"I flew 2,000 miles for a first date - it went so well we're planning a second"
By Ben Barry
A woman flew more than 2,000 miles just for a first date - and is already planning a second one.
Nicole Christine, 30, flew to Park City, Utah, USA, from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, to meet a guy she matched on a high-end app.
She didn't think he was interested in her but struck up a conversation and the pair started planning a date.
The man lives in California so they decided to meet in the middle in Park City, Utah, for a four-night date, to go skiing, out for dinner, and shopping.
Nicole said the date - one week after they matched - went "perfectly" and they are planning to keep dating.
The marketing director, from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, said: "The date went perfectly, we had such a great time.
"It was a low-stakes, very transparent date.
"We didn't want to be too focused on a specific outcome.
"There will be other trips in the future and we will continue to see each other casually."
Nicole was scrolling down a dating app when she saw that a man she had known for nine years but hadn't spoken to him in years had liked her profile.
She dropped him a message and the pair struck up a conversation.
Nicole said: "I didn't think he liked me at all anymore but he showed me that he was interested.
"I responded and we started a conversation, we spoke about how we could meet up as he lives on the West Coast."
The pair planned to meet in the middle and planned a four-night stay in Park City, Utah starting on January 31, 2024.
Nicole said: "He was having some construction work in his living space and said he would have to leave anyway.
"I travel anyway so I am always happy to hop on a plane."
She had friends in the city so had also planned to see them if the date didn't go to plan.
She said: "We picked a place with great amenities, we enjoyed the hot tub, skiing, and shopping.
"We had some great dinner reservations, I was also working remotely at the time so he would ski while I would work.
"We both had friends in the city too so we would have our first date and if it didn't go well we would see friends."
Nicole headed back to Charlotte, North Carolina, on February 4, 2024.
She said: "We really enjoyed each other's company, we went out for food, skiing, and enjoyed the hot tub.
"It went by so quickly, it was like having a normal life but in a picturesque town.
"I did not have to revert to any second plans, we left feeling like we had done exactly what we wanted."
Nicole said the pair have agreed to see each other again but see other people due to the long distance.
She said: "With long distance, there is not an option to get there quickly.
"We are going to continue to see each other but we are going to respect each other and see each other when the time is right."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
NASA seeking 'Martians' for new mission
By Dean Murray
NASA is seeking 'Martians' for a new mission.
The U.S. space agency has put out a call for applicants to participate in its next simulated one-year Mars surface mission.
The role listing released Friday (16 Feb), entitled 'Martians Wanted', is for the upcoming CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) mission.
This sees a four-person volunteer crew living and working inside a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Scheduled to kick off in spring 2025, the second of three planned ground-based missions aims to help inform the agency’s plans for human exploration of the Red Planet.
The habitat, called the Mars Dune Alpha, simulates the challenges of a mission on Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, and other environmental stressors.
Crew tasks include simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop growth.
NASA say they are looking for "healthy, motivated U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are non-smokers, 30-55 years old, and proficient in English for effective communication between crewmates and mission control."
Furthermore applicants "should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding adventures and interest in contributing to NASA’s work to prepare for the first human journey to Mars."
However, check your resume before applying, as volunteers will need to meet standard astronaut candidate applicant requirements.
This can include a master’s degree in a STEM field such as engineering, mathematics, or biological, physical or computer science or a minimum of one thousand hours piloting an aircraft.
NASA have previously stated an aim for human landings on Mars by the mid-2030s.
The deadline for applicants is 2 April.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
"My son donated his organs after fatal accident and saved another child’s life - we’re now family friends"
By Hannah Van De Peer
A bereaved mom has become great friends with the recipient of her son's bowel - after they found each other on Facebook.
Waylon Pietz, four, donated his heart, kidneys, and bowel after a chest of drawers fell on him and he was left on life support.
Three days later, his proud mom Madison, 25, noticed an 11-year-old 'influencer' Bella Thomson, who lives nearby, undergoing a bowel transplant.
After contacting her mom, Kyla, 40, on Facebook, the pair worked out the bowel was Waylon's.
Now, the two families are firm friends, and Bella has been able to live a “full and fun-packed” life, thanks to Waylon’s donation.
The moms text every day and plan to meet up this summer.
Madison, a personal support worker from Petrolia, Ontario, said: “Waylon lives through Bella - it’s very overwhelming.
