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The North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and First Minister Ian Paisley with the gavel at the podium during a visit to the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street yesterday, during their first joint visit to the US.

Photograph: John Harrison/PA

Private practice concession offered to consultants
Hundreds of public hospital consultants with rights to treat fee-paying patients in "off-site" private hospitals will be allowed to continue with these arrangements if they sign up to a new agreed contract, under new proposals put forward by health service management.
Omagh fire victim made call to emergency services
A teenage victim of the Omagh fire tragedy died after she had made an emergency call for help to the fire service, the PSNI said yesterday.
1911 census details can be accessed online from today
On Sunday, April 2nd, 1911, a 28-year-old maths professor called "Edward de Valera" filled out his census form at home at Morehampton Terrace in Dublin. Across town, Oliver St John Gogarty did the same. In the marital status column he wrote "single", then crossed it out and replaced it with "married", apparently remembering Martha, his wife of five years.

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Ireland

Two men drown after car falls into harbour
The skipper of a fishing vessel has spoken of his devastation at the loss of two crew members who died when their car plunged off a pier in Co Galway on Sunday night. p
Rejecting EU treaty will make us a joke - McCreevy
Ireland will "be the laughing stock of Europe" if its citizens reject next year's European Union treaty referendum, Ireland's EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has said. p
Approval not sought for talks on casino plan
The Department of Finance was not asked to approve the National Lottery's decision to open exploratory talks between the National Lottery and a US-backed casino operator in the early 1990s, according to a Government spokesman. p
Father and son die in hospital after boat capsizes
Two Co Donegal lobster fishermen, a father and son, died in hospital last evening after they were dramatically winched to safety together from heavy seas by Coast Guard helicopter rescuers. p

World

Observers highly critical of Russian election
RUSSIA: International observers issued a highly scathing report on Russia's elections yesterday, describing the poll as "not fair" and highlighting numerous flaws including the "unprecedented" abuse of office by president Vladimir Putin. p
Doubters put brake on Chávez one-man rule plan
VENEZUELA: It was approaching midnight and something was wrong at Miraflores Palace. Thousands of people in red T-shirts were gathered below the balcony waiting for Hugo Chávez, waiting for another victory, but the hours dragged by and he did not appear. p
Teacher flies out from Sudan after pardon
SUDAN: The British teacher jailed for eight days after her class named a teddy bear Muhammad last night flew out of Khartoum for London after being freed on the orders of the country's president. p
'Fun part starts' as Hillary sheds gloves in Iowa
US: Shaken by the loss of her lead in Iowa, Hillary Clinton has made a dramatic tactical shift, a bandoning the lofty indifference of the frontrunner to move onto the offensive, attacking Barack Obama's character and honesty, as well as his policies. p

Finance

Moran acquires Bewleys hotels for over €500m
The six Bewleys hotels in Dublin and Britain have been sold to the Dublin-based Moran Hotel Group for more than €500 million. The three-star hotels have a total of 2,094 bedrooms. p
O'Callaghan's EMPG in $750m sale
The Barry O'Callaghan-led Education Media and Publishing Group (EMPG), formerly known as HM Riverdeep, has sold its college division for $750 million (€511 million) in cash and plans to use the funds to reduce its debt by about 10 per cent. p
Carroll, Smyth dispute Tallaght project
Property developer Liam Carroll has been joined as a defendant to legal proceedings relating to a planned €300 million mixed-use development at The Square shopping centre in Tallaght, Co Dublin. p

Features

Diverting the course of comedy
George Farquhar was not only the first major Irish dramatist but he also shaped 18th-century English culture, writes Fintan O'Toole p
A great time to be a child? Open your eyes
Give Me a Break: When your toddler is refusing to go into the car seat or your pre-teen is having a tantrum in the changing room at Zara, it's maybe not the time to ponder the issue of children's rights. What about parents' rights, you're probably thinking. Children seem omnipotent these days, demanding too much and respecting fewer boundaries than we did when we were kids. p

Sport

Ronaldo dives in for two
Manchester Utd 2 Fulham 0 If there had to be a criticism, it was that Manchester United ought really to have won by a country mile. Two-nil scarcely reflected their superiority against a thoroughly outclassed Fulham side but Alex Ferguson will content himself with the belief that the goals might come more easily this weekend when Derby County arrive at Old Trafford carrying the Premier League's wooden spoon. p
Cheika focuses on Edinburgh
Rugby It's a case of wait and see for Leinster's walking wounded as coach Michael Cheika named three previously listed casualties, captain Brian O'Driscoll, Girvan Dempsey and Stephen Knoop, in an extended squad ahead of Friday night's Heineken European Cup match with Edinburgh at the RDS. p
Revenue unlikely to take their cut
Gaelic Games News round-up The player awards scheme announced last week by the Government, GAA, Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and Irish Sports Council (ISC) are taxable, according to the Revenue Commissioners. However, in practice the awards are unlikely to result in tax being levied. p

Opinion

Soft options will cost us dear
Some people argue that many of our most pressing problems today are the fruits of soft- option, short-term past decisions. Michael Casey examines the consequences of governments funking hard decisions p