Author: USA Facts News

Bieber fans had recently taken to social media to share their concerns about the singer’s health after he made an appearance at a pop-up event for his wife Hailey Bieber’s Rhode cosmetic line in Los Angeles.

“He still has some healing to do this is sad, one person wrote under a video taken from the event, while a second added: “I can’t understand people who are laughing at this, truly, I just feel bad for both of them, no one deserves this.”

“This is so hard to watch. Someone help him,” another fan added.

However, worried Beliebers out there can now rest easy, as a representative for the singer revealed that their fav is simply feeling tired from fatherhood.

Squashing the rumours 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 30-year-old 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’.

The statement from Bieber’s rep came out just after the singer was taking part in a charity hockey game to raise funds for LA wildfire relief, which saw him joking with ET reporters about getting his six-month-old son on skates ‘as soon as possible’.

The rep also explained that Bieber had been going through a ‘very transformative’ year, in which ‘he ended several close friendships and business relationships that no longer served him’.

Bieber has been candid about his experiences with substance use in the past, revealing in a 2021 interview that drugs had previously been a ‘numbing agent’ for him.

“It was like I had all this success and it was still like: I’m still sad, and I’m still in pain. And I still have these unresolved issues. And I thought all the success was going to make everything good,” he explained.

“And so for me, the drugs were a numbing agent to just continue to get through.”

23-year-old Hall was last seen on Tuesday (18 February) leaving her home at Barracks Farm, Tow Law at around 3pm.

Her car was later found abandoned at the side of a moorland road a day later, with extensive searches being carried out by specially-trained police and mountain rescue teams.

Five days after her disappearance, Durham Constabulary confirmed yesterday (23 February) that a body had been found in the search for the long distance runner.

“We’re sorry to report that officers searching for missing woman Jenny Hall, have sadly found a body,” the police said in a statement, adding that formal identification of the body is yet to take place.

“The body was found in a very remote area in Teesdale just after 9.30am.”

Durham Police went on to add that Hall’s family had been informed about the discovery and were ‘currently being supported by specialist officers’.

“They have asked for privacy at this devastating time,” the statement added.

The force added that there are no ‘suspicious circumstances’ relating to the discovery of the body and that a file is currently being prepared for the coroner.

“The force would particularly like to thank the expert mountain rescue teams who have been working intensively alongside officers on the ground,” the statement concluded.

An extensive police search had taken place in the hunt for the long distance runner, who was known to regularly visit Hamsterley Forest on her runs.

The search was aided by volunteers, with around 60 people turning up to help on the Saturday.

Earlier this week one of the volunteers spoke about the difficulties of searching the area, explaining that the terrain was ‘muddy and boggy’.

“The biggest challenge is the area size itself and the terrain,” volunteer Peter Bell explained to the BBC.

Data intelligence officers were also working to track the Hall’s phone, smartwatch and running apps, but were unable to find any leads.

“We have become increasingly concerned for Jenny since she was reported missing on Tuesday and have been exploring all lines of inquiry,” Chief Inspector Dean Haythornthwaite, of Durham Constabulary, said earlier in the week.

Haythornthwaite went on to thank the public for their help in the search, despite the difficult terrain and weather conditions.

“I just want to say a huge thank you to members of the public who have contacted us with information, we really do appreciate your help and support,” he added.

He was born in 1957 in Cameroon and was among the 40 great apes captured and sold to the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center in New Mexico in 1959.

He was later selected for the Mercury Project to study space effects on humans and ensure safe re-entry and recovery.

Initially known as ‘Number 65’, he was renamed as ‘Ham’ after the centre’s initials, where he underwent training such as learning to pull levers in response to sound and light, according to the National Air and Space Museum.

On 31 January 1961, Ham was then launched into space aboard the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission.

During the 16.5-minute suborbital flight, he experienced weightlessness and high g-forces, yet managed to perform tasks at a high enough level.

However, Ham’s mission was not without problems after a technical malfunction caused the capsule to overshoot its intended trajectory, landing 130 miles off-target in the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the book, ‘A Brief History of Animals in Space’ published by NASA’s History Office, Ham ‘experienced a total of 6.6 minutes of weightlessness during a 16.5-minute flight’.

