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.
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - FUNKY BUMP: FROM MIRROR bellies to rainbow bumps these pregnancy casts of stone and bronze could be the funkiest way to preserve your bump for posterity .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .
THIS LITTLE squirrel tries to keep himself snug as snow starts to fall around him .
LEAF-ing much to the imagination, this camera trickery is blooming marvellous .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
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 .
A photographer from the United Arab Emirates travelled to Pakistan where he captured the lives of local people in a series of expressive portraits .
A GLOWING range of greens and blues sweep across the sky in a spectacular display of light .
CAMPED out in the middle of a forest, these unusual hut hotels take you back to basics .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .