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.
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .
A SERENE turquoise glow glimmers from underneath these powerful icebergs .
NOT YOUR everyday selfie, this plucky diver poses with some of the scariest predators in the ocean .
A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
HUNDREDS of colour coordinated yarns lie abandoned in this once thriving textile mill .
An Italian photographer travelled to Chile where he visited several star-gazing sites, home to some of the world's most advanced telescopes, located in the spectacular setting of the Atacama desert .
A little clownfish opens its mouth to reveal a blood sucking intruder living on its tongue .
A photographer from the United Arab Emirates travelled to Pakistan where he captured the lives of local people in a series of expressive portraits .