American Airlines pilot Captain Steve has revealed why passengers are sometimes instructed to fully switch off their electronic devices rather than just place them into Airplane Mode

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If you’ve previously flown by plane, you’ve probably heard cabin crew staff or the captain telling you to switch off your mobile devices. While many remain doubtful about the importance of this guidance, an airline pilot has clarified why passengers receive these instructions occasionally.

American Airlines’ Captain Steve (recognised on social media as @CaptainSteeeve) posted on TikTok responding to one of his followers who questioned why she’d recently been instructed to switch her mobile phone off entirely rather than simply activating Airplane Mode. “There’s a good reason for that,” the pilot replied.

He expanded on the situation: “If you are in bad weather and you are going down to minimums, many of their airlines have in their operating procedures to make a PA that you are turn everything off in the back of the plane.”

But what’s the reasoning? “It’s so there isn’t any possibility that there’s any sort of interference with the navigation equipment,” Captain Steve highlighted.

Regarding activating Airplane Mode, he noted this advice originated in the 1990s when mobile phones started becoming widely owned.

“Back then they did some tests and there was some indication that all of those devices in the back of the aeroplane – that long metal tube you’re in – could cause some interference to the navigation,” Captain Steve explained.

However, he proceeded to suggest that above 10,000 feet it’s “not really that big of a deal”, while at lower altitudes during landing preparations, the situation differs considerably.

“You want to be lined up precisely on that runway and if you’re in bad weather and can’t see out until the last second when the plane is about to touch down, you don’t want to have a surprise when you break out from the clouds,” Captain Steve elaborated.

Consequently, it is crucial for pilots to minimise any interference with their navigation equipment.

“So when the weather is bad, let’s say they are going to do an auto-land – what’s called a ‘cat 3 landing’ – into fog or bad weather, the pilot may come on and say, ‘Folks, I need you to turn everything off’,” the pilot added.

He concluded by emphasising: “If you hear that on the PA from the captain, absolutely go and turn everything off. It’s very important that you do that.”

Responding to the video, one TikTok user remarked: “The sad thing about all this is that we’re depending on all the rest of the people in that aircraft to actually do the right thing and listen that’s scary.”

Another individual highlighted: “If my $400 iPad can interfere with the avionics and control systems of your $170M aircraft… that’s a problem. They probably can’t, but just the fact that it’s a consideration is a problem.”

A third commenter, however, remained unconvinced. “The early analogue phones caused interference occasionally,” they wrote. “The new digital smart phones cause zero interference.”

Ebola is a highly contagious disease transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, which frequently causes fatal haemorrhagic fever, rapid multi-organ failure and internal or external bleeding

Screening has started at a major US airport after an outbreak of the highly contagious Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began screening some travellers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday, May 20 as health officials respond to the outbreak.

This comes just days after the CDC said any US passport holder who has visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past three weeks will be barred from entering the country. The ban will last for at least 30 days, according to an order issued by the CDC on Monday.

Ebola is a highly contagious disease transmitted through contact with bodily fluids. It frequently causes fatal haemorrhagic fever, rapid multi-organ failure and internal or external bleeding.

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“Ebola is one of the most infectious diseases out there. I’m not an alarmist, but I’m very concerned,” said CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, Dr Tyler Evans.

Ebola cases are continuing to spread across parts of East and Central Africa and the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

At least six Americans are reported to have been exposed to Ebola.

An American doctor who contracted Ebola in the DRC has been flown to Germany for treatment, along with his wife and four children, as the World Health Organization warned of the “scale and speed” of the outbreak.

Federal health officials have said that the screening process at the busy O’Hare airport is intended to prevent the virus from entering the US.

People who have travelled through Uganda, the DRC or South Sudan within the last 21 days are being denied entry unless they are US citizens or permanent residents. Returning citizens and permanent residents arriving from those countries have to undergo additional screening measures at the airport.

Officials are checking travellers’ temperatures, enquiring about potential exposure and collect contact-tracing information.

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Those who show symptoms or have a fever will be taken to a quarantine station at the airport for a second evaluation.

If cleared, the traveller will be given a care kit with instructions to monitor their temperature twice a day for the next three weeks.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he is concerned about the Ebola outbreak.

