Author: USA Facts News

Maitland Ward – real name Ashley Maitland Welkos – rose to fame for her role as Rachel McGuire on Disney ABC sitcom Boy Meets World.

However, she retired from mainstream acting shortly after and ended up moving into the world of adult film instead which she says she ‘got a lot of positivity’ from.

In 2022, Ward revealed she earned 10 times as much money than she did during her time in Hollywood, saying: “Don’t get me wrong. I was paid well in Hollywood, but nothing near what I am making now.”

She claimed she ‘never thought about content to make money’, saying, ‘I was just showing myself and showing who I am’, and explaining that she wanted to have ‘total control over what comes in and what goes out’ when it comes to her career and brand.

Despite many being worried people ‘were just going to rip’ Ward ‘apart’, judge’ and ‘rake [her] across the coals’ for moving into the world of adult film, the actor told Fox News Digital she ‘got so much positivity’ from her decision to change the direction of her career.

She reflected: “I didn’t get anybody coming out hating me for it or anything. I really got a lot of positivity overall, which shocked everyone I knew. […] I think it’s because I was so positive about it, and I was so happy about it.”

So positive has the response been that Ward ‘really think[s] people treat [her] with more respect now’.

“Especially in Hollywood,” she added, before revealing the response she’s received to some upcoming plans.

She explained she’s pitching her memoir in TV format and people have been ‘so respectful’ to her ideas.

“They’re so positive about my story, especially younger people and different people that I speak to in Hollywood and stuff. They’re just much more receptive to the story. And I really feel like I have a lot of positivity around it,” Ward said.

Echoing comments she’s made in previous years, she added: “I’m able to create my own brand, my own content, the way I want to create it.”

That’s not to say Ward didn’t have ‘a great time’, on Boy Meets World, with the actor noting how ‘very well received’ she was on the show in a previous interview with Fox News Digital in 2022.

However, now, she’s able to create ‘full-length movies’ and do projects she ‘really feel[s] passionate about’.

Working with a female director on ‘long erotic, pornographic art pieces’ has been ‘really special’, alongside finding ‘confidence in [her] body’ from being ‘naked’, and her on-set experiences always seeing ‘a lot of conversation’ to ensure everyone is ‘the most comfortable’ they can be – Ward’s experience in the adult film industry has been one of ’empowerment’.

She resolved: “To be able to stand in my own skin, to be able to create projects that I want to create and be proud of, to go against the mold and do something that other people haven’t done or have been too scared to do and to have the courage and confidence to do that. When you succeed at it, it’s like you feel so much more confident, because you’ve done something like nobody else has done.”

Iga Swiatek, a Polish tennis champion, has received backlash online from those who watched the footage of her during the Indian Wells tournament on Friday (March 14).

The 23-year-old, who was ultimately eliminated by Mirra Andreeva in the semi-final match, became visibly frustrated after realizing that her win was surely slipping from her grasp.

Even though she was on a 10-match winning streak at the Californian tournament, her 17-year-old opponent managed to win 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3.

In the video, which shows the Polish former champ in the third set, viewers can see just how frustrated she appears as she complained to the chair umpire about alleged movement from ball kids behind when she was preparing to receive Andreeva’s serve.

Just moments later, her fury at those movements seemed to reach boiling point as she was thrown a ball by a ball boy.

Immediately after, she turned and smashed the ball back at him, leading to him lifting his arms in surrender as the ball zoomed past him and into the crowd.

Spectators were not happy with her outburst, and a round of boos could be heard from the stands.

As the clip went viral on social media, people were quick to share their thoughts on her behavior.

One user posted: “Swiatek literally hitting a ball back at a ball kid. Poor sportsmanship and dangerous play. I’ve never seen such ugly behaviour before.”

Someone else wrote: “Tennis like most individual sports is a mind sports 100% of the time. If you cannot handle the pressure of losing don’t play. One has to understand how to lose sometimes and be able to deal with it, even losing to a teenager. STOP BEING A SORE LOSER IGA SWIATEK.”

