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

IRISH

Dublin Lord Mayor Christy Burke did this to celebrate the launch the Chinese New Year Festival. Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• Footage of President Michael D Higgins being heckled by anti-water charges protesters was condemned.
• One of the men responsible said he wouldn’t apologise.
• The Tánaiste said child benefit is staying put.
• A pedestrian died after he was hit by a truck.
• New rules on mortgage lending were welcomed.
• An off-duty garda was shot in New Orleans.
• Opposition TDs walked out of the Dáil following a row over a debate into garda misconduct.
• A man who was found injured after a garda chase died.
• A school that cancelled a homophobic bullying workshop said it would go ahead at a future date.
• A man was questioned over an attack on TD Michelle Mulherin’s office.
• A dog died after it was tied up and cooked alive.

WORLD

Wild geese head back to Serbia after spending the winter in Moers, Germany Frank Augstein / AP/Press Association Images Frank Augstein / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images

#BRAZIL: The worst drought in decades is hitting hard. [NewScientist]

#GREECE: The country’s new government wasted no time implementing reform.

#EUROPEAN UNION: A ruling gave the green light to integration tests.

#ISRAEL: As many as five people died in a Hezbollah attack near Lebanon. [The Jerusalem Post]

#MIDDLE EAST: Jordan looks set to swap an Iraqi woman on death row for a military pilot being held captive. [The Jordan Times]

#SPAIN: Ten priests were charged in a child sex abuse case.

#UNITED STATES: Residents in the north-east are digging their way out of the snow. [BBC News]

INNOVATION

• New technology could make potholes a thing of the past.
• Apple has made a lot of money. A lot.
  
• The process of how spiders can produce electrically-charged webs has been detailed for the first time. [Science]
• Snapchat is getting its own original video series. [TNW]

PARTING SHOT

The first woman allowed into a US medical school was admitted as a joke. She went on to be a world-class doctor. Read her story here [PBS]