US: Airline passengers to be banned from carrying larger electronics

Passengers travelling on certain US-bound foreign airline flights will have to check electronic devices larger than a cell phone once US authorities formalize a new ban in response to an unspecified terrorism threat, US officials said Monday. The new rule is expected to be announced Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security, the officials said, adding that it had been under consideration since the US government learned of a threat several weeks ago. A source said the rule would cover around eight to 10 foreign airlines. A separate government official confirmed an Associated Press report that the ban will affect 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Reuters reported earlier the ban would include airlines based in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The officials did not name the other countries. No American carriers were affected by the ban, the officials said. Passengers would be allowed to carry in their checked luggage larger devices like tablets, portable DVD players, laptops and cameras. CNN, citing an unnamed US official, said the ban on electronics on certain airlines is related to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and that some information came from a recent US special forces raid in Yemen. Royal Jordanian Airlines said in a tweet on Monday that US-bound passengers would be barred from carrying most electronic devices aboard aircraft starting Tuesday at the request of US officials, including those that transit through Canada. Passengers can still carry cell phones and approved medical devices.<br/>