We'll kill hostages, one by one, rebels vow

smh.com.au:One of the three Japanese being held hostage in Iraq will be executed at an unspecified time today - and the other two within 12 hours - unless Tokyo agrees to new demands, says an Iraqi go-between who claims to have seen them alive yesterday.

False hopes for the safety of the three were raised earlier when word spread from the Middle East to Japan that the Arab news network Al-Jazeera had reported they were to be released at mid-morning yesterday.

Good God!