Manchester City have signed teenage Watford forward Jadon Sancho in a £500,000 deal. The Championship club agreed terms on Friday and the 14-year-old will link up with City's academy. Sancho, an England Under 15 international, already has a sponsorship deal with Nike and is tipped to make a top flight career. Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City have recruited youngster Jadon Sancho from Watford . Sergio Aguero (right) pictured in action in City's last Premier League game, a 2-0 win over Leicester City . James Milner (right) scored the second goal for City in the 88th minute of the game against Leicester . City will pay an initial £66,000 with the fee increasing on appearances and Watford have also secured a 10percent sell-on. Liverpool had also shown an interest in the youngster. City's next game in the Premier League is against Burnley at Turf Moor on March 14.

Summary: Jadon Sancho has signed for Manchester City for an initial £66,000 . But the fee to Watford can rise up to £500,000 depending on appearances . Watford also secured a 10% sell-on fee for the England Under 15 player .


Scientists are listening in on earthquakes to create stunning marble-like simulations of Earth's interior. By recording seismic tremors, researchers are able to build a 3D picture of Earth's mantle - the layer between the crust and outer core. They do this by analysing the speed of the tremors, which travel rapidly through solid rock and slowly through molten magma. Computer simulations use the speed of seismic waves from earthquakes to reveal the existence of subterranean structures. In this view of the mantle below the Pacific Ocean, slower waves are shown in red and orange while faster waves are shown in green and blue . The Princeton team fed data from seismograms into a computer model, which then simulated each wave as it moves out from the epicenter. The resulting "synthetic seismograms" were compared to real seismograms, and the differences fed back into the model to improve it. The researchers do this repeatedly, comparing data with simulations and extracting differences. With each pass, they improve their model. In these images, slower waves are in red and orange, while faster vibrations are in green and blue. The 3D models were created by Princeton University's Professor Jeroen Tromp who is aiming to create a map of the entire mantle - down to a depth of 1,865 miles (3,000km) - by the end of the year. His team have been using the number-crunching capabilities of the Titan computer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, which can handle 20 quadrillion calculations per second. Professor Tromp has so far looked at seismic waves from 3,000 quakes of magnitude 5.5 and greater, which were recorded at thousands of seismographic stations worldwide. These stations make recordings, or seismograms, that detail the movement produced by seismic waves, which typically travel at speeds of several miles per second and last several minutes. 'We are specifically interested in the structure of mantle upwellings and plumes,' said Professor Tromp, 'but much of it will be investigating the images for unusual features.' The resulting map could reveal the precise locations of tectonic plates, which can cause earthquakes when they move against each other. The images were created by Princeton University's Professor Jeroen Tromp who is aiming to create a 3D map of the entire mantle, down to a depth of 1,865 miles (3,000km), by the end of the year . A three-dimensional image showing contours of locations where seismic wave speeds are faster than average . The maps could also reveal the locations of magma that, if it comes to the surface, causes volcanic activity, the researchers said. Previous research on this has only used three types of seismic waves: primary or compressional waves, secondary or shear waves, and surface waves. Professor Tromp technique uses both waves that travel from the quake epicentre to the detector as well as those that travel from the detector to the quake – described as adjoint waves. The Titan computer simulates each wave as it propagates from the epicenter, and the resulting data is compared to real seismograms. The differences are then used by Titan to improve

Summary: Scientists are mapping Earth's mantle between crust and outer core . Team hope to create a 3D map of the entire mantle by end of the year . The resulting map could reveal the precise locations of tectonic plates . Speed of tremors reveals what type of material is beneath the surface . Slower waves are red and orange, while faster ones are green and blue .


Obese women have a 40 per cent higher risk of developing at least seven types of cancer in their lifetime . Obese women have a 40 per cent higher risk of developing at least seven types of cancer in their lifetime, according to research. These weight-related cancers include bowel, post-menopausal breast, gallbladder, womb, kidney, pancreatic and oesophageal types. Statistics released by Cancer Research UK show that obese women have around a one in four risk of developing a cancer linked to weight in their lifetime. In a group of 1,000 obese women, 274 will be diagnosed with a bodyweight-linked cancer in their lifetime, compared with 194 women diagnosed in a group of 1,000 healthy weight women. Approximately a quarter of women are classified as obese and it is estimated that 18,000 women develop cancer as a result of being overweight or obese each year. There are different ways that obesity could increase the risk of cancer. One possibility is that it is linked to the production of hormones by fat cells – especially oestrogen which is thought to fuel the disease. Around 12 per cent of postmenopausal breast cancers – a total of 5,269 women – are blamed on obesity. It is the highest number of cases linked to obesity because the cancer is so common. Last year a study found women were at double the risk of getting the disease because of their weight compared with men. Researchers said 8.2 per cent of all cancers in women in the UK were caused by being fat. The study found 4.4 per cent of all cancers in men were due to obesity. Previous estimates claimed if Britons continue to pile on the pounds, it will lead to almost 4,000 extra cancer cases a year by 2026. Dr Julie Sharp of Cancer Research UK said: 'Losing weight isn't easy, but you don't have to join a gym and run miles every day or give up your favourite food. Just making small changes that you can maintain in the long term can have a real impact. To get started, try getting off the bus a stop earlier and cutting down on fatty and sugary foods. A quarter of women are classified as obese and it is estimated that 18,000 women develop cancer as a result of being overweight or obese each year . 'Gradually build on these to achieve a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain. And find out about local services, which can provide help and support to make lifestyle changes. We know that our cancer risk depends on a combination of our genes, our environment and other aspects of our lives, many of which we can control – helping people understand how they can reduce their risk of developing cancer in the first place remains crucial in tackling the disease. 'Lifestyle changes – like not smoking, keeping a healthy weight, and cutting back on alcohol – are the big opportunities for us all to reduce our cancer risk. Making these changes is not a guarantee against cancer, but it stacks the odds in

Summary: Obese women have a 40% higher risk of developing seven cancers . These include bowel, post-menopausal breast, kidney and pancreatic . Researchers said 8.2% of cancers in UK women were caused by being fat . 18,000 women develop cancer as a result of being overweight each year .


It brought thousands of cycling fans and a healthy dose of joie de vivre to the Yorkshire countryside. But the Tour de France has been blamed for leaving a much less welcome legacy – an accident blackspot. Before last summer's race, potholes and cracks in the village of Brockholes were smoothed over to provide the elite cyclists with the best surface. Before the race potholes in Brockholes were filled and smoothed to provide cyclists with the best surface. But now residents claim they have been left with an accident blackspot - and the road has been closed . Initially villagers were delighted, but after the cyclists left they soon realised that the surface of Smithy Place Lane was so smooth cars were sliding across it as they rounded the bend. Now they say the lane has turned into an accident blackspot which they describe as 'deadly' and lethal'. And after a series of crashes highway chiefs seem to agree - as they have used emergency powers to shut the lane. Hairdresser Emilie McLean, 23, of Honley, wrote off her Ford Fiesta when she hit her brakes but failed to stop, smashing into a van. She said: 'It was horrendous. 'I was just driving down when I came round the bend and there was a van coming towards me. I slammed on the brakes but the wheels locked, it was just like being on black ice. There was nothing I could do.' Her car was written off and there was £1,500 damage to the van - but when she reported what happened to the council she received short shrift. After a series of crashes highway chiefs have used emergency powers to shut the lane . 'I just want to know what they are doing about it,' she said. 'What is taking so long?' Another driver, Serena McCluskey, is also in negotiations with her insurance company after the firm ruled she was entirely liable when she too ploughed into the side of a van. Dr McCluskey, a Huddersfield University researcher, described how she braked but her car kept going. She had her eight-year-old daughter in the car at the time and she has now lodged an official complaint with the council. Another local resident, Chris O'Brien, said he believed the road had been a problem since resurfacing work was carried out ahead of last year's Tour de France. 'I have a four-wheel drive but I have come out of there and gone sideways,' he said. 'It's lethal. There's been loads of crashes.' Another resident said: 'The road is deadly. The council smoothed it over and now it's like driving on ice.' A council spokesman said: 'The council is extending the emergency road closure, which expires on March 11, for four weeks. Further investigations are ongoing.' Tour de France leaves Hebden Bridge to climb Cragg Vale the longest continuous gradient in England .

Summary: A Yorkshire village had a road smoothed over for the Tour de France . But Brockholes residents say cars now skid on it because it's too smooth . They claim the road is now an accident blackspot as cars keep crashing .


The BBC has apologised after John Inverdale made an x-rated comment during BBC Radio 5 Live's coverage of the Cheltenham Festival. While interviewing former jockey John Francome and young jockey Lizzy Kellie, the presenter referred to 'rose-c*****' glasses live on air. Speaking to Kelly, Inverdale had said: 'This is looking at it through rose-c*****... rose-tinted glasses from the past... (I) apologise there for a slip of the tongue, but Lizzie your love of the sport just shines through' The BBC has had to apologise after presenter John Inverdale said 'rose-c***** glasses' live on air . After the incident, a BBC spokesperson said: 'It was a slip of the tongue and John apologised immediately afterwards.' It is not the first time Inverdale, who has over 30 years' broadcasting experience, has been forced to apologise for making inappropriate comments. A BBC spokesperson said: 'It was a slip of the tongue and John apologised immediately afterwards.' Inverdale previously said Marion Bartoli was 'never going to be a looker' live on air at Wimbledon . In 2013 he sparked outrage when he said tennis player Marion Bartoli was 'never going to be a looker' live on air before her appearance in the Wimbledon women's singles final. Inverdale later apologised to Bartoli, while also claiming his comments were in part attributable to a bout of hayfever which had left him feeling under the weather.

