Deadline extended for Austrian hostages in Mali

Vienna: Al Qaida militants holding two Austrian tourists in Mali have extended a deadline for their demands to be met which was due to expire at midnight on Sunday.

"More time for the efforts to free Andrea Kloiber and Wolfgang Ebner has been made available," Austrian foreign ministry spokesman Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal told reporters in Vienna.

Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik has been in touch with the families of the captives, he added.

Wolfgang Ebner, 51, and Andrea Kloiber, 43, were captured while holidaying last month in Tunisia.