Sunday newspaper round-up: Ireland, US credit rating, Trump

(Sharecast News) - Should Brussels fail to clinch a trade deal with the US, then Ireland's economy could either lose - or fail to create - 25,000 jobs as the White House looks to prompt US tech and pharma companies back home. The warning followed Dublin's decision to cut its growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026. A prolonged trade war meanwhile could see growth slow by a third in 2026 relative to previous expectations and fall below 2%. - The Sunday Telegraph Credit rating agency Moody's decision to strip the United States of its triple-A credit rating - the highest possible - could add to the pressure on US debt this week. The agency also warned about the country's increasing debt load and widening budget deficit. Moody's was however only the last of the big three agencies to cut its rating on US debt. The decision came as lawmakers in Washington blocked Donald Trump's attempt to pass a bill that would have cut taxes. - Guardian

The US President's greed is being displayed out in the open this time around, says Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University. Donald Trump has clinched many deals for the US and its companies during his Middle East tour. However, so too have his sons, who have inked agreements for a Trump-branded hotel in Dubai, a high-end residential tower in Saudi Arabia and a golf course in Qatar. His son-in-law, meanwhile, has secured $3.5bn-worth of investments for a new private equity fund from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

Gordon Brothers is among the frontrunners to acquire besieged retailer Poundland for a pound, a source close to the matter has revealed. The bids for Poundland from turnaround investors are expected on Tuesday, sources said. Among the other interested parties are Modella Capital, Alteri, Hilco Capital and Endless. - The Sunday Times