A $350bn Anthropic IPO doesn’t make this a bubble
Of the five largest US companies, only one is issuing shares; the others are shrinking their floats. Photograph: Timothy Clary/AFP via Getty ImagesA $350 billion Anthropic stock market flotation would seem, at first glance, like the sort of thing that happens only at the frothiest market peaks. However, if you look at the signal that mattered most back then – equity issuance – today looks nothing like 1999. Of the five largest US companies, says Lamont, only one is issuing shares; the others are shrinking their floats. None of this rules out speculative pockets in AI, nor does it predict that an Anthropic IPO would be sensibly priced.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 22:51 UTC
Man arrested after gardaí recover 18 cattle taken by rustlers in west Cork
Gardaí have arrested a 31-year-old man for questioning about cattle rustling after they recovered 18 cattle worth €30,000 stolen from a farm in west Cork last month. Detectives arrested the man at about 5.30pm on Monday after 20 gardaí and some 15 Department of Agriculture inspectors spent the day searching a farm at Cappamore between Ballydehob and Skibbereen and found the 18 stolen Friesians. Gardaí worked closely with Department of Agriculture officials, who were able to identify the stolen cattle as they had been given new ear identification tags for dead animals. Gardaí also recovered the original tags from the stolen cattle. Speaking immediately after the theft of the animals, Mr Lawlor, who milks about 200 cows, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that the stolen animals were all aged between 12 months and 14 months and that they were worth about €30,000.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 22:41 UTC
Almost 15% of population were deprived of basic needs in 2025, CSO figures show
Photograph: iStockAlmost 15 per cent of the population were deprived of basic needs in 2025, Central Statistics Office figures show. People living in enforced deprivation are defined as those living in a household that cannot afford two or more of the 11 basic deprivation items considered to be the norm. A Social Justice Ireland analysis of the CSO figures found that 807,873 people were impacted this year, including almost 236,000 children. In 2025, 26.6 per cent of households regarded housing costs as a heavy financial burden, down on the 2024 rate of 29.5 per cent, the CSO said. Three in 10 single-adult households with children went into debt to meet ordinary living expenses in 2025.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 21:48 UTC
UN aid agency says Israeli police forcibly entered compound in Jerusalem
Israeli police forcibly entered the compound of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem early on Monday. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa) said that “sizeable numbers” of Israeli forces, including police on motorcycles, trucks and forklifts, entered the compound in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and cut communications to the compound. Israeli police and officials erecting an Israeli flag on the Unrwa compound. Throughout the war, Israel has accused the agency of being infiltrated by Hamas, allegations the UN has denied. The agency shut down its Jerusalem compound in May after far-right protesters, including at least one member of the Israeli parliament, overran its gate in the presence of the police.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 21:12 UTC
Irish Times journalist Mark Paul wins award for business news story of the year
Mark Paul of The Irish Times won business news story of the year on Monday at the annual UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards. Photograph: Aidan Crawley 26 September 2008Mark Paul, London Correspondent of The Irish Times, won business news story of the year on Monday at the annual UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards in the Westbury Hotel in Dublin. Details of the transfer were included in a trove of documents obtained by The Irish Times from UK records in a long-running investigation into Mr Quinlan’s finances. Now in its 18th year, the Smurfit journalism awards are sponsored by Bank of Ireland and covered seven categories. Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Ciara O’Brien and Hugh Dooley of The Irish Times were also shortlisted for awards.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 19:37 UTC
‘Catch remaining targets’: Leaked Teneo files pull back curtain on corporate lobbying
The group was being advised by Teneo, a New York-based firm, about how best they could lobby the EU system. The leaked internal records show how Teneo was brought in by ExxonMobil, Koch and the other companies to help them get both rules watered down. Members of the European Parliament vote during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on March 12th, 2025. The flag of European Union at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Other companies involved in the lobby group did not respond to requests for comment.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 18:00 UTC
Eighteen young people diagnosed with neurological disorder after inhaling laughing gas
Doctors at Tallaght University Hospital diagnosed 18 young people with a neurological disorder caused by inhaling nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” during a recent 20-month period, a new report shows. All 18 – the youngest of whom was just 16 – reported recent use of inhaled nitrous oxide, which is a gas used as an anaesthetic in hospitals and dental surgeries. They noted that many of the patients were using larger 580g or 640g canisters of nitrous oxide, rather than 8g canisters that had originally been popular in the recreational setting. Some of those admitted to the hospital reported using laughing gas for years, while others told doctors that it was their first time trying the drug. Nitrous oxide can cause inactivation of vitamin B12 in the body, which in turn causes damage or loss of the protective layer around nerve fibres in the dorsal spinal column.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 15:24 UTC
Murky bidding processes squeezing home sales
