Al-Qaida group 'to kill four hostages'

An al-Qaida-led insurgent group said in a website statement today that it had decided to kill four kidnapped Russian Embassy workers after a deadline for meeting its demands passed.

The Mujahedeen Shura Council said Moscow failed to meet its demands for a full withdrawal of troops from the war-torn region of Chechnya and that a 48-hour deadline set in a statement issued Monday had run out.