Taliban extends hostage deadline

[Christoph]

KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) -- The Taliban on Monday gave 23 Korean hostages another 24 hours to live to allow the South Korean government to open direct talks with the kidnappers, a Taliban spokesman said on Monday.

Spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said negotiations with the Afghan government were going nowhere and South Korea had until 1430 GMT on Tuesday to agree to withdraw its 200 troops from Afghanistan. Unless it did so, the Taliban would start killing the captives....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/afghan.hostages.reut/index.html

[Christoph]

Male hostage shot dead


Taliban tells CNN it has shot dead a second South Korean hostage
Kidnappers want Taliban prisoners released from Afghan jails
The group of 23 Christian Koreans were abducted on July 19
Militants shot dead one captive hours after a deadline passed Wednesday


http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/30/taliban.hostage/index.html

[Christoph]

Two female Korean hostages freed



NEW: Afghan official tells CNN two female hostages have been released
The women are believed to be seriously ill; 19 hostages still being held
Two hostages have been killed by the Taliban
Group of 23 South Koreans was abducted in Ghazni province on July 19

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/13/taliban.hostages/index.html