WITH their robotic movements and pristine uniforms, these are the sexy traffic girls of North Korea that are becoming iconic figures in the secretive state. Instead of using traffic lights to control the stop and go flow of the cross-roads, attractive women dressed in perfectly crisps and identical outfits dangerously stand along in the middle of the road on a small platform. Displaying riveting focus, they are only allowed to turn counter-clockwise, directing traffic with forceful and halting movements. They have been the subject of photographic study for many years but French photographer Eric Lafforgue, 49, captured these moments during six trips to the Marxist country.
SOARING through the air, a hungry white-tailed kite prepares to snatch a vole from his mother’s claws .
A PENSIONER was left with a fractured jaw after being beaten and robbed outside his home in Birmingham last weekend .
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS - 250 DRIVERS ARRESTED FOR STREET RACING IN BIRMINGHAM- In Pic - The start line on the Heartlands Parkway Nechels Birmingham .
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
Swimming side by side with divers, these manatees will do anything they can to stay warm .
Suspended FIFTY metres in the air, this is the last place that you would expect to find a fine dining experience .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
FROM COLOURFUL autumn leaves to living trees at first glance you might miss these people blended with nature .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
THIS ONE of a kind experience brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'a coffee to go' .
BURSTING colours of reds, pinks and purples give the illusion of a collection of stunning flowers .