Charge your phones and laptops before taking a US-bound flight

[WASHINGTON] Air travellers with smartphones or other electronic devices must be able to turn them on to take them aboard under new security measures, US authorities have said .

US-bound travellers from Europe and the Middle East have faced tighter airport security in recent days over fears that militants linked to Al-Qaeda are developing new explosives that could be slipped onto planes undetected.

The checks focused on electronic items such as laptops and smartphones, amid fears that extremists such as Al-Qaeda could use them as their latest tactic in a long campaign of attacks involving jets.