A teenage girl nicknamed 'spotty dog' by school bullies has embraced the hundreds of birthmarks that cover her entire face and body. 19-year-old Ciera Swaringen, of Rockwell, North Carolina, USA was born with mole-like birthmarks that spread from her head to her toes. Ciera's rare skin condition affects just one in 500,000 people and covers 70 percent of her body - with the largest mark stretching from her lower thighs to her navel. Since a child, the pretty teen has endured cruel taunts from strangers, but has now grown to love her unique appearance. She says: “Teenage boys are usually the first ones to comment when they see me. “They say things like, ‘You look like you’re dirty, take a wash.’
The lighthouses of Brittany, from Brest to Le Conquet, stand tall on France’s north-western coast against stunning scenery .
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
Ever wished you could live in a house just like Barbie's? Canadian sculptor Heather Benning has created the life-size dollhouse of her dreams out a derelict building .
STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .
COULD this be the most distastrous wedding cake fail EVER? Most brides opt for a traditional tiered white wedding cake decorated with delicate pink roses and lace for their big day .
TOMORROW (Saturday) marks the 28th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that left the city of Chernobyl devastated .
A mother-of-one has told how she nearly died after contracting toxic shock syndrome from a tampon .
Families in an Indian slum put their lives on the line by living on top of an ACTIVE railway track .
The UK's first hotline - and possibly the galaxy's - for people who have been targeted by aliens has opened to the public .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .
WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze .