"I ditched my PhD to drive from London to Lagos"
By Hannah Van De Peer
A woman quit her PhD for the “road trip of a lifetime” - driving from London to Lagos with 20 stops along the way.
Pelumi Nubi, 29, said people have called her “crazy” - but it gave her all the more motivation to go through with it.
She’s currently on stop five in Morocco after travelling through France and Spain, and plans to be on the road for another two months before she reaches Nigeria.
In order to save money, she’s been sleeping in her £3k Peugeot 107, using hot water bottles for clean drinking water and heat.
Pelumi, from Croydon, London, who was studying for a PhD in biomedical science before she quit, said: “A lot of people called me crazy - I know I’m trying to do the impossible, but it’s the right thing for me.
“Life is short - so why not step out of your comfort zone? It might encourage you to try lots of other impossible things, too.
“I’m a traveller at heart, and I was craving this big adventure.”
Originally from Lagos, Pelumi’s family moved to Croydon when she was 10.
She went back every Christmas, and says she always seemed curious about the other countries she’d fly over on the six-hour flight there.
While studying for her PhD at Coventry University, Pelumi started seeing stories of people travelling to Lagos through unconventional modes of transport, like bikes.
She wondered whether it would be possible to go the distance by car - particularly one which wasn’t designed to drive on all-terrain, like a 4x4.
So in December 2023, she began planning her journey - and set off on January 24 in her five-year-old car.
She said: “I was seeing a lot of men doing these extreme trips - but no women, and no-one who looked like me.
“I wondered if I could change that. The journey is clearly possible and doable - especially if someone could go by bike!
“I wanted to slow-pace it, which is why I’ve dedicated two months to it. I want to take everything in, meet the locals, try all-new experiences.”
Pelumi began her journey driving from London to Paris, via a ferry at Dover.
She spent three days sightseeing, meeting French creatives and camping out of her car.
She went from Paris to Millau, a commune which once had the largest bridge in the world - and she parasailed over it.
From Millau, she drove all the way down to Barcelona, to visit the Sagrada Familia, before moving on to Malaga, to spend two days up the mountains.
Her journey then took her to North Africa, and she visited the markets in Marrakech - before arriving at her current stop in Chefchaouen, where she’ll spend three days before moving on to her next 15 stops.
She said: “One of the highlights for me was seeing one of the largest bridges in the world - I got a last minute booking to parasail over it and they squeezed me in.
“It was amazing being up in the clouds, seeing all the beautiful sights. I camped in my car that night, which was rough, as I couldn't find any hot running water, but I survived it!
“I drove all the way up into the mountains in Malaga - the locals looked at me like I was losing my marbles, in my little car.
“But I don’t think you need the big cars or gadgets - my car’s been good to me, I’ve had it for five years.”
Pelumi started to feel apprehensive after getting to Morocco and noticing the language barrier - as well as the busyness of the markets overwhelming her.
“The language barrier started becoming a thing,” she said. “I got to Morocco and burst into tears, I had so much anxiety and apprehension. It was really hard to find all the info I needed.
“But the good thing about driving is, I could stay as long as I wanted and get my bearings a bit.”
Pelumi plans to get to Lagos on March 24 - and the rest of her stops include Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Ghana and Nigeria.
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Worried cats huddle around owner after she falls into deep sleep
By Leo Black
This is the moment worried pet cats huddled around their owner for hours after noticing her breathing become shallow in her sleep.
Romina Tomaino, 45, suffers from insomnia and gets little to no sleep, sometimes for days.
When Romina went to sleep on December 21, after several days without sleep, her six moggies noticed her breathing and laid on her chest for hours.
Romina, of Melbourne, Queensland, Australia, said: "I go days without sleeping and then crash into really deep sleep which is what happened here.
"It's so bad that if I wake up and do things then go back to sleep I won't remember doing it."
Milo was the first to notice and came over to make sure everything was alright.
The rest of the cats then followed - Bella, Prince, Baby Tiger and Chloe.
They all and stayed around Romina from 4:00am to 6:00am when she woke up.
Romina only noticed what had happened when she woke up to find her cat all around her.
A video shows the cats gathered around her and Milo lying on her chest as she sleeps, checking her breathing, Romina says.
