Ottawa closes Cairo embassy as a precaution

Canada closed its embassy in Cairo yesterday as a precaution due to demonstrations sparked by an unflattering portrayal of the Islamic prophet Mohammed in a video. A Department of Foreign Affairs official said the closure was a security precaution. There was no immediate word on when the embassy would reopen and the Egyptian government said foreign diplomats and embassy personnel working in the country would be protected. Police were keeping demonstrators away from the U.S. embassy Thursday. Demonstrations began outside the U.S. embassy earlier this week and a mob attacked a U.S. consulate in Libya, killing four Americans.