Two journalists held hostage by the Taliban for 18 months in Afghanistan have arrived home in France to an emotional welcome.

A non-commissioned officer in the French spy agency was killed last week by a local militia at a border checkpoint in southern Iraq, the French Defence Ministry said today.

DEFYING age and the advice of local authorities, six US World War II veterans yesterday parachuted into this northern French village with youthful vigour to remember the invasion of Normandy 60 years ago.