Romina said: "I only noticed when I woke up and checked the video. I thought 'Wow, I'm so blessed to have these amazing cats.
"When I woke up they were still there all sleeping around me. I was confused.
"It's very rare to find them all there when I wake up so I got up, fed them and watched the video with breakfast.
"I thought they had heard a noise but when I realised what it was I cried happy tears."
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Incredible new image shows evidence of flowing rivers on Mars
By Dean Murray
An incredible new image shows evidence of flowing rivers on Mars.
The picture were taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as it searches for signs of water and ice.
NASA says the image of ridges in Aeolis Planum tells "a story of ancient rivers and a Red Planet very different to that of today".
The MRO typically flies at an altitude of about 250 to 316 kilometres (155 to 196 miles) above the planet's surface, allowing it to capture intricate detail.
The space agency explain: "These ridges show the location of the old river beds in Mars' distant past.
"River beds often get filled with gravel and the surrounding terrain is often built up of fine-grained mud from river overflows. The gravely river bottom and the fine-grained surroundings can lead to a strange phenomenon that geologists call inverted channels.
"After the river disappears, the fine-grained surroundings can be easily eroded away leaving the gravely river bed as a high-standing ridge.
"The angle at which the ridges join together indicate that these rivers flowed from top-right to bottom-left."
The image was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on MRO, and was catalogued by NASA on 31 January 2024. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE.
The MRO is a spacecraft designed to search for the existence of water on Mars and provide support for missions to Mars, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program.
It was launched from Cape Canaveral in August 2005 and reached Mars in March 2006.
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Rare new-born baby chimpanzee clings to his adoring mum
By Adam Dutton
A rare baby chimpanzee clings to his adoring mother after being born in front of astonished visitors at Chester Zoo.
The new male infant was born to mum Alice following an eight-month pregnancy.
Zookeepers said the birth of the male was "vitally important for the future of the species".
Pictures and video show the tiny newborn being carefully cradled by mum and other female relatives in the 22-strong group.
Mike Jordan, animal and plant director, said: “A new birth always sparks some real excitement within the chimpanzee group here at Chester.
“While Alice and her new baby are certainly centre of attention among the other chimpanzees they’re still finding some quiet time to get to know one another and can often be seen cuddled up together.
“What’s also great to see is that some of the others in the group, especially the younger females, are really intrigued by the new baby and are learning all about motherhood from Alice.
“This is an important learning curve for them and this experience can be really useful for when they hopefully go on to have babies of their own.
“A thriving conservation breeding programme is key to the long-term protection of these animals.”
Chimpanzees are nearing extinction in many countries, due to deforestation and commercial hunting for bushmeat.
The chimpanzees at Chester Zoo are part of an international conservation breeding programme in a bid to boost their numbers.
Mr Jordan added: “For nearly 30 years our teams have worked on the ground in Uganda, Nigeria and Gabon in Africa, working hand in hand with wildlife authorities, in-country partners and local communities in an effort protect some of the world’s rarest wild chimpanzee populations and their forest homes.
“These collective efforts, paired with the conservation breeding programme in zoos, gives us hope that we can create a future where chimpanzees thrive long into the future.”
Human-related activities such as the illegal wildlife trade and poaching have severely impacted chimpanzee populations in Africa.
Deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion and logging, has significantly reduced their natural habitats.
D-Day veteran with note revealing end of WWII vows to keep it in family
By Douglas Whitbread
A D-Day hero who found out the Second World War in Europe was going to end 48 hours before the rest of the world has vowed to keep the historic letter in his family.
Bernard Morgan was working as an RAF codebreaker in 1945 when he deciphered a secret telex that read: “The German war is now over… The surrender is effective some time tomorrow”.
And the ex-serviceman, who celebrates his 100th birthday tomorrow (Wednesday), has vowed that the important telex will pass to his family when he dies.
Ahead of his birthday, the great-grandad read out the note - dressed in the uniform he wore on D-day - to remind others of the liberties they had won in the victory.
But the Royal British Legion Ambassador (RBL) refuses to give museums the original, instead insisting it will stay in his family when he dies.
Bernard, who was the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy in June 1944, said: “I am always keen for the younger generation to know exactly what went on during the War and to appreciate the sacrifice that our lads made so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.
