Author: USA Facts News

Ok, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but more than 20 years on, people across the world are still in love with the book and film series, and the elf remains one of the most loved mythical creatures in the films.

Despite being on TV screens across the world for more than two decades now, keen-eyed viewers are always finding out more small details, such as what exactly Aunt Petunia was up to in the kitchen when young Harry Potter received his first Hogwarts letter.

It isn’t until the second film that we met Dobby for the first time, as he memorably bangs his head against Harry’s wardrobe before dropping some cake on one of the Dursley’s guests, in an attempt to keep the young wizard away from the magic school that year.

It is unclear in what capacity the friendly elf, who belongs to the Malfoy family, will feature in the upcoming HBO series – but we do already know that Rupert Grint would be more than happy to return.

While Dobby, who endeared himself to fans in an emotional sacrifice in The Deathly Hallows Part One, is a well-known character, it seems clear that many didn’t actually realise the incredible actor behind his voice.

Recently, on The Graham Norton Show on February 28 (incidentally hosted by Claudia Winkleman that day), Toby Jones discussed his role as Dobby in the Harry Potter films.

The 58-year-old, who is well known for his performances in Captain America, Doctor Who, Detectorists, and more recently, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, seemingly shocked Potterheads when it was revealed he voiced the heartwarming house elf.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user said: “Why has Claudia Winkleman just informed me that Dobby was Toby Jones. Literally the bloke who tried to murder Sherlock saying ‘I like to watch it happen’ was Dobby. Help me.”

Another user said: “Toby Jones is Dobby in the Harry Potter movies! DR ZOLA is Dobby! This is the greatest what the s***-moment.”

Another said: ‘Why did I not know Arnim Zola was also Dobby? How amazing is Toby Jones?”

Jones has clearly forged a reputation for playing the villain, thanks to his roles in Marvel, Sherlock, and Doctor Who, but fans may well now remember him most fondly for playing Harry Potter’s close friend and ally, Dobby the free elf.

Alaila Everett has insisted there is more to the baton saga than meets the eye, warning people that they are only seeing ‘one angle’ of a ‘nine second video’.

She is at the centre of a sport row after fellow competitor Kaelen Tucker was left with a concussion and a possible skull fracture in wake of the incident which unfolded at Virginia’s Liberty University last Tuesday (4 March).

Both of the girls were competing in the 4x200m relay final at the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 3 State Indoor Championships.

But the competitiveness between them appeared to turn cutthroat when Tucker overtook her opponent.

Tucker was representing Brookville High School in the second leg of the race when she was hit on the back of the head with a baton.

But according to her rival from I.C. Norcom High School, the powerful strike was not intentional and it was a result of her ‘losing her balance’ while running.

Speaking to WAVYTV10, Everett explained: “After a couple times of hitting her with my baton, I got stuck behind her back and [the baton] rolled up her back.

“I lost my balance, and when I pumped my arms again, she got hit. I know my intentions and I would never hit somebody on purpose.”

Her parents added that they ‘knew 100 percent’ that their daughter did not deliberately hit Tucker, who was seen staggering off the track and falling onto the floor.

Everett has been met by a host of backlash in the sporting community and on social media after footage of the incident went viral.

The tearful teen said: “Everybody has feelings, so you’re physically hurt but you are not thinking about my mental, right? They are going off of one angle.

“They’re assaulting my character, calling me ghetto, racist slurs, death threats, all of this, just because of a nine second video.”

Tucker seemed to have a different perspective on the baton bashing when she shared her side of the story.

“When you go to the other side of the track, you have to cross into lane one, you have to merge in,” Tucker told WSLS. “As I was coming up on her, she kind of like made me get cut off a little bit, so I backed away.

“Then, as we got around the curve, she kept bumping me in my arm. Then finally we got off the curve, I like slowly started passing her and then that’s when she just hit me with the baton and I fell off the track.”

Tucker claims she was struck on the head as she pulled ahead of her opponent while spectators watched on from the stands.

Speaking to ABC13 News about her ordeal, Tucker said: “I still can’t believe it, I’m in shock. I’m still trying to take it all in, I can’t believe it happened.”

According to the publication, the baton-wielding athlete was disqualified by judges for the foul, which is known as ‘contact interference’.

Tucker’s mother, Tamarrow, rushed onto the track to check on her daughter alongside medical staff – although she claims Everett didn’t offer any apology for the incident at the time.

“No apologies,” the frustrated parent said. “No coaches. No athlete. No anything. Even if it was an accident, which I don’t believe it was… nothing.”

Everett insisted she does want to apologise to her injured opponent, but claimed that Tucker has not been ‘receptive’ and has blocked her on social media.

