Author: USA Facts News

It has now been more than three years since Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in an invasion, and there have been thousands of deaths along with millions of people displaced by the war.

US and Ukrainian officials met recently to discuss the potential for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to.

However, any deal would also need to be agreed to by Russia, and US President Donald Trump said that Russian dictator Putin would face a ‘very bad punishment’ if he didn’t agree.

Putin today (13 March) said he ‘absolutely supports’ the idea of a ceasefire but laid down a number of conditions to pause his invasion of Ukraine, conditions which are not part of the ceasefire deal on the table.

Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov appeared to pour cold water on the idea of agreeing the ceasefire deal on the table, and now Zelenskyy has released a statement calling out Putin.

He wrote: “Right now, we have all heard from Russia Putin’s highly predictable and manipulative words in response to the idea of a ceasefire on the front lines—at this moment he is, in fact, preparing to reject it.

“Of course, Putin is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war and keep killing Ukrainians. That’s why, in Moscow, they are surrounding the ceasefire idea with such preconditions that it either fails or gets dragged out for as long as possible.

“Putin does this often—he doesn’t say ‘no’ outright, but he drags things out and makes reasonable solutions impossible. We see this as yet another round of Russian manipulation.

“There was a U.S. proposal for an unconditional ceasefire—in the air, at sea, and on the front lines. We in Ukraine accepted this proposal. We have heard from the American side that there is readiness to organize monitoring and verification. And this is absolutely feasible—with American and European capabilities.

“And during the ceasefire, to prepare answers to all questions about long-term security and a real, lasting peace, and to put a plan to end the war on the table. Ukraine is ready to work as quickly and constructively as possible. We have discussed this with U.S. representatives, and our European partners, as well as all our allies worldwide, are aware of it.

“We are not setting conditions that complicate the process—Russia is. As we have always said, the only one stalling, the only one being unconstructive, is Russia. They need this war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war day after day.

“Now is the time to increase pressure on him. Sanctions must be applied—ones that will work. We will continue working with our American and European partners and with everyone in the world who wants peace—to force Russia to end this war.”

The Prime Minister made the announcement this morning (13 March) in Hull, saying the move would bring the NHS in England ‘back into democratic control’.

What it means in practice is that about half of the jobs at the organisation that employs around 13,000 people are expected to go and the responsibility for running the NHS in England returns to the Health Secretary.

Starmer said NHS England was ‘overstretched, unfocused, trying to do too much, doing it badly’, and said the money saved from cutting out a layer of bureaucracy would go to ‘nurses, doctors, operations, and GP appointments’.

Speaking to LADbible, Professor Philip Banfield, council chair of the British Medical Association, spoke about how Starmer’s announcement was both a ‘surprise’ and ‘not a surprise at all’.

“On the one hand, it’s a surprise because the trade unions didn’t seem to be consulted before announcing that so many jobs would be at risk,” he said.

“But on the other hand, it’s not a surprise at all, because NHS England has become detached from the front line of hospital care.

“We have have found ourselves in a situation where the organisation running the NHS in England isn’t listening to doctors, and that’s not a good place to be.”

Professor Banfield said the move ‘removes a layer of complexity’ from the way the NHS operates in England and the responsibility for running it will be entirely down to the Health Secretary, as it is in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

He explained that whether abolishing NHS England makes patient care better in the NHS ‘depends on whether the decision making is made better for the doctors and patients on the front line of of services’ and if it can ‘materially increase the number of doctors’.

Professor Banfield paid tribute to the senior doctors in NHS England ‘who were magnificent at working with the BMA during the doctors strikes last year because they had that clinical understanding’, but also told LADbible of some things which the government could do to help the NHS now the buck stops with them once more.

“One of the contradictions that NHS England threw up was not having enough doctors,” he said, explaining that the health service in England was ‘roughly 2,000 anaesthetists short’.

“Yet they were only trying to train 400 doctors at a time when there were more than 2,000 doctors in training who wanted to apply for those posts.

“So there was no joining up. And what this change gives the opportunity to join up healthcare.”

Another situation this change could potentially tackle if there’s more money going to frontline healthcare services is the number of GPs available to people.