“The Imperial War Museum in London and in Manchester both wanted the original copy - they weren’t interested in a photocopy - but I’m keeping it for my family."
Bernard, of Crewe, Cheshire, landed on Gold Beach at 6.30 pm on D-Day, 6 June 1944, aged 20, after he had joined the RAF on his birthday two years earlier.
He was stationed in Schneverdingen, Germany, when he got the message on around May 6, 1945, declaring that the war in Europe was ending via his Typex machine.
The note stated: "The German War is now over. At Rheims last night the instrument of surrender was signed which in effect is a surrender of all personnel of the German forces - all equipment and shipping and all machinery in Germany.
"Nothing will be destroyed anywhere. The surrender is effective some time tomorrow. This news will not be communicated to anyone outside the service nor to members of the press."
Following the news, Bernard had a big party with his close comrades - lighting a huge bonfire and celebrating into the night while being careful not to give the game away.
He kept both the note and his role in the war hidden for 50 years due to secrecy documents he had signed, which finally elapsed in 1994.
He said of receiving the note: “It was a surprise. We couldn’t tell anybody until we got the final message to say the war in Germany was now over.
“We had to decode it - it was in code. It was great when we got that. I was in a little place called Schneverdingen, Germany, near Hamburg.
“It was nice to see that no more soldiers, sailors or airmen were giving their lives… and also to thank the civilians who gave their lives for the same reason.
“My parents thought the war was like the First World War, ankle-deep in mud, and they never asked what I did in the Air Force.
"Being their only child, they were so glad to see me come home.”
Bernard said despite his glee at the end of the conflict, sharing the note with others also made him reflect on those who had died during the fighting.
He added: “On occasions like this, I always think about the three wireless operators that I lost in Normandy. They were the lads bringing me the messages.
“One of them was 19 and two of them were 20, and whenever I go to Normandy, I always go to their graves."
After the War, Bernard worked on the railways and at Crewe Alexandra where he was a turnstile operator for 57 years.
The widower, who was married for 51 years before his wife's death, is planning to return to Normandy with the RBL to mark the 80th anniversary of D-day in June.
His daughter Sheila said: “We are incredibly proud of Dad, and it is wonderful that so many people want to share his special day.
"He will always be a war hero but he is a brilliant dad, grandad and great-grandad, too.”
Nancy Kay, Branch Chair for the RBL in Crewe, added: “Our D-Day veterans are a dwindling band of brothers, so it is incredibly important that we take every opportunity we can to celebrate the achievements and the bravery of those people who helped to liberate Europe 80 years ago.”
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Shocked young busker gets “biggest ever” £100 tip from stranger
By Izzy Hawksworth
A busker captured the heartwarming moment she received her "biggest ever" tip of £100.
Singer Jodie Lauren, 21, was so shocked she even asked the kind stranger if he was sure he wanted to gift her the cash.
The wholesome footage shows Jodie saying 'no way' and asking the man 'if he's sure' he wants to tip £100, before thanking him in Gloucestershire.
Jodie, who has two songs called Find That Part of Me and That Isolated Feeling, says she "didn't expect" him to donate £100 but is "so grateful".
The performer from Gloucestershire said: "I had been busking for an hour and it was really cold.
"My card reader had been dodgy all day and I was losing out on tips because it kept powering itself off.
"He was listening to me sing quite a few songs, then we had a chat about how hard the industry is and then he gave me the tip.
"I didn't expect it - I was shocked but I'm so grateful.
"I couldn't believe it."
The card reader is set at £2 and the video shows the man ask Jodie if he can put in a new amount, before handing it back to her.
Jodie, who studies music at university, has been busking for around 18 months but has been singing "her whole life".
She mainly sings ballads but enjoys busking as she likes "sharing her talent" with members of the public.
Jodie said: "I like sharing my talent and being able to build up as an independent artist.
"It's good to have people hear my music and hear things that I write.
"It's extremely hard to break into the industry as an independent, female artist right now.
"My dad has taught me all he knows about music since I was two and my granny has always been a massive inspiration.
"My family are so supportive of my career.
"This was a great thing to happen."
