'Kidnapped Italian victim still alive'

Afghan authorities said on Friday that kidnapped Italian aid worker Clementina Cantoni was still alive, and they were working hard to secure her release. "We are working hard to release her safely," presidential spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad told AFP. Some media organisations reported that Temur Shah, the alleged kidnapper of the 32-year-old Italian aid worker, had killed Cantoni Thursday night after President Hamid Karzai's government refused to accept his demands. "We have no such report," interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said but stopped short of issuing an outright rebuttal of Shah's claims.
An interior ministry official said that up to 10:00 am (0530 GMT) government officials were in contact with the kidnappers and had no report of her death.