Her parents also claim that the Tucker family served them with court papers, calling for a protective order to be put in place.

Doctors have been treating Tucker for concussion and a possible skull fracture in the wake of the incident.

“I could feel like a headache coming up, so I just sat out,” the high school student also told WSLS. “I recently went to the doctor, and they prescribed me with a concussion and a possible fractured skull.”

Tucker’s family earlier demanded an apology and an explanation from the fellow relay racer, with the teen saying: “Why did you do it, and why haven’t you apologised?”

According to the high school student’s mother, the VHSL said it has launched an investigation into the incident.

VHSL told ABC13 that the ‘actions taken by the meet director was appropriate and correct’, adding that the incident was ‘a serious issue, especially when it involves the safety of athletes in competitions’.

Tucker said they have also contacted the runner’s parents and I.C. Norcom AD, who both later said sorry on her behalf.

“They were beside us at the event,” the family added. “They were watching the video at the event, but no one apologised or came to check on her.

“Even if it was a fluke or freak accident, you still would check on her.”

A further nine people were brought to shore, adding to the 23 found this morning. All were alive, and a line of ambulances was waiting to take them to hospital, Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, told Sky News.

The accident took place in the Humber Estuary near the northeastern town of Withernsea, just before 10am this morning (10 March).

It involved a US-flagged tanker called the Stena Immaculate and a Portuguese-flagged container ship called the Solong, with the collision causing lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter to be deployed to the scene, off the UK-coast.

It was confirmed by Boyers that 13 casualties were initially brought in on a vessel, followed by another 10 on a harbour pilot boat.

Now, the nine casualties, also brought in on a pilot’s vessel, brings the total up to 32.

Boyers explained to Metro: “It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in.

“They must have sent a mayday out – luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already.

“Since then there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find.”

The BBC has also reported that the crew on the Stena Immaculate are safe, as business reporter Jonathan Josephs said he had spoken to the chief executive of Stena Bulk, Erik Hanell.

Hanell said that all of the crew aboard the oil tanker were safe, but would not comment on the cause of the collision.

A coastguard spokesperson stated: “HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire. The alarm was raised at 9.48am.

“A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.

“The incident remains ongoing.”

The coastguard helicopter that has been dispatched to scene is currently co-ordinating a response with local firefighters.

The BBC previously reported that the oil tanker appeared to be stationary and at anchor according to data from the tracking website MarineTraffic, and that the Solong appeared to collide with the vessel.

Metro reported that a mayday call concerning the collision identified the Stena Immaculate as carrying jet fuel which had ignited in the water.

The call was sent out from a member of the Humber Coastguard, sharing their coordinates and requested for help from any ships in the area, particularly those with ‘firefighting equipment’.

“Solong has collided with Tanker Stena Immaculate in the outer anchorage,” they said.

“Both vessels are abandoning. Vessels who have firefighting equipment or who can assist with search and rescue contact Humber Coastguard.

“Vessel Stena Immaculate is carrying Jet A 1 fuel which is on fire and in the water.”

In the not so distant past, the prospect of nuclear annihilation seemed like a bygone relic of the Cold War, but not anymore.

In fact, being vaporised in a fiery mushroom cloud appears to be back in fashion, with US President Donald Trump calling nuclear war the ‘greatest threat to humanity’ in a recent interview.

“We spend a lot of money of nuclear weapons – the level of destruction is beyond anything you can imagine,” he told Fox News of America’s 5,044 warheads.

“It’s just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.”

So let us be pessimists for a moment and imagine the worst case scenario, what would happen if the UK ever found itself in a situation where its nuclear weapons were being deployed?

When and how would the UK deploy its nuclear weapons?

As of 2024, public records state that the UK has around 225 warheads, of which 120 are operationally available for deployment as part of its Trident programme, and ranks fifth out of nine in terms of nuclear capability.

The US ranks second, behind Russia who have around 5,580 warheads.

Only the Prime Minister can authorise the use of UK nuclear weapons

Although the UK is a member of NATO, which notably includes the Article 5 clause – ‘if a NATO member is attacked, all other members will consider it an attack on themselves’ – the alliance cannot call for nuclear weapons to be used in a collective response. This responsibility falls on the UK Prime Minister – currently Keir Starmer – to authorise the use of Trident.

Under what circumstance would the UK use its nuclear weapons?

According to the Government website, the primary function of the UK’s nuclear weapons is as a deterrent.

“We would consider using our nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances of self-defence, including the defence of our NATO allies,” UK guidelines state.

