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.
A restaurant famed for creating the 3lb cheeseburger has unveiled its latest culinary challenge – the largest chilli cheese hotdog in Europe .
WELCOME to the real Frankenstein's lab where carefully pickled creatures are left to stew in jars .
A mother-of-four has revealed how her daughter tragically took her own life after being subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of her ex-partner .
A photographer has captured spellbinding images of stars swirling above the English countryside .
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
SWIMMING in unison, millions of silverside fish dwarf the divers .
The beds are consumed by moss instead of customers at this abandoned hotel .
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
Meet the real-life Little Bo Peep - a young woman who spends her days tending to her four pet SHEEP .
An aerial view of flooding in Gloucestershire .
While the various controversies rumble on regarding transport, security issues and overly-officious copyright enforcement, a couple of designers is saying what we're all thinking about the Olympics - and putting it on bags .