However, she did have people rooting for her regardless of her outburst, with one writing: “Although I wish it didn’t happen and that Iga would only sail through with ease and only had happy moments at work, it’s refreshing to see Iga Świątek having a whole range of feelings. That she’s a human and not a machine. Big hug, Iga! You’re still a legend and an inspiration.”

Swiatek’s not the only tennis star to be booed during a match, as American Danielle Collins was jeered at for making a lewd gesture towards the Australian Open crowd earlier this year.

Since Andreeva won, she is now the youngest Indian Wells finalist since 2001’s 17-year-old Kim Clijsters.

JD Vance clearly isn’t done with dishing out advice, not only warning Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskky of not being ‘disrespectful’ towards the US during his trip to the White House’s Oval Office, but now offering a few choice words to Europe too.

Asked how he sees the US’ relationship with Europe, Vance told Fox News: “I really believe we have great deal in common with Europe. And yes the Europeans annoy me sometimes and I disagree with them on certain issues but we have to remember that is the cradle of Western civilisation.

“The entire idea of Christian civilisation that led to the founding of the United States of America, that was formed in Europe – the cultural bonds, the religious bonds – these things are going to last beyond political disagreements.”

However, Vance warned Europe is ‘at risk’ of ‘engaging in civilisational suicide’.

While noting he would’ve said the US was at risk of doing the same a year ago, Vance continued: “They are unable – or unwilling – too many countries to control their borders. You see them starting to push back against that and that’s a good thing.

“You see them starting to limit the free speech of their citizens, even as their citizens are protesting against things like the border invasion that got Donald Trump and a number of European leaders elected.”

He added: “I want Europe to thrive. I want them to be an important ally. Part of that is going to be Europe respecting its own people, respecting its own sovereignty and America can’t do that job for them.”

Vance later resolved when looking at Europe, the US sees ‘a great civilisation’ and a ‘great ally’ but ‘also sees some free speech issues’ and ‘sees that they’re doing things on borders which aren’t ultimately bad for their countries but are bad for us’.

“Friends can have honest conversations with each other,” he went on.

Whether or not he could argue his comments ‘about UK troops’ were all part of ‘friends’ having ‘honest conversations with each other,’ well, others weren’t left so convinced.

While speaking on Fox News on March 4, Vance said: “The president knows that if you want real US security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine.

“That is a way better security guarantee from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”

One Twitter user commented: “JD Vance’s claim that the UK hasn’t fought a war in 30-40 years insults the 600+ British troops who died in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside Americans.

“Disrespectful to their sacrifice and our alliance, time for an apology, not ignorance.”

Travelers from the countries in question may find trouble gaining access to the US, in the 78-year-old Republican’s bid to tackle immigration.

Of the 43 countries, they have reportedly been placed into three groups – all travel strictly banned, visas restricted dramatically, with the third seeing countries given a 60-day ultimatum to address concerns raised by the Trump administration.

According to the New York Times, here is a draft list of countries that could be banned:

All travel banned

• Afghanistan
• Bhutan
• Cuba
• Iran
• Libya
• North Korea
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Syria
• Venezuela
• Yemen

Visas sharply restricted

• Belarus
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Laos
• Myanmar
• Pakistan
• Russia
• Sierra Leone
• South Sudan
• Turkmenistan

Countries that have 60 days to address concerns

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Chad
• Republic of Congo
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Dominica
• Equatorial Guinea
• Gambia
• Liberia
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mauritania
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Vanuatu
• Zimbabwe

The NYT noted that the list was reportedly developed ‘several weeks ago’ and ‘changes were likely by the time it reached the White House’.

It comes after Trump signed an executive order on January 20 – his first day back in the Oval Office – that was titled ‘Protecting the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats’.

It read in part: “Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence shall jointly submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, a report:

“(i) Identifying countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)); and.

“(ii) Identifying how many nationals from those countries have entered or have been admitted into the United States on or since January 20, 2021, and any other information the Secretaries and Attorney General deem relevant to the actions or activities of such nationals since their admission or entry to the United States.”

It means the 22 countries on the list could have until Friday (March 21) to comply with requests to provide the US with information about travelers that intend to arrive in the country, as well as those that are already present.

It’s all the hype on TV right now, impressing viewers and critics alike, with child star Owen Cooper making headlines with his first ever acting credit.

