Ukraine invasion latest
Missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital on Friday as Russian forces pressed their advance and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with the international community to do more, saying sanctions announced so far were not enough.
The range of sanctions agreed by EU leaders will “hit hard” at Russia and its economy, but will not stop the attack against Ukraine, the Taoiseach has said. Ireland will feel the "economic impact" of the conflict, the Minister of State for European Affairs said.
Ukraine has lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear site and there are concerns staff have been taken hostage, with founder and CEO of Chernobyl Children International Adi Roche saying the capture of the sit could be considered a “war crime”.
Ukrainian president Zelensky said his government has information that “subversive groups” were encroaching the capital Kyiv as US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the city “could well be under siege”.
In sport, Formula One bosses have cancelled the Russian Grand Prix and Uefa have moved this season’s Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris amid the Russian invasion.
Tallaght shooting
A senior lawyer has been remanded in custody after gardaí charged him with the murder of Keith Conlon in a shooting on farmland near Tallaght in Dublin.
Diarmuid Phelan, 53, appeared before Judge Patricia McNamara on Friday morning at Tallaght District Court.
The deceased was a father of four from nearby Kiltalown Park. The dog breeder was severely injured in the shooting incident at the foot of the Dublin mountains on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Phelan's departure in custody from the courthouse area was highly charged as gardaí intervened when members of the public, hurling abuse, attempted to block and surround a vehicle bringing him away.
Sinn Féin TD quits party
A Sinn Féin TD has quit the party claiming she has been subjected to “psychological warfare”.
Clare representative Violet-Anne Wynne said her continued membership of the party had become “untenable”.
Ms Wynne, who recently gave birth to a daughter, said she was currently on “some form of maternity leave” and alleged that her pregnancy had been used as a “further stick to beat me with”.
She described her journey to Leinster House as coming from the “dole to the Dáil” and said she had navigated “great difficulties” to get there.
Covid outbreaks
Visitors to nursing homes are being encouraged to continue to wear a facemask amid a “concerning increase” in Covid-19 outbreaks.
Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) said there are 320 outbreaks open in nursing homes this week, with 43 new outbreaks reported in the last week alone.
It comes as the legal requirement to wear a mask in certain settings will lift from February 28th, although they will still be advised on public transport and in healthcare settings.
NHI chief executive Tadhg Daly said nursing homes are reporting the virus is once again “proving extremely transmissible once within the setting.”