“The UK maintains only the minimum amount of destructive power needed to guarantee our deterrent remains credible and effective against the full range of state nuclear threats,” the website added, stating that key details of our nuclear deterrent are kept ‘deliberately ambiguous’ to maximise its effectiveness.

Trident: never used or ‘always in use’?

Thankfully the UK has never been in a position in which its needed to use nuclear weapons, however the defence ministry states this doesn’t mean the weapons aren’t technically ‘in use’.

In fact, the position of the UK government is that our nuclear weapons are always in use as they ‘protect us every hour of every day’.

“By providing a credible and effective response option to extreme aggression, our nuclear deterrent reduces the likelihood of such an attack taking place,” the Ministry of Defence adds.

What is the ultimate goal of the UK’s nuclear weapons programme?

If countries having nuclear weapons in order to prevent other nations’ use of said nuclear weapons sounds like a catch-22, that’s because it is.

With the uneasy prospect of mutually assured destruction holding, for now.

However this doesn’t mean the UK isn’t hopeful for a future without the need for nukes, with the nation a signatory of the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The ultimate goal of the NPT is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy and ultimately achieve global nuclear disarmament.

Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter have been deployed to the scene, and the ships appear to be a US-flagged tanker called the Stena Immaculate and a Portuguese-flagged container ship called the Solong.

The site of the collision is off the UK coast in the North Sea, just to the east of Hull.

A coastguard spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire. The alarm was raised at 9.48am.

“A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.

“The incident remains ongoing.”

The BBC has reported that the oil tanker appeared to be stationary and at anchor according to data from the tracking website MarineTraffic, and that the Solong appeared to collide with the vessel.

The Stena Immaculate had set off from Agioi Theodoroi in Greece and had been heading for the port of Killingholme in the UK.

Meanwhile, the Solong departed from Grangemouth in Scotland and had been journeying towards the Dutch port of Rotterdam before it collided with the anchored oil tanker.

The BBC has also been sent footage which shows the oil tanker on fire, and says that the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has said in a statement that a number of people involved in the incident have abandoned ship.

A number of RNLI crews are supporting rescue efforts focused on the stricken ships which appear to be billowing sizeable plumes of smoke into the air.

The Metro reports that a mayday call concerning the collision identified the Stena Immaculate as carrying jet fuel which had ignited in the water.

The call went out from a member of the Humber Coastguard to give the coordinates of the collision and requested that any ships in the area which could help in the rescue operation or had ‘firefighting equipment’ to get in contact.

They said: “Solong has collided with Tanker Stena Immaculate in the outer anchorage.

“Both vessels are abandoning. Vessels who have firefighting equipment or who can assist with search and rescue contact Humber Coastguard.

“Vessel Stena Immaculate is carrying Jet A 1 fuel which is on fire and in the water.”

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, has said that at present a total of 32 casualties had been brought ashore by rescue efforts on various vessels, their conditions are not currently known.

Nick Yardy was set to have his hands full, as he recently revealed that his girlfriend Jade, 22, and her mother Dani, 44, were both ‘expecting’ his children.

The idea of this strange family dynamic inevitably sparked uproar on social media, as the YouTuber’s 3.42 million subscribers couldn’t believe how close this parent and child were.

Most women couldn’t think of anything worse than sharing their fella with their mum – let alone being excited at the prospect of both being impregnated by him.

So it probably won’t come as much of a surprise that the trio aren’t actually going to welcome two new members into the fold as they previously claimed.

“There are no babies,” Nick told the Daily Mail. “It’s just, like, a skit. It’s not actually real. People that follow me, they’re just looking for entertainment and I don’t think they really [believe it].”

However, the content creator insists that his three-way relationship with adult star Jade and her mother Dani, who has a son the same age as him, is still completely genuine.

Nick claims that he has been romantically involved with them both for nearly two years and that the ladies ‘take it in turns’ to be wined and dined or get intimate with him.

The 29-year-old previously claimed that he hit a ‘rough patch’ while he was dating Jade, prompting them to turn to her mother, who works as a life coach, for advice.

Dani suggested the couple could try bringing ‘another woman’ into the mix, according to a video shared on Nick’s Instagram, and the rest is history.

The trio describe their dynamic as a ‘common law marriage arrangement’, say they share a joint bank account and all sleep in the same bed together – however, they keep their sex lives ‘separate’.

Although some people have doubted whether Jade and Dani are actually related, Nick – real name is Nicholas Hunter – insists that they ‘are actually mother and daughter’.

“And our involvement with each other is real,” he said. “It’s just that they’re not actually pregnant. At least not yet.”

Although he hopes to bring his bizarre dream to life in the future, Nick has come under fire for pedalling the pregnancy hoax online, with some calling it ‘messed up’.