In a new report, property website MyHome and Bank of Ireland argue that Ireland's opaque system of property bidding is responsible for the low number of homes coming to market. Photograph: Getty Images/Agency StockGet the latest business news and commentary from our expert business team in your inbox every weekday morningPoor information and murky bidding are depressing the number of homes sold in the Republic, Barry O’Halloran reports. Stena Line wants to be able to sign much longer port contracts in Dublin, the ferry company’s chief Niclas Mårtensson tells Colin Gleeson. “Therefore, I need to have a reflection in the port contract that there is a willingness to have us there for 40 years. And finally, a concerned parent asks Dominic Coyle about the tax implications of their adult child living rent-free in their second home.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 14:44 UTC
Northern Ireland economy ‘underperforming’ Republic but exceeding UK growth rate
ESRI director and report co-author Alan Barrett said the goal of the research series is to assess how the two economies evolve over time. “While the rate of growth in Northern Ireland lags that of [the Republic], the rate for Northern Ireland is more than double that of the UK in the same period,” the report’s authors said. The North’s unemployment rate was also substantially lower than the Republic’s at the end of the second quarter, “although this must be viewed in the context of the lower participation rate in Northern Ireland”, the authors said. Data for the North is “generally available with more of a lag” than for the Republic, particularly in relation to demographic indicators, it found. [ Manufacturing in Northern Ireland definitely not a thing of the pastOpens in new window ]The economists said that developing comparable data on an all-island basis “could support more effective labour market planning”.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:57 UTC
Tolls, buses and remote working: The short-term solutions to M50 gridlock – The Irish Times
In the same 1990-2010 period, the complementary public transport infrastructure – the Luas Red and Green lines and initial DART expansion – was delivered. Have the road and public transport networks kept pace with the roughly 20 per cent population increase in the Greater Dublin Area? In the absence of adequate public transport connectivity, the private car has become the default – and often the only – viable transport option. This model, which integrates dense residential and commercial areas around high-capacity public transport, has proven successful globally in creating sustainable communities. If Ireland is to stand any realistic chance of meeting its legally binding transport emissions targets outlined in the Climate Action Plan, large-scale public transport projects must be built.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:03 UTC
Tech sector expected to resist online safety plans
Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan is to brief Cabinet this week on progress made on online safety. The Irish Times understands the Coalition has sought advice on strengthening laws that make senior executives liable for noncompliance with online safety measures. With increasing focus on online safety, Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan is to brief Cabinet this week on progress made on online safety. It is understood Mr O’Donovan’s department also sought legal advice on strengthening the liability of senior managers when noncompliance with online safety regulation occurs on a platform. The move in Australia involves a strict social media ban for children under the age of 16.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:02 UTC
Backlog of social welfare appeals drops by half
Photograph: Frank MillerThe backlog of appeals to decisions on social welfare payments has come down by almost half, the Government will be told this week. Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary will update the Cabinet on efforts to address the backlog. There was a surge of appeals to the Social Welfare Appeals Office in recent years, with the Department of Social Protection blaming the increase on demographic changes which led to higher demand for pensions, disability and carers’ payments. [ State writes off more than €15m in incorrect social welfare payments across two yearsOpens in new window ]Meanwhile, the number of appeals awaiting decision stood at 21,000 at the beginning of the year. Mr Calleary has recently told the Dáil that processing times for appeals increase as his department clears the backlog.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:02 UTC
Former car mechanic says allowances don’t cover expenses: ‘The bills are really squeezing us’
Former car mechanic Michael Meere (47) has multiple disabilities since a motorbike crash and two subsequent bicycle accidents. “These rates added together and divided by 52 gives me, up to now €271.14 a week on average across the year. He buys a bag of coal or a bottle of gas with his fuel allowance each week. “Where would one be going in all fairness, with a bag of coal being nearly €30 and a pack of firelighters €5 euro? The fuel allowance didn’t even cover that."
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:02 UTC
Up to €17m to be spent on technology to track and intercept drones
The planned drone initiative will represent the first component of an overall military radar programme. Photograph: iStockThe Government is expected to allocate between €15 million and €17 million next year as part of an accelerated programme to acquire technology to track and intercept drones. The military radar system is the Government’s key capital priority for the defence sector between 2026 and 2030. A number of security sources said the unprecedented event underlined the need for clearer protocols when rogue drones are spotted. The Irish Times reported last month that Tánaiste and then minister for defence Simon Harris had authorised officials to seek urgent delivery of a system to track and intercept drones.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:02 UTC
Where CAO points are likely to settle in 2026
Results in the aggregate in 2026 will be just under those in 2020 – which were more than four percentage points above 2019 levels. As you reference in your question, in 2020, given that there was no Leaving Cert, teachers calculated grades for their own students. These additional highly sought after places will see more students secure offers in high-points disciplines in 2026 and in the following years. Tertiary degrees offered through nto.ie offer students another avenue to their dream courses which take factors other than CAO points into consideration. She should ignore the issue of reductions in enhanced grades and focus on her studies.
Source:The Irish Times
December 08, 2025 12:02 UTC