You can listen to Jodie's music here: https://jodielauren.wixsite.com/jodielaurenmusic
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CCTV shows husband punching his wife in the stomach during a nightmare
By Samuel Wightwick
A home security camera captured the shocking moment a man punched his wife in the stomach whilst reacting to a nightmare.
The video shows Ning Haobo and his wife Da Fan sleeping soundly with their child in a cot next to the bed.
Unexpectedly, Ning Haobo, from Liaoning in China, raises his hand and accidentally lands a soft punch to his wife's stomach.
As Da Fan winces from the shock of the blow, her husband looks at her momentarily before they both drift back off to sleep.
The incident happened on January 20.
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‘I came out as a trans man when I was 22 – people tell me I look like Tom Hardy’
By Ben Barry
A woman who transitioned to become a man aged 22 says people now tell him he looks like Tom Hardy.
Leo Macallan, 32, was born a female and called Liz but came out as gay to his friends and family in June 2010 - before realising he was transgender in May 2014.
Liz started transitioning a month later - starting on testosterone which gave him body hair and lowered his voice - adopting male pronouns and changing his name to Leo.
He had top surgery a year later in 2015 and has never looked back.
Leo said his friends and family were "happy and relieved" when they saw him for the first time after his surgery.
Leo lives happily with his girlfriend, Rebekah Bauer, 36, in Savannah, Georgia, US, and says he now often gets compared to actor Tom Hardy due to his ripped physique and facial hair.
Leo, a content creator, said: "When people say I look like Tom Hardy, it is very validating and very affirming.
"It feels like a dream come true.
"Coming from a place where I didn't even think it would happen to now it is a really beautiful thing.
"I love getting Tom Hardy, it happens all day long."
Leo said for as long as he can remember he realised he was different.
Throughout high school, Leo said he tried to be "girly" as he was sick of being picked on and wanted to fit in.
He said: "I remember being on a boat looking at my dad with his top off and thinking 'wow, I should be doing that'."
Leo said he came out the day before he graduated high school. He then revealed he was trans in 2014 while undergoing therapy.
He changed his name to Leo straight away which was inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio after his performance in the Titanic.
Leo said: "I was a little kid when Titanic came out.
"I remember looking at Jack and I had a connection to him.
"I knew that he was what I associated myself with and I used to go to bed every night and wish I would wake up as him
"I was walking home after watching Titanic one night and realised I should call myself Leo.
"It was a little gift to my former self to be like 'yes, we finally got here'."
In June 2014, Leo started hormone treatment - where sex hormones and other hormonal medications are administered.
A year later he had top surgery, which was paid for after fans and friends donated $8000 after seeing his story online.
The first time he saw his body post-operation, Leo said he felt "free" adding "it was one of the best days of my life".
Leo said: "Predominately everyone was like 'finally' - it didn't feel like much of a surprise for people.
"I was just like 'I can finally calm down and start living'.
"This was when I was able to really start navigating the world myself and breathe."
Since then, Leo said that life has really picked up for him and he is sharing his journey on social media - @thegravelbro.
Leo said: "Things really started to pick up for me.
"It was a long working progress, I have always known I was going to be a public figure, it was just the path of getting there.
"Things have really changed for me, I feel like I am finally on track.
"I live happily with my girlfriend - who I met a year ago.
He said: "It has taken me a long time to get where I am."
He is "grateful" to his old life and everything he went through as Liz so he could become Leo.
He said: "It does feel like a separate life to the one I am living now but I am very open and not opposed to revisiting her.
"I am very grateful for her and for what she went through to be me."
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“I had therapy after breaking up with my best friend of 11 years – it’s harder than a romantic split”
By Hannah Van De Peer
A woman says “breaking up” with her best friend was much harder than any relationship split - and it even left her in therapy.
Sabrina Kirberg, 31, had a decade long friendship with her best friend until they finally ended up parting ways after an argument, she claims.
She said she went through the “five stages of grief,” and believes it’s not as easy as “eating ice cream and having time with your girls” - like a typical break-up.
She had to seek therapy to help her "grieve" the friendship and still thinks about her friend everyday.
Sabrina, a mental health co-ordinator from New York City, said: “Breaking up with a friend is like grief. You go through denial. It’s so much worse than relationship break-ups.
