GOOD MORNING ALL.

Here’s all the news that you need to know this morning.

1. Vigils across the country

A number of vigils are being held in various counties today for Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. Two separate murder investigations are underway in Sligo town following the deaths of the two men in separate incidents over a 24-hour period.

2. 50 days of war

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Ukrainians they should be proud of having survived 50 days under Russian attack when the Russians “gave us a maximum of five”.

His comments come after Russia’s flagship sank in the Black Sea after a fire and explosion, which Ukraine claimed was caused by a missile strike. 

3. A dispute over a diplomatic visit

A security row has erupted after government officials used gardaí instead of military special forces to accompany Minister Simon Coveney on a trip to Ukraine, Niall O’Connor reports this morning.

Cathal Berry TD, a former commander of the Army Ranger Wing strongly criticised the move, stating that there is “a sense of betrayal” in the wing and the broader Defence Forces that they have been overlooked for a role they did in the past. 

4. Court appearances

A woman in her 40s is due in court charged in relation to the discovery of a woman (80s) at a residence in Dublin this week.

Separately, a man aged in his 60s will appear in court in Sligo this morning charged over a fatal house fire in Donegal. 

5. Mother and Baby Home redress

One of the remaining members of a forum set up to facilitate communication between the Department of Children and survivors of Mother and Baby Homes has stepped down from the group. Conrad Byran said survivors’ views are being ignored by the government.

The government’s planned redress scheme has come under criticism in recent months over a number of issues, including the way it excludes those who spent less than six months in an institution and the requirement to sign a waiver precluding them from taking legal action against the State. 

6. Time for change

Ireland’s Ambassador to the United Nations has said the UN Security Council needs reform. Speaking to The Journal’s Political Correspondent Christina Finn, Geraldine Byrne Nason said the veto that five permanent members of the UN Security Council have is “anachronistic” and a “historically unjust instrument” that “shouldn’t exist”.

7.  Keep calm and find a new bank

Customers of two major banks that are set to leave the Irish market – Ulster Bank and KBC Bank – do not need to panic and will have time to sort out new banking arrangements, consumer experts have said. 

Affected customers are, however, being urged to “take action” as soon as possible to avoid any mishaps. Among other things, customers switching banks may need to individually transfer over all of their existing direct debits, standing orders and subscriptions to their new account provider.

8. China’s Covid shutdowns

Coronavirus controls that have shut down some of China’s biggest cities as spreading as infections rise. The government reported 29,411 new cases yesterday, all but 3,020 with no symptoms. Shanghai accounted for 95% of that total.

The closures are an embarrassment to the ruling Communist Party and a setback for official efforts to shore up slumping growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

9. Careful now

Road users are being urged to exercise caution during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, with gardaí and the Road Safety Authority warning that Ireland’s road deaths for the year are on course to double compared to last year.  

Drivers are urged to slow down, wear seatbelts, not to drive when impaired, or distracted – particularly by illegally using your phone while driving – or when tired.