“Elsewhere, his heart still beats in another child - I reached out to the other two organ recipients through letters on January 29.
“It’s so rare to connect with any organ recipients, as legally the hospital can’t immediately provide you with any details, so I feel very blessed.”
Waylon’s accident happened on August 10, while being babysat at home.
Madison came home from work to find a chest of drawers had fallen on top of the toddler.
She called 911 - and an ambulance rushed him to University Hospital, Ontario, where he spent four days in the ICU.
While he was technically alive, doctors told Madison on August 14 that it would be very unlikely for him to wake up, and to make a decision on how to move forward.
She said: “He had a heartbeat - I wasn’t expecting that.
"I was waiting for them to call ‘time of death’, like you’d see on TV. But his body was still alive - he was just neurologically deceased.
“Organ donation was something I had to decide there-and-then - Waylon was autistic and non-verbal - he couldn’t make his own decisions, even before the accident.
“There was a lot of paperwork. You sign all these papers, and it’s a long waiting process.
“They’ll tell you the names and genders of the recipients - but the names have to be kept confidential for two years.
"There’s a chance you’ll never get to connect with your recipient family.”
Within three days, Waylon’s organs were sent to recipients all over Canada - with his bowel going to Bella, who was at SickKids Hospital, Toronto.
Bella from Swift Current, Canada, had Hirschsprung’s disease - which affects the large colon and affects a person’s ability to digest food.
She also had severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and dwarfism - and Kyla was told the common cold could be fatal.
Kyla, a content creator said: “Bella had a very harsh, very traumatic start to life. She spent two years in the hospital without coming home.
“Within the first year alone, she had five bowel surgeries. But her immune system was so low, they couldn’t continue.
“She was airlifted to so many hospitals, and eventually ended up at SickKids, where she was put on the bowel transplant list at seven years old.
“They told us she wouldn’t survive the next five years.”
On August 17, 2023, Bella underwent the life-saving bowel transplant during a 20-hour op, while Kyla and husband Lyle Thomson, 37, agrologist, waited anxiously.
Kyla decided to look through her Facebook messages - after documenting Bella’s experience online.
She found she’d received a message from Madison, who told her she’d been following Bella’s journey for months - and she thought she might be receiving Waylon’s bowel.
Madison said: “I’d been receiving letters from the anonymous recipient - I wouldn’t usually just message a stranger on social media like this, but I felt an inexplicable connection.
“I told her I thought Bella might be receiving Waylon’s bowel - as the family liaison lady told us bowel transplants are incredibly rare.”
When Kyla saw the message from Madison, she instantly burst into tears, and the pair continued to stay in contact.
Bella’s transplant was a complete success, and six months later, Kyla says she’s “thriving”.
She said: “She used to need needle medication twice a day, and IV medication 20 times a day through her G-tube.
"Now, she takes five daily oral tablets - it’s such a significant difference!
“I’m such a proud mom - she’s absolutely thriving.
“We can take her on camping trips - something we’ve never been able to do because she spent her entire life in the hospital.”
They finally confirmed the donation by sending special stickers on the anonymized letters sent via the medical teams.
Madison said: “I get to have this connection to Waylon, and I still watch Bella’s videos all the time, and we text every day.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Meet Alex, the 30lb hare who 'volunteers' at hospitals and airports
By Samuel Wightwick
A 30lb bunny rescued from a slaughterhouse has become a local celebrity - by attending events in his own little electric car.
Josh Row, 45, and Kei Kato, 38, rescued the Flemish hare from a meat farm in Modesto, California, USA, back in 2020, and named him Alex.
Josh and Kei have always done a lot of charity work so when Alex became old enough, they decided to take him along.
Alex, three, was an instant hit and he's now attended more than 200 events.
Kei, who owns a restaurant in Dogpatch, San Francisco, USA, said: "We already did a lot of volunteering - going to soup kitchens and things like that.
"So when we got Alex, we thought why not bring him along as we knew people would love him as much as we do."
Josh and Kei take Alex wherever they go and even got him his own little car.
Josh is a mechanical engineer so he's always looking for new ways to give Alex that extra bit of style.
Kei said: "Rob had LED lights fitted on Alex's stroller that has his name going across it.
"Because Alex loved the stroller so much, we thought a mini car would be a cool upgrade for him to attend a local event in.
"So, we got him a Mercedes SLK and he even learned how to use it pretty fast."
