5 things you need to know today

1.    FG willing to offer FF suspension of water charges

Fine Gael is willing to offer Fianna Fáil a temporary suspension of water charges in a bid to end the political deadlock. Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny is understood to have told the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin he will pause the levies while an independent commission explores a new charging regime.
The merry-go-round of government formation could finally be coming to a halt. There have been many twists and the turns over the past eight weeks but the ride is seemingly reaching the end.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has insisted he is willing to speak to Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil about facilitating a minority government. Mr Adams said he had no objection to talking to the two parties, but neither Micheál Martin or Enda Kenny have contacted him since the general election.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael has agreed a childcare deal with Katherine Zappone A subsidised childcare scheme worth up to €2,000 for working parents with children under three forms part of a key pledge Fine Gael has committed to in exchange for support from Independent TDs.

2.    Man with Irish links listed among Isis fighters

An Algerian-Irish citizen is among thousands of foreign fighters listed among Islamic State recruits in a cache of leaked documents obtained by international media. Documents from an Islamic State training camp contain a profile of a 43-year-old, referred to only by his nom-de-guerre Abu Hamza al Muhajir, who described himself as Algerian-Irish. In response to questions on a standardised form, he said he was married, in good health and worked in media. He spoke French and English and had "understanding of explosives and state media", according to the document. US president Barack Obama is expected to announce plans to send as many as 250 more US troops to Syria, bringing the total American presence on the ground to 300, to help fight Islamic State militants, officials have said.

3.    Rising number of students exempt from studying Irish

The number of students granted exemptions from studying Irish at second level on the grounds of disability has climbed dramatically over the past decade, a new study shows. An ESRI study found there is evidence to show some of those exempt from Irish are going on to study other languages, though the institute says these numbers are relatively small. Across the entire second-level system, the total number of students with exemptions in Irish rose significantly, up from about 20,000 in 2004 to 32,000 in 2014.

4.    Touching tribute as 1916 dead remembered

The families of the first fatality of the Easter Rising in Dublin and the first rebel to die were united yesterday in a simple gesture of reconciliation. It was an unexpectedly poignant moment on a day of marches, re-enactments, speeches and songs as communities across Ireland marked the calendar centenary of the 1916 Rebellion. Miriam Lord was at Croke Park yesterday where over 82,000 people turned out for a feast of football and the Laochra performance.    The "nobility and the courage" of those who had given their lives for Irish freedom was  recalled at events across the country.
In the US, 75-year-old Irish republican Matthias "Matty" Reilly called the Proclamation a 'work in progress' as its goals remain unfulfilled. Tá an oiread sin píosaí tintrí le léamh faoin Éirí Amach faoi láthair go gcuirfeadh siad mearbhall ort, a scríobhann Pól Ó Muirí. The 1916 Rising was not perfect, but it was an imperfect means to an imperfect end, writes UL student Seán Lynch

5. Take your pick…

Brexit campaign left reeling by Barack Obama: US president says trade negotiation could take up to a decade if UK leaves the EU

Cluichí coronach: Seans go bhfuil mise ar an duine deireanach ar domhan nach bhfaca eagrán iomlán de Game of Thrones faoin am seo.

Spoiler alert! 'Game of Thrones' picks up the jagged pieces: Is Lord Commander Jon Snow dead among the questions answered as new series begins

The personal and the political mingle in Nicaragua: When my father and I return to visit the country where we lived in the early 1970s, precious memories are offset by a sense of political disappointment

What is the point of the European Capital of Culture? Galway, Limerick and the trio of Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny are working on their final bids for 2020. But is it worth the mammoth effort?

Kerry's rising hopes ruthlessly crushed by Dublin: Jim Gavin's side appear to be getting better as they take Kingdom apart at Croke Park