Four thousand of the wealthiest, most influential leaders in the world descend on Beverly Hills, California, this week for the annual Milken Institute Global Conference, in what amounts to a peer review of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

Digital Rights Ireland and a US-based civil liberties group want to be joined to a pending case here over data protection rights with significant international implications, a High Court judge heard yesterday.

The US government wants to be joined to legal proceedings here involving issues of huge significance for privacy rights of EU citizens, arising from the internet transfer of their personal data to the US.

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is destabilising the US market, adding to the Swiss watch industry’s challenges this year, according to Marc Hayek, who heads Breguet, the maker of $100,000 (€88,750) luxury timepieces owned by Swatch Group.

Caterpillar was ordered to pay damages of $73.6m (€67.7m) in a lawsuit by a former supplier that accused the equipment manufacturer of misappropriating its trade secrets.

Enda Kenny has arrived in Washington ahead of his meeting with US president Barack Obama tomorrow.

I’VE JUST finished watching a masterful take down of the global tobacco industry — it’s so good it’s my second time viewing it, and won’t be my last.

Ten leading health campaign groups representing doctors and people suffering from cancer, heart disease and other life-threatening conditions have written to Cabinet urging them not to scrap the plain packaging anti-smoking plans.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing growing pressure from business leaders here and abroad to drop Ireland’s radical move to ban branded tobacco packaging.

The manufacturer of one of the world’s most famous tobacco brands, Camel, is banning its employees from smoking on large parts of its premises.

The Government has been urged to mount a counter campaign to resist the mounting pressure and lobbying to drop its radical plan to outlaw tobacco branding on cigarette packets.

Opposition is mounting to Ireland’s plans to outlaw tobacco branding after the foreign affairs minister was given a letter last week in Washington from 71 organisations criticising the move.

A disused food factory site is to become an attractive public market area in the centre of Tralee, Co Kerry.

The Taoiseach has been driving home the message that Ireland is “not a tax haven” during the first day of his US visit, but told a group of influential American business leaders yesterday that they had an “open door” to the Irish Government.

The Taoiseach is beginning the annual government visit to the US for St Patrick's Day today.

It was profoundly sad to read the comments (Irish Examiner, Apr 22) of the president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Donohue, suggesting that Ireland would be “a damn fool” to give in to demands to change the low corporate tax rate, or to create a fairer taxation system by increasing taxes on those with incomes above €100K. Greed and unabashed self-interest are alive and well.

Luxembourg will support Britain’s legal challenge to Europe’s proposed financial transaction tax, the country’s finance minister Luc Frieden said yesterday.

AMERICAN businesses are urging the Taoiseach to kickstart negotiations on a free trade agreement between the US and EU while Ireland holds the presidency.

The proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership free trade agreement could boost the economy by €800m per annum in increased GDP, and help create 4,000 jobs.

A bill to overhaul the US immigration system would likely be completed by the end of this week, senators said yesterday.

The Taoiseach will deliver a message that Ireland is making progress towards exiting the bailout when he meets US President Barack Obama in the White House today.

The race for the White House has seen viewers deluged by over a million TV ads, with little evidence that voters have been swayed, reports Jeanne Cummings

Egypt’s Islamist leader vowed to carry out tough structural reforms to overhaul his country’s ailing economy and create a better environment for business and investment, participants in a meeting between corporate executives and the president said.

TORN between reality and their political dreams, leading conservatives are defending Mitt Romney against attacks on his work in the private sector even as they search for a more palatable candidate amid a growing sense that his nomination looks certain.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has withdrawn a new set of draft air quality standards, saying they would harm the economy, but environmentalists complained he had caved in to polluting corporations.

LOOKING back at the milestones in the Irish economy as I move on to the next phase of my life might be more profitable as a final exercise than trying to predict future trends.

IRELAND fighting to hold onto its corporation tax rate sends a very strong signal to the international investment community, according to the chief executive of the US Chamber of Commerce.

The US Chamber of Commerce has said that "US firms will remain committed to Ireland only as long as Ireland remains committed to its competitive strengths".

DAMAGE done to our reputation could see the level of foreign direct investment drop in a few years time, the American Chamber of Commerce warned during the week.

THE president of the Limerick Chamber of Commerce Kieran MacSweeney received a pay-off of $460,301 (€347,660) on stepping down as managing director of a Shannon-based IT firm last year.

ONE of the best ways to ensure publication of a letter to the editor, ironically, is to begin by pointing out what a lazy shower some journalists are — especially those columnists who lunch, snooze, nurse gin and tonics and fret, God love them, over what the hell their next column is going to be about.

The US government will today announce new rules on compensation for top financial sector executives.

The next president of the United States will maintain his or her country’s strong links with Stormont, Martin McGuinness predicted today.

Microsoft is investing heavily in research and development as it prepares for a software revolution, Bill Gates told the North's Economy Minister Nigel Dodds at a meeting in the US today.

MIKE HUCKABEE, who won the Republican Iowa caucuses, said he expects the victory to boost his campaign in New Hampshire as voters support candidates who promise change.

OUTGOING IDA chief executive Sean Dorgan said yesterday he was “positive and upbeat” about the future of inward investment to Ireland.

IRELAND must keep its low tax rates to maximise its attractiveness for foreign investors, the head of the US Chamber of Commerce said yesterday.

The Taoiseach has highlighted the importance of US investment in Ireland at the US Chamber of Commerce in Ireland business lunch today.

NEXT month is going to be a very important one for the future of Irish healthcare.