Around 40,000 Northern Ireland jobs are at risk in a no-deal Brexit, there will be an increase in costs for businesses and consumers and hundreds of millions of pounds lost to the economy, a civil service paper warns. While the Government should be able to deliver on its pledge not to rebuild infrastructure on the border, some form of checks, particularly for animal and food imports, will be required in the Republic to preserve the EU single market. The EU Commission has warned that the economic outlook for Ireland “remains clouded by uncertainty” and is in danger of overheating.

The national minimum wage is likely to be increased to about €10.10 per hour for adult workers from next year. It is understood that the Low Pay Commission has recommended the minimum wage level should rise by about 30 cent per hour for adults. The increase is expected to benefit up to 120,000 workers.

Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) are staging a de facto overtime ban, which began at 7am on Thursday morning, in protest at what the trade union described as a lack of meaningful progress in dealing with recruitment and retention difficulties in the mental health services. Meanwhile, Education Minister Joe McHugh is facing a stand-off with schools over an enrolment crisis affecting 40 special needs children who have no place for September.

Irish adults spend more than 30 hours a week on unpaid care provision and housework, the third-highest level in Europe according to new research. The report, which trawls more than a decade of available data, focuses heavily on a significant gender gap – 45 per cent of women provide care for children and older adults compared to just 29 per cent of men.

The prospect of across-the-board cuts in mortgage rates has been raised. It comes after Ulster Bank stunned the market with the first cut in its variable rate in more than a year, saving a typical first-time buyer around €50 a month. However, some tenants living in rent pressure zones are still facing increases of greater than the permitted 4pc. New research to be released today will give the first major insight into how laws limiting rent hikes are affecting the market.

The family of murdered prison officer Brian Stack has received an apology from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on behalf of the force for the “failings and shortcomings” in its investigation.

As consumers become ever more concerned about environmental and ethical issues, pioneers in the global denim industry are cleaning up its act, making jeans 'green'.

The next Census, due to take place on Sunday April 18 2021, will feature a variety of new questions. Eight new questions will appear on the form in total. These will be on topics such as renewable energy sources, smoking, internet access and devices, smoke alarms, working from home, volunteering, childcare and travelling home from work, school or college.

Today's zen is a Facebook user that has amassed more than 195,000 shares after posting what he claims is a photo with 24.9 billion pixels! This interactive 360 degree photo, taken from on top of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, allows you to zoom in so intensely that you can see pedestrians facial expressions! Click on the photo below to see more.