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.”
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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Surgeons perform rare emergency c-section on gorilla
By Emma Dunn
Human doctors stepped in to perform a rare emergency c-section on a gorilla mom after she went into labor five weeks early.
Pregnant mom Sekani showed signs of pre-eclampsia identical to human mothers - holding her head as if she had an extreme headache.
Zookeepers at Fort Worth Zoo, Texas, called in a team of obstetricians who usually spend their time looking after pregnant women, to assist with the urgent delivery.
Alongside vets, they performed a rare emergency c-section birth, five weeks early - saving the life of the mom and baby gorilla - now called Jameela - on January 5.
Doctors used to caring for premature babies were on hand to resuscitate the little one - just like they would for babies born early.
And photos show the little gorilla being looked after in settings nearly identical to a human baby.
Following the birth, Sekani has struggled to bond and care for the female newborn, which is being given round-the-clock care by zookeepers.
Experts hope another female gorilla, Gracie, may be a possible surrogate for the baby.
It is the third gorilla birth in the zoo’s 115-year history but the first gorilla to be born via cesarean section.
Dr. Jamie Walker Erwin led the surgery with neonatologist Dr. Robert Ursprung and Dr. Dennis Occkiogrosso - all more used to human patients than animal ones.
The baby was named Jameela - in part after Jamie.
Dr. Erwin said: "Taking part in delivering Sekani’s infant via cesarean section was one of the highlights of my entire career as an OB-GYN.
"It is an honor and privilege to assist with care for this endangered species and to share my expertise with the veterinary staff at the Fort Worth Zoo.
"I was amazed at how Sekani’s anatomy matched that of my human patients.”
The infant required immediate intervention and Dr. Ursprung assisted the Fort Worth Zoo team with resuscitation and stabilization, respiratory support, and radiographs.
“It was incredible how similar this mother-infant pair was compared to what I see in the hospital for babies born under similar circumstances,” said Dr. Ursprung.
“The baby needed critical respiratory support for a few hours post-delivery, but as she transitioned to life outside the womb, she stabilized quite nicely.
"She had so many features typical of a slightly premature human baby.
"The zoo's care team was incredible. Their ability to adapt to the care needs of a medically fragile infant was amazing to watch.”
Fort Worth Zoo primate keepers, along with veterinary and nutrition staff, began around-the-clock care and feeding of the little gorilla while Sekani recovered.
Despite repeated attempts to reunite the mother and baby, Sekani showed little interest in caring for her baby, they said.
Zoo experts suspect Sekani never experienced the necessary hormonal cues that come during natural and full-term birth.
After two weeks and several unsuccessful reunification attempts, staff started to train 24-year-old female gorilla Gracie to become a surrogate mother.
Gracie has two offspring of her own, including one-year-old Bruno and is already trained to “present” her baby up to keepers for a visual examination.
The Fort Worth Zoo team named the baby Jameela - which means “beautiful” in Swahili but is also a nod to Dr. Jamie Erwin.
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Murder suspect arrested - after falling out of a LOFT
By Tom Bevan
This video captures the moment a murder suspect was arrested - after falling out of a LOFT.
Jake Hill, 25, was caught on police bodyworn footage tumbling to the ground before he was arrested over the murder of Michael Allen, 32.
He is on trial accused of fatally stabbing Mr Allen outside a nightclub during a 'knife rampage' that left another five injured.
He was seen earlier on clips retrieving a hunting knife from the hedges outside the Eclipse nightclub in Bodmin, Cornwall, before going up to a group gathered outside.
A trial heard he used it to 'slash and stab' multiple victims with some seen on CCTV falling back after being wounded.
Videos shown to the jury, but not released publicly, then show popular rugby player Michael Allen, 32, collapsing to the floor after being stabbed in the abdomen.
The jury was told he died at the scene from severe internal bleeding.
But Bodmin Crown Court has now been shown footage of Hill being arrested later that day.
The scene begins with armed officers arriving at the address of co-defendant Tia Taylor in Bodmin where a stand-off ensues outside.
But after eventually opening the door and denying that Hill was in her home, one of the children she is holding tells one of the officers he is in the loft.
Footage then shows officers shouting at Hill to come down from the loft before they release its hatch. The defendant is then seen falling through it and being bundled to the floor.
He is then arrested at the time for one murder and two attempted murders and read his rights before being taken away.
Hill, of Bodmin, has denied the murder or manslaughter of Mr Allen and attempting to murder Liam Phillips, Ryan Burger and Ryan Parsons in the early hours of 30 April last year.
