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.
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
VENTURING into the ocean with self-made spears and nets, the fishermen of Zanzibar put their lives on the line when they catch food for their families .
BOXING DAY has come early for this pair of feisty squirrels, as their Christmas party quickly turns sour .
SQUEEZING their furry faces through a hole in a tree, a trio of curious baby squirrels leave their nest for the first time to explore their surroundings .
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
The aurora lights captured in Blair Nebraska, America - WITH electrifying purple and illuminous green brightening up the night sky, this is the rare moment a flash of 'sprite' lightening was captured on camera .
BALANCING 30 metres above ground, these slackliners take the expression of living dangerously one step further, by tightrope walking NAKED .
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .
A BIKINI swim with jellyfish sounds like the most painful past-time on the planet .
The claws come out at meal time as a group of white tailed eagles brawl over road-kill .
An Italian photographer travelled to northern India where he visited poverty stricken suburbs and captured ordinary people in a series of intimate and expressive portraits .