Applications have opened for commercial permits to operate boats to Skellig Michael, the World Heritage sixth-century monastic site off the coast of Kerry, made more famous globally by the movie series Star Wars.

The operator of a passenger boat service to Skellig Michael has rejected claims by the Office of Public Works that he has “played down” or “trivialised” convictions he received relating to boat trips to the Unesco World Heritage site.

Environmentalists have expressed anger after it emerged that two US fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs into Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park when a training exercise went wrong.

Two American fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park last week when a training exercise went wrong, the US Navy said, angering environmentalists.