When asked by a reporter about his concerns over the virus, Trump responded: “[I] certainly am.

“I think that it’s been confined right now to Africa, but its something that has had a breakout.”

The MPs went on to note: “The burden of higher standing charges is particularly acute for Scotland’s remote and island communities, who also experience higher levels of fuel poverty and, in many cases, are bearing the brunt of the infrastructure required to deliver UK-wide clean power ambitions.

It’s no secret that Makerfield has been at the heart of political attention since former Labour MP, Josh Simons, announced he was stepping down.

Mr Simons said he was giving up his seat so the mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham could enter Parliament and “drive the change our country is crying out for”.

Since then, it’s been all eyes on Makerfield, for an unconventional by-election that may decide not only the fate of the constituency, but the country.

If he wins, some of Mr Burnham’s supporters believe he has a path to becoming Prime Minister before Parliament breaks for the summer recess.

So, what have smack barms got to do with all this?

On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the panel (Josh Simons, broadcaster Jo Coburn, and author Will Self) discussed the political storm.

Naturally, the conversation turned to Mr Burnham, the by-election and Mr Simons’ part in it.

Josh Simons was most recently the Labour MP for Makerfield and left the Commons on May 18 (Image: Roger Harris/UK Parliament)

When asked for his thoughts, political commentator Mr Self began by talking about when he last visited Wigan and had a smack barm.

He described a smack barm as the “end bits of chips out of the bottom of the pan”.

However, he didn’t get it quite right, and may have been confusing it with a scrap barm.

Served in between a classic barm, a smack barm and pea wet is a potato special, as it’s known in Bolton, with pea juice providing a condiment of sorts.

Barms aside, Mr Self said he paid just 10p for a smack barm on his last visit, clearly quite a while ago.

“It’s a poor constituency, it’s a very poor constituency,” he said.

According to Mr Self, Labour is searching for an “organic figure to unite them with their past, who’s going to cancel out time”.

He said the ‘Burnham factor’ is rooted in a kind of nostalgia for an idealised past that never really existed.

Andy Burnham is one of the party’s most popular politicians, dubbed the “King of the North” (Image: Stock)

Mr Simons defended his decision to resign his seat and said: “Over the last 40 years, the basic way that we run our economy is shafting my constituents.”

“Still eating smack barms,” Mr Self retorted.

“They’re now probably £1.50,” said Mr Simons.

“What are they supposed to feel if it’s £1.50 for a smack barm?”

We put it to our Bolton readers, as barms are often a highly debated topic, have you ever tried a smack barm?

Or should this speciality be left with our friends down the road?

The incident involved a red Gazelle e-bike and occurred at around 9.36pm on Monday (May 18).

The suspect was arrested at an address linked to a tracking device that the owner of the bike had place on it.

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A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “The victim discovered the theft at around 10pm and was able to provide officers with live tracking information.”

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Jen Stockwell said: “This case demonstrates the speed and effectiveness of our officers, who acted quickly on tracking information to recover the stolen bike and identify a suspect.

“New powers introduced under the Crime and Policing Act are helping us respond faster than ever to theft offences.

“We would strongly encourage cyclists to consider fitting tracking devices to their bikes where possible. Technology like this can make a significant difference in helping us recover stolen property.

“We take bike theft very seriously in York and remain committed to protecting our communities and pursuing those responsible.”

The U.S. Surgeon General’s Office is urging schools to limit screen time across the board, warning that over-exposure to tech in the classroom can harm children’s health.

“While screen use can have some benefits, the evidence of a range of risks to children’s overall mental and physical health is mounting,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a statement introducing a new tech-themed advisory from the office, which was released on Wednesday.

Excessive technology use can be a “path to addiction-like behavior,” Kennedy added.

The report urges schools to implement a “bell-to-bell” ban on cellphone use, encourage extracurriculars and physical activity, and keep screen use in dedicated computer labs.

“Invest in physical textbooks and prioritize pen-and-paper curricula, hands on activities, and social activities for all grade levels,” the report advises. “Limit screen use by assigning work in books or on paper whenever possible.”

The advisory notes that there are “knowledge gaps” in the research comparing the wide variety of digital and analog learning methods, but it argues strong steps still need to be taken.