Ham’s capsule took on water and it took several hours for the rescue crew to get there, though luckily, Ham survived.

According to the post-flight report (via the National Air and Space Museum): “Robert F. Wallace, an STG information officer on the scene, reported that Ham was excited when returned to Hangar S after his flight.

“Being unable to debrief his handlers, Ham alone knew at this time how gruelling his flight had been. Flashbulbs and crowding newsmen made him highly agitated, and he snapped at several people.

“Later, when his handler led him back toward a capsule for pictures requested by the TV crews, Ham again became highly perturbed. It took three men to calm the ‘astrochimp’ for the next round of pictures.”

According to The Guardian, Ham was found to be largely unharmed, aside from his fear following his flight.

Ham was transferred to The National Zoo in 1963, where he lived by himself for 17 years, before being sent to the North Carolina Zoo to be with other chimps.

He died on 18 January, 1983, at the estimated age of 26.

Pictures of him during training went viral on Reddit, with one person writing: “Space history is full of unsung heroes, and this little astronaut is one of them.”

Another said: “Thank you for your service, Ham. All life on Earth owes you a debt of gratitude.”

Brian Odom, NASA’s chief historian, told USA Today in January that Ham’s experience was ‘important’ for space travel as we know it today.

He said: “We can’t forget about Ham and how important his experience was to telling us what we needed to know to get that confidence to put a human in space and to continue on, which would ultimately lead to the success of Apollo in July of 1969.”

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows behind the scenes of the much-loved world of witches and wizards.

Many fans of the Harry Potter books and films would give anything to spend a day at Hogwarts, but actor Jason Isaacs, a.k.a Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy, has opened up about the reality of making the films.

He admits it’s a ‘terrible confession’ to make and one that will disappoint many who love the film adaptions of JK Rowling’s books.

The star has owned up and said the films ‘weren’t that fun to make’ and could be ‘quite boring.’

He is currently appearing in the latest series of White Lotus, and appeared on The One Show this week and was asked about what it was like making the Harry Potter films.

He did share his affection for the series, and said he finds it emotional when he watches the film with his family.

Jason shared: “Even though I was in the films, when I take nephews and nieces to the tour, and the thing comes up and you’re in the Great Hall, every time I burst out in tears. It’s incredibly moving.”

Despite his display of emotion, he shared the truth of long days onset: “There’s some magic that happens in those books and in those films.

“It’s a terrible confession to make, but they weren’t that fun to make,” he admitted candidly.

“It’s quite boring, to make these big special effects films, the pleasures all come afterwards when I see and meet people for whom their lives were changed by it,” he added.

“And still, people are reading it and sharing it with their children. Some people say their lives were saved by it, and I believe them. There’s something happened, who knows why?

“But when those ingredients came together and the soufflé rose, and it created just love around the world. And a sense of belonging.”

It’s not all bad then, and he does still seem to love the films and his part in it.

He’s not the only cast member to put their foot in it about the magic of filming, as Tom Felton once recalled.

Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy in the film, recalled accidentally disappointing a young fan: “I remember after the first couple of films, there was the Comic Con in San Diego… We were doing a Q & A with thousands of Potter fans. This little seven year old walks up. We lower the mic. She’s like ‘What is it like to fly a broom?’ ‘Sorry, love? What’s it like to fly a broom? Painful! Horrible! You sit on this metal pole and they blow wind in your hair.”

He saw her eyes widen in alarm: “So I quickly realized: ‘It’s one of the greatest experiences in your life! How old are you? You’re nine. You’ve got two more years and you’ll find out for yourself,” and said he has tried to be an ambassador and keeping the fun for people ever since.

As well as the films, books, multiple theme parks and locations to visit, fans will eventually have a new TV series to watch based on the boy wizard.

Warner Bros and HBO are rebooting it for a series, with a season for each book.

Casting calls have previously gone out for the roles, previously played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

Earlier this week, it was announced that longtime 007 producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have formed a joint venture with Amazon MGM Studios.

While Wilson and Broccoli will remain as co-owners, they have also reportedly given MGM creative control – meaning they could be in charge of James Bond’s future.

