America extends embassy closings

United States extended embassy closures by a week in middle east and Africa as a precaution after an al-Qaida threat which US lawmakers said was the most serious in years. The state department said 19 US embassies and consulates would be closed through Saturday ‘out of an abundance of caution’ and that a number of them would have been closed anyway for most of the week due to Eid celebrations at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramzan. The US initially closed 21 diplomatic posts for the day on Sunday.