It didn't take long for Alex to become too big so the couple bought him a G-wagon and added two e-bike batteries for power - which cost $4,500 (£3,500).
Kei and Josh never expected Alex to gain this much attention when they first started to take him out and about.
Kei said: "Of course, we never expected him to get this celebrity status at all.
"So many videos have gone viral now, it's crazy."
"We love showing him off because he makes people feel better and he loves the attention too."
The couple have taken him to hospitals and airports to calm nervous flyers and sick patients.
They even organized a charity hare and tortoise race for Alex's birthday, which Alex was unfortunately the loser in.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
“I used my UK’s drivers licence to get into the Golden Globes – then snuck into the Emmys”
By Freddie Noble
A prankster partied the night away with Billie Eilish, Margot Robbie, and Kylie Jenner after sneaking into the Golden Globes - using his UK driver's license.
Husnain Asif, 24, was staying in LA when a passerby mentioned the Golden Globe awards were on and A-list celebrities were around the corner on January 7, 2024.
He wasn't invited and didn't have a ticket, but thought he would try his luck and attempt to sneak into the event anyway. So he donned a smart suit and managed to get past a security guard who asked for his ID.
Showing his UK driver's license, Husnain convinced the bouncer he was a member of the British press and gained entry to the glitzy event.
He spent the rest of the evening rubbing shoulders with the stars and even managed to pose for a photo with superstar singer Billie Eilish.
Husnain, a content creator from Middlesbrough, North Yorks., said: "It was fun but snobby as hell.
"I had interactions with a woman who thought I owned yachts and she was condescending.
"I asked people to take pics of me, and they would say no and walk away.
"It was fun but so snobby - I couldn't be in that world constantly."
Husnain had packed for the occasion and took a smart suit to LA for nights out and also gate-crashed the Emmys a week later.
He added: "I already had a suit with me anyway so I put that on and I was ready to go."
"A random lady gave me a seven-seater family car to borrow, and that's how I got to the event."
Once he got there, the pair saw a group of people dressed up and queued for entry.
Asif said: "I walked behind a group of people who were dressed in suits and dresses, and they looked very smart."
"The security guard asked for passes which were a red ID card, and then I looked in my wallet and all I had was my UK driver's license."
"The security guards looked down at my wallet and said it was fine, and they let me in."
Husnain managed to convince the bouncer that he was a member of the British press and got taken through to the media area. Husnain said: "The inside was very bougie as it was sponsored by Moet champagne and Fiji Water.
"There were loads of appetizers to choose from and the food was ranging from steak to sushi.
"I don't find rich people's food very nice, I'd much rather have a burger and fries, but saying that the desserts were incredible."
Once he was in, Husnain partied the night away with Billie Eilish, Kylie Jenner, James Charles, and Margot Robbie - all through to the afterparty with Tyga.
Husnain added: "I spoke to Billie Eilish about her music for a while, and she was the nicest person there."
Husnain has gone viral after making filmmaker Christopher Nolan take a tumble over the champagne stand - footage which has now reached over 11 million views.
Talking about the Emmys, Husnain added: "I saw Jenna Ortega and Selena Gomez. I am not aware of actors as much as I don't watch a lot of films.
"The Emmys were a bit more bougie than the Golden Globes, but the people at the Emmys were a lot more friendly.
"Overall I preferred the Golden Globes as people were much friendlier. "They were both A-list events, so I just thought, why not."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Meet the 71-year-old vet who’s now a video game ‘expert marksman’
By Leo Black
Meet the 71-year-old military veteran who says his real-life gun skills have helped him become a proficient gamer.
Will, who didn't wish to reveal his last name, served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years before he retired in 1992.
He has always been a gamer and started gaming in the 1970s, but it wasn't until 2015 that he started streaming.
Will often plays as a sniper in games like Battlefield and Fortnite, and he's now become an "expert marksman."
According to Will, the ballistics of some games are so real that he can apply the skills he acquired during his Navy career.
This allows him to be surprisingly successful in the traditionally young world of online gaming.
Will, who lives near St. Charles, Missouri, USA, said: "I wonder how many kids break their consoles when they get killed by an old person like me.
"It has a lot to do with my military career. I know how to shoot, and I'm not just a gamer-shooter. I'm a real-life shooter.
"I revert to my training in-game and judge distance in-game. Battlefield 2024 has very realistic ballistics."