“We cannot wait for every question to be settled before acting,” the report reads.

In 2024, the Biden administration surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, called on Congress to require a health warning label on social media platforms. The office of the surgeon general currently lacks a confirmed permanent leader. The president has nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor.

Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia already limit cellphone use, and Iowa, Tennessee, and Utah have laws seeking to limit overall screen time in schools, according to EdWeek.

Tech companies have also faced scrutiny in courts this year for the alleged health impacts of their platforms, including a California court finding Instagram and YouTube liable for being addictive and a New Mexico jury finding that Meta products were harmful to children’s mental health.

Outside of schools, the surgeon general’s report urges children to “live real life” as much as possible and suggests parents have clear tech boundaries in the home while delaying the use of screens for “as long as possible.”

The recommendations clash somewhat with the Trump administration’s strong embrace of artificial intelligence, including in education settings.

Last year, the first lady unveiled a presidential AI challenge and the president issued an executive order seeking to preempt state-level AI regulation, some of which has focused on protecting children from potential harms.

The president has been a strong supporter overall of the tech industry, many of whose leading figures and companies donated heavily to his campaign, inauguration, and White House ballroom project.

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Fire crews remain at the scene in Summerston after flames ripped through the roof of a terraced property on Wednesday evening.

Emergency crews are battling a house fire in Glasgow where dramatic images show thick black smoke pouring from the roof of a residential property. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were called to Blackhill Road at around 7.48pm on Wednesday May 20, following reports of a blaze at a home.

Footage sent to the Record shows huge plumes of smoke rising above the Summerston area and visible from a distance across the city. Another video filmed closer to the scene shows flames ripping through the roof of what appears to be a terraced property.

Four fire appliances and a height vehicle were sent to the scene as firefighters worked to tackle the blaze. Crews remained in attendance on Wednesday night.

It is not yet known if anyone has been injured. A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service told the Record: “We received an alert at 19.48 on Wednesday, May 20, to reports of a house fire at Blackhill Road, Summerston, in Glasgow.

“Four appliances attended with one height appliance also in attendance. Crews remain at the scene.”

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The Environment Agency has been leading a criminal investigation into the illegal dump near residential homes in Wigan

A man has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal dumping of waste, including at the notorious toxic site on Bolton House Road where an estimated 25,000 tonnes of material has been discarded.

The ‘ocean of rubbish’ first emerged last summer in Bickershaw when a week-long fire saw some of the waste burn, forcing nearby schools to close. A criminal investigation is underway to find out who was responsible for dumping the rubbish at the former scrapyard.

And earlier this year, a closure order banning access to the illegal waste site was granted. This was put in place to prevent access for any unauthorised individuals.

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Officers from West Midlands Police, working in support of the Environment Agency, secured the arrest of the suspect. A 58-year-old male from the Birmingham area was arrested for environmental, fraud and money laundering offences.

The suspect has now been released on conditional bail pending further investigation. No further details were released by the Environment Agency, who are leading the criminal probe into the towering dump near homes.

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The investigation is being led by the EA’s National Environmental Crime Unit, which is seeking to find those responsible for the offending. Angry locals said multiple lorries carrying rubbish to the site piled waste up to 20 metres high over several months beginning in January 2025.

Shocking images show thousands of black bin bags full of household rubbish like nappies as well as harmful chemicals and plastics littering the area.

It’s thought a clean-up could cost £4.5m. The Government said in March they would directly fund the operation to clear the site.

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Last year, after a major blaze at the site, former Makerfield MP Josh Simons said he had ‘been pushing the Environment Agency every time [he] meets with them to move further and faster’.

Ian Crewe, Area Director for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire at the Environment Agency, said: “The illegal dumping at sites across England are an attack on our communities, and the Environment Agency shares their disgust at these horrendous crimes.

“Our teams have been working relentlessly on this investigation, and yesterday’s arrest are a vital step in collecting new evidence and progressing it further.”

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “We are cracking down on waste criminals – putting an end to the damage they cause, by boosting funds to tackle waste crime, putting more boots on the ground and and giving stronger powers to our enforcement teams. If you dump waste illegally, we will come after you.”