Summary: John Inverdale referred to 'rose-c***** glasses' in interview live on BBC . The presenter was speaking to John Francome and Lizzie Kelly . BBC spokesman said Inverdale's wording was a 'slip of the tongue'


The US government has made a bizarre internet gaffe by posting a British Muslim extremist’s photograph of veiled women calling for sharia law, citing it as an inspirational example of free speech in the West. The American State Department’s ‘Think Again Turn Away’ campaign is designed to dissuade Muslims from joining IS – also known as ISIS – and other extreme groups. The campaign posted the picture on its Twitter account last week, adding: ‘In open societies, all faiths enjoy freedom of speech; under ISIS rule, no such thing as freedom of expression.’ Scroll down for video . The photograph shows Muslim women, all in black burkas, running a campaign stall in Dalston, East London . The photograph shows Muslim women, all in black burkas, running a stall in Dalston, East London. They are standing behind a trestle table covered in leaflets and a banner reading: ‘Shariah law or man made law. Which is better for mankind?’ An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has found the banner was used in an extremist campaign called Stay Muslim, Don’t Vote, which calls for strict sharia law to be imposed on Britain, as well as urging Muslims not to vote in elections. The photo was given the caption ‘Muslims coming out inviting society to Islam’ – which was copied by the US State Department – by a man calling himself Abdulrahman Muhajir, whose Twitter account is suspended. Blunder: Moshiur Rahman, who posted the image online, was one of 12 Islamists given Asbos banning them from taking part in demonstrations . The Mail on Sunday can reveal he is Moshiur Rahman, a 33-year-old from Luton, who last year was one of 12 Islamists given Asbos banning them from taking part in demonstrations over a violent protest rally on Oxford Street. At least two of the gang are believed to be fighting for IS in Syria. Anjem Choudary – the hate preacher who has repeatedly blamed British foreign policy for terrorist attacks and whose al-Muhajiroun group was banned by the Government – was present at the event in Dalston on March 7. He has also given talks in Walthamstow and East Ham at demonstrations where the sign was used. The photo appropriated by the US State Department was first placed on Twitter last week by a woman calling herself Umm Usmaan, who is a leading figure in the anti-democracy campaign. She described it as an ‘Islamic roadshow’ and included the slogan ‘stay Muslim, don’t vote’ when she put the photo on Twitter. Yesterday she posted a picture of another sign with the message: ‘The right of legislation belongs to none but Allah!’ Last night, terror expert Douglas Murray, associate director of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said: ‘It’s an incredibly weak “fail”,’ he said. ‘They should be putting a bit more thought into their sourcing. With all of our resources, it’s not even as accomplished as the crudest IS propaganda.’ US Twitter users were also quick to ridicule the State Department, with one calling it an ‘epic fail’. Conservative US commentator Mark Steyn added: ‘Why is

Summary: US government posted a British Muslim extremist's photograph online . Picture showed veiled women calling for sharia law during London protest . State Department used photo as an inspirational example of free speech . But the banner was also used in an extremist campaign for strict sharia law .


Taking her place on the witness stand, a Florida court bailiff described being sexually assaulted at gunpoint the day she asked her husband for a divorce after his gambling had led them into debt. The 55-year-old woman tried to hold back tears as she spoke Tuesday of being held against her will by her ex-husband, Garrett Cunningham, 64, also a Broward court deputy, though he is currently suspended. The Sun Sentinel reports that the couple met in 1983 while working as corrections officers in New York City's Riker's Island. Alleged assault: Garrett Cunningham, 64, who worked as a court bailiff was accused by his ex-wife of handcuffing and shackling her before sexually assaulting her in 2013 . They married in 1990, but the woman described how Cunningham's gambling habits drove them into debt, costing them their house and his car. The woman said she tried to keep the couple afloat - even covering a $2,000 debt Cunningham owed - and stated that even after they separated, she would drive him to work. In September 2013, she drove him to the Plantation motel on State Road 7 where he had been living and asked her to help carry groceries to his room, she said. She testified that once inside the room, Cunningham handcuffed her and shackled her legs, before pulling out a Glock pistol from under the mattress and pointing it at her. On the wall was a note listing everything Cunningham had done wrong in his life, while a second note on the bed had a list of questions about her personal and dating life, according to an arrest affidavit. What followed was an hours-long interrogation, where Cunningham berated his wife over who she was dating, she testified. County court: Cunningham and his ex-wife met as corrections officers at Riker's Island in New York City and began working as bailiffs in 1999 . Cunningham demanded her phone and the password to unlock it. After reading texts sent between her and a man she had met online, he threw the phone to the floor and shot its screen, she said. 'He had this crazed look in his eye,' she claimed on the stand. 'I just knew in that moment that I was not coming out of that hotel room alive.' She said that after several hours Cunningham concluded she had to be punished, and used a vegetable to sodomize her. When she cried out, he pointed the gun at her head and told her that he would shoot her if she couldn't stop screaming, she said. She testified that she cried as she held back screams as he continued his alleged assault. Cunningham was arrested days later. In December, he was suspended without pay by the Broward Sheriff's Office. He is currently being tried on two counts of sexual battery, one count of false and one count of . His wife left the motel after allegedly being attacked, then showered and fell asleep, according to Cunningham's attorney, who seized on her delay in reporting the assault. Defense attorney Gabriel Ermine said the woman

Summary: The 55-year-old woman who worked for the Broward Sheriff's Office with her ex-husband described being held against her will in the motel where he lived . The woman claimed 64-year-old Garrett Cunningham held a gun to her head while he interrogated her in September 2013 . He later 'punished' her by sodomizing her with a vegetable, she said . Cunningham was arrested days later and has been suspended without pay since December 2013 .


Chris Brunt hopes Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Finland can be the first in a series of Windsor wonders for Northern Ireland. The West Bromwich Albion midfielder has his eyes on his side’s first European Championship finals appearance but Belfast has not always been a happy hunting ground of late. ‘Our home form wasn’t great in the last campaign,’ Brunt admitted. Chris Brunt is keen to turn Windsor Park into a fortress to help Northern Ireland qualify for Euro 2016 . ‘We have started this campaign well with two away wins, but the home win over the Faroes was also an important result. ‘To build on that would be great. ‘In the last few years, those games were the ones that have tended to let us down. Hopefully we can take that on and carry it on in our remaining four home games and we’ll have a great chance of qualifying.’ The West Brom star is hoping to lead his country into Euro 2016 and they currently lie second in the qualifiers .

Summary: Chris Brunt wants to turn Windsor Park into a fortress for Northern Ireland . The West Brom star faces Finland in the Euro 2016 group F qualifier . Northern Ireland are currently second with six games remaining .


Arrest: William Lindauer, 31, allegedly set his family's home on fire a year after his divorce . A man has been arrested on arson charges after firefighters raced to his burning Colorado home and found 'my wife is a cheater' scrawled on the outside of the house. William Lindauer, 31, was taken into custody hours after the early-morning blaze on Nelson Street, Arvada on Tuesday, police said. He made his first court appearance in Jefferson County court on Wednesday morning. Jail records show he is being held on investigation of first-degree arson, reckless endangerment, prohibited use of weapons, cruelty to animals and criminal mischief, ABC7 reported. His wife filed for divorce in October 2013 and it was completed on February 18, 2014, the channel reported. Property records list him at the address with Brianne Lindauer, 29. Neighbors said that three young children lived at the home but that they had not seen the woman or her children in weeks, ABC7 reported. The Arvada Fire Protection District said everyone in the home had been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries. After multiple calls from neighbors, the district responded to the home early on Tuesday and found it engulfed in flames. Blaze: Firefighters in Arvada, Colorado found the words 'My wife is a cheater' scrawled on a side of the home . Blaze: Firefighters were able to put out the flames but the home is significantly damaged by the fire . 'Upon their arrival, they were faced with a lot of fire that was coming from the front of the house as well as the back of the house,' spokesperson Deputy Fire Marshall Deanna Harrington told the Denver Post. Crews were initially unable to enter the home because the floor has been weakened by the 'very significant' damage, she said. They also found a name had been painted on the side of the house but it is not clear if he is connected to the fire. After the flames were brought under control, officials covered up the scrawled words with blue tarps. Destroyed: Later on Tuesday morning, firefighters covered the graffiti outside the house with blue tarps . Debris was also found in the street, including patio furniture, fire officials said. Police said that investigations showed the fire had been intentionally set. The Arvada Fire Protection District and Arvada Police Department are conducting a joint investigation into the blaze. Neighbors expressed their shock over the incident. 'It's a younger family,' Fred Holman told KDVR. 'They've lived here about five years, maybe a little longer. They're very nice people, very good neighbors. I would never think anything like this would happen.'

Summary: William Lindauer was arrested for arson and other charges hours after the home in Arvada, Colorado was set on fire on Tuesday morning . Records show his wife filed for divorce in 2013 and it was finalized in 2014 . They had lived there with three children but neighbors had not seen the woman or kids in weeks, and no one was inside at the time of the fire .