Further allegations of GBH by wounding with intent involving victims named as Stefan Williams and Rhiannon Tompsett in relation to the same incident have also been denied.
Tia Taylor, 22, and Chelsea Powell, 22, also from Bodmin, have also gone on trial alongside Hill after pleading not guilty to 'joint enterprise murder' over the death of Mr Allen as well as attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Taylor has since changed her plea to guilty for perverting the course of justice during the trial.
Prosecutor Mark Cotter KC had earlier told the trial: "No witnesses saw any of the injured persons do anything to anyone, let alone Jake Hill, that could explain why Jake Hill stabbed them.
"The initial burst of knife violence culminated in a struggle that took place between Jake Hill and Michael Allen
"Michael Allen also separated some of the parties. He was unarmed. He confronted and struggled with Jake Hill and was simultaneously assaulted by Tia Taylor and Chelsea Powell.
"During that encounter Michael Allen was stabbed by Jake Hill in the abdomen.
"The prosecution case is that Jake Hill, having seen the disorder, became angry and violent.
"One witness who saw some of the stabbings and the aftermath described him as being on a 'knife rampage'
"The prosecution alleges Jake Hill deliberately stabbed and slashed individuals within the group and caused the various wounds."
The trial continues.
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Delivery driver sent screaming in fear as dog chases after him
By Leo Black
An Amazon driver was left terrified after a dog chased him through a neighbourhood during a delivery.
The video, captured on a doorbell camera, shows the driver sprinting across the street and then down the block as Nala the dog pursues him.
Nala's owner, of Manchester, Connecticut, USA, rushed out to call Nala back
She can be heard saying: "Come here Nala! Nala come! She's friendly! Come here! Come here!"
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Who's in the wrong? Standoff between lorry driver and cyclist
By Samuel Wightwick
A lorry driver and a cyclist came face-to-face down a country lane with neither unable to go through - and a row breaking out.
The motorist who wished to remain anonymous filmed the footage of her coming to loggerheads with a cyclist in Hampshire.
The video shows the lorry driver asking the cyclist to reverse and "go back to the wide bit" as it would be easier than reversing a 60ft-long lorry.
The cyclist refuses and insists that lorries shouldn't be using country lanes.
The lorry driver can be heard saying: "You think it's easier for me to reverse? I'm 60ft long and the same width as this road.
"As you can see by the fact that I'm in the hedge both sides."
The cyclist responds by asking why should she be the one to go back before adding that the driver "shouldn't be down here anyway."
The lady on the pushbike eventually went back to allow the lorry to drive through.
Since being posted on TikTok, the video has provoked debate with some people saying the lorry is in the wrong.
One comment said: "The cyclist has right of way, sorry I am a class one driver too"
Another read: "You shouldn't be driving down a narrow country road in a 60ft lorry, simple."
However, others believed the cyclist should have simply reversed.
One person wrote: "I'm shocked people are saying the lorry shouldn't be there."
Another said: "People forget, the driver doesn't pick the destination and therefore has no choice in access route."
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Auction house selling handwritten letters from King Charles - to Jimmy Savile
By Josie Adnitt
An auction house is selling handwritten letters and telegrams from King Charles - to Jimmy Savile.
RR Auction, based in the US, has nine items available said to be from the disgraced comedian's collection.
The lot also includes an invitation from Princess Diana, pictures of Diana and Charles together and letters from Margaret Thatcher - all attributed to Savile.
And one telegram - containing a birthday message - is even signed by princes William and Harry.
Savile was of one of Britain's most beloved entertainers in his lifetime. He was outed after his death as a predatory sex offender.
The collection was found by a disgruntled Brit, who said: “It just really freaked me out that someone was selling this in the States.
"A lot of Americans wouldn't have a clue who Jimmy Savile is.
“Most people wouldn’t want any association with him but there might be some really sick people waiting in the wings to buy this stuff.
“It’s been made to look like a royal memorabilia auction, but it says in the notes it’s from the private collection of Jimmy Savile.
“You wouldn’t pass on these items to anyone. Someone close to him must have inherited them or someone who had access to that sort of thing.”
Items include a birthday message to Savile, congratulations on his knighthood and an invitation to Kensington Palace.
An original honeymoon photograph of King Charles and Princess Diana is also up for sale.
Estimates range from $400 to more than $1,000 for the collection of letters between Thatcher and Savile.
