An eight-year-old British girl whose guitar skills have impressed music fans across the world has released another awe-inspiring video.

In the latest clip, Zoe Thomson, from Thatcham, Berkshire, showcases her talents in a solo piece playing along to a guitar track from Finnish symphonic metal band Stratovarius.

She makes the speedy fretwork look effortless as she moves her fingers along to the Stratosphere and the video has already have nearly 1 million views.

She was recently signed by guitar company Daisy Rock artist roster earlier this month. Here’s the skinny from a recent press release:

In a recent interview with Newbury Today, Zoe’s mother Collette said:

‘Zoe is really excited; she is overjoyed. For someone of her age to get an endorsement is a massive achievement. I think you have to have something special to be endorsed, and it’s really nice that someone has recognized her talent.’

After watching her latest video internet users commented: ‘Holy guitar prodigy batman! Outstanding! Eddie Van Halen has nothing on you!’

Another wrote; ‘Her hands are so tiny, that must make it a little harder for her, but she still shows mad skill!’

The talented youngster is part of the child group Mini Band who became an internet hit last year with a cover of Metallica’s Enter Sandman.

The band made up of eight and 10-year-olds – were performing at the Bucklebury Beer Festival and a video of the song on racked up more than three million hits.

As a band the group had posted a variety of music videos online filmed in scenic locations.

The US band were so impressed with the young music stars they posted a one-minute video online singing their praises.

But it seems that age can sometimes affect musical progress as on the Mini Band Facebook page it states that the grip were removed from a competition ‘by the organisers because they are too young! You gotta laugh, but hey, that’s rock n roll for ya!’ (Daily Mail)

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US man Dante Autullo made headlines after accidentally shooting his head with a nail gun, leaving a 9cm-long object lodged in the centre of his brain for almost two days before going to hospital.

Mr Autullo, from Orland Park, Illinois, who later showed off his amazing X-ray photos on his Facebook page, went to hospital 36 hours after he shot himself.

However, he had not realised the severity of the situation because the nail had left only a tiny scratch when it entered his brain – making him think it had almost completely missed him.

The father of four as forced to seek treatment after complaining of nausea and headaches after taking a nap, and went for a check-up.

Doctors hailed him as something of a medical miracle as he was ‘walking and talking’ – and later revealed the nail had lodged itself just millimetres from the section that controls motor functions.

Mr Autullo’s fiancée Gail Glaenzer said she thought it was ‘a miracle’ he had survived, after undergoing successful surgery at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois, to remove the nail and install a titanium plate in his skull.

‘Un-freaking-believable,’ she exclaimed, when asked her thoughts on it by local paper the Naperville Sun.

Mr Autullo is said to be recovering well from the ordeal. (AP)

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This hapless little chap has proved the old adage that when you are a tortoise you should make love slowly … and carefully.

But when this African Spurred Tortoise forgot the common sense advice he got himself into a spot of bother and all in front of an audience.

He even drew a round of applause for his public display of affection.

The amorous specimen ignored spectators at Kiev Zoo in Ukraine to make some sweet music with the lady of his choice.

It was only after he had exclaimed his delight, with a groan audible to the gathered visitors, that he got himself into a position he couldn’t easily get out of – and landed on his back.

After what spectators say was some frenzied love-making, a relative term given that the little chap is a species not famed for speed, he completely lost his balance during the excitement and fell over.

And there he stayed for a good ten minutes while onlookers started to worry for his safety.

He stopped eating and lay still and had to be righted by a zoo keeper.

The remarkable photos charting the brief encounter were taken by amateur photographer Vadym Shevchenko, 34.

He said: ‘I think i was really lucky to see the mating process. When the male tortoise finished it fell off onto its back.

‘I decided to wait and see what would happen next. Would he be able to turn around or not. For some time the male was totally still – without any movement. He even stopped chewing the leaves which he was chewing all the time they were mating.’

‘I stayed for another ten minutes and the male tortoise was still on his back trying to turn around – though without any success. I think zoo workers helped him in the end.