Starmer’s government has promised to improve access to GPs and end the ‘8am scramble’, and Professor Banfield suggested possible ways to improve the NHS along those lines.

He said: “We’ve got this really perverse situation where patients are desperate to see a GP, but there are GPs who are unemployed because the expenses and costs of employing them in general practice have not kept up with with the real rise that’s needed to keep them in work.

“We’re seeing over 1,000 GPs unemployed at the point at which there is a desperate need for them.

“Now, that could be corrected immediately, and that’s a really good use of money, because General Practice is probably the most efficient part of the health service.”

The BMA council chair said that there were also ‘five resident doctors applying for every training place’ which was causing problems

“And of course, when you can’t get that training place, you look to go abroad,” he said.

“So we’re driving doctors out of the out of the system.”

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, told LADbible: “Throughout any reorganisation, the priority must always remain patients and making sure that healthcare professionals are properly supported and resourced to deliver the care they deserve.

“What’s vital moving forward is that every step of the planned integration of NHS England and DHSC is carefully thought through and does not become a diversion.

“General practice delivers the vast majority of patient contacts in the NHS but has faced decades of neglect and underfunding.

“Our hardworking GPs are being pushed to breaking point every day by workforce and workload pressures, and our patients are still reporting struggling to access our care.

“We need change, and we will work with the Government to make sure any reforms deliver the care our patients need and that dedicated GP teams are appropriately supported to do their jobs.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he wants the process of rolling up NHS England to be completed within two years, so we’ll have to see how they do.

Nick Beardshaw is now the chef patron of the Starling in Surrey, having previously worked with the three Michelin star holder for 14 years.

The highly-rated Esher eatery only opened in 2024 and it already has a Michelin star.

In an interview with Sky News, Beardshaw suggested that restaurant-goers need to keep in mind the VAT when ordering.

“I wish people realised VAT is included in the menu price,” he said.

“When you pay £12 for a starter, the restaurant only receives £10 of it, which makes us seem more expensive than we actually are.

“In other countries, and indeed other UK industries, it is added afterwards at the point of receiving the bill, which makes it much more obvious to the customer what the restaurant is receiving.”

The biggest problem with today’s chefs, he claims, is the need to ‘overcomplicate things’.

“The best cooking happens when ingredients are beautifully sourced and cooked simply to allow the natural characteristics to shine,” Beardshaw explained.

“My one piece of advice for an aspiring chef is to be thick-skinned. There is a lot of criticism if you work at a high level, and you need to be able to use it to improve. You also need to be able to be self-critical to continue to improve.”

On why he decided to leave Kerridge’s posh fish and chips behind, Beardshaw said to Restaurant Online: “I was with Tom a long time but there was always this trajectory that I was on.

“I started at The Hand & Flowers with Tom having just won Great British Menu in 2010, and in 2011 we won the second star, which was mental.

“After that the restaurant was super busy, and then in 2013 I went over to The Coach, which opened in 2014.

“It was as early as 2016 that he approached me about London, and we had a few bumps on the way.

“We nearly went into Brown’s Hotel and were all employed by Jumeirah at one point but that fell through.

“We got to Corinthia London in 2018 and then we had a pandemic to get through.

“Then I started doing Great British Menu in 2021 and 2023 so there was always something keeping me in the group.

“But I’d got to the point where now I’ve got a profile of my own.

“The time is perfect to do it, so here I am.”

Letby, 35, received 15 whole-life orders after being found guilty of killing seven infants at Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The former nurse, originally from Hereford, was also found guilty of attempted murder on a further seven babies, including two attempts to kill one infant.

The update comes after police at Cheshire Constabulary previously confirmed that an investigation into corporate manslaughter against the hospital was being carried out, with the charges now being widened to potential gross negligence manslaughter.

“In October 2023 following the lengthy trial and subsequent conviction of Lucy Letby, Cheshire Constabulary launched an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital,” Cheshire Constabulary said in a statement.

The spokesperson went on to add that the investigation would focus on ‘senior leadership and their decision-making’ in order to understand whether or not ‘any criminality has taken place concerning the response to the increased levels of fatalities’.