And Amazon founder Bezos, 61, has since taken to X to ask a very important question.

“Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” he penned on 20 February as thousands of fans were replying in the comments.

You had all sorts of names flying around, from fan-favourite Idris Elba to a very rogue Tom Cruise.

However, according to various reports, here are some of the frontrunners.

Who could play the next James Bond?

Henry Cavill

The Man of Steel actor, 41, was mentioned a lot in the comments and has been a popular choice among fans.

But having already failed auditioning against Daniel Craig in 2005, would he get another chance?

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

At 34, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been one of the bookies’ favourites after featuring in the likes of Kick-Ass and Nocturnal Animals – and there’s was a report in 2024 which claimed he’d been ‘formally offered’ the role.

His versatility and age could make him a strong contender for a long-term commitment to the franchise.

James Norton

Best known for his role in Happy Valley, James Norton’s range and British heritage align with the traditional portrayal of Bond.

Even though he’s 39, he doesn’t look a day past 30.

Harris Dickinson

The youngest contender at 28, Harris Dickinson certainly offers a bit of youthful energy.

His performances in The King’s Man and Babygirl have showcased his potential to take on such an iconic role.

Who Daniel Craig wants to play the next Bond

The James Bond actor, 56, previously said he doesn’t care who plays the next 007.

“I keep saying I don’t [care] because people ask me all the time, and I’m an ornery, grumpy old man, so I say I don’t give a s**t.” he told The Times.

Despite not being too bothered by the outcome, Craig has praised producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli after news broke of the joint-venture.

“My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” he said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

“I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”

That kind of thing seems far from our lives on our little island. But I hate to break it to you, if by some chance the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted right now, the entire world would face terrifying consequences.

Yes, we would also be dealt a blow if it went off big time over in the US.

The Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field spans parts of Wyoming and Montana and developed through three volcanic cycles that span two-million years.

Before you start panicking at learning this supervolcano eruption is even a thing, its worth knowing the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has not detected any signs of activity that suggest an imminent eruption.

Instead, the most likely explosive event to happen at Yellowstone is a hydrothermal explosion or lava flow, happening every few years.

But it’s always worth knowing the worst-case scenario, you know? If anything, it’s pretty interesting. Primarily of course, parts of the surrounding states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming closest to it would be affected by pyroclastic flows.

This is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter, which would instantly kill any human that comes into contact with it.

Now, while the rest of the world won’t be seeing flow from the volcano rushing by, it’s likely we could see the ash from it.

Within a few days of the eruption, a fine dusting of ash could fall across us in Europe.

But more of the US and those closer to Yellowstone would see a heavier falling of it as the BBC previously explained how ‘inhaled ash forms a cement-like mixture in human lungs’.

The biggest danger is said to be within 1,000km of the blast as the ash falls and spreads but the rest of the world would be likely to experience the consequences.

While the worst of it wouldn’t be suffered by us, ash can cause reduced sunlight, kill crops and vegetation and contaminate water supplies.

As it would inject sulphur gas into the upper atmosphere, it’s believed this would cause climatic cooling.

With red skies in Europe in the days after, sunlight would be scattered for a period.

And experts predict global annual average temperatures would drop by 10 degrees, with colder temperatures potentially lasting six to 10 years.

But again, while it would have a global effect, the likelihood of a super-eruption at Yellowstone in the near-future is very low.

Many people try all sorts of weird and wonderful techniques and concoctions to fend off the passing of time, but it seems it could be simpler than that.

While some people try to ‘biohack’ themselves to resist getting older, others try botox and filler, while some swear by a super green smoothie or the latest supplement.

However, it could be as simple as not missing out this bit the xext time you go to the gym.

Dr Sood on TikTok shared a video about the importance of leg strength as we age. In it, an expert is seen saying: “The stronger your thighs are, the stronger your quads are, the longer you live.”

He reacted to the claims, saying: “The secret to long life might be in your thighs, recent studies show that skeletal muscle strength, particularly in your quadriceps, is a strong predictor of overall health and longevity.”

