Top Stories

The brains who powered China’s surprising AI leap

University lab nurtured the computer scientists who are using ingenuity and imitation to chase down Anthropic and OpenAI; ‘they know perfectly how to monetize their work’, writes Raffaele Huang, The Wall Street Journal.

Date set for shareholder vote on £5.75bn DCC Energy takeover

DCC Energy shareholders are to meet in Dublin next month following a Commercial Court application. The structure of the shareholding described as "plain vanilla" could see members receive up to £67.97 per share.

With tourism stalled, Hawaii chases the startup wave

State officials believe a handful of high-tech enterprises can seed new industries and keep skilled workers from fleeing to the mainland, writes Owen Tucker-Smith, The Wall Street Journal.

QuinnBet to pay €710,000 over AML and customer protection shortcomings

The UK’s gambling commission found that QuinnBet had insufficient checks on source of funds and vulnerable customers, with one person placing more than 11,000 bets in two days.

ICG’s independent board warns €1.2bn MBO offer will “likely fail” based on votes so far

The independent ICG Board, which is backing the MBO offer, has told the stock exchange the group's share price "may" fall back if the bid fails. Oxy Capital, a 1.4% shareholder, meanwhile has issued a further statement urging shareholders to oppose the offer.

A custodian, not an owner: Amanda Torrens on leading Barberstown Castle

The same day the Donegal native sold her nursing-home business Brindley to France's Orpea in 2021, she bought the iconic Co Kildare castle for €15m. Five years on, she is revelling in her role at the helm.

The Irish helicopter lessor, the Chinese owner and the Belgian security alarm

GD Helicopter Finance, based in Dublin and owned by China’s GDAT, tried to buy a Belgian helicopter operator but a government minister said the deal was risky for national security.

Bonds are getting hammered, and Wall Street says the rout won’t end anytime soon

With yields on 30-year U.S. Treasurys at 19-year highs, investors predict a new era in the bond market. And it looks a lot like 2007, write Sam Goldfarb and Richard Rubin, The Wall Street Journal.

Top Voices

Thomas Hubert: Social media platforms won’t tackle dangerous driving, but car makers could

There are countless ways existing vehicle technology can override dangerous drivers. Cars should no longer be sold without it.

Dan O’Brien: Employment is the best measure of the economy – and the reading is good

The impact of AI on jobs appear to be slight and slow – for now. Competition for workers between employers in the growing construction and hospitality industries is a bigger factor shaping Ireland's economy.

The Collisons have outgrown the Irish story we tell about them 

John and Patrick Collison have spent 15 years building Stripe into one of the world’s most valuable private companies. And their recent M&A activity shows they are just getting going.

Stuart Fitzgerald: How Danny Buckley defied the odds to deliver thousands of diagnostics with ADHD Now

A widower’s grief and neurodivergence led him into a “spiral” – until he found the strength to turn them into a revolutionary healthcare business.

Colm McCarthy: Ireland is letting the white elephants roam free

August is peak time for pre-Budget lobbying, and Ireland’s politicians are being presented with plenty of schemes that deserve much more scrutiny than they are getting.

Life on the air: the amazing Pat Keys

Aged 90, the founder of Off Air Electronics installed broadcasting systems in the world’s most unlikely locations. His memoir is about to be published.

Information wars, pseudonostalgia, and the many delusions of the manosphere 

Government intervention is looking to stop a movement. Little do they know, they’re mistaking the smoke for the fire, writes Kate Demolder.

John Looby: Trump is the most significant president since FDR 

After Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt, the 80-year presidential cycle that periodically redefines the US is now playing out with the Trumpian destruction of trust and shredding of global alliances.