Starring the likes of Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, the miniseries is made up of four hour-long episodes that are filmed in continuous one-hour long takes, following a 13-year-old boy who has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Leaving absolutely no margin for error, it makes the Netflix show that bit more gripping to watch – but how did they shoot all of it?

Well, Netflix have released a behind-the scenes explainer for each episode, though one scene sticks out more than the rest to fans on social media.

One took to X, asking a film account: “Please watch Adolescence (Netflix) and tell us how it’s ALL done! Especially episode 4 (driving in the van). This show is blowing my mind!”

But it’s all laid out in the video posted on Tudum by Netflix, which starts by stating: “Each Adolescence episode was shot in a single continuous take.”

It’s not the first time Graham or director Phillip Barantini have adopted this style of filming, having done it for Boiling Point, which was a 90-minute single-take film.

The van scene is featured in the video, which sees Graham’s character, Eddie Miller, load his family into his van after it has been vandalised.

While it looks like he’s driving the van in the series while acting, this obviously isn’t the case, and with no cuts, there isn’t an opportunity to hook it up to another vehicle to do the steering.

Instead, as seen in the photo above, someone is stationed on top of the van, and is responsible for driving the van while Graham stays in character.

A camera can be seen in front of the van’s windshield, capturing the character’s movements and blocking their view – another reason why the British actor couldn’t have been driving.

It’s a lot to commit to, but the filming method produces some of the most authentic and raw moments from actors, as viewers experience their emotions in real-time as well.

The method seems to be a hit, as the series boasts a score of 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, debuting as the top show in the UK and the world on the streaming platform.

Speaking about episode one in the behind-the-scenes video, Graham said that the episodes as seeing ‘a swan glide gracefully across water, but its legs are flapping like mad’.

Footage across all the behind-the-scenes videos reveals meticulous movements from camera operators to ensure they keep the scene going and get the shot they want, handing cameras off to each other up the stairs, for example.

The show’s director of photography, Matthew Lewis, admitted it took a ‘few weeks’ to work the exact process out.

It’s a stressful way of shooting, with a lot of planning and rehearsal required to get it all right, though Cooper previously revealed that one of his favourite moments came from a bit of improvisation with Doherty.

Despite the trio saying they calling it a day after the end of The Grand Tour towards the end of 2024, the triumvirate are back with a bang as they return to Prime Video for a new show.

And it’s kind of what they were already doing, with the show titled The Not Very Grand Tour. We wonder where they got the inspiration for that title from. Amazon confirmed the show last week, with a listing for it created on the British Board of Film Classification (bbfc) website.

Produced in 2024, it is a comedic documentary style show. No surprise there, given the trio’s history on The Grand Tour and Top Gear before that, as well as Jezza’s ventures in to the agricultural economy on Clarkson’s Farm.

The show is also directed by Phil Churchward, who has directed and produced on The Grand Tour and Top Gear.

In a small blurb on the bbfc website, it says the documentary will be a ‘motoring comedy documentary series; in this episode, the team celebrate the combustion engine, with a look back at footage from past adventures and test drives’.

Little is known about the show yet. But what we do have is insight in to episode one, and it sounds barmy.

Titled ‘The Glory and the Power’ and coming with a 12 rating, it says it comes with ‘moderate sex references’ as well as a language warning. No surprises there, really.

But the bbfc listing doesn’t have go in to detail on what profanity we’ll get if we tune in.

“There is infrequent implied strong language (‘f**k’) and milder terms which include ‘c*ck’, ‘b*ll*cks’, ‘balls’, ‘sh*t’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Christ’, ‘hell’ and ‘damn’,” it notes.

On the sex references, it adds: “A man comically suggests another has achieved an erection from the excitement of driving a fast car; there is mild innuendo.”

The bbfc also says there are ‘additional issues’ that some might take offence to when watching episode one, the first being a joke about French police officers as well as jokes around the topic of horse excrement.

There’s also a building destroyed in an explosion and a man almost crashing a car. All in all, it sounds very Clarkson, Hammond, and May.

“A man jokes that French police officers ‘pull your fingernails out’ for committing motoring offences,” the bbfc says.

