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

IRELAND

Pictured are Mum and Dad, Christine and Gareth O’Leary, from Firhouse in County Dublin, with their baby son Cian who was born at 01.41am. He weighed in at 2.9kg or 6lbs 4oz and is the O’Leary’s first child. Leah Farrell / Rollingnews.ie Leah Farrell / Rollingnews.ie / Rollingnews.ie

• The first baby of the new year was born just a few seconds after midnight
• Gardaí have appealed for information after a Polish man was stabbed and killed in Co Cavan last night
• A taxi driver was held up with a ‘fake’ gun in Dublin
• A number of Budget changes kicked in today
• A man was charged with assault causing harm following a stabbing in Clare
• The number of people obtaining citizenship through descent has more than doubled
• The Guinness Storehouse is still the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland
• A man was charged in connection to the murder of a man in Limerick
• After 10 years, Ireland is to finally ratify UN Convention on rights of people with disabilities
• Irish people have been warned that they are being ‘ripped off’ by ATMs in foreign countries
• These brave souls took to the sea for a New Year’s Day swim

WORLD

Fire crews at the multi storey car park near the Echo Arena in Liverpool, after last night's fire which destroyed hundreds of cars. Peter Byrne / PA Peter Byrne / PA / PA

#LIVERPOOL: Every single car in a 1,600-capacity Liverpool car park was destroyed in a New Year’s Eve blaze.

#CALIFORNIA: Marijuana is legal for recreational use in the State of California from today.

#IRAN: The death toll continues to rise in Iran as protesters ‘attempt to take over police stations and military bases’.

PARTING SHOT

Well, that’s the first day of 2018 under our belts – but this is how the day began this morning. Happy New Year.

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