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Confidence among Irish chief executives has fallen to a five-year low as geopolitical tensions and the struggle to convert artificial intelligence investment into growth weigh on sentiment, according to PwC’s annual Global CEO Survey unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Just over a quarter of Irish CEOs say they are confident about their own revenue growth in 2026, with optimism more than halving since 2022. Globally, 30% of CEOs expect annual growth, the survey shows. Despite muted confidence at the company level,…

European leaders took the stage ahead of Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, seeking to present a united front as the U.S. president dangled tariff threats in a bid to pressure the European Union over Greenland. Trump is set to dominate the week at the Swiss ski resort, with a large U.S. delegation already promoting an “America First” agenda that runs against the grain of the global order cherished by the WEF. He will deliver a speech tomorrow and participate in other events on Thursday. European Commission…

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris will meet senior European commissioners as Brussels braces for a new round of EU‑US trade tensions, triggered by President Donald Trump’s escalating pursuit of Greenland and fresh tariff threats. Over the weekend, Trump threatened tariffs on six EU countries as well as Norway and the United Kingdom, saying they had opposed his ambitions to take over Greenland. The EU trades as a bloc, and any additional U.S. duties would likely be applied to all member states — including Ireland…

China’s birth rate fell to an all-time low in 2025 as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year, underscoring a mounting demographic crisis despite a raft of policies aimed at encouraging couples to have children. Official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show 7.92 million births last year, equivalent to 5.63 births per 1,000 people. That is the lowest rate since records began in 1949, when Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China. Births declined by 1.62 million from the prior…

At least 40 people were killed and 122 injured after a high-speed train derailed and was struck by an oncoming service in southern Spain late last night, authorities said, in the country’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning and visited the crash site. The collision occurred at 7:45 p.m. near Adamuz in the province of Córdoba, about 360 kilometers south of Madrid. State rail operator Renfe said roughly 400 people were aboard the two trains — an Iryo…

Irish citizen among group freed from Venezuelan prisons lands in Prague, officials say An Irish citizen previously imprisoned in Venezuela has arrived in Prague amid a wave of detainee releases involving several European nationals, according to RTÉ News and Reuters. Reuters reported that a plane carrying freed Irish, Polish, Romanian and Czech citizens landed at Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport, where relatives had gathered to meet them. Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the case involving an Irish…

Sydney records third shark attack in two days; surfer critically injured, northern beaches closed A shark mauled a surfer off a northern Sydney ocean beach, leaving him in critical condition in hospital with serious leg injuries, authorities said, in the city’s third shark attack in two days. New South Wales Police said members of the public pulled the man, believed to be in his 20s, from the water and began first aid before emergency services arrived. All of Sydney’s northern beaches were closed until further notice. Police…

Sydney records third shark attack in two days; surfer mauled at northern beach as closures widen A surfer believed to be in his 20s was critically injured after a shark mauled him off a northern Sydney ocean beach, authorities said, marking the city’s third shark attack in two days and prompting the closure of all northern beaches. New South Wales state police said members of the public pulled the man from the water and began first aid before emergency crews arrived. He suffered serious injuries to his legs and was taken to…

The White House has asked countries to pay $1 billion for a permanent seat on a new “Board of Peace” chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a draft charter seen by AFP and shared with invitees. The body—initially framed as a vehicle to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction—would be empowered to address conflicts far beyond the Palestinian territory, positioning itself as an alternative to existing multilateral institutions. Under the terms outlined in the charter, member states would be represented by their heads of…

DHS Targets Liberian Immigrants with "Worst of the Worst" Label In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement, more than 40 Liberians residing in the United States have been designated as part of a "worst of the worst" list by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This initiative, instigated by President Donald Trump's administration, comes amidst a broader crackdown on illegal immigration and follows the recent suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals from 74 countries, including Liberia. The…