Alan Wright talks about his ordeal as a hostage in Algeria where he hid and eventually sneaked away from his captors.

The Malian military says it has gained control of the central Mali town of Diabaly, a key advance in the battle against Islamist militants in the north.

After a fiery end to an Algerian hostage standoff that transfixed the world last week, harrowing tales of escape trickled in, together with casualty numbers.