Passengers and crew faced mid-air panic on board an Air Europa charter flight after several travellers fainted while en route to Tel Aviv from Barcelona, according to reports. After landing at Ben Gurion Airport this morning passengers told Israeli media that flight attendants were 'hysterical', there was a strong smell of 'gas' in the cabin during the four-hour journey, and 10 people lost consciousness. One passenger told Israeli news website Ynet: ‘They did not let people get up in the bathroom because they were afraid more people would faint.’ Passengers told Israeli media that 10 people fainted during an Air Europa flight from Barcelona to Tel Aviv . In a statement, an Air Europa spokesperson said passengers were feeling dizzy, but did not faint, after noticing a smell that was believed to be kerosene, which powers the jet's engines. The spokesperson said: 'Around 6 people had temporary indisposition this morning travelling from Barcelona to Tel Aviv on flight Air Europa UX433. 'All of them have recovered quickly by drinking a cola drink. All passengers left the aircraft on their own at destination.' Almost 200 passengers and crew were on board the Boeing 737, leased from a company called Flying Carpet, when the situation unfolded. A passenger named Hilla told Ynet that people on board smelled 'gas' after the pilot started the engines while preparing for take-off in Barcelona. She said she complained to cabin crew but was told that everything was 'OK' and not to worry. An hour later, passengers began to lose consciousness, causing people on board to panic, she claimed. Over the plane’s tannoy a flight attendant reportedly asked if there was a doctor on board to assess the passengers. An Air Europa passenger said people splashed water on her to wake her up after she fainted (file photo) One woman who fainted regained consciousness after water was poured on her, but said she soon lost consciousness a second time after feeling dizzy. She told Ynet that she began to feel weak after the person sitting next to her adjusted the air conditioning control above their seat. The woman said: ‘[They] woke me up with water, and after a few minutes I passed out again. 'Stewards were under pressure … and [would] not even let us go to the bathroom.’ The Air Europa spokesperson said there is 'no gas of any type' on the new generation of Boeing 737 aircraft, so the smell perceived by some passengers came from jet fuel. The spokesperson said: ‘The smell of kerosene that some people perceived during flight is normal when the engines are started with headwind, but after short period of time that smell is always removed by the air conditioning system.’ The spokesperson said no emergency was declared and the flight landed as scheduled. An official from Israel's Ministry of Transport said Spanish authorities are investigating. A spokesman for Israel Airports Authority told MailOnline Travel that he was not made aware of any incident on board the plane. He said the flight crew did not say anything about ill passengers while communicating

Summary: Passengers told Israeli media that 10 people fainted during the flight . One passenger said she reported a 'strong smell of gas' to cabin crew . She said a flight attendant told her it was 'OK' and not to worry . Passengers said 'hysterical' cabin crew asked if a doctor was on board . Air Europa said around six passengers 'had temporary indisposition' Airline spokesperson said they recovered after drinking a 'cola drink' There is 'no gas of any type' on new Boeing 737 aircraft, said airline .


Playwright Alan Bennett, who has said that England is a nation of hypocrites and that English are 'better than all the rest' at setting double standards . We are a nation famed the world over for conquest, industry – and of course a good cup of tea. But according to playwright Alan Bennett, what England really excels at is ‘hypocrisy.’ The writer made the astonishing attack as part of a milestone series celebrating the 50th anniversary of BBC Radio 4’s World at One. In each edition, the participants are asked to nominate what they believe to be one of Britain’s world-class achievements. Mr Bennett, 80, said he toyed with the idea of suggesting the National Trust, medieval churches or the impressive landscape of Swaledale. But in an interview with Martha Kearney, to be broadcast today, he says he believes that what the English are ‘better than all the rest’ at is setting double standards. He said: ‘In England, what we do best is lip service. Take London; we extol its beauty and its dignity while at the same time we’re happy to sell it off to the highest bidder. Or highest builder. We glory in Shakespeare yet we close our public libraries. ‘A substantial minority of our children receive a better education than the rest because of the social situation of the parents. ‘Then we wonder why things at the top do not change or society improve. But we know why. It’s because we are hypocrites.’ He went on to claim that too often, the English are lazy in their assumptions that problems which affect other countries do not exist in their own, saying: ‘Our policemen are wonderful, provided you’re white and middle class and don’t take to the streets. ‘And dying in custody is what happens in South America. It doesn’t happen here.’ He added: ‘A memorable phrase in Hamlet, and one of the few that hasn’t been picked up as a quotation or a title for something else, is when Claudius is arranging for Hamlet to be arrested and executed when he gets to our shores. As part of his explanation, the writer says that policeman in England are wonderful, 'provided you're white and middle class and don't take to the streets' (file picture) And in his letter he says; “Do it England”. And we say we do it, or we’re going to do it, but we don’t. Scotland does it. And Wales. But not England.’ He was careful not to exempt himself from his own criticism, saying: ‘Before you stampede for the Basildon Bond, or rather skitter for the Twitter, I must say that I don’t exempt myself from these strictures. How should I? I am English, I am a hypocrite.’ In January the World at One heard nominations from the Prime Minister David Cameron and Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband and other party leaders. World at One was first broadcast on 4 October 1965 on the Home Service and was presented by William Hardcastle.

Summary: Writer made attack on England in series on BBC Radio 4's World at One . Says that English are 'better than all the rest' at setting double standards . Added what the country really excels at is 'hypocrisy' rather than industry . But says he doesn't exempt himself from criticism and adds he too is English and a 'hypocrite'


Is it possible to get a group of 15 three to five-year-olds, who have never played the piano before, together on a concert stage to perform a piece of classical music in just five weeks? Swedish insurance company Folksam attempted just that for a recent commercial project entitled ‘Mini Maestros’ and the results – although containing a couple of expected errors – are outstanding. In the clip the conductor is shown at work leading an orchestra, before entering the room full of children from a preschool in Klara, Stockholm and uttering: ‘Oh dear’ at the sight of the youngsters running around. The conductor is featured taking the children to the piano in turn and teaching them how to play a few notes . The 15 pianos, each featuring a photograph of a child, are assembled in a circle on the concert stage . Settling them down, he takes them one-by-one to the piano and begins the difficult task of teaching them how to play a few notes. Teasing out a piece of the final performance, the development of the children is briefly showcased alongside the conductor stating: ‘Sometimes you don’t know what makes the penny drop.’ The stage is set, the conductor gets dressed and the pianos are fitted with photographs of the children who will momentarily play them. Climbing up onto their stools, the children are silenced by the conductor’s baton and the performance gets under way. The children stop talking and wait in anticipation to begin playing after the conductor raps his baton off of a music stand . Concentrating, the children hunch over their pianos and each play their individual bits with their index fingers . The young children begin playing Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1 as the conductor leads them from the front . Each concentrating on their own individual part, the children – hunched over their pianos in anticipation – use their index fingers to press the keys and together play the beginning of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1. A few bum notes feature in the piece, but they fit wonderfully alongside the imagery of teddy bears accompanying the children at the pianos and feet swinging from stools miles from the ground. As the performance ends, the conductor and the children congratulate each other and the credits begin to roll. Despite hitting a few bum notes the children, who have only played the piano for 15 weeks, perform outstandingly well . The conductor and the children congratulate each other at the end of the successful performance .

Summary: The children aged three to five had never played the piano before . Conductor took just five weeks to teach them their individual parts . The children play the beginning of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1 . Despite a few mistakes the final performance is outstanding . The commercial was a project of insurance company Folksam . The children are all attendees of a preschool in Klara, Stockholm .


With our ever-advancing technology, snail mail post may soon be a thing of the past altogether. But for the residents of a small community in eastern Germany, receiving post by boat is just a part of everyday life. Inhabited by just 150 people, for centuries the village of Lehde was only accessible by boat. And for 118 years German mail service, Deutsche Post, has delivered post here by water, at least between the months of March and October. Mail carrier Andrea Bunar rides along a stream in her yellow mail boat at the start of the delivery season in Lehde, Germany . Post service employee Andrea Bunar's route takes her along a canal system, located about 60 miles south of Berlin . In addition to being an environmentally-friendly method, it is rather easy for mail carrier Andrea Bunar, who gets a workout as she paddles up and down the canals. She delivers everything from letters to large parcels on a yellow post barge that measures nine metres in length. She uses her own strength to propel the boat along the narrow channels to more than 60 addresses each day. She covers about five miles every day and has been delivering the post by boat for almost five years. The picturesque village is set in Germany's Spreewald landscape, which is irrigated with 200 small canals . Lehde is known as the 'city of punts and pickles', with life revolving around punting and the famous 'Spreewaldgurken' pickles . The village is accessible by car but its residents argue that to see its true charm, you should arrive and travel around by boat . The Spreewald landscape is irrigated with more than 200 small canals and is an official Unesco biosphere reserve. Lehde, also called Lubbenau, is known as the 'city of punts and pickles', with life revolving around punting and the famous 'Spreewaldgurken' pickles which were invented here. Popular with nature lovers, visitors can glide through the peaceful waters where village ferrymen offer special punting tour experiences, including a nostalgia tour, an adventure tour, fishing expeditions and nature observation tours in small groups. The preserved historic houses the Spreewald are completely under monument protection, making the area a popular tourist destination . Tourists cruise sit in a boat near the Spreewald village of Lehde, also known as Lubbenau, about 60 miles south of Germany's capital . The preserved historic houses the Spreewald are completely under monument protection, making the area a popular destination for tourists. From the Lubbenauer Grand Harbour, visitors can be transported via traditional Spreewald punt Lehde in just over an hour. Nowadays, the village is available by car, foot and bicycle, but its residents argue that to see its true charm, you should arrive by boat. As well as a historic town centre complete with thatched houses, romantic alleyways, galleries and tiny shops, Lehde boast a Spreewald-Museum, presenting the town life from 100 years ago, a castle district and ice-skating in winter.

Summary: For centuries the tiny village of Lehde, in eastern Germany, was only accessible by boat . While snail mail is dying off, residents of Lehde have enjoyed having mail delivered by boat for 118 years . The village is set in Germany's Spreewald landscape, which is irrigated with 200 small canals .


