BULLETIN: Coveney insists backstop won't be jettisoned; 40% of Irish jobs under threat from machines

Here's your lunchtime bulletin.

GET INFORMED ...

IRELAND: Tánaiste Simon Coveney has launched emergency measures to protect Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit, while warning that the Irish backstop will “not be jettisoned” by the EU at the last minute.

IRELAND: Two out of every five Irish jobs are at “high risk” of being taken over by machines. The towns most at risk of automation, include Edgeworthstown in Co Longford, Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan, and Cahir in Co Tipperary, according to a UCC report.

IRELAND: A Meath Garda Sergeant has labelled a suspected drink driving incident as 'the most bizarre yet' in taking the term drink driving to another level.

IRELAND: A new material developed by Irish scientists could increase the battery life of an average smartphone by more than 300%.

IRELAND: An Post is being accused of giving false hope to a rural community after it rebranded a post office with new signage... just a week before it plans to permanently close the service, against the wishes of locals.

WORLD: A man who drove a stolen car into crowds in Melbourne and killed six people has been sentenced to life imprisonment in what the judge described as “one of the worst examples of mass murder in Australian history”.

ANALYSIS: The Government’s list of scandals and crises continues to grow, but the citizens are seemingly incapable of getting mad, writes R. P. O’Donnell.

BUSINESS: The taxi-hailing app MyTaxi is to change its name, for the second time in two years.

SPORT: Rory McIlroy took pole position at the WGC-Mexico Championship after an impressive opening round.

SPORT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has offered Alex Ferguson the chance to deliver Manchester United’s team talk ahead of the crunch clash against Liverpool on Sunday.

... SOME DISTRACTION

FEELGOOD: Stylist Cathy O’Connor says the best thing you can have in your wardrobe is attitude, writes Margaret Jennings.

SHOWBIZ: Westlife's Mark Feehily has announced his engagement to his long-time partner.

CULTURE: Chvrches played a blinding gig at the Olympia in Dublin last night. Ed Power was there to review it.

EXAMVIRAL: Here’s how Michael Healy-Rae reacted to the drone sighting at Dublin Airport.

FEATURES: Ask Audrey's weekly column: 'I'm pretending to be from Monkstown, but I'm really just a wan from Turners Cross'.