on whether this is a case of ambition outpacing reality.

It will take years for Europe's military industrial base to crank up to speed to match anywhere near the scale of weaponry that Russia is churning out.The US has also been drawing down, not building up, its defence commitments to Europe to focus on the Indo-Pacific.An al-Qaeda linked group says it carried out a major attack on the Malian town of Boulikessi, and seized control of an army base.

More than 30 soldiers were killed in Sunday's attack, according to sources quoted by the Reuters news agency, however that figure has not been confirmed by the authorities.On Monday the same group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), says it targeted the military in the historic city of Timbuktu.

In a statement responding to Sunday's attack, Mali's army said it "reacted vigorously", before "withdrawing" - suggesting a tactical retreat.

"Many men fought, some until their last breath, to defend the Malian nation," the statement added.And newly uncovered photos, lost in a drawer for decades, show the Welsh poet heeding his own words as he wrecked an employer's office after finding out they had no pay for him.

Thomas had a job making wartime documentaries for Strand Film Company in London in 1942 when a photographer captured him waiting to collect a cheque.When no money was forthcoming, he can then be seen breaking up the furniture like a spoiled rock star in the series of never-before published photos.

A quick-thinking Strand receptionist told the photographer to document Thomas's outburst then tucked the evidence away, said Jeff Towns, a Dylan Thomas expert and author.He bought the photos and got the back story from the receptionist's daughter, telling