“There is mild rude humour around the term ‘horse poo’, and we see archive footage which shows dung in city streets.”

Despite a judge ordering for the flights packed with prisoners that were already in the air to be turned around, Trump went ahead anyway.

238 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and 23 alleged members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13 will now call the fearsome Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) home.

Trump invoked an 18th century law which is intended for wartime, the Alien Enemies Act, saying the suspected gang members had ‘unlawfully infiltrated’ the US.

When asked whether he had flouted the court order which temporarily blocked the deportation, issued on Saturday (15 March) from US District Judge James E. Boasberg, Trump said: “I don’t know.

“You have to speak to the lawyers about that. I can tell you this. These were bad people.”

Trump went on to say that he was well within his rights to use the Alien Enemies Act as ‘this is a time of war’, while describing the number of criminal migrants in his country as ‘an invasion’.

The US will now pay El Salvador to house the hundreds of men at CECOT – dubbed the ‘world’s worst prison’ – where conditions are less than favourable.

The facility, which was opened in 2023 under President Nayib Bukele’s administration, is a place where nobody wants to end up.

What are conditions like in the CECOT jail?

Tens of thousands of people accused of having gang affiliations are locked up there, crammed into endless rows of bare metal bunks which don’t even have a mattress in conditions described as ‘inhumane’.

Guards keep a watchful eye on prisoners through the holes in the diamond shaped mesh ceiling of the cells, according to the BBC, and privacy is a luxury which people aren’t afforded at CECOT.

Each cell has two toilets and two basins which inmates have to use in full view of one another – and there aren’t any windows, fans, or air conditioners in the cells either.

Prisoners are only permitted to leave for online hearings or to be shipped off to solitary confinement, as CECOT doesn’t even have any recreational space outdoors.

The maximum security prison located in Tecoluca is said to be one of the most secure facilities in the world, boasting state-of-the-art technology and 24/7 surveillance systems.

But in the eyes of Miguel Sarre, a former member of the United Nations Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, the place is a ‘concrete and steel pit’.

He claimed that CECOT, which has a maximum capacity of 40,000, operates under a ‘perverse calculation to dispose of people without formally applying the death penalty’.

Antonio Durán, a senior judge in the city of Zacatecoluca, agreed, saying the methods used at the prison are ‘not only wrong but also criminal’, adding: “It’s torture.”

There’s not a chance of inmates escaping these hellish conditions either – as CECOT is surrounding by two sets of mesh perimeter fences which are fully electrified.

Oh, and there’s two reinforced concrete walls to tackle too…if a guard from one of the 19 watchtowers doesn’t clock you trying to recreate Michael Scofield in Prison Break first.

Inmates are forced to have their heads shaved every five days and each person has to wear a white t-shirt and shorts throughout their incarceration.

Prisoners also aren’t permitted to use cutlery and have to eat with their hands – although the food probably isn’t even worth eating.

BBC News Mundo correspondent Leire Venta visited the prison last year, and it’s safe to say that she will not be forgetting her experience there any time soon.

Describing what she witnessed, Venta said: “It is the middle of the night, but in here, the artificial lights are never turned off. A waft of air filters through the lattice ceiling, providing a brief respite from the heat.

“The temperature in the cells can reach 35C during the day and there is no other source of ventilation. Hooded guards keep watch from above, gun in hand.

“Below, the prisoners climb onto the four-storey bunks on which they sleep. Without any mattresses or sheets, they have to lie on bare metal.

“They eat the food they are given – rice, beans, hard-boiled eggs or pasta – with their hands.”

She said the director of the centre told her: “Here are the psychopaths, the terrorists, the murderers who had our country in mourning. Don’t look them in the eyes. Any utensil can be [fashioned into] a deadly weapon.”

President Bukele said that the latest influx of alleged gang members at CECOT who arrived from the US signalled another step ‘in the fight against organised crime’.

While sharing pictures and videos of the handcuffed men, he said in a post on X: “This time, we are also helping our allies, making our prison system self-sustainable, and obtaining vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place. All in a single action.”

While many people are aware of the numerous research bases located across Antarctica, the majority may not understand how unforgiving the conditions are when staying there.