This shocking picture reveals the mangled wreck of a tandem bike which belonged to the 'perfect couple' who were killed in a tragic crash with a banned driver. Drug addict Nicholas Lovell was speeding in his Citroen Picasso when he ploughed into Ross, 34, and Clare Simons, 30. The couple, who had been riding the bike on the way to visit friends in Hanham, Bristol, were pronounced dead at the scene. This shocking picture reveals the mangled wreck of a tandem bike which belonged to 'perfect couple' Ross, 34, and Clare Simons, 30, who were tragically killed by a banned driver . Mr and Mrs Simons were killed almost instantly when drug addict Nicholas Lovell's speeding Citroen Picasso ploughed into them . Lovell - who has 69 previous convictions - was later jailed for just ten-and-a-half years for causing their deaths. Now relatives of the Simons have released the dramatic picture of the aftermath of the crash as part of their campaign for tougher sentences for banned drivers. It shows how the car snapped the bike clean in half, with the front half getting lodged in the grille. Heroin addict Lovell, 38, had crashed into the couple as he tried to outrun police - with a 16 month old baby and 12-year-old in his vehicle. A court hearing in May 2013 heard that he then left them dying by the side of the road and while awaiting sentencing bragged to other inmates that he would get away 'with four years'. The couple's tandem bike, which they had been riding at the time of the crash, was snapped clean in half by the force of the crash . Jailing Lovell at Bristol Crown Court in May 2013, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said: 'This is the worst example one could imagine of this sort of offence. 'You have a serious drug problem but your deep selfishness and disregard for others is breathtaking.' His partner Louise Cox, 35, was jailed for twelve months for trying to cover up the fact he was illegally driving her Citroen Picasso. Lovell - who has 69 previous convictions - was later jailed for just ten-and-a-half years for causing their deaths . Lovell pleaded guilty to two counts of death by dangerous driving and was given the maximum possible sentence under current guidelines. But Ross and Clare's family reckon he will be released after five years - meaning he will serve just two-and-a-half years for each life he took. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling visited the site with local Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore and the family to discuss further changes and lay flowers. One potential change includes making sure sentences for multiple deaths are served one after the other, instead of at the same time. Mr Grayling said: 'I don't like the idea of people like this coming out half way through the sentence. 'It is shocking to walk here in a normal suburban street and see what can happen. I can only imagine the trauma and turmoil the family must have been through.' Kelly Woodruff, 33, Ross's sister, said

Summary: Ross and Clare Simons were killed when their tandem bike was hit by a car . Banned driver Nicholas Lovell ploughed into them in a speeding Citroen . Lovell- who has 69 previous convictions- was jailed for ten-and-a-half years . Simons' family released crash picture in campaign for tougher sentences .


Tori Spelling was taken to an emergency room in LA on Friday by her husband, Dean McDermott, adding to what has been a sickness-plagued 12 months for the reality star. The 41-year-old mother-of-four appeared pale and tired as she stepped out of the passenger side of her husband's black Ford Flex station wagon at Encino Hospital Medical Center. Wrapped in a cardigan and beanie, she then took herself into the emergency room. Spelling was seeking treatment for a migraine, which she tweeted about the next day. She was last hospitalized in October. Emergency: A tired-looking Tori Spelling is pictured dropped off at the Encino Hospital Medical Center on Friday by her husband, Dean McDermott . Sick: Spelling was seeking treatment for a migraine. She has suffered through numerous health issues in the past few years . Forlorn: The mother-of-four seemed pale as she took herself into the emergency walk-in department . Frail: The 41-year-old seemed somewhat uneasy as she got out of her husband's station wagon . Admitted: Spelling was pictured walking to the entrance of the Encino Hospital looking down . 'I have horrific migraines,' she wrote on her social media account. The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 18, having a coughing attack. At the time she was reported to be suffering a nervous breakdown. Spelling was later diagnosed with with severe bronchitis and possible pneumonia. The Mystery Girls access spent two weeks in hospital and described the stay as 'my rock bottom'. Appearing on The Dr. Oz Show after being charged, Spelling said what upset her most was that her children 'weren't fazed' by the fact she was in hospital. 'They're used to it. And I don't want them to grow up thinking, "Mom's sick",' she said. I need to change. I need to prioritize me, and my problem is I put everyone before me.' 'My rock bottom': The reality star spent two weeks in hospital in October is what was reported at the time to be a nervous breakdown. She was diagnosed with bronchitis, and posted this selfie from her bed . Spelling and McDermott have four children - Liam, aged seven, Stella, aged six, Hattie, aged three, and Finn, aged two. 'I don't deal with stress well,' admitted Spelling, who also spent six days in the hospital for a migraine back in April. 'My whole life, I would just repress [it] and keep going and no one knew, really. 'And it would just start coming out. I would be sick all the time - sinus, migraines, everything. 'I don't want to keep going on like that. 'I'm at that place where I don't like the way my kids see me. I don't like them seeing me as sick.' Earlier this week: Spelling was last seen out with her children in Encino on March 1 . Outing: The mom was seen leaving a Thai massage parlor with children Liam and Stella . Shopping time: After leaving her favourite Thai massage parlor, actress Tori Spelling takes her kids Liam and Stella shopping for

Summary: Spelling, 41, sought treatment at Encino Hospital Medical Center on Friday . Appeared pale and tired walking into the emergency room alone . On Saturday afternoon she tweeted, 'I have horrific migraines' Last hospitalized in October for two weeks amid reports of a breakdown .


The pressure increased on embattled Gold Coast Titans star Greg Bird as it was revealed he allegedly supplied cocaine at his own buck’s party and the day after his wedding. Details of Bird’s charges came to light before the player appears in court next week with four other current and former Titan players. The Courier Mail reported that the NSW Origin star and former Titans co-captain has denied the allegations and will look to prove his innocence in court. Scroll down for video . Greg Bird, pictured playing for Australia against England, allegedly supplied cocaine at his own buck's night . Court documents allegedly show that Bird’s two counts of supplying cocaine stem from dates in November and December last year, the same time as his buck’s party and the day after his wedding. On the same night as the second allegation Bird was caught urinating on a police car in public in Byron Bay. It was an incident that later cost him the co-captaincy of his side. Titans players Beau Falloon and Jamie Dowling along with Queensland Reds vice-captain Karmichael Hunt will face Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday after they were the first footballers charged over the cocaine controversy. The buck’s party for Bird in Byron bay had several NRL players in attendance. In particular one-time Titans teammate Joe Vickery, who faces seven counts of supplying cocaine. None of Vickery’s charges relate to the time of Bird’s buck’s party. Bird, Falloon, Dowling, Dave Taylor and Kalifa Faifai Loa have all been stood down by the Titans and will miss the club’s first NRL game of the season against Wests Tigers on Saturday. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Summary: Greg Bird set to face two counts of supplying cocaine it is alleged . The dates relate to his buck’s party and the day after his wedding . The former Titans co-captain has denied the allegations . Bird appears in court next week with four other current and former Titans . Ex-Titans teammate Joe Vickery faces seven counts of supplying cocaine .


Eleven people were killed in . a gunfight in western Mexico when suspected gang members . ambushed a police convoy. Five members of Mexico's new militarized police, or gendarmerie, were killed in one of the deadliest attacks on . security forces since Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto took . office in December 2012. The shootout take place around 9.15pm Thursday in . Ocotlan, Jalisco state, and eight others were wounded, the . National Security Commission said in a statement on Friday. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW . Eleven people, including five members of Mexico's militarized police, were killed after a gunfight in the city of Ocotlan, Jalisco . Gendarmerie police had been patrolling the area of southwest Mexico when a pickup truck approached and opened fire. It is the deadliest attack on the forces since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office . Two thousand shell cases were found at the site of the gunfight, which lasted for half an hour and killed three bystanders . Three bystanders who apparently had nothing to do with the . ambush and three suspected gang members were also killed during a gunfight that lasted 30 minutes, according to AFP. Seven vehicles of the new 5,000-strong gendarmerie were patrolling the town southeast of the . state capital Guadalajara, the commission said. At least 10 vehicles took part in the attack on police, which began with assailants in a pickup truck firing with high-powered rifles before being . beaten back, the security commission said. Some of the attackers continued to fire as they fled into Ocotlan, a town of around 90,000 people. Authorities originally said that ten people had been killed, but added another bystander to the total late Friday, according to Cronica Jalisto. Two thousand bullet casings were reportedly found at the scene, which was riddle with bullet holes. Authorities originally said that ten people had been killed in the gunfight, though it was later revealed that a third bystander had died . Ten vehicles (pictured) are thought to have participated in the attack on the gendarmerie, who suffered their deadliest attack since being created by the president . Police confiscated seven firearms and four fragmentation . grenades at the scene, as well as five vehicles believed to have . belonged to the assailants, the government said. Three civilians killed wearing cartridge belts were assumed to be part of organized crime, and had tactical equipment on them. Jalisco has been plagued by fighting between the Jalisco New . Generation drug cartel and the Knights Templar, a drug gang from . the neighboring state of Michoacan. The gang in southwestern Mexico has been gradually . weakened by the capture or killing of its leaders. More than 100,000 people have been killed in gang-related . violence in Mexico over the past eight years, many of them near the US border. Bringing peace to Mexico was President Enrique Pena Nieto's . first promise when he took office in 2012. The gendarmerie was . unveiled to spearhead the government's efforts to restore order. It began operating last summer, albeit on a smaller

Summary: Three suspected gang members killed in fight in Ocotlan, Jalisco state . Attack is deadliest for gendarmerie police since president created them . Two thousand bullet casings found where ten vehicles ambushed officers .


Phone hacking at Mirror Group newspapers made the crimes of the News of the World look like a ‘cottage industry’, the High Court was told yesterday. Journalists at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People listened in to the private messages of celebrities on a ‘mass industrial scale’, it was claimed. Scores of celebrities including footballer Paul Gascoigne and actress Sadie Frost were targeted thousands of times. Hacking claims: Scores of celebrities including footballer Paul Gascoigne (left) and actress Sadie Frost (right) were targeted thousands of times . In a sign of the scale of the gross intrusion, one reporter is suspected of hacking about 100 people every day for 18 months. And a senior colleague was so desperate for stories he wanted to create an ‘Enigma-type’ code-breaking machine so he could access more messages. The details were revealed yesterday at the start of a civil claim brought by eight claimants, including Gascoigne, Miss Frost and BBC chief Alan Yentob. Details: A civil claim is being brought by eight claimants, including Gascoigne, Miss Frost and BBC chief Alan Yentob (pictured) Mr Justice Mann must assess the extent of phone hacking across the three titles and rule on the level of damages payable to each of the claimants. The newspaper group has already set up a £12million compensation fund. Last month it printed an apology for ‘unwarranted and unacceptable intrusion into people’s private lives’ in the decade up to 2009. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Summary: Claims involve reporters at Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People . Celebrities including Paul Gascoigne and Sadie Frost were targeted . One reporter os suspected of hacking 100 people daily for 18 months .