“As our enquiries have continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened to also include gross negligence manslaughter,” the statement continued.

An undisclosed number of suspects have been identified and notified in connection to the probe into baby deaths between 2012 and 2016.

The force also noted the current investigation will not have any impact on Letby’s convictions. “This is a separate offence to corporate manslaughter and focuses on the grossly negligent action or inaction of individuals,” the statement continued.

“It is important to note that this does not impact on the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple offences of murder and attempted murder.

“Those identified as suspects have been notified,” the statement continued.

“We will not be confirming the number of people involved or their identity as no arrests or charges have yet been made.

“Both the corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter elements of the investigation are continuing and there are no set timescales for these.

“Our investigation into the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital between the period of 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing.

“Our priority is to maintain the integrity of our ongoing investigations and to support the many families who are at the heart of these.”

Letby was recently interviewed by police officers over further investigations into alleged baby deaths at a separate hospital at the end of last year. Her legal team are also seeking to challenge against the rulings made against Letby in 2023 and 2024, following claims made by a panel of international health experts.

The US president has previously made it clear that he would like to take control of Greenland, which is currently an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Trump has previously said he was working to make Greenland part of the US and declared that ‘one way or the other, we’re going to get it’, a message that didn’t go down well with Greenlanders.

They’ve made it clear they have no interest in annexation, and Greenland’s incoming prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it clear after his party’s surprise general election victory that they ‘don’t want to be Americans’.

He said: “We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes.

“We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves.”

Greenland’s current prime minister Múte Bourup Egede said that they ‘do not wish to be Americans’ in a response to Trump’s previous comments about how the US would take over ‘one way or the other’.

While there is an independence movement within Greenland, there is not a rush to embrace the US as new overlords, but despite this Trump has once again spoken of his desire to own it.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters that the US needed Greenland for ‘international security’.

Trump was asked by reporters whether the US would annex Greenland and gave his opinion.

He said: “Well I think it will happen, I’m just thinking, I didn’t give it much thought – but I’m sitting with a man who could be very instrumental.

“You know Mark, we need it for international security, not just security, but international.”

Trump then said other countries were ‘cruising around the coasts’ which meant the US had to be ‘careful’.

The man he was sitting with didn’t seem interested in backing him up over plans for the US to annex Greenland.

Rutte said: “When it comes to Greenland, I don’t want to drag NATO into that.

“But when it comes to the Arctic you’re totally right. The Chinese are now using these routes, we know the Russians are re-arming, we know we have a lack of ice-breakers.

“Certain Arctic countries working together on this under US leadership is very important – we know things are changing, but we have to be there.”

The show has been a massive success so far, debuting to a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and rave reviews across the board.

One 5/5 review by Lucy Mangan of The Guardian called the show as close to TV perfection as has been achieved in ‘years’, and fans so far have been raving.

The Netflix show is called Adolescence and sees Graham team up once again with Boiling Point director Philip Barantini.

Graham stars in the show alongside Ashley Walters, Faye Murray, Erin Doherty, and newcomer Owen Cooper – who is acting for the first time in the show.

Viewers watching the show have been taken aback however by one totally unique detail about the series.

One fan tweeted: “Is each episode one continuous shot?”

The answer is yes.

The series, similarly to how Graham and Barantini did in Boiling Point, is shot in one continuous take.

Another fan on reddit said of the show: “It’s crazy that every episode is a one-shot. That must be absolutely nerve-wracking for everyone involved.”

One fan posted the trailer on Twitter with the caption: “This looks absolutely UNREAL. They filmed this full episode and all 4, in ONE straight realtime shot? It has to be a first and historical?”

One 10/10 IMDb review said: “There’s no doubt that the idea of having one shot throughout an entire episode could be used as a gimmick to get views, but it’s actually a really effective tool.

“It’s so intense and an absolutely heartbreaking show at times.”

Stephen Graham spoke about the process of filming the episodes in one single shot at the Next on Netflix event, saying: “It’s almost like a play. Without sounding pretentious, it’s the marriage of both mediums.

“It technically is a play, and it’s the most zen I’ve ever been, because it’s naturalism and we are playing to the camera.

