Al-Qusayr, in the region of Homs, is a bastion of the Syrian resistance. In order to dodge shells and snipers, the people lie low. With each attack, the wounded flood into secret makeshift clinics. But short of ammunition and outgunned, the soldiers of the Free Syrian Army do not know how much longer they can hold out. France 24's reporters take you inside Al-Qusayr to meet the struggling resistance.
Reporting from the western Syrian city of Al-Qusayr near Homs, FRANCE 24’s reporters find a city terrorised by snipers in the second part of our exclusive coverage from inside Syria.
It's been 300 days since French journalists Hervé Ghesquière and Stephane Taponier were taken hostage in Afghanistan. The hostage-taking industry is booming in Afghanistan, with journalists at particular risk. Foreign correspondents can command high ransom prices, though the value of local reporters is far lower - meaning they often face death, just for doing their job.
During the past nine years in Afghanistan, coalition forces have seen the Afghan army grow and progress but troops remain under NATO's tutelage. Are they ready to walk alone? President Barack Obama has said that US troops will begin drawing down from Afghanistan next year. But it may be premature for an Afghan army still struggling to provide security for its own people...
The French soldier killed in Afghanistan on Monday belonged to a highly skilled team training Afghan soldiers. The French specialists focus on helping the local army operate independently, often under extremely difficult circumstances.
Taliban militants are retreating north to the Swat valley's main city, Mingora, in the wake of a military offensive, local observers have told Mathieu Mabin, France 24's correspondent in Islamabad.
Mathieu Mabin 
