1.   Guatemalan officials say there have been hundreds of kidnappings this year.

2.   The police have a warrant out for Matsumoto in connection with the kidnapping this year of a notary clerk.

3.   Huge ransom demands are behind most of the wave of kidnappings this year in Chechnya.

4.   Huge ransom demands are behind the wave of kidnappings this year in Chechnya.

5.   Mexico has been plagued by hundreds of kidnappings every year for at least the past five years.

6.   Mexico has been plagued by hundreds of kidnappings every year at least for the past five years.

7.   Red Cross workers in Chechnya had already endured six kidnappings this year and the agency reduced its staff this month because of security concerns.

8.   Several armed groups operate outside his authority, and a wave of kidnappings this year has targeted Russian journalists.

9.   The country ranked fourth last year kidnappings after Colombia, Mexico and Russia.

10.   The previous two kidnappings this year of Germans ended peacefully with the safe release of the hostages, a diplomat and a student.