Serge Lazarevic

Frenchwoman Isabelle Prime, who has been freed after nearly six months of captivity in Yemen, arrived in Oman today before she returns to Paris to be welcomed by her "unbelievably happy" father.

The Malian government says it exchanged four prisoners to secure the release of a French hostage held for three years by al-Qaida's North African branch.

Beaten, bound and fed mostly dry bread, on the darkest days of his three years held captive by Islamists in the Sahel Frenchman Serge Lazarevic felt he was no longer human.

The North African jihadist group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb released a video on Monday purporting to show a French and a Dutch hostage held since November 2011 in the Sahara.

Frenchwoman Isabelle Prime, who has been freed after nearly six months of captivity in Yemen, arrived in Oman today before she returns to Paris to be welcomed by her "unbelievably happy" father.

The Malian government says it exchanged four prisoners to secure the release of a French hostage held for three years by al-Qaida's North African branch.

Beaten, bound and fed mostly dry bread, on the darkest days of his three years held captive by Islamists in the Sahel Frenchman Serge Lazarevic felt he was no longer human.

The North African jihadist group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb released a video on Monday purporting to show a French and a Dutch hostage held since November 2011 in the Sahara.