A Portrait of Homs

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A portrait of Homs Last week rebel fighters left Homs marking the end of three years of resistance in Syria's third city. Residents are now trickling back. But what has happened to the city that was once dubbed the capital of the revolution? Soumer Daghastani of BBC Arabic knows the city well. He paints us a portrait of Homs and how his family has survived the upheavals in the city. Presidential Put Downs He called her a capricious prostitute and her government retaliated saying that his was not a real country anyway. The heads of North and South Korea have been trading insults with each for some time now - but it's not just this part of the world where presidents and politicians loose their cool. Kasim Kayira of BBC Africa and Famil Ismailov of BBC Russian join us to find out which politicians conjure up the most imaginative slurs and what this kind of talk brings to the world of diplomacy. Wisdom of Barbers/Stories from the Fringe As well as keeping the world's sideburns level and beards in trim, the traditional men's barber often sees and hears it all - from the gossip of politicians to the secrets of superstars. In Senegal, one barber found his skills took him on the journey of a lifetime. And from Sierra Leone, stories from the fringe with BBC Africa's Josephine Hazeley who describes what your hair says about your society. Afghan Traffic Jam Heavy rains at the beginning of the month caused a devastating landslides in the Badakhshan region of north east Afghanistan.The mudslides destroyed lives, homes and part of the Tashkurgon road, which is a key route, through a mountainous region, linking this region to the rest of Afghanistan. It's caused a massive traffic jam, cars and vans have been backed up for days. The Uzbek Service's Hayot Shayban's just got back from the area. A Million Dollars for your Poetry While in most reality competitions around the world contestants young and old strangle out tracks to try and impress celebrity judges, the United Arab Emirates has taken a far more cultured approach to finding talent. Million's Poet has been running for many seasons and the latest is just coming to an end. The show continues to draw audiences from across the Arab world. So why is this poetry karaoke proving to be such a winning formula in the Middle East? BBC Arabic's Dina Demrdash explains. Online Greatest Hits Fifi Haroon gives the low down on the top-hitting stories across the Language Service websites, including a toppling tower and a plucky cat. Image credit: Getty