The US has declared that it will not allow cellphones - especially iPhones and Samsung's Galaxy - onto US bound planes from some airports in Europe, the Middle East and Africa if the devices are not charged. The new measure, which is bound to cause chaotic scenes at airports around the globe, is part of the US Transportation Security Administration's effort to boost surveillance amid concerns that terrorists are plotting to blow up an airliner. As part of the increased scrutiny at certain airports, security agents may ask travelers to turn on their electronic devices at checkpoints and if they do not have power, the devices will not be allowed on planes, the TSA said.

Hundreds of UK tourists are being evacuated from parts of the Kenyan coast, after the Foreign Office warned of a "high threat" from terrorists. Tour operators Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights to Mombasa until October and said some 400 holidaymakers would be flown back as a precaution. The main threat has been linked to the militant Islamist al-Shabab group.

The head of Italy's navy warned on Thursday that terrorists could be using migrant boats to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, amid increased concern among intelligence services of possible attacks by extremists. "There's a risk not only of massive illegal immigration, but also of terrorist infiltrations," the commander in chief of the Italian navy, Luigi Binelli Mantelli, told La Stampa. He said that police boarding migrant boats intercepted by the navy were trained in special interrogation techniques designed to root out traffickers and potential "terrorists". "There are indicators which confirm contacts between traffickers (who organise the boats) and terrorists," he said.

Electrical and battery-powered items are being removed from hand luggage at UK airports amid warnings of a possible terror attack, according to reports. Security is being stepped up after a warning from US intelligence agencies of a "specific threat" tonight. The US Embassy in Uganda issued an urgent email warning citizens of intelligence about a possible attack on the country's Entebbe International Airport between 9pm and 11pm on Thursday. It said information from Uganda's police, adding that US citizens planning to travel at that time should consider reviewing their arrangements. According to Sky News, new security measures at UK airports involve extra checks on electrical and battery-powered items. Laptops, iPads, phones, electric toothbrushes and cameras are being taken out of hand luggage for closer inspection before being allowed on to flights, the channel reports.  The Department for Transport said extra security measures in the UK - which have not been officially disclosed - were not expected to cause "significant disruption" to passengers and noted that the official threat status remained unchanged.

Extra checks on electrical items at UK airports' amid warning of terror attack 'tonight'

Israel has begun reinforcing its military forces on its border with the Gaza Strip amid heightened tensions with the Palestinians. The murders of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank was followed by the murder of a Palestinian youth in Jerusalem. Israel says the move is part of its response to mortar and rocket fire from Palestinian militants from Gaza. It follows air strikes against the territory early on Thursday. Ten Palestinians were injured in the Israel Defense Forces bombardment, which followed barrages from Gaza which struck two homes in the southern Israeli border town of Sderot overnight. Meanwhile, the funeral of the Palestinian teenager who was abducted and killed in Jerusalem has been delayed so that a post-mortem examination can be completed. Mohammed Abu Khdair's father has said he hopes his son's burial can still take place on Thursday. The 17-year-old's murder raised tensions amid claims it was in revenge for the killing of the three Israeli youths in the West Bank.