It’s the world’s southernmost and most secluded continent with virtually no residents.

Yet, scientists choose to live in bases there for months on end, studying the environment, climate change and Earth’s history.

But with the unforgiving weather outside the door of these purpose-built bases, researchers can go weeks or months on end without stepping a foot outside – this can contribute to cabin fever.

A group of South African scientists in one of the bases on the ice-based continent are currently experiencing this on the largest scale, as an email has been sent out pleading for help after a team member was said to have threatened to kill a colleague.

The research group are currently staying in Sanae IV base, where they are meant to stay for at least 10 more months.

The weather, currently around -50°C, makes leaving the structure near impossible, as the group have been left thousands of miles from home with no clear method to get back.

Now, one of the researchers has sent a chilling email, claiming they were attacked by a colleague and are now living fear as the man continued threatening them and was a threat to the group.

They also claimed that the man in question had physically assaulted one of the other researchers.

In an email obtained by South Africa’s Sunday Times, it read: “Regrettably, his behaviour has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing.

“Specifically, he physically assaulted [X], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms.

“Furthermore, he threatened to kill [X], creating an environment of fear and intimidation.

“I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.”

They added that his ‘increasingly egregious behaviour’ required immediate action, for the safety of the team, as the email added: “I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence.”

The scientist behind the email and the accused have not been named.

Dion George, South Africa’s environment minister, has revealed that he would reach out, stating: “There was a verbal altercation between the team leader and this person. Then it escalated and then that person did physically assault the leader.”

Claiming that ‘you can imagine’ what it is like to be in ‘close quarters’ with the same people for so long, acknowledging that it ‘can be very disorientating’.

George also clarified that researchers must go through psychological evaluations to ensure that they are mentally prepared for the extreme conditions.

The Canadian pop star, 31, told fans on Thursday (13 March) that he often feels like a ‘fraud’ and how he has been facing an internal battle his ‘whole life’.

On Sunday (17 March), the ‘Baby’ singer shared another message about his feelings towards ‘hate’ and how he’s learned to ‘acknowledge’ it.

“I was always told when I was a kid not to hate,” he wrote on Instagram Stories, as SZA’s track ‘I Hate U’ played in the background.

“But it make me feel like I wasn’t allowed to have it and so I didn’t tell anyone I’ve had it.

“Which made me feel like I was drowning, unsafe to acknowledge it.

“I think we can only let hate go by first acknowledging it’s there.

“How couldn’t we feel hate from all of the hurt we’ve experienced.”

Last week, Bieber said he ‘felt unworthy’ of his success over the years.

The Canadian songwriter was discovered on YouTube at the age of 13, rising to fame with his debut single ‘One Time’ in 2009.

He has gone on to become a global superstar, amassing over 86 billion streams on Spotify alone, which ranks him as one of the top most-streamed artists of all time.

The two-time Grammy-winner wrote: “People told me my whole life, ‘Wow Justin you deserve that.’

“And I personally have always felt unworthy, like I was a fraud, like when people told me I deserve something.

“It made me feel sneaky like, damn if they only knew my thoughts.

“How judgmental I am, how selfish I really am… They wouldn’t be saying this.”

One fan commented: “Many people, especially those in the public eye, face pressures that can make them feel unworthy or like impostors. It’s really honest of Justin Bieber to share his struggles.”

As another added: “Wow. Poor kid. The cost of being famous.”

It comes after weeks of rumours from fans surrounding the star’s health, with some going as far as to speculate he was using drugs.

However, addressing the hearsay with a statement to TMZ, Bieber’s rep clarified that all rumours about the singer using drugs are ‘absolutely not true’.

“The recurring narrative that Justin is using hard drugs is absolutely not true,” Bieber’s rep told the outlet, adding that he was ‘in one of the best places in his life’.

His tired appearance has also been put down to a combination of working on new music and caring for his infant son, whom he shares with Hailey.

Explaining how the rumours of drug use impact the ‘Baby’ hitmaker, the representative added that reports linking the musician to drug use were ‘exhausting and pitiful and shows that despite the obvious truth, people are committed to keeping negative, salacious, harmful narratives alive’.