He had pulled out all the stops to fool his large following – going as far to film numerous videos with the women sporting strap-on sponge bellies, producing fake ultrasounds and throwing a pretend joint gender reveal party.

In one clip, Jade stated: “We’re welcoming Nick’s children. [Dani] is going to be having Nick Jr and I’m going to be having Nicole.

“We’re very excited to welcome two new members of the family and having a baby alongside my mum is the most exciting and beautiful thing.”

The OnlyFans creator has since revealed that she actually came up with the weird plot after she spotted two strap-on sponge bellies in their home, which had been used as a prop in a different video.

She thought it would be funny and Nick reckoned they could make some money from it, as he believes ‘animals, food or pregnancy’ related skits always go viral.

“This went so viral that we almost actually want to try for real next time,” Nick added.

As pranks go, most people haven’t found this one very funny.

US-Ukrainian relations have been decisively tense since the now infamous showdown in the White House Oval Office, with President Trump making the controversial decision to pause military aid and intelligence to Ukraine, both of which had proved vital in fending off Russia’s ongoing attacks on the country.

Zelenskyy responded to the decision by sending a letter to the White House thanking the US for its support in helping Ukraine ‘maintain its sovereignty and independence’ and reaffirming his willingness to be involved in negotiating a peace process.

But it would now seem that Trump is looking to capitalise on forcing Ukraine into a corner and issued a fresh set of demands to Zelenskyy; with a US official revealing that a signed minerals deal, which allows the US to benefit from Ukraine’s natural resources, is no longer enough for aid to be resumed.

Speaking to NBC ahead of peace talks between American and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, the official claimed that Trump wants to see Zelenskyy change his approach to peace talks and potentially even step down as president.

The comments follow Trump’s shocking statement to Fox News that he believes Ukraine ‘may not survive’ the ongoing war even with US backing.

According to the source, Trump wants to see the Ukrainian leader demonstrate a willingness to concede Ukrainian territory to Russia, begin the process of holding elections in Ukraine and possibly stepping down as the country’s leader.

This isn’t the first time that Trump has mentioned the topic of elections in Ukraine, with the 78-year-old previously branding Zelenskyy a ‘dictator without elections’.

Zelenskyy’s presidential term expired in May 2024, however, the Ukrainian constitution prohibits the holding of elections while the country is under martial law, which was declared following Russia’s February 2022 invasion. This would mean that a permanent ceasefire would need to be agreed between the two countries before Ukrainians can head to the polls. This stance has also been backed by senior opposition figures in Ukraine, amid reports of talks between the US and key Zelenskyy opponents.

It’s also unclear how an election would feasibly work while Russian military forces continue to occupy and attack Ukraine’s eastern and southern provinces.

As Trump continues to pile the pressure on Zelenskyy, Russia has used the pause in military aid and intelligence to their advantage and ramped up attacks on Ukraine, with recent airstrikes killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens of others in the eastern oblast of Donetsk.

The son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Princess Julie of Nassau died on 1 March after being diagnosed with a rare POLG Mitochondrial disease when he was 14.

His father announced the passing of his son on POLG Foundation’s website last week (7 March).

Robert, who founded the organisation, said: “It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son, The POLG Foundation Founder and Creative Director, Frederik.

“Frederik found the strength and the courage to say goodbye to each of us in turn – his brother, Alexander; his sister, Charlotte; me; his three cousins, Charly, Louis, and Donall; his brother-in-law, Mansour; and finally, his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Mark.”

What is POLG disease?

The genetic disorder ‘robs the body’s cells of energy’, which causes ‘progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure’, according to the foundation.

“One might compare it to having a faulty battery that never fully recharges and is in a constant state of depletion,” it explained.

“POLG research could affect everything from Parkinson’s to cancer.”

Prince Frederik ‘had barely been able to speak for several days’

“After gifting each of us with our farewells – some kind, some wise, some instructive – in true Frederik fashion, he left us collectively with a final long-standing family joke,” the father added.

“Even in his last moments, his humour, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh….to cheer us all up.

“So the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was profound.

“The answer was very easy, and he had heard it oh so many times…. but at this time, he needed reassurance that he had contributed all that he possibly could in his short and beautiful existence and that he could now finally move on.”

300 million people suffer from POLG

Robert said that ‘300 million people like Frederik worldwide’ suffer from POLG.

“These diseases are usually hard to recognise even by physicians, and patients’ families may never know what they are suffering from as they may only be identified very late in their progression,” he explained.

“Frederik was diagnosed with POLG at the age of 14, when his symptoms were showing more clearly and when the progression of his disease had become more acute.