“We spent a whole week rehearsing as actors with Phil, and we went through every beat, through every moment, piece by piece.

“You immerse yourself into that character from as soon as we say ‘action’, to as soon as we say ‘cut’.”

Graham went on to describe how they spent would spend days at a time choreographing how they would move within the space.

The director revealed that they had intended to do just 10 attempts per episode, though it ended up being like 15-16 tries for every episode.

When asked about filming in this way in his first time acting Owen Cooper said: “Yeah, I didn’t know any better really!

“When Phil told me about the one-shot thing, I thought he was just talking about like one episode, or one quarter of an episode.

“But then he said all four episodes are being shot in one take. And I immediately thought I’d never, ever be able to do this. But everyone helped me through it.”

To think that one episode sits above everything else is miraculous especially when you consider just how much iconic and great TV is coming out nowadays.

Netflix have just today dropped Adolescence and, though many are calling it a ‘masterpiece’ and it debuted to 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest episode at the moment is well shy – sitting at an 8.6.

Looking to Apple TV+, Severance has been receiving similar acclaim. Despite this, the highest rated episode of the new season sits at ‘just’ a 9.4.

Whether it be, Band of Brothers, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Peaky Blinders, or Fleabag, none of these iconic shows have managed to achieve a single episode with a perfect 10/10 score.

The one that’s left? Of course, Breaking Bad.

What may say to you that this is a deserved nod is that, when you’re told that there is one episode of Breaking Bad with a perfect 10/10 – you probably know exactly which one it is.

The show’s final season is a masterpiece in writing as things ran down towards the end, with the last four episodes all rated a 9.7 or higher on IMDb.

The undoubted best, however, is episode 14 – Ozymandias.

One popular ten star review on IMDb titled ‘You will not breath for an hour’ said: “Ozymandias unquestionably made sure that this will stand as one of the best TV Shows of all time.

“This was without a doubt the best hour of television I have ever seen.

“This episode is a drug, you will be experiencing; nausea, fear, sickness, disbelief, an overwhelming sorrow blooming inside the very core of your being.

“These symptoms will leave you paralyzed and unable to comprehend this hour of apocalyptic proportions.

“Still shaking and pumped with adrenaline, I solemnly vow that I for one won’t forget and will be remembering the name several years to come.”

The episode was inspired in part by the Percey Shelley poem of the same name which focuses on the crumbling empire of an old king.

Directed by Rian Johnson, the series’ creator Vince Gilligan said the episode was ‘the best episode we ever had or ever will have’.

It seems like, based on IMDb, this review has stood the test of time.

At times episodes will release, such as today’s season three finale of Invincible, and get a 10.0 – but they do not stand the test of time.

Other episodes that came close are the highest rated episodes of Game of Thrones, Six Feet Under, Bojack Horseman, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Better Call Saul, all of which got a 9.9.

With a 10 though, Ozymandias stands alone for now.

Waterbury Police Department and Fire Department officers responded to an active fire at a residence in Connecticut, US, on 17 February.

Property owner Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was evacuated safely, while a 32-year-old man, who appeared to be emaciated, needed help out of the house.

The man who weighed just 68 pounds admitted to setting the home on fire from his upstairs room because he ‘wanted freedom’.

He then alleged that he had been held captive under hellish conditions since the age of 11.

Following an investigation by the Waterbury Police Department Major Crimes Unit, it was ‘determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment’, allegedly at the hands of Sullivan.

Court documents state that the individual spent 22 hours of the day locked away in a 8-by-9-foot ‘back storage space’ on the second floor.

The door was bolted shut from the outside, so he couldn’t escape.

He also claimed to only receive two cups of water a day and would often drink out of the toilet bowl when feeling thirsty, the New York Post reports.

“When asked if he was hungry every day, he stated, ‘All day, everyday, my entire life,’” the court papers state.

“[The victim] described how after he urinated into a bottle, he would have to then funnel it into a tube he created with a series of straws and then guide those straws through a hole in the window to empty it.”

The stepson was allegedly forced to defecate on old newspaper, ‘he would then roll the paper up, tie it with string he unraveled from old T-shirts and eventually bring it to the kitchen garbage when he was let out’.

