An Afghan court today sentenced to death two men after it found them guilty of kidnapping an Italian aid worker for three weeks this year, and murdering the son of an Afghan businessman.

Afghan police had no word today on the fate of an Italian hostage after the deadline passed in the purported kidnapper’s threat to kill her unless his demands were met – but a senior officer said authorities did not believe the ultimatum was serious.

A MAN claiming to have kidnapped an Italian aid worker in the Afghan capital threatened yesterday in an interview on local television to kill her unless his demands were immediately met.

A man claiming to have kidnapped an Italian aid worker in the Afghan capital threatened today in an interview on local television to kill her unless his demands were immediately met.