“Because POLG disease causes such a wide range of symptoms and affects so many different organ systems, it is very difficult to diagnose and has no treatments much less a cure.”

Eyewitnesses have given a chilling account of what happened in the minutes leading up to America’s first execution by firing squad in 15 years.

Brad Sigmon, 67, was executed on 7 March after being convicted of the 2001 murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, David and Gladys Larke, in their South Carolina home before abducting his former partner with the intention of killing her as well.

Faced with the death penalty, Sigmon opted to be executed by firing squad, with the sentence being carried out just after 6pm local time.

Sigmon’s mother and brother were not in attendance at the execution, neither was his former partner, however, multiple witnesses were allowed to attend the gruesome event and detailed a minute-by-minute account of how the sentence was carried out.

6:00pm

According to a report from MailOnline, Sigmon was brought into the death chamber at 6pm EST and looked over to the witness gallery before being strapped into the execution chair.

A white target was also placed over his heart.

6:02pm

Once Sigmon was strapped into the chair, which included head restraints and a basin to collect blood, his attorney read out the 67-year-old’s final statement, which saw the newfound Christian speak out against the death penalty.

“I want my closing statement to be one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty,” the statement read.

“Nowhere does God in the New Testament give man the authority to kill another man.”

6:03pm

According to numerous accounts from reporters in attendance, Sigmon mouthed the words ‘I’m OK,’ to relatives watching in the gallery before a hood was pulled over his head.

6:04pm

A blind was then lifted to reveal three volunteers from the South Carolina Department of Corrections who stood behind a wall which featured an opening at firing height. Each was armed with a rifle.

Recalling the final moments before the shots rang out, South Carolina TV journalist Anna Dobbins said: “We could not see the guns. There was no countdown or anything to tell us when the shots would be fired.”

6:05pm

Each of the executioners fired simultaneously and were direct hits on target. Sigmon flinched and his chest rapidly rose and fell several times. Blood began to pool at his chest.

“It was very fast,” Dobbins said of the killing.

Associated Press reporter Jeffrey Collins also provided an account of the event, detailing how the bullets – which are designed to break apart and cause maximum damage upon impact – meant the target placed over his heart ‘disappeared instantly’.

“A jagged red spot about the size of a small fist appeared where Sigmon was shot. His chest moved two or three times. Outside of the rifle crack, there was no sound,” he said.

6:06pm

A doctor entered the chamber and listened to Sigmon’s heart for two minutes.

6:08pm

Chrysti Shain, of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, said Sigmon was pronounced dead.

Brits who owned certain Apple models could be in line to receive some cash if Justin Gutmann’s class action lawsuit against the tech giant is successful.

The consumer rights campaigner launched the legal challenge on behalf of millions of people who purchased iPhones which allegedly had ‘defective batteries’.

He claims that Apple concealed this from customers ‘with software updates that caused performance problems’, which included a ‘power management tool that impacted performance’.

Gutmann has said that the firm – which was co-founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976 – has ‘throttled’ people deliberately.

Apple is accused of hiding issues with the batteries of several iPhone models, including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Instead of recalling the devices, the class action claims that iOS updates which ‘contained a throttling function to manage battery performance’ were rolled out instead.

But rather than fixing the problem, these software updates are alleged to have ‘slowed down the performance’ of older iPhones to stop them shutting down without warning.

Gutmann has alleged that the devices couldn’t cope with the strain being placed on them, which increased the likelihood of sudden shutdowns – all while Apple allegedly kept customers in the dark.

He also claimed that Apple took advantage of its market dominance in the UK, while consumers paid the price.

According to the class action, those with affected phones were effectively forced to pay for either replacement batteries or brand new handsets due to the fault.

Anyone who owned one of the aforementioned models could have a stake in the lawsuit – and estimates suggest there are 23.8 million people in the UK who may be eligible for compensation.

What has Apple said about the lawsuit?

Apple has branded the case ‘baseless’ and tried to get it thrown out in 2023, however, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled that it could proceed.

A spokesperson said at the time: “We have never – and would never – do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.

“Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.”

The tech firm has vehemently denied any batteries in its iPhones were defective, except from a few 6S models, where customers were offered free battery replacements.

It previously admitted slowing down the performance of some older devices with ailing battery lives, but insisted it was necessary to protect its components.

After the trial was given the go-ahead, Apple was refused permission to appeal the decision – and Gutmann’s day in court is on the horizon.

The Tribunal made a Collective Proceedings Order, granting permission for the class action to be brought, on 23 January this year.

So if you owned one of the models, you might want to keep a close eye on this case, as you could end up with a windfall from the £853million pot of compensation.