Russian sanctions
A senior Russian official has launched a new stark warning over its sanctions against his country for its war in Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, was retorting to a comment by French finance minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday that the European Union was going to unleash an all-out economic and financial war against Russia.
Widow spider
Scientists in Galway have published the first record of a noble false widow spider feeding on a protected species of bat in the UK.
The new study, titled Webslinger Versus Dark Knight, published in the international journal Ecosphere, shows that false widow spiders continue to have an impact on native species.
It is the first time a member of the Theridiidae family of spiders has been recorded preying on a bat anywhere in the world, or any vertebrate in the UK.
Ukraine crisis
The Kremlin has denied that the Russian military has used cluster munitions in Ukraine and insisted that the Russian forces only have struck military targets.
Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that “the Russian troops don’t conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure and residential areas”.
Mr Peskov’s claim contradicts abundant evidence documented of indiscriminate shelling of homes, schools, and hospitals across Ukraine.
Irish citizens
There are 74 Irish citizens still in Ukraine as of this morning, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said.
Mr Coveney said Irish diplomats are currently in “close contact” with them, and are providing them “with up-to-date advice on what they should do.”
As the Irish Examiner reports, speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting this morning, Mr Coveney said the Government would be discussing Russia’s diplomatic presence here.
In recent days, Sinn Féin and others have called for the expulsion the Russian ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov.
National Slow Down Day
Gardaí have checked the speeds of almost 25,000 vehicles this morning during the first two hours of National Slow Down Day, with 123 motorists caught speeding.
With the operation running for 24 hours until 7am tomorrow morning, An Garda Síochána and GoSafe checked the speeds of 24,922 vehicles between 7am and 9am on Tuesday.
Drivers were caught speeding in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kerry, Sligo, Louth, Offaly and Meath.
Daniel O'Donnell gigs
Daniel O’Donnell is set to perform his first live concerts in Ireland since 2020 after they were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2022 shows will take place from August 25th to 28th at the INEC Killarney.
While most fans have retained their tickets for the original shows scheduled for 2020, O’Donnell’s management has announced that they are releasing a small number of additional seats in order to cater for high demand.
Ukraine donations
Making a donation to Unicef and the Irish Red Cross will immediately translate into warm soup, a bed and medicine for refugees fleeing Ukraine, according to Irish activist Adi Roche.
The chief executive of Chernobyl Children's Project International called on the Irish public to donate to the two aid organisations as the most effective way of “putting food in mouths” of refugees.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show, Ms Roche said that both organisations were already on the ground at the border which was “dangerous and chaotic,” where they were offering food, warmth and medical treatment.
