GOOD MORNING ALL.

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

1. Ukraine

Russia has formally complained to the United States over its military aid to Ukraine, warning of “unpredictable consequences” if shipments of advanced weaponry go forward.

In a diplomatic note, Moscow warned the United States and NATO against sending the “most sensitive” weapons for Kyiv to use in the conflict with Russia, saying such shipments were “adding fuel” to the situation and could come with “unpredictable consequences,” the Washington Post reported.

2. Ukraine troops’ specialist training

The UK’s special forces, the ‘SAS’, have trained local forces in Kyiv for the first time since the war with Russia began, the Times is reporting.

3. Interview

Nadia Melnychuk, a Ukrainian woman who escaped from Bucha, shares her experience of the war, arriving in Ireland, and the beauty of the town she had to leave behind.

We were close to nature. Every Sunday, for example, I used to go to the park. It was really famous and people from all the Kyiv regions might try to see this park in Bucha. And in summer, for example, I was a practising yoga teacher, I would hold some yoga classes in this park and I went jogging through the woods and fresh air. It was really cool to be there.

4. Coveney trip to Bucha

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney also noted the beauty of Bucha during his visit there as part of his journey to the capital Kyiv, this week. He writes in the Irish Examiner today:

“The apartment buildings are tall, laid out in grids that allow for mature parks in the squares between them, filled with towering pines and children’s playgrounds. The standalone houses of Bucha had space for a smallholding and orchards. 

“It was not hard to see why, in peacetime, this would be such an attractive place to raise a family, close to central Kyiv, but with space and the beauty of the countryside.”

This contrasted with the horrors that have been inflicted on the town. Coveney noted the amount of family cars grouped together at one part. 

They had no armour but had tried to appeal to the humanity of the invading soldiers with Russian words like ‘children’, ‘civilian’ and ‘stop’ scrawled in red or white paint on the front and sides of their vehicles. It didn’t protect them.

5. Sligo vigils

Thousands of people have attended vigils across the island of Ireland in memory of two men killed in Sligo.

Aidan Moffitt, 42, and Michael Snee, 58, were found dead in their own homes in the town on the west coast earlier in the week.

6. Northern Ireland elections

How likely is Sinn Féin to win the most Stormont seats for the first time in Northern Ireland’s history, in the hugely important upcoming elections on 5 May.

7. Court appearance

A man aged in his 30s is due in court today over a shooting that took place in Clondalkin in Dublin that took place a week ago.

8. Twitter takeover

Twitter said that its board of directors has unanimously adopted a “poison pill” defence in response to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proposal to buy the company and take it private.

9. Irish Rail works

People planning to travel on Irish Rail this Easter Bank Holiday weekend are advised that revised timetables are in place on all routes, with bus transfers serving lines that have been closed. Essential track and overheard line renewal works are taking place between Grand Canal Dock and Greystones from today until Monday 18 April.