US and UK put embassies on high security alert

The US and the UK have put their embassies around the world on heightened security alert amid concerns of possible retaliations attacks by al-Qaida.

The US State Department has also issued a global travel alert to all US citizens.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK should be “even more vigilant” than usual for the threat of terror attacks in the coming days.

Mr Hague said that elements of al-Qaida were still “in business” and they would need to be vigilant for “some time to come”.

“This is not the end of being vigilant against al-Qaida and associated groups,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

“There may be parts of al-Qaida that will try to show that they are in business in the coming weeks, as indeed some of them are.

“So I have already this morning asked our embassies to review their security to make sure that vigilance is heightened and I think that will have to be our posture for some time to come.”