A great-grandfather left with a gaping hole in his face due to cancer treatment has been given the devastating news his condition is terminal. Raymond Martin, 64, has facial angiosarcoma, a cancer of the inner lining of blood vessels. He has already undergone a series of operations, the first of which took surgeons 12 hours to remove a tumour from his face. But the cancer returned and he required more treatment, as well as procedures to remodel his nose and face. A few months ago he developed a huge wound under his right eye, and doctors planned surgery to remove another tumour. Raymond Martin, 64, has been told the cancer that has destroyed his face is incurable and there is nothing more doctors can do. He is pictured before being diagnosed (left) and afterwards (right) Mr Martin developed a spot on his face in 2012, which began to spread. He was diagnosed with facial angiosarcoma, a cancer of the inner lining of blood vessels in 2013 . The cancer returned and Mr Martin developed a gaping hole under his right eye. He is pictured with his family (from left to right), grandson Dean Martin, 17, wife Alice, 63 and daughter Julie Martin . But surgeons discovered the cancer had spread to such an extent that there is nothing more that can be done. All they can do is help change his bandages and keep him as comfortable as possible. Now, Mr Martin and his family are speaking out to raise awareness of angiosarcoma, in the hope his story can help others. Mr Martin's daughter Nicola Borthwick, 42, said: 'They've told us nothing more can be done now. 'We only hope that Marty's story raises awareness and prevents anyone else undergoing what he has had to suffer.' Mr Martin is now housebound at his home in Scotswood, Newcastle, where he is cared for by wife Alice, 63. His problems began when he noticed a spot on his cheek in 2012, but thought nothing about it. 'It all started with just a spot and it was nothing special so I didn't worry about it,' Mr Martin said. 'But the spot started to spread so I went to see a GP and it was first thought that it could be a rash or infection and I was given a course of antibiotics.' However, the antibiotics did not work and because his face got worse, he was sent to hospital for tests. Angiosarcoma is a relatively rare soft tissue tumour. It usually occurs in the head, neck, and especially in the scalp of elderly people. Its presentation varies from a small plaque to multifocal nodules. The treatment depends on the extent of the disease, but most cases are treated with wide excision - a surgical procedure to remove a small area of diseased or problematic tissue with a margin of normal tissue - and reconstruction. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are advocated in recurrent or extensive abnormalities in tissue. SOURCE: National Centre for Biotechnology Information . 'Never in a hundred years, could I have imagined that I would

Summary: Raymond Martin, 64, has a rare form of cancer called facial angiosarcoma . Initially believed he had a spot, but was diagnosed when it began to spread . He underwent a 12-hour operation in which surgeons removed the tumour . Doctors took a skin graft from his thigh and remodelled his face and nose . The cancer returned and he developed a gaping hole under his right eye . Has been told treatment is not possible and he will be made comfortable .


An Ohio fugitive was captured by police after he posted where he was headed for baseball practice on Facebook. Joey Patterson, 22, was wanted on a felony warrant after he violated his probation in a fraud case in Idaho. On Saturday Patterson went on the social media site and invited friends to join him for batting practice at the Armory Softball Field in Boise. Joey Patterson, 22, was captured by police after he posted on Facebook that he planned to practice some baseball batting techniques at the Armory Softball Field in Boise, Ohio . But instead of hitting the dugout, Patterson ended up in a cell after Caldwell police officers arrived on the field to arrest him, according to KTVB-7. He had already been on the run from police for several months before he got caught. Sgt. Joey Hoadley told the station that police often 'keep a close eye' on social media to track down fugitives. 'Surprisingly, even fugitives can't keep from updating their Facebook status,' he said. 'It leads to some great arrests.' Caldwell police officers arrived on the field to arrest him. Patterson was wanted on a felony warrant after violating his probation in an Idaho fraud case .

Summary: Joey Patterson, 22, invited friends on the social media site to join him for batting practice at the Armory Softball Field in Boise, Ohio . He was wanted on a felony warrant after violating probation in a fraud case . Patterson had been on the run from police for several months .


Photos of a naked, young woman at Spring Break, enclosed in a group of raucous male party-goers, has left authorities fearing for her safety amid wider concerns about the annual event. Police were searching for the woman who was stark naked wearing only sunglasses and colorful necklaces in images shared on social media on March 11. The Bay County Sheriff's Office in Florida have not been able to identify the girl and there was not enough background detail in the photographs to pinpoint her location. Sheriff Frank McKeithen told Daily Mail Online on Friday that the photos had been deeply concerning to law enforcement because of how young the girl looked, and their main priority was to find out if she was safe. Scroll down for video . Police in Bay County, Florida were searching for a young woman on Spring Break earlier this month who caused concern after being pictured naked wearing only sunglasses and strings of colorful beads while surrounded by men . 'She isn't in trouble,' Sheriff McKeithen said. 'We want to be proactive about her safety.' An investigation was underway into the photographs and how they ended up on social media, the sheriff confirmed. Bay County officials were alerted to the photos after they were posted to Twitter on March 11. In one of the pictures, the young woman was bent over and dancing naked at the water's edge on a beach in the Gulf of Mexico. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) provided a breakdown of criminal activity between March 5 - 15 this year, with three weeks of Spring Break still to go: . In a separate shot, she appeared to be trying to cover her body while a group of men gathered around her. In another picture, the scene was more aggressive. The girl appeared to be trying to escape the frame but was surrounded by shirtless men. One of the men was grabbing the necklaces at her throat. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Bay County Sheriff's Office at 850-747-4700 or Crime Stoppers at 850-785-TIPS (8477). Panama City Beach in Bay County is the country's top destination for students on Spring Break. Sheriff McKeithen told Daily Mail Online on Friday that his officers, along with the Panama City Beach Police, face an overwhelming wave of criminal activity during the five weeks of Spring Break, when their community swells from 12,000 people to an estimated 100-300,000. 'We have a mess here... this is not the traditional Spring Break of the past,' the sheriff said. 'The kids themselves are posting videos of them having sex on the beach and getting into fights.' He called Spring Break an 'emotional roller coaster' both for the students who end up victims of violence and sexual assault and for his officers, who work double shifts to cope with the influx. 'The majority of sexual assaults are not reported, because they feel shame, are embarrassed, have never likely been this intoxicated before and are far from home,' the police chief said. 'But our message is this - no

Summary: Police were searching for the woman wearing only sunglasses and many colorful necklaces in images shared on social media on March 11 . The photos show a young woman naked surrounded by men on a Florida beach - in one shot she appears to be trying to get away . Bay County Sheriff told Daily Mail Online on Friday that his main priority was to check on the safety of the young woman . Law enforcement were very concerned because of how young she appears . Sheriff said his officers were overwhelmed by the criminal activity at Spring Break where the population swells to up to 300,000 people . He said: 'We have a mess here... this is not the traditional Spring Break of the past'


When a man tragically died shoveling snow from his roof, the first responders who arrived just too late to save his life decided to finish the job in his memory. Miroslaw Dabrowski was removing the build up of snow above his New England home when the 57-year-old suffered a heart-attack, the New York Daily News reported. A relative he invited over to assist him called 911 when he arrived, but the Manchester Fire Rescue EMS and the city's police department did not reach him fast enough. Kindness: Miroslaw Dabrowski died shoveling snow from his roof so the emergency responders (picture) who arrived too late to save his life finished the job in his memory . Good deed: The first responders (pictured) finished the job for Mr Dabrowski - who had a heart attack on his roof - so the family would not be worried about their home's structural integrity . Fire Chief David Billings told Daily News: 'Quite often a situation like this leaves first responders frustrated and feeling somewhat helpless. They felt going back and finishing the job would at least have a positive outcome for the family. 'They just wanted to do something for the family so when they got home they wouldn't have to worry about the integrity of the house.' The emergency services used a ladder to reach the collapsed man on the roof but failed to revive him, Billings added. The father of three was brought back down and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. A few hours after being contacted, a dozen members of the rescue service and police department returned to his home and finish Mr Dabrowski's shoveling duties in his memory. And Dabrowski's wife Teresa told the Hartford Courant the family was touched by their efforts, saying: 'He would be very appreciative that someone was looking out for his family. We are all grateful to them.' Even though it deviates from their usual job description, Billings said the responders like doing something to comfort a bereaved family during such terrible moments. He said: 'I certainly support them doing that. I was proud of their actions.' First responders: Mr Dabrowski's widow Teresa said he would appreciate that someone was 'looking out for his family'

Summary: Miroslaw Dabrowski has a heart-attack while shoveling snow from his roof . His relative called 911 but emergency services arrived too late to save him . 57-year-old from Manchester, New England pronounced dead in hospital . But first responders returned to his house and finished shoveling for him . Mr Dabrowski's wife Teresa said they were very grateful for the gesture .


