Paradise Papers, Stephen Hawking and the Web Summit, and BT retains its 999 contract

Business Today: The best news, analysis and comment from ‘The Irish Times’ business desk

British cosmologist Stephen Hawking delivers a video message during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Web Summit in Lisbon on Monday.   Photograph: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images
British cosmologist Stephen Hawking delivers a video message during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Web Summit in Lisbon on Monday. Photograph: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images

The latest chapter in the Paradise Papers leaks shines a light on how technology behemoth Apple and US sportswear giant Nike shelter their earnings from tax. These latest leaks are no laughing matter for three actors from the Mrs Brown's Boys show who have been revealed as using offshore structures to shelter their income from income tax. Colm Keena has all the details from the ICIJ's investigations.

Artificial intelligence may "be the best or worst thing to ever happen to humanity", scientist Stephen Hawking told 60,000 techies at the start of the Web Summit in Lisbon on Monday. The wifi worked, too, as Charlie Taylor reports.

BT has retained its lucrative ¤50m contract to provide 999 emergency call service, in the face of competition from Eir. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details.

In local corporate news, Sonas Bathrooms in Dublin has sold a majority stake to MML Growth Capital Partners Ireland, while office technology supplier Digicom plans to add 30 jobs here. Ciarán Hancock and Mark Paul report.

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times