‘During the mating process there were almost no sounds. Just some quiet sound of chewing. But right before the falling on his back he produced a very loud sound of satisfaction.

‘The beginning of it falling off was so slow that it was like watching a falling tree.

‘All the spectators were amazed by the sound and falling down and were talking and joking about it for some time. After the male turtle fall on his back – there was a totally quiet pause. And then the crowd burst into applause.’ (wrapup)

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A chorus of canines bark the Imperial March from Star Wars in this fantastic video, reports The Sun.

The melodic mutts, some dressed as characters from the space movie, are part of an "Intergalactic Invite" by Volkswagen for their Big Game Party 2012.

A black labrador wears Darth Vader’s familiar coloured chest piece, while other cute dogs are dressed as an Ewok, C-3PO and Chewbacca.

And as the tune ends, a greyhound dressed as an At-At strolls across the front.

Watch the video below:

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This male lizard went from catching some rays to catching his friend — as a pal almost fell from the plant they were sunbathing on.

The pair of lizards were happily basking in the sunshine together when one moved a bit too suddenly and rocked the plant, causing his mate to lose balance and topple from his perch.

But just as he looked certain to fall to the ground, the brave leaping lizard dived to the rescue and helped his buddy down while barely clinging on to the plant stem.

The drama was captured by photographer Alexey Tymoshenko, 19.

Alexey, from Ukraine, said: "I took these pictures by my parents’ summer house when I was visiting one day.

"When I was younger I used to play with the lizards and they become very friendly after they get used to you, usually after about half an hour.

"Once they understand you won’t do them any harm they allow you to do anything — play with them, photograph them and so on.

"But I never thought they could be so strong and helpful to each other when disaster strikes.

"I was really surprised by the scene but I was really glad I had my camera ready and pointing at them both." (wrapup)

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• Jon Smallwood has pulled off more than 5,000 blood-rushing stunts
• Took up fundraising drive after suffering leukaemia three years ago

School leader Jon Smallwood brings a whole new meaning to the word head teacher – after performing more than 5,000 headstands around the world.

The 54-year-old deputy head has been pulling off the stunts to raise money for cancer charities after battling leukaemia three years ago.

He became hooked on headstands as a youngster and travels the globe performing his party trick in strange locations.

Over the past year, he has performed a headstand on a 30ft-high rock, the Orient Express and the Leaning Tower of Pisa – where he balanced at a matching angle.

The ‘Headstand King’, as he calls himself, has also performed the blood-rushing pose on the roof of his school, on a plane over Syria and on the checkout of a busy supermarket.

Jon, who works at Bredon School in Bushley, Gloucestershire, said: ‘I’ve always loved doing handstands and after recovering from leukaemia I decided I would put it to good use.

‘I decided I would only do a headstand if it is for money, which I will donate to charity.

‘Amazingly, people started daring me to pull headstands in stupid places with one person paying me £30 to do a headstand on a conveyor belt in a supermarket.’

Jon, of Dursley, Glos, normally performs headstands for fun and often stands on his head up to 50 times a day.

But he admits his 78-year-old mother told him off when he recently performed a headstand on the roof of his school.

The brave teacher, who was off work for five months with leukaemia, has now raised more than £2,000 for charity.

He plans to abseil down the front of Southampton Hospital in February before ending the stunt.

After that, he hopes to take pupils from Bredon School on a ten-mile walk across the Malvern Hills, where they’ll do ten headstands per mile.

He added: ‘All the kids at school know that I’ve had an illness. I try to show them that you don’t necessarily die from cancer.’ (Daily Mail)

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There’s no nice way to say "it’s over" but Jonathan Kiekbusch finds breaking up with a girlfriend rather easy… as long as it’s someone else’s.

In fact, the 21-year-old is so good at delivering the bad news to an unsuspecting "other half" that he’s turned PROFESSIONAL.

