Freed hostages seek beer, soccer scores

BERLIN - The first things two freed Germans asked for after a 99-day hostage ordeal in Iraq were a beer and the latest scores in the German soccer league.

Germany's ambassador in Iraq Bernd Erbel was quoted in Bild newspaper on Thursday saying the two freed engineers - Rene Braeunlich, 32, and Thomas Nitzschke, 28 - knew what they wanted when they arrived at the embassy on Tuesday evening.

"'Do you have any cold beer, please'?" was the first thing they asked for, according to Erbel. After a toast to freedom they wanted to know the Bundesliga standings.

- REUTERS