“You think you’ll be fine and you just need to get through the rough patch - but then comes the depression and you just find yourself crying all the time.
“When it comes to a romantic relationship you’ll be sad, have your ice cream and go out with your girls.
“But losing my best friend was like having my support system ripped away from me, all at once.”
Sabrina met her ex-best friend at an athletics club when they were 16, she says.
They shared a number of “firsts” together over the years - including first boyfriends, passing their driving tests at the same time, and being allowed to hang out without parents supervision.
But as they got older, they began bickering a lot more Sabrina claims - and she felt left out when her friend started spending time with other people.
After Sabrina met her partner, Nathanial Baker, 29, she says the two grew even further apart.
The pair had one last argument - during which they argued about Nathanial, she claims.
Sabrina didn’t reach out afterwards, and they haven’t spoken since.
She said: “There’s a lot that triggered the break-up - there were a lot of mean words and anger thrown around."
Sabrina says she’s still coming to terms with her friendship break-up, five years later - and has gone through the five stages of grief in order to accept it.
She denied the break-up was happening at first, thinking the pair would make up just like they’d done before.
Then, she became angry - as well as depressed, and says she “cried all the time”.
Sabrina said: “All you do is ruminate.
“You go through the memories all over again.
“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the catalyst for our breakup - everything I could’ve done better.
“I just got angry and ashamed of myself for seeing the red flags in the relationship and ignoring them - and why didn’t I end the friendship earlier?
“You go into bargaining a lot when you’re reliving the memories, which is just like the third stage of grief. I kept thinking, ‘if I’d done things this way, it would’ve happened differently in this way’ - and it spirals out of control.”
Sabrina still thinks about the friend on a daily basis - but she has worked through her feelings in therapy.
She said: “Years after, I still think about her every day.
“But, I think acceptance happens.
“Therapy was how I coped with it - I learnt to love myself so much, I don’t feel like I need another person to feel complete.
“I just allowed myself to feel everything - anger, rage and sadness. I realised, the more you push it away, the longer it’ll stay.”
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Meet the kids’ favourite teacher – a 70kg St. Bernard
By Jonathan Coles
Welcome to the school where a 70kg St. Bernard roams the corridors - acting as a canine counsellor.
Headteacher Vicki Joyce started bringing her pet Missy to Exeter's Isca Academy in September 2022.
The two-year-old dog has since become a firm favourite with pupils, parents and teachers alike - and is helping with mental health.
One mum even described Missy as a "Godsend" and said she had helped her daughter settle into 'big school'.
Headteacher Vicki said: "Missy has been an absolute star.
"First thing in the morning she will greet and meet children and parents.
"She then has break and lunch duty enjoying time with many of our children.
"We have reading and literacy sessions, so she is able to develop children's literacy skills. There is also a lot of sleeping that goes on as well.
"Missy is a big dog with a massive heart, making a huge positive impact across the school with calmness off the scale that makes everyone feel relaxed.
"As a school we take our scholars' mental wellbeing very seriously and she is boosting wellbeing in so many ways."
A 2022 research paper into therapy dogs concluded that dog-assisted interventions can reduce stress levels in school children, with effects lasting over the school term.
Ellie, 11, started at the school - which has around 1,000 pupils - in September last year.
She said: “It makes me want to come into school even more and then sit with her, stroke her, and give her treats and Missy helps a lot
"I think more people should have that too”.
Ellie’s mum, Eadaoin, said: “Actually, if it wasn’t for Missy, half the time Ellie wouldn’t come in.
"She struggles quite a bit with it and has done for a while so Missy has been an absolute Godsend.
“As soon as she gets through the door and sees Missy her whole demeanour changes and she says ‘I want to go in and see Missy.’”
This week (February 5 to February 11) is Children's Mental Health Week.
Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust, which runs Isca Academy, said: "We take children’s mental health seriously all year round and it’s brilliant to hear about everything Isca Academy is doing to support students in this area.
“School dogs are a wonderful addition across a number of our schools and we have found their presence to be hugely beneficial.”
Now in its 10th year, Place2Be, the children’s mental health charity, launched the first ever Children’s Mental Health Week back in 2015 to highlight the importance of young people’s mental health.
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