Number 6382 was among 150,000 ducks spilt into the river Liffey in June 2006 as part of a “duck race” world record fundraiser for Our Lady’s children’s hospital, Crumlin. Wicklow GAA April Fool goes down terriblyAs sure as night follows day, the annual trickle of would-be April Fools’ efforts from companies and campaigners rolled into journalists’ email accounts this week. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore was out later to express her disgust about a “tone-deaf” April Fools’ effort by Wicklow GAA. Photograph: Sam Boal/CollinsWhitmore said this was “a complete slap in the face to the county ladies’ teams, who have anything but equal access to Wicklow GAA facilities as it stands”. ‘Economically advantageous’ tender issued for children’s hospital jobThe exterior of the National Children's Hospital during a media tour last year.

He asked to be identified only by his initials, and that his employer and vessel not be named, for fear of losing his job. “The fear doesn’t go away. Photograph: Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty ImagesThe five Filipino seafarers interviewed did not want to talk on the record for fear of running afoul of their employers, particularly those operating in the Gulf, as well as fear of getting arrested. On the outskirts of Davao city, Nigel Nimes (19), learned that his father was in waters close to the Iran war the way many families did – through the news. “It’s quite close” to the Iran war, he said of his father’s ship.

Damon has a stake in the three-year-old gelding Are You Kidding along with former Test cricket skipper Steve Smith and retired AFL great Tom Hawkins. Damon was front and centre for the Golden Slipper at Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse last month after Are You Kidding was scratched from the race. Damon's growing ties to Australian racing mirror his broader connection to the country, where he has spent extended periods with his family and formed close friendships. His connection to Australia began during a deeply personal period following the death of his father, Kent Damon, in 2017. 'After my dad died, we moved down there for four months and just went and camped all over the place,' Damon said.

Legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, has been cheering on the Artemis II mission this week. Buzz became an iconic figure when he became the second man to set foot on the moon's surface after Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Armstrong died in 2012. Mr Barber credits Buzz with saving his life when he met him at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in December 2001. 'He wants people to know he's doing OK.'

Former Arsenal and Manchester City star Samir Nasri is under investigation by French tax authorities after reportedly being rumbled by his Deliveroo orders. The Frenchman, 38, is suspected of living in Paris even though he is officially a resident in Dubai, according to Les Echos. The publication say 212 orders from fast-food delivery app Deliveroo were made to Nasri's residence in Paris in 2022. Nasri shot to prominence at Arsenal after signing for the Premier League side from Marseille for £12m in 2008. The content of the drop broke the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules and led to an investigation in Spain.

He dropped hint which Aussies will be taxed moreTreasurer Jim Chalmers has hinted that wealthier and older Australians could face higher taxes in the next Budget. Chalmers was asked by Peter FitzSimons about what Australians should expect when he hands down his fifth budget on May 12. Chalmers used the reference to drop his biggest hint that the next Budget would benefit young Australians and those on a low income. Chalmers said reforms across housing, tax and superannuation had begun to rebalance the system, but indicated the government sees scope to go further. With the federal Budget looming, Chalmers' comments are being read in Canberra as a clear signal to those who benefit most from generous tax concessions.

A glass or two of wine a day slows ageing in men - but not in women, doctors believe. Men who drank about 200ml of wine a day were nearly six months biologically younger than non-drinkers, a study shows. A glass or two of wine a day slows ageing in men - but not in women, doctors in Italy believeThe doctors say wine is a major source of polyphenols which have been implicated in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and improving metabolic functioning, each of which is involved in biological ageing. Lifestyle and factors such as smoking and obesity are linked to faster biological ageing, while dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean diet, are associated with slower ageing. 'Moderate wine consumption, but not overall alcohol intake, may contribute to slower biological ageing in men.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky stepped out in public for the first time since the shooting at their Beverly Hills home by 35-year-old suspect Ivanna Lisette Ortiz a month ago. No one was injured in the shooting, but a law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times that Rihanna and Rocky 'easily could have been hit.' Ortiz was ordered to stay away from Rihanna and Rocky in the event that she should make bail, and surrender all of her firearms. While the motive for the shooting remains a mystery at this point, Ortiz had previously sent messages and posts that targeted Rihanna. In one message, Ortiz suggested Rihanna had spoken negatively about her, though they weren't known to have any connection, personal or professional.

Video: 'Freda', the fox which evaded Parliament security for months - giving her 'a better attendance record than some members of the Lords' - caught and released into the wild'Freda', the cunning fox who outwitted security at the Palace of Westminster for months-earning jokes about her "better attendance record than some members of the Lords"-was finally caught after repeatedly slipping past guards and alarms, and has been safely released back into the wild.

To create the map, scientists used state–of–the–art X–ray imaging techniques to scan two postmortem female pelvic samples. Their results revealed a complex web of nerves branching through the female sexual organ – including many that are crucial for orgasms. The researchers, from Amsterdam UMC, hope the map will help to break the cultural taboo surrounding women's sexual health. 'The clitoris is a unique organ in the female body, responsible for sexual pleasure,' they wrote in their study. Until now, mapping the sexual organ has been problematic.

Lionel Messi added another milestone to his legendary career on Saturday night, scoring Inter Miami's first-ever goal at their brand-new Nu Stadium. However, Messi quickly answered, rising to meet an Ian Fray cross with a perfectly timed header to level the score and ignite the Inter Miami faithful. 'We believed in Miami,' Beckham said. Taking to X, he wrote: 'Congratulations to Jorge and Jose Mas and to David Beckham on the inaugural soccer match at Nu Stadium. Beckham shared a first look at Inter Miami's new $750million (£566.5m) stadium on Friday ahead of its official unveiling.

It sounds scary, but it works, and it’s a feature on this week’s tester, the Lexus RZ 500e Direct4. Upon sitting in the car, the first thing you will notice is that there’s a complete absence of one of the first things that normally attracts your attention – a steering wheel. The Lexus RZ 500e is exceptionally planted on the road and therefore inspires a great deal of faith in its roadholding. One minor quibble here is that too much is packed into the tiny space of the steering wheel boss, and the lights/indicator and wiper stalks move with the wheel, as do the so-called gearchange buttons. The Lexus RZ 500e is exceptionally planted on the road and therefore inspires a great deal of faith in its roadholding.

So how is it women are still excluded from all ordained ministries in the Catholic Church? “Discomfort”, as in: “some women experience discomfort in the church”. Did any of the writers of this report read Out of the Depths about Ludmila Javorova? There is little incentive and no great urgency when all that is at stake is a “discomfort” for women. Soline Humbert is a spiritual director and the author of A Divine Calling: One Woman’s Life-Long Battle for Equality in the Catholic Church, (2025, The Liffey Press)

In Britain, chaplain dismissed after speaking out against LGBT ideologyDismissed chaplain Bernard Randall. Photo: dailymail.co.ukThe leadership of Trent College in Britain reported its chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Bernard Randall, to the Prevent counterterrorism program and later dismissed him over a sermon directed against LGBT propaganda, dailymail.co.uk reports. After deciding that Dr. Randall’s sermon was “harmful to LGBT students,” the school reported the chaplain to the Prevent program. Dr. Randall is now suing for discrimination and unfair dismissal, with his case due to be heard the following month.

“Half-decent” is a very Kennedy term: it’s as close as the intensely self-critical singer gets to giving himself a compliment. So often on record, Kennedy sounds daunted: like he’s trying to find the courage to speak and the confidence to make his own way. Dermot Kennedy on stage at Electric Picnic in 2025. When you’re on stage you’re so intensely critical of yourself. “If you’re playing four nights in a row, it’s different nowadays.