Terror threat warnings

British anti-terror police arrested 14 people yesterday as the United States warned of possible attacks in Saudi Arabia and Kenya, in actions which highlighted a persistent global threat to Western interests.

In Riyadh, where suspected al Qaeda bombers killed at least 18 people last month, the US and British embassies said more attacks may be planned after authorities foiled a massive car bombing one week ago.

US and German authorities also warned their nationals to stay away from the centre of the Kenyan capital Nairobi over the next few days in response to "indications of a terror threat".

The warnings were made as British anti-terror police said they had arrested four people in pre-dawn raids in London, six people in the university city of Cambridge and four near the central English city of Birmingham. Sources said the London arrests were linked to international terrorism.

Police continue to quiz a suspected potential suicide bomber arrested in the southwestern town of Gloucester last Thursday. Explosives were found in the house where he was seized.

Britain has been on its second highest security alert for two weeks after intelligence officials said they had information an attack was planned, without specifying any target.

In Riyadh, diplomats said the Seder Village Western compound in the east of the Saudi capital may have been the target of last week's foiled bomb attack in which security forces said they had seized a car with more than 1.2 tonnes of explosive.