PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner. The adult barn swallow arrives and hovers in mid-air, with an insect hanging from its beak. The six-legged treat is then delivered directly into the young bird’s open mouth, with the mother bird still hovering above. Wildlife photographer Menno Schaefer, of Zaandam, Netherlands, captured the moment during a trip to an open field in Spaarnwoude, a village north of Amsterdam.
A survivor of abuse has bravely waived her anonymity to tell how she was sexually assaulted from the age of nine - by her depraved grandad .
Pinning a purple flower into her bleach blonde hair, pretty Ava admired herself in the mirror .
A BLIND man was battered with a brick in a sickening attack by two thugs .
Lying angelically with a range of expressions etched on their tiny faces, little bundles of joy are innocently captured in their first few days in these adorable photographs .
A woman with a rare condition that means she collapses every time she laughs fears she may have passed the rare illness onto her young son .
WITH A LITTLE cap of fresh snow resting on his head, this squirrel tries his best to pull off his new look .
A frilled lizard appears to be belting out a tune as it sits in a tree with its mouth open wide .
A Zumba-mad grandma has lost almost 14st after becoming addicted to the popular dance craze .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
A world's first restaurant has opened in Canada, where having your order fall on deaf ears is a good thing .
A student has finally hit puberty after a four year battle against anorexia stunted his growth .