Timult in Italy over Iraqi hostages

Relatives of one of Italy's hostages in Iraq blocked the rail line Rimini-Ravenna demanding that he and other kidnapped Italians are released within 48 hours.
The father of Salvatore Stefio, Angelo Stefio, asked that Italy's President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi assures him of their release in a telephone conversation.

Earlier in the day Iraqi insurgents, who took Italian civilians hostages, threatened they would start to kill them one by one every 48 hours.

Iraqi militants executed one of four hostages on Wednesday, the first known execution of a foreign captive in Iraq.

Among the demands that the captors issued are US forces withdrawal from Iraq.