His skills have earned Will quite a following with 1.5 million followers on TikTok and 223k on YouTube.
And he has his sights set on the most coveted of Gen-Z statuses - professional streamer.
Will isn't yet able to live off gaming, but he expects he will be able to do so when he hits 1 million subscribers on YouTube.
Between YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms, Will makes just under $1,500 a month.
He said: "People watch me all over the world. My numbers are growing so fast. I'm growing faster than Ninja when he started out.
"I'm not making a living off it yet. We need one million on YouTube - that's when it will take off."
Will has been a lifelong gamer, and he says it helps fight off the problems of old age.
Thanks to gaming, Will says he's able to stay sharp, physically active, and social and urges people of his age to take it up.
He explained: "I've watched the gaming industry from cassette tapes to CD-ROMs to digital downloads.
"Gaming keeps my senses sharp, my motor skills sharp. You have to think your way through a lot of games. It keeps you going.
"I also put the message out there that the older generation can't be afraid of the digital age. They should get out there. It helps keep you social.
"I've had people come into my chat and say 'I've just had your dad come on my stream and now we're having a blast playing games together.'"
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Dead satellite will crash to Earth next week – and scientists have no idea where it will land
By Dean Murray
A dead satellite will crash back to Earth next week - and scientists have no idea where it will land.
The best guess by ESA (European Space Agency) for the European Remote Sensing 2 satellite's (ERS-2) reentry into the atmosphere is Wednesday (21 Feb) at 2:34am.
However, that crash prediction comes with a margin of error some 31 hours either side.
ESA describe the ERS-2 reentry as ‘natural’ as it is no longer possible to control the satellite.
The only force causing ERS-2’s orbit to decay is atmospheric drag, which is influenced by unpredictable solar activity.
ESA say: "While we can forecast the reentry to within a few days, it is not possible to predict exactly when and where the satellite will reenter prior to its final few orbits.
"As we approach the day of reentry, we will be able to predict a time and location with increasing certainty.
"During reentry, the satellite will break up into pieces, the majority of which will burn up. The risks associated with satellite reentries are very low."
When it launched in April 1995, ERS-2 was the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft ever developed in Europe. Together with the almost-identical ERS-1, it collected a wealth of valuable data on Earth’s land surfaces, oceans, and polar caps and was called upon to monitor natural disasters such as severe flooding or earthquakes in remote parts of the world.
In 2011, after almost 16 years of operations, ESA took the decision to bring the mission to an end. A series of deorbiting maneuvers was carried out to lower the satellite’s average altitude and mitigate the risk of collision with other satellites or space debris.
Thirteen years later, the satellite is now reentering the lower layers of Earth’s atmosphere, where it will begin to burn up. As the spacecraft’s reentry is uncontrolled, it is impossible to know exactly when and over which region on Earth this will happen.
ESA’s Space Debris Office is monitoring the satellite as its orbit decays and will provide regular updates in the days leading up to reentry.
“The ERS-2 satellite, together with its predecessor ERS-1, changed our view of the world in which we live,” says Mirko Albani, Head of ESA’s Heritage Space Program.
“It provided us with new insights on our planet, the chemistry of our atmosphere, the behavior of our oceans, and the effects of humankind’s activity on our environment.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
“I lived on a remote paradise island with 80 people for free”
By Emma Dunn
A woman lived on a remote island with just 80 people for FREE - and washed her clothes in a well and climbed trees for coconuts.
Brooke Megan, 20, spent two weeks staying on Darocotan Island, Philippines, for free by volunteering in December 2023.
Brooke says the island was so small you could walk or kayak around it easily - and you had to get a boat to the mainland to get produce to make meals.
She lived in a bamboo hut for the two weeks - sleeping on a mattress on the floor and says the experience was "amazing".
Brooke, a social media sales coordinator, from High Wycombe, England, said: "It's a tiny island - 70 to 80 people live on the island.
"Everything is simple.
"You never end up wearing shoes.
"I didn't pay for anything - just drinks."
Brooke was able to stay on the island, situated just near El Nido, for free - in return for volunteering through the Isla experience.
She would help out with social media and greeted guests on the boats.
She spent her days looking after pigs, relaxing on the beach and enjoying bonfires in the evening.
She said: "You can see so many stars. It's amazing."
Brooke also got a chance to meet locals living on the island and see their small village.
She said: "People appreciate so much.
"The locals show you how to get a coconut down from a tree.
