From our friends at [1] Al-Jazeera:

Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni, who was taken captive on 24 August, is reported to have been executed by his captors.

In a video tape received by Aljazeera, the purported Iraqi group - identifying itself as the Islamic Army in Iraq - said Baldoni had been executed because their demands had not been met.

"The group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq said they executed the Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni because Italy did not respond to their demand to withdraw troops from Iraq within 48 hours," Aljazeera reported.

Aljazeera decided not to broadcast the grisly footage.

Baldoni, 56, disappeared last week on the road to Najaf, the scene of fierce fighting between US troops and the al-Mahdi Army of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.

Our friends at[2] Agence France Presse "report" it this way. Quotation marks entirely theirs:

Italian press shocked at killing of 'innocent' journalist