TOP 100 UK SITES
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| Law and disorder in Lagos Louis Theroux investigates who wields the power on the streets of Lagos in Nigeria bbc.co.uk |
Keith Richards: Life in quotes - part 2 Keith Richards' autobiography, Life, contains eye-opening insights into the heart of '60s decadence and the lives of some of Britain's most iconic musicians. telegraph.co.uk |
British hostage freed by Somali gunmen recalls kidnap ordeal Frans Barnard tells of how he tried to hide as kidnappers burst into his hotel room and abducted him at gunpointA British security consultant today told of the dramatic moments when he was kidnapped from his hotel room in Somalia.Frans Barnard, 48, who was on contract for Save the Children, was freed on Wednesday after being marched around the desert in central Somalia for five days. Clan militias who pursued the kidnappers eventually tracked them down and, with the help of local elders, persuaded them to release Barnard.Barnard said that he had been watching an episode of the television series 24 in his room when he suddenly heard shooting. Gunmen banged on his door, telling him to open, but he refused, and lay down flat in the far corner of the room."They shot through the door, and tried to beat it down. Eventually they managed to force the window and climb through. They were using the light of a mobile phone, so initially they could not find me."When they did, they pulled Barnard through the window, and forced him into a car, together with his Somali fixer Bashir Yusuf Osman, driving off "at breakneck speed".The hostages' hands were bound, but Barnard managed to free one hand. He said he used his fingers to tap a running motion on Bashir's leg – asking whether they should try to escape. They quickly decided not to."Somalia is a unique place – there is no real military, or function or state, or external force. So even if you do escape, where are you going to go?"He said he did not think that he would be killed, as abductions in Somalia seldom take place for ideological reasons. Instead, he prepared himself for "very long and very uncomfortable" time as a hostage.The kidnappers, 10 men, most of whom were in their teens, kept Barnard moving in the desert. During the day they mostly rested under scrub bushes, but a night they walked long distances, before meeting up with a vehicle, and driving to a new location. Barnard, who was barefoot when he was kidnapped, was given a pair of flip flops.He said he kept his focus by imagining reading Roald Dahl's Danny the Champion of the World to his youngest son, who lives with him and his wife in Nairobi.SomaliaXan Riceguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Live: Bloody Sunday families shown Saville report 9.40 BST On a January morning 38 years ago, 13 protesters died at the hands of British paratroopers and 14 were injured, one so seriously he died four months later. For many of their relatives, the years since have been dominated by the search for truth about what happened during 25 chaotic minutes in central Londonderry. timesonline.co.uk |
Tesco chairman stays on to smooth Sir Terry Leahy transition DAVID REID has pledged to stay on as chairman of Tesco for at least another 18 months to maintain boardroom stability at Britain’s biggest retailer, insiders say. timesonline.co.uk |