From the prime minister to ordinary people, Japanese were shocked at a video purportedly showing one of two Japanese hostages of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group had been killed.

Under fire Japanese PM leads calls for release of second hostage

Japan’s prime minister said he was left “speechless” by a video purportedly showing one of two Japanese hostages of the extremist Islamic State group had been killed.

Japanese officials are investigating a purported message from the extremist Islamic State group about the two Japanese hostages it holds.

Japan promised not to give up “until the very end” on efforts to rescue two Japanese hostages threatened with beheading by Islamic militants, after a deadline passed with no word from the captors.

The deadline for paying ransom for two Japanese hostages held by the Islamic State group (IS) was fast approaching early today with no signs of a breakthrough.

It is an unlikely friendship that ties the fates of war correspondent Kenji Goto and troubled loner Haruna Yukawa, the two Japanese hostages for which Islamic State militants demanded a $200m ransom this week.

Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to save two hostages who are being held by Islamic State (IS).