Grand banqueting halls, opulent lobbies and vast ballrooms; you could easily be forgiven for thinking this was a collection of photographs was documenting some of Europe's grandest hotels. However, a closer look will reveal the majestic rooms to be engulfed in swathes of dust and moss; hotels that once hosted royals and high society abandoned to the elements. This is the latest result of urban exploration photography, going beyond 'no entry' signs to capture images of dilapidated buildings across Europe. IT worker Thomas Windisch, from Graz in Austria, started out looking at some of his own country's dilapidated hotels . This is one place in Austria you wouldn't want to stay in, although the bed might be nice and soft for you . This bathroom was obviously one of this Austrian hotel's more exquisite spots, but has been left to rot in a sad state of affairs . This room in Austria sums up the lonely, empty feeling of some of Europe's grandest abandoned hotels . IT worker Thomas Windisch, from Graz in Austria, indulged his passion for photography by travelling across the continent, visiting over 100 abandoned hotels along the way. Other photographs include a competition swimming pool, complete with viewing gallery and water slide but with not a drop of water in sight. A ballroom can also been seen scattered with rubble and shattered glass as well as a banqueting hall which doesn't look to have hosted any banquets or parties for many decades judging by the layer of dust that sweeps across its furniture. Thomas, 32, says some of the hotels he visited on his 12,000-mile journey of curiosity have been lying empty for over two decades. If you squint your eyes, you can almost believe this Italian hotel's banqueting hall to be a popular spot for rich tourists . The photographer went beyond 'no entry' signs to capture images of dilapidated buildings across Europe . Incredibly, the grand piano remains at this Austrian hotel, and you can imagine a little work could restore this venue . The photos show how much effort into interior designing has gone to waste as rooms are left to rot . At least there's plenty of power sockets! Abandoned hotels from Slovenia also feature in the eerie photo album . He said: 'Of course I saw some of the shots on the internet before but when I entered the locations for real, I just stood there for several minutes and was like 'Wow, this is amazing. 'It's pretty awesome to see areas of a hotel that are normally not accessible for guests and to understand how a big hotel works in the background. 'And of course, the decay and the reclaiming of these buildings by nature add a bit of a surreal and mystic touch which makes them unique and even more interesting.' IT worker Thomas Windisch describes how the abandoned hotels gave a 'surreal' feeling that produced a real wow factor . Windisch visited over 100 hotels across Europe as he searched for the spectacular clash of dilapidation and luxury . The

Summary: Thomas Windisch, from Graz in Austria, travelled across Europe, visiting over 100 abandoned hotels along the way . Some hotels have been left empty for more than 20-years, with decay leaving a surreal photo opportunity . Many of the hotels once hosted royals and high society, now a far cry in their current dilapidated states .


Police were called to a Church of England primary school after parents allegedly threatened to stab each other in front of young children. The group of mothers and father were seen screaming at each other in the brawl at St John's C of E primary school in Dorking, Surrey. They were then heard to make the alleged death threats by a mother who was dropping off her terrified children. Police were called toSt Johns C of E primary school in Dorking,Surrey after parents threatened to stab each other in front of young children . One mother, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: 'They were shouting and screaming at each other, with bad language and threatening to stab and kill each other.' Surrey Police confirmed it had received reports of 'an altercation' at the school just before 9am on Wednesday. A spokesman said today: 'Officers attended and the matter is being investigated. No arrests have been made at this stage.' But the witness, who was not involved in the fracas, said it's not the first time police have been called to the school over parents' fighting. 'It's disgusting....it's a primary school, this should not be going on,' the mother added. 'I don't want to send my kid there in that environment, and I am not the only parent that has complained, but I can't get him in any other school as they are all full. 'I don't want him subjected to it. But if I take him out we will be done for absences. 'Sooner or later someone is going to get hurt. It's beyond unbelievable what happens. Surrey Police confirmed it had received reports of 'an altercation' at the school just before 9am on Wednesday. 'The police will soon have to start being there for morning drop-offs. Enough is enough, kids are picking up bad behaviour. 'It's not the school's fault, but it is their fault for not acting. It's not them, it's parents, but it's going on in school premises in front of children. 'These parents were threatening to kill each other in front of their kids and other people's children.' St Johns C of E has denied violence involving parents is a regular occurrence, and claims 'only one other incident in the past few months has involved police'. A spokesman said Wednesday morning's incident happened outside the school gates, not in the playground, and was 'a private matter'. He added 'It is completely unacceptable behaviour by parents, and I am concerned that other parents and children witnessed it. 'This incident is being dealt with by the police, because the issues over which the argument took place were private issues, happening outside the school. 'We are liaising with the police, and assisting them where possible to make sure that this does not happen again. 'I am very sorry that this has happened, and I am also very keen to make sure that the school environment is kept safe for everyone, particularly the children.' The school was put into special measures in February 2013 and became an

Summary: Officers were called to a fracas at St Johns C of E primary school, Dorking . Group of parents were seen screaming and threatening to kill each other . Brawl took place as others dropped their young children off at the school . Did you witness this incident? Call Hannah Parry on 0203 615 3423 or email hannah.parry@mailonline.co.uk .


This is the moment one of Australia's deadliest creatures found itself at the mercy of yet another of the nation's venomous killers. A Victorian farmer was astonished to find an enormous red-back spider had lifted an eastern brown snake off the ground and 'hurled it' into its web under one of the family's car at the weekend. 'It's just mindboggling,' said Neale Postlethwaite, a farmer of 20 years from Gooroc, north of Melbourne. 'I can't believe it was actually able to stop it and then hurl it up backwards into its nest.' A Victorian farmer found this astonishing scene at the weekend, where a large red-back spider had managed to lift this baby eastern brown snake off the ground with its web and draw it up into its nest . Suspended above the ground, this eastern brown snake was caught in the spider web of a large red-back spider and lifted upwards. The snake was found dead overnight . Mr Postlethwaite found the baby snake suspended off the ground on Saturday evening, the large spider sitting on top. To his surprise, the snake was still alive at the time, with the farmer daring to place his finger nearby. 'I thought the snake was dead and went to put my finger there and the snake was still alive at the time,' Mr Postlethwaite said. The eastern brown snake is known for its potent venom, which can cause sudden death, neurotoxity, coagulation disturbances and nephrotoxicity, according to researchers. Mr Postlethwaite filmed video of the snake lolling around in its final hours . Eastern brown snakes - such as the one pictures - contain enough venom to kill 20 adults with a single bite . Australia is home to 20 out of the world's 25 most venomous snakes, including the eastern brown, which is found along the populous east coast . Redback spiders are found throughout the country and there more than 250 red-back bites each year which require the use of anti-venom, according to the Australian Museum . But this baby snake was presumably a victim of the spider's poison. The snake died overnight, with Mr Postlethwaite finding its corpse being devoured by ants in the dust the next day. Mr Postlethwaite told Daily Mail Australia his family often found redbacks on their property. This particular creature had been living under his wife's car. She is a little reticent about getting back behind the wheel, the farmer said. 'My wife doesn't want to drive her car until she can get an underbody car wash,' he joked.

Summary: Enormous red back spider lifts a baby eastern brown snake off the ground . The spider then 'hurls it' up into its nest under farmer's wife's car . 'It was just mindboggling,' said Gooroc farmer Neale Postlethwaite . 'I can't believe it was actually able to hurl it backwards into its nest'


Police were probing a link between murder suspect Robert Durst and the cold case of a college student who vanished 44 years ago. Lynne Schulze, 18, vanished in Middlebury, Vermont in 1971, when Durst, owned a health food store in town called All Good Things. Real estate scion Durst, who is awaiting extradition to California to face a murder . charge for the 2000 execution-style killing of his friend Susan Berman, was denied bail on Monday in New Orleans. 'We have been aware of this connection for several years and have been working with various outside agencies as we follow this lead,' police said in a statement, adding they were releasing no further details. Vermont police confirmed this week that they were looking into a link between Lynne Schulze, who vanished in Middlebury in 1971 (left) and Robert Durst (pictured last week), who owned a health food store in town at the time . The missing college student was the latest suspicious case to be linked to Durst who has also been dogged by questions about his first wife's disappearance in New York . Miss Schulze, who was a freshman at Middlebury College, was last across the street from Durst's store and the Vermont bus station around 2pm on December 10, 1971, the Burlington Free Press reported. At 12.30pm, she was seen outside All Good Things, eating dried prunes that she had bought inside. The Schulze case had been reopened in 1992 but police would not say why. Durst was being looked at in connection with five deaths or disappearances. Two women disappeared in California, his first wife vanished in New York, another woman went missing in Texas and now the latest, a teen college student in Vermont. Durst, who recently featured in the HBO documentary 'The Jinx: . The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,' must remain in Louisiana . on weapons charges until his next court date on April 2, . Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell ruled, finding him a likely . flight risk and a potential danger to others. Durst's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, did not seek bail but argued . his client's arrest and the search of his hotel room earlier . this month in New Orleans were improper, and that investigators . wrongly interviewed him without counsel present. Durst's attorneys want to expedite his extradition to Los . Angeles County, where he has been charged with the 2000 murder . of longtime friend Susan Berman and could face the death . penalty. The HBO documentary broadcast Durst being presented with . evidence his handwriting appeared to match that of Berman's . likely killer. The 71-year-old Durst's voice was subsequently captured on a . microphone saying that he had 'killed them all.' Long a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen . Durst, in 1982 in New York, Durst was acquitted in the . dismemberment killing of his neighbor in Texas in 2003. The final HBO episode aired one day after Durst's arrest at . a New Orleans hotel, where he was staying under an alias and had .

Summary: Middlebury police in Vermont were probing a link between Lynne Schulze, a student who vanished in 1971, and Durst, who owned a store in town . Durst was denied bail in New Orleans on Monday after judge deemed him a flight risk and potential danger to others .