The doctor continued: “In patients with coronary artery disease or CAD, stronger quadriceps are linked to significantly lower risk of all cause and cardiovascular related mortality.

“But it’s not just CAD patients, research shows that greater upper and lower body strength can reduce the risk of death across the general population, regardless of age.”

He added: “So remember, leg day is not just about fitness, strengthening your legs with exercises like squats, lunges and resistance training can actually help you add years to your life.”

The medical expert went on to caption the video: “Correlation doesn’t equal causation, but it makes sense if someone has strong leg muscles it’s more likely than not they are also living an overall healthy lifestyle.

“The point is to make sure this is part of your routine,” he added.

“Although muscle strength in general is great for overall health, your leg strength might be more important than you think. Don’t skip leg day!”

Commenters who hate leg day were found in the comment section, with one joking: “Can’t believe sumo squats are saving me even though I get knee pain from it.”

“Thicc thighs save lives!” added another, while one person was pleased: “So my thunder thighs will make me live longer?”

Not everyone agreed though, with one saying: “You can get around better with stronger legs but my mother-in-law had weak everything and she lived to 100 and was never sick.”

Another agreed: “My great grandma lived to 105 and she never lifted heavy in her life!”

According to the NHS, strength exercises can improve your health and mobility.

History books feature the Djoser Step pyramid in Egypt as the world’s oldest pyramid, dating back to 2,630 BC, but now a new paper claims there’s one which is even older which wasn’t built by humans.

A report published back in October 2023 claims that a layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid in Indonesia is even older.

That’s not the only bombshell moment, either.

Many people have been wondering for hundreds and thousands of years how these works of history were constructed.

The paper claims the older layer of the Gunung Padang pyramid was constructed all the way back in 25,000 BC, with doubts being shared that the pyramid was actually manmade.

Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences led the new research, which was shared in a journal called Archaeological Prospection.

In it, the researchers state: “The pyramid’s core consists of meticulously sculpted massive andesite lava.”

They continue to elaborate about the ‘oldest construction’ part of the pyramid, revealing that mother nature might have been responsible instead of mankind.

Academics believe the oldest layer of the pyramid ‘likely originated as a natural lava hill before being sculpted and then architecturally enveloped.’

They said: “This study sheds light on advanced masonry skills dating back to the last glacial period.

“This finding challenges the conventional belief that human civilisation and the development of advanced construction techniques emerged only … with the advent of agriculture approximately 11,000 years ago,” they added.

The academics looked at evidence from other sites as well as the Gunung Padang pyramid, including the Gobekli Tepe in Turkey.

They went on to say that if the pyramids were built by humans, then the builders ‘must have possessed remarkable masonry capabilities.’

Not everyone is convinced though about the wild claims.

Flint Dibble, an archaeologist from the UK has dismissed the report, saying he was ‘surprised it was published as is.’

He told a rival journal, called Nature that there is no evidence to back up their claims.

“Material rolling down a hill is going to, on average, orient itself,” he said.

Elsewhere though, Bill Farley, an archaeologist at Southern Connecticut State University, says ‘the 27,000-year-old soil samples from Gunung Padang, although accurately dated, do not carry hallmarks of human activity, such as charcoal or bone fragments.’

The academics behind the original paper have responded to criticism, insisting: “We are really open to researchers around the world who would like to come to Indonesia and do some research programme on Gunung Padang.”

The co-editor of the journal, which published the initial report, has said that the an investigation has been launched into the paper.

The biological and chemical warfare research unit was funded by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, operating in Harbin, Manchukuo (occupied China) from 1937 to 1945.

General Shiro Ishii, a Japanese microbiologist and army medical officer, was in charge of the biological warfare program, with his team primarily consisting of some of Japan’s best medical practitioners, according to the Warfare History Network.

The unit conducted inhumane experiments on thousands of prisoners, which included vivisections without anaesthesia, frostbite tests, plague and cholera injections, and weapon effectiveness trials.

Reports suggest that between 3,000 and 10,000 people, consisting of men, women and children, died in Unit 731’s experiments.

Backed by the Imperial Japanese Army, the goal of the unit was to develop biological and chemical weapons for the nation.

