News Focus | Business Post

Against the grain: How Russia’s war in Ukraine is threatening the world’s food supply

Already a humanitarian disaster on the ground, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now looking increasingly likely to trigger a global food shortage over the coming months, with supply chains broken and potential shipping routes for grain cut off. With no end to the conflict in sight, the implications for numerous countries are potentially devastating

Living with mica: ‘It’s bulls**t about this being a full 100% redress grant, it’s just insulting’

Owners of crumbling homes say they cannot afford the repairs on their unsafe, leaking properties — and the government’s redress scheme designed to end the mica crisis is instead prolonging the trauma

Inflation once again: As prices and tensions rise, can the government prevent a winter of woe?

Amid a cost of living crisis not seen in decades, economists are counselling caution as the opposition demands decisive measures to lessen the pain

Developer rails against ‘diabolical’ process as Coolock housing plan is rejected

Having rezoned the former Chivers factory site from commercial to residential, developer Andrew Gillick wanted to build 550 affordable units for ‘normal people’. But then began a long and ill-fated email exchange with the Land Development Agency

Michael Brennan: Frustration for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael as Sinn Féin continues on record high

Struggling to grapple with the housing, health and cost of living crises, the coalition parties are watching Mary Lou McDonald steal their thunder on the issues of the day

The spirited billionaire: Bill Goldring’s Sazerac and its latest Irish whiskey play

The owner of US drinks giant Sazerac, which owns a portfolio of brands from Southern Comfort to Paddy, has just bought the Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo for a reported $70 million

Jeff Farrell: In Poland, Ukrainians are torn by the dilemma of returning home or remaining in exile

Weary of being displaced from their homeland for four months, many Ukrainian refugees are leaving Poland even as they are thankful for their neighbour’s hospitality in a time of war

The Big Interview

‘What’s the breaking point? How long can we absorb these increases?’ – Ciara Troy, food entrepreneur

The Dublin-based founder of Oishii Foods built her successful Japanese cuisine company from scratch, but is concerned now about the impact of inflation on her growing business

Collision course: Tech downturn casts shadow over web summit

The mood was subdued at Collision, the Web Summit’s sister event, with tech giants’ valuations plunging and concerns rising over climate change

Northern Ireland Protocol

Crunch time for the protocol: ‘Let’s call a spade a spade – this is illegal’

Britain’s move to dis-apply much of the Northern Ireland protocol is being viewed in Europe as merely a cynical attempt to reopen negotiations, thus placating the Tory party’s hardline Brexiters

Northern Ireland Protocol

Michael Brennan: As protocol row heats up, oldest and deepest fears revived

The dispute over Britain’s latest moves to nullify the protocol represents a huge and unwelcome difficulty for those trying to strengthen cross-community relations in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Protocol

Brinksmanship or battle stations: Who has the most to lose in a UK/EU trade war?

At a time of soaring inflation and slowing growth in the Irish, Northern Irish and British economies, a trade war between London and Brussels is the last thing anybody needs but fears are growing that it could still happen

A United force: Behind the scenes with Ireland at the UN

Since landing a seat on the United Nations Security Council in June 2020, Ireland has played a low-profile but crucial role in shaping global detente, with permanent representative Geraldine Byrne Nason finding herself back in the place where her diplomatic career began in the 1980s. In an age of conflict and uncertainty, she prides Ireland on having what she calls ‘an independent voice’ in the crucible of world affairs

‘All you’re thinking about is staying alive’ – a Ukrainian fighter returns home to Ireland

Last March, Stanislav Lapko left his home in Tallanstown, Co Louth to fight in the war against Russia. After three months, he returned to Ireland thankful to be alive, but haunted by the harrowing things he witnessed

Trouble and Stripe: The tech company that everybody loves is facing a backlash

The Collison brothers from Dromineer, Co Tipperary – worth $11.4 billion each – have seen their payments empire under fire from within and without, from its own disgruntled sales force and also from competitors

The Big Interview

‘You are more than able for this role, and we want you to want this role’ – Gemma Freeman of Dentons

The insolvency lawyer has risen to the top of a male-dominated profession – and credits the strongly pro-female atmosphere at her firm, Dentons, for much of that

Why America’s gun lobby leader Wayne LaPierre is under fire

The vice-president of the National Rifle Association is fighting to keep his job with a long-simmering controversy over the running of the organisation exacerbated by public anger over the latest school massacre in Texas

Money trail: Why Huawen’s clients want answers about their cash

The Huawen Foundation has successfully raised €50 million from Chinese investors wishing to avail of what is colloquially known as Ireland’s ‘cash for visas’ scheme

How ‘impostor syndrome’ led to billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes becoming an accidental activist

The tech billionaire called Elon Musk out on his promise to solve Australia’s energy crisis via an industrial-scale battery facility. Since then he has doubled down, and become an environmental activist like no other

The Big Interview

‘Corporate culture has torn the soul out of its own gifting’ – Jonathan Legge, &Open

The company’s ‘human-centric’ gifting services for multinationals, which is now switching its focus to include small and medium-sized businesses as well, all started as a result of a mix-up over a gift when its co-founder hosted a family on Airbnb