Italian Hostage

Police were blocking all access to streets near the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan, where heavily armed attackers, who all are from "good educational background", holed up overnight Friday, torturing and killing some of their captives including nine Italians, seven Japanese, three Bangladeshis and one Indian teenager.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi today prepared the country for tragic news, warning the nation had suffered "a painful loss" after gunmen murdered 20 hostages in Bangladesh.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi condemned on Saturday a deadly attack in the Bangladeshi capital where suspected Islamist gunmen stormed into a cafe and killed 20 of the hostages inside, including some Italians.

Seven Italian nationals are thought to be among the hostages taken by gunmen who stormed a cafe popular with foreigners in the capital of Bangladesh on Friday, Italian state television said quoting the Italian ambassador to Bangladesh.

The White House admitted Thursday that a January US operation against an Al Qaeda compound near the Afghan-Pakistan border killed one American and one Italian hostage, along with an American member of the jihadist group.

An American and an Italian who had been held hostage for several years by Al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were inadvertently killed in a US counter-terrorism operation in January, US President Barack Obama today.

Italian politicians welcomed the liberation of two Italian aid volunteers held hostage in Syria but their release drew criticism over a possible ransom payment.

Four Italian journalists who were being held hostage in Syria have been freed, Prime Minister Mario Monti said in a statement on Saturday.

Silvio Berlusconi's accountant was taken hostage in his home by armed intruders who demanded a USD 44 million ransom from the former Italian premier, Italy's police said today.

An Italian hostage kidnapped by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in February last year in Southern Algeria was released on Tuesday and is in a hotel in Burkina Faso, officials said. "Maria Sandra Mariani is free. I have just informed her relatives. I join them in their great satisfaction and relief at this magnificent news," Foreign Minister Giulio...

In what is being seen as a softening of its earlier stand, the Odisha government has said it will seriously consider withdrawal of charges against some of the 25 prisoners if the Maoists release the abducted MLA Jhina Hikaka by 5 pm on April 18. The state Panchayati Raj Secretary PK Jena who was one of the three negotiators on behalf of the state g...

Even as Maoists in Odisha freed Italian national Paolo Bosusco after keeping him captive for nearly a month yesterday, the hostage crisis is still far from over with abducted tribal MLA Jhina Hikaka continuing to be held captive by another faction of the Maoists.

After spending 29 days in captivity, Paolo Bosusco, the Italian national abducted by Maoists in Odisha, finally walked free today. Mr Bosusco was handed over by the Maoists to Dandapani Mohanty, one of the mediators appointed by them for negotiating with the state government for the Italian's release, and some journalists in the forests of the trib...

After being in captivity for nearly a month, Italian national Paolo Bosusco has been released by Maoists in Odisha today. Mr Bosusco, 51, was handed over by the Maoists to their mediator Dandapani Mohanty and some journalists in the forest of tribal-dominated Kandhamal district. On his arrival in the state capital, the Italian national said, "I am...

After 29 days in hostage Paolo Bosusco, held hostage by the Odisha unit of the Maoist party has been released.

Police were blocking all access to streets near the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan, where heavily armed attackers, who all are from "good educational background", holed up overnight Friday, torturing and killing some of their captives including nine Italians, seven Japanese, three Bangladeshis and one Indian teenager.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi today prepared the country for tragic news, warning the nation had suffered "a painful loss" after gunmen murdered 20 hostages in Bangladesh.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi condemned on Saturday a deadly attack in the Bangladeshi capital where suspected Islamist gunmen stormed into a cafe and killed 20 of the hostages inside, including some Italians.

Seven Italian nationals are thought to be among the hostages taken by gunmen who stormed a cafe popular with foreigners in the capital of Bangladesh on Friday, Italian state television said quoting the Italian ambassador to Bangladesh.

The White House admitted Thursday that a January US operation against an Al Qaeda compound near the Afghan-Pakistan border killed one American and one Italian hostage, along with an American member of the jihadist group.

An American and an Italian who had been held hostage for several years by Al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were inadvertently killed in a US counter-terrorism operation in January, US President Barack Obama today.

Italian politicians welcomed the liberation of two Italian aid volunteers held hostage in Syria but their release drew criticism over a possible ransom payment.

Four Italian journalists who were being held hostage in Syria have been freed, Prime Minister Mario Monti said in a statement on Saturday.

Silvio Berlusconi's accountant was taken hostage in his home by armed intruders who demanded a USD 44 million ransom from the former Italian premier, Italy's police said today.

An Italian hostage kidnapped by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in February last year in Southern Algeria was released on Tuesday and is in a hotel in Burkina Faso, officials said. "Maria Sandra Mariani is free. I have just informed her relatives. I join them in their great satisfaction and relief at this magnificent news," Foreign Minister Giulio...

In what is being seen as a softening of its earlier stand, the Odisha government has said it will seriously consider withdrawal of charges against some of the 25 prisoners if the Maoists release the abducted MLA Jhina Hikaka by 5 pm on April 18. The state Panchayati Raj Secretary PK Jena who was one of the three negotiators on behalf of the state g...

Even as Maoists in Odisha freed Italian national Paolo Bosusco after keeping him captive for nearly a month yesterday, the hostage crisis is still far from over with abducted tribal MLA Jhina Hikaka continuing to be held captive by another faction of the Maoists.

After spending 29 days in captivity, Paolo Bosusco, the Italian national abducted by Maoists in Odisha, finally walked free today. Mr Bosusco was handed over by the Maoists to Dandapani Mohanty, one of the mediators appointed by them for negotiating with the state government for the Italian's release, and some journalists in the forests of the trib...

After being in captivity for nearly a month, Italian national Paolo Bosusco has been released by Maoists in Odisha today. Mr Bosusco, 51, was handed over by the Maoists to their mediator Dandapani Mohanty and some journalists in the forest of tribal-dominated Kandhamal district. On his arrival in the state capital, the Italian national said, "I am...

After 29 days in hostage Paolo Bosusco, held hostage by the Odisha unit of the Maoist party has been released.