The chairman of a House committee investigating the 2012 terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya, said Tuesday that he wants to interview Hillary Rodham Clinton by May 1. That timeframe would put the next round of what' been called 'email-gate' in the middle of Clinton's likely timetable for announcing a presidential campaign. South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, the Benghazi committee's chairman, said in a letter to Clinton's lawyer that a recorded and transcribed interview would help the committee better understand decisions Clinton made 'relevant to the creation, maintenance, retention, and ultimately deletion of public records' — namely her emails during the four years she was secretary of state. At that point, he continued, the committee would consider calling her to testify under oath in an open, public hearing. SCROLL DOWN TO READ GOWDY'S DEMAND LETTER . DEADLINE: Hillary Clinton has until May 1 to sit down with congressional investigators and discuss her use of a private email address from 2009 to 2013 – along with what happened to tens of thousands of her messages . INQUISITOR: Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican congressman who was a hard-nosed prosecutor before winning his seat in Congress, is calling the shots but has limited authority and can't subpoena Clinton's computer hardware . Gowdy announced Friday that Clinton's attorney, David Kendall, said she had wiped her private email server 'clean' and permanently deleted all emails from it. Clinton, a likely Democratic presidential candidate, exclusively used a private email account and her own server during her tenure at State from 2009 to 2013. Her spokesman Nick Merrill told the Associated Press on Tuesday that Clinton told Gowdy's committee months ago that she was ready to appear at a public hearing. 'It is by their choice that hasn't happened,' Merrill said. 'To be clear, she remains ready to appear at a hearing open to the American public.' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest put some distance between Clinton and the Obama administration on Tuesday afternoon, referring to her as a 'private citizen.' THE LAWYER: David Kendall, whose service to the Clintons goes back past President Bill Clinton's impeachment and all the way back to his days as Arkansas governor, is catching legal spears for Hillary as 'email-gate' grows . 'This will obviously be a discussion for the leaders in that committee and Secretary Clinton and her team to have, so I don't have an opinion on it,' Earnest told reporters in his daily briefing. Asked if Clinton should ultimately sit with Republicans for an in-person grilling, he replied: 'That will be a decision for her to make.' Earnest contended that the White House has provided the committee with enough information. 'We certainly have,' he claimed Tuesday. But Clinton has refused Gowdy's request to turn over her email server, housed at her upstate New York home, to a third party for an independent review. If the Secretary continues to reject the offer of a neutral review,' Gowdy wrote in his letter to Kendall, 'the House of Representatives as a whole will need to consider its next steps.' Kendall said

Summary: Her spokesman insists she's ready to testify in public about 'email-gate' First step would be a recorded and transcribed interview with lawmakers and their lawyers . GOP chairman of committee investigating 2012 Benghazi terror attacks wants a third-party expert to examine Clinton's email server . Clinton has refused, with her lawyer admitting she had wiped it clean . Republicans demand an interview by May 1, a deadline that could complicate Clinton's plan to announce a presidential run . White House distances itself from the conflict, putting responsibility on Clinton to butt heads with Republicans on Capitol Hill .


Lewis Hamilton showed off his grueling fitness regime as he prepares for the opening race of the Formula One season in Australia on March 15. The British driver will be hoping to defend his World Championship title and win his first race Down Under for the first time since 2008, with his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg taking maximum points last season. Hamilton driver posted a video on his Instagram page with the caption, 'Never give up. #TeamLH #AustralianGP #LetsGo!' Lewis Hamilton works out in the gym as he prepares for the opening Formula One race of the campaign . The reigning champion will be looking to win his first race at the Australian Grand Prix since 2008 . With loud music in the background, Hamilton goes on the punching bag to improve his speed and movement . With Sebastian Vettel moving to Ferrari and his team mate Rosberg wanting to exact revenge for pipping him to the title, Hamilton knows he will need to be in top condition if he's to be top of the Championship come the end of the season. Hamilton also showed he's not just good behind the wheel by also proving he's decent shot with a paintball gun - by firing shots at fitness instructors backside. He may be gaining revenge for the training regime he's been given by Ville Vihola and struck the bare backside of his instructor a number of times. The Mercedes driver exacted some of his own revenge on his fitness instructor by shooting him in the bum . On what looked like a cold day, Hamilton showed no mercy by peppering Ville Vihola with paintballs . Vihola lets a scream in pain as the British driver showed he's a good shot with the paintball gun .

Summary: Lewis Hamilton posted the video of his fitness regime on Instagram . The Mercedes driver also showed us a video involving a paintball gun . Hamilton will try to retain his Formula One title in Australia on March 15 . Click here for all the latest Formula One news .


The boyfriend of EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth has claimed his head 'exploded like an egg' when he was pushed into a police van during her drink-driving arrest. Dave Fairbairn was a passenger in the actress' car when police detained her on a night out last month, prompting a clash with officers which led to him receiving a penalty for public disorder. Now Mr Fairbairn, 59, is said to have appealed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission claiming he was assaulted. Row: Gillian Taylforth's boyfriend Dave Fairbairn (pictured) was a passenger in her car when police detained her on a night out last month - prompting a clash with officers which led to him allegedly being assaulted . Dave Fairbairn (left), the boyfriend of soap star Gillian Taylforth (with him and right), said police assaulted him . He told Lewis Panther of the Sunday People: 'The copper who kept telling me to stop swearing pushed my head hard. And all I could see is a girder come towards me. 'My head just exploded like an egg. It went everywhere. Because it was a white floor you could see how soaked it was. I was covered. 'If I had seen someone covered in that much blood it would have been straight to hospital... They took me straight to a police cell.' Photographs of him leaving a police station later appeared to show a trickle of dried blood on his forehead, with smears around his nose and right eye. The pair were stopped at 1.25am on a Saturday morning, five miles from her £900,000 home in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. Mr Fairbairn said officers knew Ms Taylforth's name as soon as they tapped on the window of her car, which he said she was moving a few metres to avoid being clamped. As she was arrested he insisted he swore just once - saying 'for f***'s sake' at the general situation and not at any individual officer. Accused: The EastEnders actress was charged with drink driving and appeared at Stevenage Magistrates' Court last week (pictured). Her boyfriend - who received a fixed penalty - insisted he swore just once . Scene: The pair were stopped in the early hours in Hertford (pictured), five miles from the actress' home . But he riled police by filming his girlfriend's arrest on his phone, Mr Fairbairn claimed. The former stockbroker - who was jailed for 15 years in 2003 over one of Britain's biggest ecstasy-smuggling plots - was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and taken to a police station. He was released after Hertfordshire Police served him with a fixed penalty notice, which he said he is appealing. His girlfriend, who has made a surprise return to EastEnders as Kathy Beale after a nine-year break, was also arrested and was charged with drink driving. She appeared before Stevenage Magistrates' Court on Monday and was granted unconditional bail ahead of a full hearing in May. A Hertfordshire police spokesman said earlier: 'The 59-year-old was arrested at 1.25am on February 7 in Fore Street, Hertford. She has been charged

Summary: Dave Fairbairn was star's passenger when she was arrested in Hertford . His head 'exploded like an egg' when he was 'thrown against police van' Photos after his release showed dried blood on 59-year-old's forehead . Mr Fairbairn, who was given a fixed penalty, has complained to the IPCC . His girlfriend is due before magistrates in May charged with drink driving .


We all like to be pampered on holiday - and many hotel spas are pushing the boat out when it comes to providing the most cutting-edge beauty treatments. But would you take a noodle hot tub, or cover your face in sterilised nightingale excretion in the name of well-being? Guests can now return from their spa retreats having being scrubbed down by a cactus, lathered in marmalade, and having had their backs rolled on by golf balls. Using nightingale poo in a facial is an ancient Japanese beauty treatment that has recently started to be used in the west . The bird poo Geisha face mask . Known as the Geisha Face Mask, this beauty treatment involves using sterilised nightingale excretion which is supposed to draw bacteria out from your skin, and break down dead skin cells. Victoria Beckham is said to be a fan of the treatment, which has been used by Japanese geishas for centuries. If you're brave enough, you can experience this at the Ten Thousand Waves Spa in Santa Fe. Skin should feel exfoliated and brightened - and so it should, the treatment does not come cheap. $115 (£77) for 55 mins - Ten Thousand Waves Spa, Santa Fe . Ichiro Furuya, founder and cook of a popular noodle store 'Nantsuttei' throws the imitation noodles bath agent into 'soup noodle spa' at the Hakone Yunessun Spa . Bathing in a tub of ramen soup . Forget a soapy bath, it's all about a soupy bath for this broth-like treatment offered in Japan. The Hakone Kowakien Yunessun spa offers a soak in a tub complete with noodles, collagen and garlic extracts. The inexpensive treatment is aimed to improve guest's skin and metabolism and is named after the Japanese noodle soup dish. $35 for spa admission - Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Hot Springs Amusement Park and Spa Resort, Hakone, Japan . The Four Seasons Resort in Arizona beats many luxurious treatments including a golf ball massage . Get your kinks rolled out with the balls, and then hit them on the golf course afterwards . Getting massaged by golf balls . For those who thought they were avoiding sport while relaxing in the spa, you are wrong! At the Four Seasons in Arizona, you can get massaged by warmed golf balls being rolled along the muscles either side of your spine and down your neck. The treatment is designed to relieve tension of muscles, which could in turn lead to a better golf swing. $155 for 50 mins or $210 for 80 mins - The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, Arizona. It is said that the amino acids in sake are powerful natural moisturisers, once used by geishas before applying their elaborate makeup . Bubble in bubbly with a Sake Soak . For wine-lovers, you can bathe in the stuff, and purify your skin at the same time. New Yorkers can treat themselves to a dip in Japan's treasured rice wine at the Shibui Spa at The Greenwich Hotel in New York. The sake treatment nourishes your

Summary: Hotel spas offer the latest beauty treatments available for guests . Those who can afford to can bathe in caviar, chocolate or wine . Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham are fans of Geisha face masks .