Sullivan, the prime suspect, was taken into custody on 12 March and was charged with the following:

• Assault in the First Degree

• Kidnapping in the Second Degree

• Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree

• Cruelty to Persons

• Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree

Her bail is set at $300,000 and she’s been placed in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.

Waterbury Police Chief, Fernando Spagnolo, said: “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable. This case required relentless investigative effort, and I commend the dedication of our officers and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office.

“Their unwavering commitment ensured that justice is served, and the perpetrator is held fully accountable for these horrific crimes.”

Earlier today (13 March), Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov dismissed the idea of a 30-day ceasefire.

This comes after the US came to an agreement with Ukraine to pause proceedings on 11 March.

“We believe that our goal is a long-term peaceful settlement, we strive for this, a peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country, our well-known concerns,” Ushakov told the Russia-1 TV channel.

“It seems to me that no one needs any steps that imitate peaceful actions in this situation.”

However, just moments ago in a press conference, Putin has claimed that he is in ‘favour of a 30-day ceasefire, but there are nuances’.

“First of all, what are we going to do about this incursion in Kursk?” he began.

“If we ceased hostilities for 30 days, would it mean that everybody there would leave? Should we release them after they committed serious crimes against civilians there?

“How will other aspects be dealt with along with 2,000-kilometre contact line? As you know, the Russian troops are advancing practically in every sector of the contact line, and all the conditions are there for us to besiege fairly large [Ukrainian] units.

“So what would happen during those 30 days?

“The idea is good and we absolutely support it, but there are issues we need to discuss, and I think we need to negotiate with our American colleagues.”

Putin also thanked Trump for ‘paying so much attention to regulating the conflict in Ukraine’.

As reported by The Times, one of Russia’s conditions includes no Nato membership for Kyiv, along with an agreement not to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine.

The outlet reports that Kyiv are not on board with these terms.

But it seems Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy isn’t quite buying it after accusing Russia of ‘seeking to prolong the war’.

“Regrettably, for more than a day already, the world has yet to hear a meaningful response from Russia to the proposals made,” Zelenskyy said on X.

“This once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible.

“We hope that U.S. pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war.”

This follows on from the Saudi Arabia meeting between the US and Ukraine just days ago.

In a joint statement, they said that the US would resume providing intelligence and ‘security assistance’ to Ukraine.

“Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defence of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace,” it read.

“The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people’s strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace.

“Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”

Adolescence, which landed on the streaming service today (13 March), sees Stephen Graham act out every parent’s worst nightmare when his teenage son is arrested on suspicion of murdering a classmate.

To make the series even more impressive, each episode was remarkably shot in one go – just like Boiling Point, which Graham also starred in.

Praise has already been flooding in for young 15-year-old actor Owen Cooper, who was handed the star role in what represents his first-ever acting job.

Given the serious nature of the show, which serves as a social critique on the alarming growth of toxic masculinity in the social media age, particularly fuelled by the likes of Andrew Tate, it is easy to see why some viewers might be disturbed by what they see in the new series.

And Graham, who was left heartbroken by recent stabbings in the UK amongst young teens, has issued a warning to parents about some of the themes explored in the drama, and how they can protect their children from outside negative influences.

The This Is England star told The Independent: “I read an article about a young boy stabbing a young girl. And then maybe a couple of months later, on the news there was [another] young boy who’d stabbed a young girl, and if I’m really honest with you, they hurt my heart.

“It’s just being mindful of the fact that not only we parent our children, and not only the school educates our children.

“But also there’s influences that we have no idea of that are having profound effects on our young culture, profound effects, positive and extremely negative. So it’s having a look at that and seeing that we’re all accountable.”

The 51-year-old actor also talks about how parents need to adapt to kids having ‘the world at their fingertips’ even if they’re sent to their room, which, if you’re as old as I am, simply wasn’t the reality when lots of parents were growing up.

He added: “When we were kids, if you got sent to your room or if Kenny Everett was on the telly, and it got a bit racy, you’d be sent to your room and then you couldn’t watch it.

“But today even within the context of that home, when lads and girls go to their bedrooms, they have the world at their fingertips.”