The war in Ukraine has entered into its second month today with Ukrainian President Zelensky calling for global solidarity and effective and unrestricted aid from NATO. US president Joe Biden has landed in Europe ahead of NATO, G7 and EU  summits. While The Pentagon has calimed that up to 10% of Russia's forces have already been lost in the war.

Unions today are gathering outside the Russian embassy in protest to the horror occurring in Ukraine. Kevin Callinan will be among the keynote speakers and will be joined by Larysa Gerasko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland. All support is welcome at the protest which takes place at 5pm on Orwell Road. 

School Secretaries voted overwhelmingly in favour to accept an historic new package of pay and working conditions, which places them all on public service salary rates after a decades-long campaign for pay equity. The deal, negotiated by Fórsa, significantly improves incomes and paid leave arrangements for low-paid secretaries, who the union says have been overlooked and undervalued for years. 

Fine Gael leader, Leo Varadkar, has indicated that a middle rate income tax of 30% will be looked at to ease pressure amid the cost of living crisis. The Fine Gael leader said on Wednesday that he had asked Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe to examine the possibility. 

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, insisted that there is no need to a return to socail distancing amidst the rise in Covid-19 cases once again. This comes after there was in the region of 50,000 cases detected over the extended St Patrick’s Day bank holiday.

President Zelensky has accepted an invitation to speak to the Oireachtas and Dail by video link on April 6th. An Ceann Comhairle has indicated that such a moment is an important one where Irish people can show their solidarity with Ukraine.

Lastley, in a bit of positive news, Met Eireann have suggested a sunny weekend with temperatures in the region of 17oc.

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On this day in 2005 the US version of 'The Office' premiered on NBC. Here's one of my favourite scenes from the massive hit.