'Free all prisoners or we will execute hostages'

AL-JAZEERA television broadcast a new videotape last night in which kidnappers of four Christian peace activists, including one Briton, threatened to kill their hostages unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centres are released.

The kidnappers gave the two governments until next Thursday to meet their demands.

The tape showed Norman Kember, from London, an American and two Canadian hostages.

Mr Kember was shown talking to the camera but no audio was transmitted.

Investigators of a suicide bombing by a Belgian woman in Iraq are holding five people thought to be connected with her on suspicion of participating in terrorist activities.

Muriel Degauque, 38, a convert to Islam, blew herself up on 9 November on the outskirts of Baghdad in what security sources believe was the first suicide attack in Iraq by a European woman.