Today's front pages are dominated by the continuing hostage crisis in Iraq.

Ken Bigley, the British engineer held hostage in Iraq, has made a direct public appeal to Tony Blair, begging him to save his life by agreeing to the demands of his kidnappers.

The 62-year-old contractor, who was seized last week by Islamist militants, said: "I think this is possibly my last chance, I don't want to die... I need you to help me Mr Blair, because you are the only person now on God's earth who can help me."

He added: "Please help me see my wife, who cannot go on without me, she really can't."

The footage was posted on an Islamist website last night and it has put huge pressure on the prime minister in advance of next week's Labour conference.

After viewing the film, Bigley's brother, Paul, said: "We have to do something. I don't expect Mr Blair to do something publicly... but people need to put their thinking cap on."

He later told the BBC's Newsnight programme that a stay of execution had been achieved "because certain people have been lobbying, including myself, in the Gulf... we have the ears of these people".

Jack Straw said in New York that there would be no negotiation.

The foreign secretary said of the video: "It's adding torture to the appalling situation in which these evil terrorists have placed Mr Bigley and, of course, our hearts go out yet more to him and to his family. But I'm afraid to say it can't alter the position of the British government."

Downing Street said it was aware of the video and was "doing what we can to try and resolve the situation but people understand how difficult it is".