Canada may also ban laptops and tablets on some flights

Following yesterday's announcement by the UK that it was banning electronics on certain flights, Canada is considering doing the same. This makes it the third country—the US was the first—to ban carry-on devices such as laptops and tablets on flights to and from several Muslim-majority countries.

Canada's announcement comes as both CNN and The New York Times report that al-Qaeda and Islamic State terrorists are working on battery explosives capable of being hidden inside portable electronics. The explosives would purportedly be used during flights destined for the US and UK. Canada's Transport Minister says that his country will "act expeditiously" in "evaluating intelligence passed on by the United States" to determine whether the ban is needed. If instated, the ban will prohibit consumer electronics larger than a cellphone from being carried inside airplane passenger cabins. Instead, passengers will have to pack their devices into luggage before boarding their flight.

The length of the proposed ban has not been detailed by Canadian officials, but its similarity to the bans imposed by the US and UK suggests it, too, will last indefinitely.

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