“None of the people around here had any idea what the real purpose of the facility was,” researcher Han Xiao said (via The Daily Mail).

“It was the secret of all secrets – trains could only pass with their curtains drawn; the Air Force would shoot down any plane that came too close.”

Historian Sheldon H Harris noted in his book ‘Factories of Death’: “If Ishii or one of his co-workers wished to do research on the human brain, then they would order the guards to find them a useful sample.

“A prisoner would be taken from his cell. Guards would hold him while another guard would smash the victim’s head open with an ax. His brain would be extracted and rushed immediately to the laboratory.

“The body would then be whisked off to the pathologist, and then to the crematorium for the usual disposal.”

A former medical assistant at Unit 731 told the New York Times in 1995 what happened when he cut open a live man for the first time.

“The fellow knew that it was over for him, and so he didn’t struggle when they led him into the room and tied him down,” he said.

“But when I picked up the scalpel, that’s when he began screaming. I cut him open from the chest to the stomach, and he screamed terribly, and his face was all twisted in agony. He made this unimaginable sound, he was screaming so horribly. But then finally he stopped.

“This was all in a day’s work for the surgeons, but it really left an impression on me because it was my first time.”

After Japan’s surrender in 1945, the whole operation stopped.

However, the experiments weren’t acknowledged by the Japanese government until 2002 when 180 plaintiffs, primarily from China, sought damages of around £55,000 for the suffering caused, The Guardian reported.

In 2018, 3,607 names of Unit 173 members were disclosed in a list, with Professor Katsuyo Nishiyama telling the Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper: “The list is important evidence that supports testimony by those involved. Its discovery will be a major step toward unveiling concealed facts.”

Kansas City’s Schlitterbahn water park attraction Verrückt – translating to ‘Crazy’ or ‘Insane’ in German – was the scene of the tragedy nine years ago, where young Caleb Schwab lost his life via decapitation.

Designed by Jeff Henry and John Schooley, the towering coaster stood at just under 170 feet in height and sent its riders cascading at a speed of 70 miles per hour.

The Verrückt, which opened to the public in the summer of 2014 and cost $3.6 million (£2.8m) to construct, nabbed the aforementioned world record from Aldeia das Águas Park Resort’s Kilimanjaro slide in Brazil.

On 7 August 2016, Caleb, whose dad Scott Schwab is currently serving as Kansas’ Secretary of State, was joined by two women in his Verrückt raft, but an uneven weight distribution caused their vessel to go airborne and strike a metal pole supporting the safety net.

His fellow passengers survived, although one’s jaw was broken and the other’s face suffered a fracture.

The resulting documentary (titled The Water Slide), which was made by Nathan Truesdell for The Atlantic and released online in 2019, puts the horrendous ordeal under the microscope through news coverage and promotional footage.

“My first thought was that it must have been a freak accident—what a horrible, horrible story,” Nathan told the publication.

“But once I took a closer look, I started to realise how complicated this story really was, and how this could have happened to anyone who went down that slide.”

The filmmaker went on to elaborate: “There wasn’t a lot of science or ride engineering involved in the testing and design.

“They were sending sandbags down and basically hoping that they didn’t fly off of the slide. The netting that ultimately ended up killing the child was added to prevent the rafts from flying off of the slide completely.”

In the immediate aftermath of the child’s decapitation, Henry and Schooley’s creation was officially marked for demolishment pending a criminal investigation.

The mourning Schwabs received £15.8m ($20m) from numerous parties, including Schlitterbahn, while the injured pair of riders made undisclosed court settlements too.

It took two months for Verrückt to be fully dismantled – starting in November 2018 after delays – and the now-closed water park’s reputation was irreparably damaged.

As for Henry and Schooley, a March 2018 grand jury indictment accused them of lacking ‘technical expertise to design a properly functioning water slide’ and failed to adhere to standard engineering procedures.

Despite being arrested on a charge of second-degree murder and 17 further crimes, in February 2019, they were both given the all-clear due to inadmissible evidence.

This was down to state attorneys presenting a Schlitterbahn-favourable episode of Xtreme Waterparks as fact to the jurors, instead of the ‘dramatised version of events created for entertainment purposes’ that it was.