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.
LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .
Swimming side by side with divers, these manatees will do anything they can to stay warm .
THE TOWERING Irish cliffs of Moher stand tall over the rippling Atlantic Ocean .
WELCOME to the 750-foot deep rainbow cave that leaves visitors bewildered by its multi-coloured mood lighting .
PRANKSTER Dom Joly was so livid when he was slapped with a parking ticket that he took to Twitter to vent his anger – only to discover he was the victim of his own gag! The comic got a taste of his own medicine when he was tricked by a fellow joker for the first time in a decade .
A mum-of-two has revealed how her childhood friend of 20 years attacked her with a cosh and broke her nose in a vicious attack .
UNDERWATER and above-water seaside shots show the best of British beach-life .
A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .
Ashlee, 20, has always known that she was supposed to be a girl .