For just a fiver plus expenses, he’ll be your relationship hitman — delivering the bad news and sending an unwanted partner to Dumpsville.

Unsurprisingly he’s not always well received. Abuse and tears are common when he delivers the blow.

But Jonathan, who also works in marketing, believes he has created a much needed relationship service.

He considers himself not just the go-to guy when you want to dump your partner but also a mediator who sets people free when love goes wrong.

Here, single Jonathan, from Brighton — who ends five or six relationships a week — reveals how he got into his unique job.

"I always interview the person wanting to break up to get the back story. If I feel uncomfortable with it I refuse the job.

I won’t break up with someone if they have been cheated on — it is just too much to deliver that news.

I’ve always been the shoulder to cry on for my friends. For some reason they see me as the one to confide in, especially concerning relationships.

They say you shouldn’t get involved in other people’s love lives but when people come to me and agonise about a relationship turning sour, I can’t help myself.

So many people find it hard to break off a relationship, either because they don’t want to hurt the person or they are afraid of confrontation. But I’m happy to be the messenger and, so far, I’ve come away unscathed. (The Sun)

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Britain is on its knees — copying the latest trendy pose sweeping the globe.

Fans of Tebowing have been bending on one knee and putting a hand to their head at sites including Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Abbey Road, Windsor Castle and Stonehenge.

It is named after the praying stance of Denver Broncos American Football star Tim Tebow (see the pic, right) and follows other "must-do" poses such as planking.

The term "To Tebow" has even entered the Urban Dictionary as: "To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different."

To take a good Tebowing photo, people are advised to kneel on the knee closest to the camera and place their elbow on their other knee.

They should then place their forehead against their hand on that arm, drop their other arm and pray.

The pose has been likened to that of Rodin’s famous sculpture The Thinker.

Quarterback Tebow, 24, is the son of Christian missionaries and he has previously written the names of Biblical verses on his face ahead of games.

He now kneels in prayer on the sidelines before and after NFL matches.

The new craze has seen his name rocket to the top of Google’s trending searches and Tebow tweeted "Love it!" as his trademark move went global. (The Sun)

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How about this for some toilet humour — a loo made in the shape of the Apple symbol.

The designer of the fruity lav claims his tongue-in-cheek work has nothing to do with the US brand, even though the sleek design resembles its distinctive logo.

Milos Paripovic, from Belgrade, Serbia, said of the large fruit-shaped toilet seat: "Some people may think it looks like Apple logo, but I disagree.

"Even though it is white and has one button, it does not mean it is an Apple product."

He added: "This is just the perfect shape for the toilet since it tightly fits the shape of one’s bottom."

According to Milos, regular toilets hit a bum note in comparison to his modish invention.

He said: "This toilet has exactly the same function as any other toilet and costs only twice as much for the same performance; but you will agree it is all about style and taste." (The Sun)

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A New Zealand woman has put a patch of her bottom for a tattoo up for sale in an internet auction.

Tina Beznec, 23, placed an ad on the Trade Me website under the title ‘YOUR Tattoo on my Bum!!’ which offers a 9cm by 9cm square of flesh.

The highest bidder can have anything they like inked on the spot and will receive a framed photo of the finished work. They can even go to the tattoo parlour to watch it being done.

Tina, of Lower Hutt, admitted in her ad that people may think she was ‘crazy’, but insisted she needed the money.

‘Ok so %20 of the auction winnings will go to a Charity of your choice and the rest will go to me, I deserve it, I have been made redundant TWICE over the past year,’ she said.

Tina also had some suggestions for what the winning bidder could choose to tattoo on her backside, including a business promotion or marriage proposal.

She has considered she may end up with a permanent tattoo she doesn’t like, but told Stuff: ‘I feel very confident that they aren’t going to do anything racist, I don’t care if it’s a swear word or something like that.’

Her idea has attracted plenty of public interest and the bidding in the auction, which ends on January 20th, has already topped the NZ$10,000 (£5,180) reserve price. (Metro)

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