It will be a surprise should the somewhat draconian penalties be allowed to stand, writes Pat Keane.

Irish researchers have made an electronics breakthrough which will help improve future space exploration missions.

Surprisingly, the only winning favourite on day five of the Galway Festival came in the ultra-competitive Arthur Guinness Handicap, but it was no shock to punters who backed the Tony Martin-trained Tudor City down from a high of 7-1, to a starting price of 5-2. There were a couple of anxious seconds before he prevailed in the cool hands of Fran Berry.

With Willie Mullins having farmed the first race on the three previous days of the Festival, it was no surprise to see his As De Ferbet sent off favourite for yesterday’s opener at Ballybrit.

Old reliables Willie Mullins and Dermot Weld provided punters with the only winning favourites on day three of the Galway Festival and the afternoon had begun just the way the two previous evenings had — Mullins getting off the mark with a winning hurdler.

Now Or Never had young trainer Michael O’Callaghan dreaming big after she ran out a most impressive winner of the Topaz Fillies’ Maiden, last night at Galway.

Having made such a good impression on his return, in a maiden hurdle at Sligo recently, Long Dog should take a world of beating in the opening Topaz Novice Hurdle on day two of the Galway Festival.

Rohingya and Bangladeshis migrants abandoned at sea by human traffickers had nowhere to go as Malaysia turned away two crammed boats, and Thailand kept at bay a large vessel with hundreds of hungry people.

Paene Magnus registered his fifth win from seven starts on Dundalk’s polytrack at Lingfield Park on Good Friday.

Very Wood booked his ticket for a return visit to Cheltenham when hitting form with victory in the Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan yesterday.

Johnny Levins’ long-term plan to have a crack at the Ayr Gold Cup with Your Pal Tal remains in place following the progressive five-year-old’s narrow victory over Majestic Timeline in the opening five-furlong handicap in Dundalk last night.

Hurricane Fly has frightened away most of the opposition as only eight horses have been entered for the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 25.

Sir Maximilian made it three wins from four visits to Ireland in 2014 when getting up close home to defeat Abstraction by a head in the listed Mercury Stakes, last night’s feature in Dundalk.

Dermot Weld’s Brooch put up a fine performance to land the Listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes at Killarney last night.

Sabrina Harty is considering giving Kalann his first run back over jumps since he returned from a long lay-off in Sunday’s stanjames.com Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham.

New laws that would force anti-abortion campaign group Youth Defence to disclose the source of its funding are being considered by Environment Minister Phil Hogan.

Narrowly denied over course and distance last Saturday, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Wilshire Boulevard opened his account at the third attempt when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction 2-Y-0 Maiden in Navan last night.

In Dubai where he saddled Lily’s Angel’s to triumph on the opening day of the 2013 Carnival in Meydan on Thursday, Ger Lyons missed seeing Machete Mark open his account — at the third attempt — in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Maiden in Dundalk last night.

Some public bodies are still considering length of service, instead of skills and abilities of candidates, when handing out promotions, the regulator of recruitment procedures has found.

ANIMAL health and nutrition company Alltech has promoted Matthew Smith from general manager of its New Zealand branch to the role of Asia Pacific director as part of its Eastern expansion plans.

Samia Smith has found a dead body in the back of a van.

AN investigation by the Standards in Public Office commission into how Libertas funded its anti-Lisbon treaty referendum campaign has drawn a blank.

THERE seemed to be a sense of relief and a sense of expectation in many quarters last week as the end of the era of Bertie Ahern was announced.

TWO high profile Killarney councillors could face serious consequences if found to be in breach of ethics by the Standards in Public Office Commission, arising from a zoning controversy.

TWO high profile Killarney councillors could face serious consequences if found to be in breach of ethics by the Standards in Public Office Commission, arising from a zoning controversy.

Wall Street was mixed in an erratic session today after a flurry of merger news failed to erase investors’ concerns that a recent run-up has left US stocks overbought.

IT IS utterly absurd. Having spent just 95 days in their place of employment since last September — about the equivalent of another man’s overtime — our TDs are reaching for the Factor 10.

ANTI-CORRUPTION measures must be further improved to enhance people’s confidence in the Government, Dáil and other public bodies, the State’s ethics watchdog has said.

Ireland must continue adopting anti-corruption measures to increase public confidence in state bodies, it was claimed today.

US stocks advanced today in light trading as Wall Street recovered from the previous session’s selloff and awaited tomorrow’s expected interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve.

Danetime Lord ran out an impressive five-length winner of the Stay At Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Handicap Stakes for Kevin Ryan and Neil Callan at Dunstall Park.

Broad-based gains in employment sent stocks higher today, with the Dow Jones industrials gaining more than 104 points as investors regained some confidence in the economy. However, interest rate concerns remain, and the markets finished mixed for the week.

Presumptuous, part-owned by former trainer Jack Berry and his son Sam, landed his second race over timber in the hands of David O’Meara in the Betfred Handicap Hurdle at Southwell.

A new round of strong earnings reports sent US stocks soaring for a second straight session Friday as investors shrugged off surprisingly slow growth in the nation’s gross domestic product.

THE nuptials might have been top secret, but the photo albums of the weekend’s showbiz brides will be a very public affair when the celebrity magazines hit the stands next week.

Coronation Street beauty Samia Ghadie tied the knot with her businessman beau today.

Limerick’s Conor Niland’s odyssey came to an end on the British Satellite Tennis Circuit at the semi-final stages in Cumberland yesterday.

On the anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death, a former prosecutor has unveiled what he says are notes of her secret confessions to a psychiatrist that show her as anything but suicidal.

POLITICAL parties received over €12 million of taxpayers’ money last year, new figures have shown.

Local councillors should come under the remit of the Standards in Public Office Commission watchdog, it was claimed today.

MARTIN CULLEN was in the clear last night as the State ethics watchdog decided against initiating a full inquiry into the appointment of his political associate Monica Leech as a PR consultant.

The fate of Transport Minister Martin Cullen should be known on Friday evening after the Standards in Public Office Commission meets to study how he awarded PR contracts in two Government departments.