Raffaele Sollecito today described his murder acquittal as a 'rebirth' but said his 'heart and soul will be marked for life' after being accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher. Mr Sollecito, 31, also said the new, final ruling will allow him to move on from his past, and his association with ex-girlfriend Amanda Knox. He said he now wants to be 'detached' from the 27-year-old American. The Italian and his ex-lover were both sensationally cleared on Friday, bringing an end to a see-sawing legal process which spanned more than seven years and saw them both serve four years in prison. Scroll down for video . Raffaele Sollecito (centre) speaks during a press conference in Rome flanked by his lawyers Giulia Bongiorno (left) and Luca Maori after he was acquitted last week of murdering British student Meredith Kercher . Raffaele Sollecito (right) flanked by his lawyer Giulia Bongiorno, talks to the media during a press conference in Rome. He described the ruling as an 'end to the nightmare' Speaking to NBC's Today show after the ruling, Sollecito said that having his brief relationship with Knox played out repeatedly in public had scarred him. He said: 'All the people talking about my relationship with her took me psychologically down, I don't want it. 'I just want to be detached from this kind of bond.' When asked about his feelings towards Miss Knox, whom he has not spoken to in around a year, Mr Sollecito said: 'I'm very happy for her - I really believe in her innocence. I believe now justice has been done.' When asked whether the two would ever meet again, he said that it was too soon to say. Speaking later at a press conference in Rome, Mr Sollecito described the ruling as an 'end to the nightmare'. He spent four years in prison before being freed in 2011, said he wanted to get back to his old life after enduring over seven years of 'a kind of pain without an end'. 'Air of freedom': Sollecito told NBC's Kelly Cobiella, left, that he is looking forward to moving on with his life, and his indelible association with Miss Knox . He added: 'My heart and soul will be marked for life. This wound will never stop bleeding, it will never heal. 'I have got an infinite list of horrible moments. Seven years and five months is an incredibly long time when you're suffering, when you're living an unbearable tragedy.' Mr Sollecito, who was originally convicted with his then girlfriend Miss Knox, explained how a call from his sister late on Friday night provided the news he had been hoping for. He said: 'The most beautiful moment without a doubt was the one that put an end to the nightmare, the call from my sister after the reading of the sentence and the total acquittal from the High Court.' He said: 'I feel today as though I am a prisoner who after seven years and five months has found freedom again. 'I am coming back to the life which I hope

Summary: Italian, 31, says acquittal by judges last week brings 'end to the nightmare' Said being accused of murder was a 'wound that will never stop bleeding' He added he is 'glad' ex-lover Amanda Knox has been cleared . But said he wants to be 'detached', and that they have not spoken in a year . He and Knox now cleared of killing the British student in 2007 .


A father is finally welcoming all four of his newborn quadruplets home - but sadly not his wife. Carlos Morales from Phoenix, Arizona had two of the babies home with him, and the other two were cleared to leave the hospital this week. This after the babies were born premature and, in a tragic twist, his wife Erica, 36, passed away just one day after giving birth. The pair had gone through IVF fertility treatment in a desperate attempt to conceive to complete their family. But the last time Mr Morales saw his wife was when she kissed her on the head and said he loved her before going into labor at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital. Scroll down for video . Carlos Morales from Phoenix, Arizona, finally has his newborn quadruplets home with him . Tragic: Morales from Phoenix, Arizona, held the babies - three girls and one boy - after his wife Erica, 36, passed away on January 16. Their mother would never get to meet them . 'Look at these beautiful blessings,' Morales told People. 'Even when they scream their heads off I want to give them the biggest kiss.' He then added; 'I already know their quirky little habits or the next time they're going to cry. They're starting to form their own personalities.' And while he says dealing with four is a lot more difficult than dealing with two, he does have help thanks to his wife's mother-in-law, who moved down to help with the children. The children arrived one month before her due date. Carlos Jr, Paisley, Tracy, and Erica were delivered safely but the mother went into hypovolemic shock, an emergency condition where one experiences a severe amount of blood loss. Just an hour later she died, and never got to hold them in her arms. Since then Mr Morales has been caring for the youngsters and has described the ordeal he has been through. 'We were so excited to start our family,' he told People magazine, 'And then it all came crashing down.' In the heartbreaking interview, he also described the moment the pair first met. 'I didn't speak any English and she didn't speak any Spanish,', laughing. 'But I asked her to dance and she said yes.' He then gave her his phone number, only to discover she had thrown the piece of paper out. Loving father: The children arrived one month before her due date. Carlos Jr, Paisley, Tracy, and Erica were delivered safely but the mother went into hypovolemic shock. She died an hour later . However they met each other through friends again and sparked a relationship. After marrying in Las Vegas in 2007, Mr Morales said they started trying for a baby right away. They went through a miscarriage, but were ecstatic when they found out the had a baby (before they realized it was mutiple) on the way. He told the magazine: 'Her doctor told her she had to just relax. So that's exactly what she did.' In a bid to prevent her from any undue stress, Mr Morales

Summary: Carlos Morales from Phoenix, Arizona, finally has his newborn quadruplets home with him . This after his wife Erica, 36, passed away on January 16, one day after giving birth . Pair went through IVF fertility treatment in a bid to complete their family . Children arrived one month before their due date and were delivered safely . Mr Morales said at the time it went from being the best day of his life to the worst and is now bringing up the children with help from hos mother-in-law . He revealed how they were discussing baby names just before she went into labor .


When we learn how to write, our brain does not learn the individual lettering of words - instead it is tuned to remember how the word appears as a whole. That's the finding of a new study that has shown how neurons respond differently to real words compared to so-called 'nonsense' words. During tests, brain scans revealed the new words appear as shapes rather than a group of letters in what researchers behind the study have dubbed a 'visual dictionary.' When we learn how to write, our brain doesn't learn individual letters, instead it is tuned to remember how the word appears as a whole, according to new research. Brain scans revealed neurons respond differently to real words compared to so-called 'nonsense' words in what's been dubbed 'visual dictionary' The study, carried out at Georgetown University Medical Centre, suggests brain is 'holistically tuned' to recognise complete words, according to the researchers. Lead author Dr Maximilian Riesenhuber from the Laboratory for Computational Cognitive Neuroscience said: 'We are not recognising words by quickly spelling them out or identifying parts of words, as some researchers have suggested. 'Instead, neurons in a small brain area remember how the whole word looks - using what could be called a visual dictionary.' The small area in the brain called the visual word form area is found in the left side of the visual cortex, opposite the fusiform face area on the right side, which remembers how faces look. The study published in the Journal of Neuroscience looked at the brain activity of 25 adults who had learn a set of 150 nonsense words. For the research the part of the brain associated with learning was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), before and after participants learnt the new words. Using the fMRI-rapid adaptation, the team found the visual word form area changed as the participants learned the nonsense words. Before learning the words, neurons responded as though the training words were nonsense words. However over time, the neurons began to respond as though they were learning real words. The researchers said this shows the brain is 'holistically tuned' to recognise complete words, and may also provide insights into how to help people with reading disabilities. Dr Riesenhuber added: 'One area is selective for a whole face, allowing us to quickly recognise people, and the other is selective for a whole word, which helps us read quickly.' The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, looked at the brain activity of 25 adults who had learn a set of 150 nonsense words. For the research the part of the brain associated with learning was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Images of the brain were taken before and after participants learnt the new words. From this, the team found the visual word form area changed as the participants learned the 'nonsense' words. Before learning the words, neurons responded as though the training words were nonsense words. But over time, the neurons began to respond as though they were learning real words. Co-author Dr Laurie Glezer said: 'This

Summary: Experts studied the brain activity of adults learning 150 'nonsense' words . Part of the brain associated with learning was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in volunteers taking part in the study . It showed the visual word form area changed as people learnt fake words . Over time, neurons responded as though they were learning real words . Study said this shows the brain is 'tuned' to recognise complete words . Researchers have dubbed this mechanism the brain's 'visual dictionary' It may help develop new ways of teaching people with reading disabilities .


Less than 24 hours after he was born at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, Prince George met his grandparents for the first time. But the first arrivals were not the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Instead, beaming broadly and waving at the crowds outside the Lindo Wing were Michael and Carole Middleton - better known to George as 'Grandpa Michael' and 'Granny Carole'. Almost two years on and with the birth of a little brother or sister less than two months away, the Middletons have become a fixture in little George's life - with Prince Charles left to complain that they 'never let me see my grandson'. Scroll down for video . March of the Middletons: Prince Charles is reportedly upset by what he calls 'the March of the Middletons' In this case, the heir to the throne may well have a point. Visits to Highgrove, Charles' Gloucestershire home, have been few and far between. By contrast, William and Kate regularly take their son to the Berkshire village of Bucklebury where the Middletons live in a £4.5m Georgian pile ringed by neat gardens and surrounded by open countryside. Indeed, it was to Bucklebury that the couple decamped a day after leaving the Lindo Wing, with Prince George's first photo shoot a month later taking place on the lawn and overseen by proud grandfather Michael. The intimate photos, which show George cradled in the arms of his smiling mother, were, with hindsight, a sign of things to come. Carole, who to her credit provided a happy and secure childhood for her three children, was always determined to be a hands-on grandmother - and so it has proved. First visitors: Carole and Michael Middleton were the first people to meet the newborn Prince George . Sign of things to come: His first official photo was taken on the lawn of the Middletons' Bucklebury home . But the Middleton matriarch's determination to be involved in her grandson's life hasn't always gone down well with the rest of the family. 'Carole has rather taken over, dictating when George naps, when and what he eats,' confided a source to the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare. 'All in all, behaving like she’s Queen Carole.' So how much involvement does Carole have in George's life? The answer is plenty. From cosy family outings to dispensing parenting advice to her eldest child, there are few areas of George's life in which the Middletons aren't involved. Just a few weeks ago, Carole enjoyed an unbroken fortnight of quality time with her grandson in Mustique, where the clan had gathered to celebrate her 60th birthday. Although nanny Maria Theresa Borallo was there to deal with most of the childcare, Carole, who has made no secret of wanting to enjoy a close relationship with her grandson, was spotted smiling happily as she walked hand-in-hand with a toddling George. Holiday: George and his parents often holiday with the Middletons, seen here en route to Mustique . 'Queen Carole': Sources say Carole is taking an increasing amount of control over Prince George's life

Summary: Charles is said to have complained to friends about not seeing George . News of his unhappiness revealed by Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare . Is said to be upset by what he describes as the 'March of the Middletons' Carole Middleton, in particular, is a hands-on grandmother to George . She spent her 60th birthday with George and his parents in Mustique . Spent Christmas with them and they are regular visitors to Bucklebury .