"They wash clothes in a well and scrub with their bare hands for three hours."
Brooke had her meals provided for her as part of the volunteering experience - which were made from fresh produce fished and sourced that day.
She had to take cold showers and had limited internet but said it allowed her to "live in the now".
Brooke said: "You appreciate just being in nature.
"It's such a different way of life.
"It's a beautiful place."
Besides spending two weeks on the island Brooke has been to 26 countries - traveling around Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
She was able to travel around on a budget while also volunteering and working as a travel guide.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Daredevil climbs 12 hours to snowboard down near-completely vertical mountains
By Freddie Noble
A daredevil climbs for 12 hours to ski and snowboard down near-completely vertical mountains and tiny gullies - but says he's SCARED of danger.
Jakob Weger, 25, is a former European kayaking champion and represented Italy at the U18 and U23 levels.
But after winning the U23 world championships in 2018 he ditched professional kayaking and took up extreme winter sports.
Now he heads out into the Dolomites every day - spending up to 12 hours climbing up slopes to hurtle down near-vertical mountains at speeds of up to 60mph in just a couple of minutes.
He uploads the nail-biting videos of his missions on TikTok which stamps each with a "do not attempt" warning.
His most extreme videos show him weaving through rocks and cruising down tiny crevices at huge speeds, watched by up to 23 MILLION people.
Jakob from South Tyrol, Italy, said: “I never really measure my speed.
“I go over 100kph on a ski slope however it is way less on the couloirs [narrow gullies] as it's full of twists and turns and you have to slow down a lot more rather that increasing your speed.
"I hate danger.
"I know what I can and can’t do and that's important as to know your limits.
“Because I ski on narrow terrain, it is very hard to trigger an avalanche - it’s more on me and my skills."
But three years ago, Jakob was involved in an avalanche in the Dolomites.
Luckily, he was skiing on the side of the mountain rather than the middle so he was able to escape.
Jakob kayaked for 20 years and did it professionally for three years but learned to ski and snowboard at the age of eight.
Now he heads out daily with his brother Matias, 28, and records it all for his social media channels, wegarbrothers.
He said he took up snow sports "to be free from the professional lifestyle" and now makes money through his main sponsors yearly as well as TikTok.
"Winning the world championships [in kayaking] was a moment where I reflected," he said.
"I think that many athletes have the feeling that when they win, everything changes, however, it stayed the same for me."
"Now I ski every day and most of our missions take 10 to 12 hours.”
His videos show Jakob on "fast and narrow" descents in rough terrain, as well as paragliding while skiing, which he does up to four times a week.
He is currently planning a two-year adventure - crossing the Dolomites from west to east - from Rosengarten to Tre Cime - covering 60 miles of hilly terrain in ten days which he will film for his YouTube channel.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Bloodstained head bandage of President Abraham Lincoln sells for $44k
By Dean Murray
A bloodstained swatch of fabric said to be from the head bandage of President Abraham Lincoln has sold at auction.
The extraordinary piece of American history sold for $44k, according to Boston-based RR Auction.
Lincoln was shot in the head by actor John Wilkes Booth as he attended a play at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865.
The mortally wounded president was taken to William Petersen's boardinghouse across the road from the theater, where he would succumb to his injuries.
It was there that Henry S. Safford, a 25-year-old War Department employee and lodger at the boardinghouse, was able to obtain the bandage fragment.
Accompanying the swatch is a one-page handwritten letter from Safford, penned on Ordnance Office, War Department letterhead, and dated May 3, 1865.
Addressed to a T. J. Deuscher, the letter reads: "I send you enclosed a piece of cloth stained with the blood of our late President Abraham Lincoln. It is a piece of the bandage that was placed around his head. I procured it from the room in which he died. I reside in the same house. I'm sorry I cannot send you a bigger piece."
Eyewitness accounts and historical records indicate that it was Henry S. Safford who, amidst the chaos following the tragic event, offered one of the Petersen House's bedrooms to President Lincoln as he fought for his life.
The swatch, measuring 2.5″ x 2″, is set against a fabric backdrop featuring a 42-star American flag.
"The sale of this bloodstained bandage swatch serves as a poignant reminder of one of the darkest chapters in American history, while also highlighting the bravery and humanity displayed by individuals like Henry S. Safford during a time of national crisis," said Bobby Livingston, Executive Vice President at RR Auction.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