Several items have received bids.
The auction ends today (February 14).
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, said: "Every piece of history holds a story, even those intertwined with controversy like the Jimmy Savile lots up for auction."
Listings: https://www.rrauction.com/search/results/?navsearch=true&str=jimmy+savile.
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Chicken shop boss loses £12k in Tesla trademark row over 'Tesla Chicken & Pizza'
By Douglas Whitbread
A takeaway boss who wanted to call his new shop 'Tesla Chicken & Pizza' has been hit with a £12,000 bill after losing a trademark battle with Elon Musk's car giant.
Amanj Ali, 41, registered the name in homage to inventor Nikola Tesla in May 2020, without objections.
But when lawyers working for Tesla learned he'd registered the trademark in Britain, they launched a bid to protect its trademark for food and drinks services in the UK.
After losing the bitter ‘David and Goliath’ naming battle, Amanj was left with a fine and legal costs topping £12,000.
And Amanj, who currently owns just a single chicken shop in Bury, Gtr Manchester, said he would now not invite Elon Musk to eat at his premises.
He said: “I was so disappointed after all this. All I can say is it is just because a big company [took on] a small company – nothing else.
“When I lost it, I was kind of hurting, but I just tried to keep a secret and not tell it to anybody.
“It was 18 months that I had been fighting them… I couldn’t sometimes sleep properly, and at that time, it was kind of hard for me.
He added about Musk: “If you asked me, 'Will you be inviting him', I would say ‘no’.”
Hard-working Amanj said he had originally applied for his trademark as he hoped to open a new takeaway business in the Greater Manchester area.
He already had a chicken shop called Colorado’s, but felt his new branch would need an alternative name as it would have a different identity.
Amanj claims he struck upon 'Tesla Chicken & Pizza' as the famed inventor had left a mark on him when he was a youngster.
And he planned for his new restaurant to have a mural dedicated to the trailblazer, who pioneered modern alternating current supply systems in electricity.
Amanj said: “In my young age, I read about him… I don’t know whether it is true or not, but some people claim he invented a lot of things.
"For my Colorado’s brand, we do chicken only but with Tesla Chicken & Pizza, I wanted to do pizza as well.
"And we were planning when we open the restaurant, we will have a wall that will have a Nikola Tesla picture."
Amanj’s trademark was successfully registered in 'class 43' for food and drink services, but his plans for a new restaurant later stalled due to the pandemic.
And in November 2021, he got emails from the UK's Intellectual Property Office (IPO), saying another party had applied for the 'Tesla' trademark in the same section.
Stunned Amanj said he had no idea that electric car manufacturer Tesla was behind the application until he researched them on the internet.
He said: “When we Googled that address, it was the headquarters of Tesla Motors.
“I’m a micro businessman being faced [with] one of the richest man’s companies, [so] I found a solicitor, and I called them."
Working with his lawyer, Amanj said representatives from Tesla offered him £750 to sell the rights to his trademark to them in May 2022.
But he was dismayed by this proposal and claims he then joked with his legal team that only '£750,000' would be enough to let him give it up.
Amanj said his lawyer then relayed this to Tesla’s representatives as a matter of fact, and later they used this to successfully argue he had acted in “bad faith”.
Amanj said: “At that time, they kind of made me laugh and I was angry, I just quickly replied to my solicitor, ‘Tell them my client will accept your offer with a ‘k’ next to it.'
“But my solicitor replied, ‘He won’t accept the £750 but instead, he will accept £750,000’… Tesla's solicitor used that against me.”
Court documents also revealed how Tesla's lawyers argued that a tweet sent by Elon Musk in January 2018 made clear his ambitions to start up a restaurant franchise using the company's name.
It read: “Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA.”
They also suggested that Amanj was “familiar with the trade mark system” and was aware of Musk's huge $206bn fortune due to his posts on social media.
But after the case, Amanj said many people were aware of Musk's wealth and questioned whether the tweet was a legitimate business proposal as it hadn't yet materialised.
Amanj fumed: “I said, 'I haven’t opened my restaurant yet, but you haven’t either?'"
As part of the IPO's ruling in late November last year, Amanj was forced to pay Tesla £4,000 while also shelling out £8,000 in fees for his solicitor.
But despite the crushing defeat, he doesn't bear a grudge toward the world’s richest man.
Amanj added: “I’m the type of person that I don’t have any hate against anyone. I am too busy to hate people.”
Tesla has been contacted for comment.
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