AN Irish woman has become the first adult in the world to receive a revolutionary REMOTE CONTROLLED 'ROBO SPINE', which uses magnets to combat the effects of scoliosis. Deirdre McDonnell, 34, from Drogheda, County Louth, can now stand tall for the first time after undergoing the pioneering MAGEC rod operation. The operation, also known as the magnetic expansion control system, involves the insertion of a magnetic rod that is screwed onto the spine and controlled externally in order to correct the curvature caused by scoliosis. Up until now, the £15K procedure has only been performed on children, as it was thought only to be effective for early onset scoliosis - typically diagnosed before the age of ten.
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
She was recently named Best Dressed Woman in a new list and is regarded as one of the most stylish women in the world .
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 .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
WITH HIS PAW covering his mouth, this cheeky cub looks amused by something .
A Canadian couple celebrated their engagement by recreating iconic moments from the film The Notebook .
STAR-TI-LING: 40,000 STARLINGS MIMIC HITCHCOCK'S THE BIRDS- This could be the fearsome scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as a flock of 40,000 starlings bask in the heat of a wonderful British sunset .
FORGET Thorpe Park this summer as this is a 50 mile-per-hour ride over the Colorado River CANYON .