NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round up of today’s news.

IRISH

A performer at the New Year Festival's Procession of Light. Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• A pedestrian in Donegal was the first road fatality of the year. Meanwhile, it emerged that double the number of children died on Irish roads in 2014, with 196 deaths in total.
• A 40-year-old man died in a farming accident in Cork.
• Enda Kenny said he will be campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in May’s Marriage Equality Referendum.
• Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan apologised for a tweet in which he appeared to direct a four-letter word to political opponents.
• Gardaí renewed an appeal for missing teenager Daniel Kane.
• The first baby of 2015 was born just four seconds after midnight.
• Over 96,000 new cars were sold in Ireland in 2014.
• Water charges came into effect today.
• Businesses who sell online to the EU are subject to new tax rules from today.
• How was your first day of 2015? For these people it was cold but fun, by the looks of it.

WORLD

A man prays after laying flowers at the site of a deadly stampede in Shanghai, China. Ng Han Guan / PA Images Ng Han Guan / PA Images / PA Images

#CHINA At least 35 people were killed in a New Year’s Eve stampede in Shanghai.

#SYRIA More than 76,000 people were killed in Syria in 2014, making it the bloodiest year since the country’s war erupted in March 2011.

#INDONESIA The first victim recovered from the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crash site was buried.

#AL-JAZEERA Egypt’s top court ordered a retrial of three reporters who have been in jail for more than a year.

#AFGHANISTAN At least 28 people were killed when a rocket hit a wedding party.

#NORTH KOREA Kim Jong Un said he is open to more talks with his South Korean counterpart.

#DERRY Two petrol bombs were thrown at a bungalow where a 70-year-old woman was inside.

#AXE ATTACK Police are appealing for witnesses following a stabbing in Plymouth which left one man dead and a number of people injured.

INNOVATION

• Here is Silicon Republic’s round-up of the eight Irish innovations that “rocked the world in 2014“.
• The University of Notre Dame listed the emerging ethical dilemmas facing science and technology this year.

PARTING SHOT

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Some people may be nursing a hangover today after really welcoming 2015, but why do we get them?

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