The Islamic State group threatened to kill two Japanese hostages unless Tokyo pays a $200 million ransom within 72 hours, in a video posted on militant websites on Tuesday.
In the footage, a black-clad militant brandishing a knife addresses the camera in English, standing between two hostages wearing orange jumpsuits.
"You now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200 million to save the lives of your citizens," he says.
The militant says that the ransom demand was to compensate for non-military aid that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to support the campaign against IS during an ongoing Middle East tour that on Tuesday saw him in Jerusalem.
Japan's government said it was looking into the threat.
"We are aware of the reports. We are in discussions on the matter," said an official in the foreign ministry's terrorism prevention division, declining to be named.
When asked whether the government regarded the video as authentic, he told AFP: "We are checking that too."
One of the hostages appeared in previous footage posted last August in which he identified himself as Haruna Yukawa and was shown being roughly interrogated by his captors.
The second hostage -- Kenji Goto -- is a freelance journalist who set up a video production company, named Independent Press in Tokyo in 1996, feeding video documentaries on the Middle East and other regions to Japanese television networks, including public broadcaster NHK.
He was born in Sendai, Miyagki, in 1967, according to the company's website.
AFP
Tue Jan 20 2015
The Islamic State group threatened to kill two Japanese hostages unless Tokyo pays a $200 million ransom within 72 hours. - File pic
FDAM galakkan ahli mencarum SKSPS - Afdlin
Persatuan Pengarah Filem Malaysia (FDAM) menggalakkan kesemua ahlinya menyertai Skim Keselamatan Sosial Pekerjaan Sendiri (SKSPS) Perkeso.
Kerajaan Madani berkhidmat untuk semua kaum di Malaysia - PM
Perdana Menteri berkata Kerajaan Madani memberi layanan yang sama kepada semua kaum meskipun mereka hanyalah minoriti di negara ini.
Hamidin wajar terus diberi kepercayaan pimpin FAM - Zainal Abidin
Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan merasakan Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin wajar terus diberi kepercayaan menduduki kerusi nombor satu FAM.
Tiga lagi dibina Sabah dorong amalan kualiti hidup sihat
Kementerian Kesihatan bercadang untuk mewujudkan tiga lagi Wellness Hub di Sabah bagi mendorong amalan kualiti hidup sihat dalam kalangan penduduk di negeri itu.
Kerajaan Negeri komited sediakan kemudahan asas kepada rakyat
Kerajaan Sabah komited menyediakan kemudahan asas kepada rakyat khususnya di luar bandar supaya penduduk di kawasan itu juga dapat menikmati kemajuan dan pembangunan.
Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Haji Noor berkata beliau juga gembira apabila menyedari inisiatif hala tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) membuahkan hasil.
Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Haji Noor berkata beliau juga gembira apabila menyedari inisiatif hala tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) membuahkan hasil.
DBKU komited kekalkan bandar bersih, indah & selamat
Menginstitusikan bandar raya sifar sampah juga antara komitmen yang sedang diusahakan DBKU bagi memastikan bandar raya itu kekal bersih, indah dan selamat.
UMNO komited terus pertahan Kerajaan Perpaduan - Ahmad Zahid
UMNO komited untuk terus mempertahan Kerajaan Perpaduan walaupun ada usaha untuk menjatuhkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Pengiktirafan Kuching bandar bersih perlu disambut komuniti
Pelbagai inisiatif dilakukan kerajaan negeri Sarawak dalam memastikan bandaraya Kuching mencapai status sifar karbon.
Tiga ADUN PSB ditukar ke blok kerajaan
Tiga Adun bekas pemimpin Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) akan ditukar kedudukan daripada blok pembangkang ke blok kerajaan dalam persidangan DUN Sarawak bermula Isnin depan.
Gugurkan perkataan 'negeri' apabila merujuk kepada Sarawak
Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sarawak, Tan Sri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar pada sabtu mencadangkan kepada kabinet Sarawak untuk menggugurkan perkataan ‘negeri’ apabila merujuk kepada wilayah berkenaan, terutama ketika menggubal perlembagaannya.