Ben Tonra

YouTube video by Prof James Ker-Lindsay Understanding Irish Foreign Policy | Ben Tonra

If you’re ever in the mood for a 40min survey of Irish foreign policy you might enjoy this: youtu.be/hv5ggSV2-vQ?... Me in conversation with Prof James Jer-Lindsay. Bring a salt shaker. 😆

Listening to a radio story about a Belgian trade mission to the US which is buying US defence materiel and securing a big investment by Amazon in Belgium “which will support Belgian small business” - genuinely not sure which is the more strategically short-sighted.

▪️This project is one of the fastest industrial defense projects in the recent history of the Netherlands. Usually the creation of such facilities takes years, but at VDL the first production lines were put into operation after just a few months.

a robot sits on a couch with the words that makes perfect sense written below it ALT: a robot sits on a couch with the words that makes perfect sense written below it

I want a halt to all AI development until we’ve stitched in Azimov’s three laws of robotics into the algorithms

Authoritarians in the Academy How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech

Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech

by @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social via @jhuartssciences.bsky.social press (2025)

#AutumnReading

The EU is preparing for war - are we?
Edward Burke is writing in todays @irishexaminer regarding the defence capabilities that 🇮🇪 should be focusing on.
Pick up a copy today.

Interesting article on Ireland's (hopefully) evolving defence posture.

If true that 75% of data cables carrying up to 95% of international traffic pass through or near Irish waters, then long past time Ireland took at least some interest in protecting them.

www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...

💯

The US is attacking Europe diplomatically, politically, economically and culturally - even as it withdraws from underpinning European security and defence.

This is the theme of a talk I’m giving next week @ucddublin.bsky.social University Club.

What I’d characterise as another ‘whistling past the graveyard’ piece.

The politicisation of US armed forces is not just the how/when/why they are being deployed illegally by the Tr*mp regime. It also speaks to the delegitimisation of the armed forces in the eyes of a large part of the citizenry. Generals may wish to ponder the medium/longer term implications of that.

This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate. We must now start calling this what it is: Trump's Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state's military troops. I call on Governor Abbott to immediately withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to coordinate. There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation. The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.

Statement from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

Russia is already doing it: you don't attack a country then tell them it's a "warning", even in a hybrid sense.

Europe's response should, indeed must be to shock Russia's economy into total collapse. Ordinary Russians will blame Putin for 'his' war and tear the regime to shreds.

THEN we negotiate.

We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.

This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power by the President of the United States.

America is on the brink of martial law.

Do not be silent.

The SAFE instrument, whereby the EU level provides loans to member-states to ramp up defence, has been more of a success than I had anticipated. The uptake by member-states is huge.

And, of course, profoundly driven by the threat perception of Russia (see Baltics!).

Great chart from Daniel Kral.

Terrific forthcoming event @ria.ie 4 November 1230-1430 "Irish Foreign Policy, the Troubles and EC membership 1969-1973" brought to you by the RIA's Committee for International Affairs and the Documents in Irish Foreign Policy project.

www.ria.ie/events/the-t...

MSF strongly condemns the killing of Omar Hayek by Israeli forces this morning in #Gaza. Our thoughts are with his family and colleagues.

Omar is our fourteenth colleague to be killed in Gaza since the war started. We call yet again for an end to the genocide.

Éirígí says Ursula Ní Shionnáin still member in 2018 when employed by Catherine Connolly in Leinster House Socialist republican group says language activist was still member of the group in year she got out of jail

Éirígí says Ursula Ní Shionnáin still member in 2018 when employed by Catherine Connolly in Leinster House

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

There is ‘naivety’ in Ireland over Russian threat, says Taoiseach Micheál Martin says Moscow must pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction as deterrence against waging war

Yes, there is, and it's mainly in a government that will not invest appropriately in Defence.

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Yes. 💯 % agree

Germany's Merz lashes out at Orban during EU defense discussions, Bloomberg reports According to Bloomberg, the clash between the two leaders erupted on Oct. 1 during talks on the EU's strategy to defend itself against the Russian threat and support for Ukraine.

⚡️Germany's Merz lashes out at Orban during EU defense discussions, Bloomberg reports.

According to Bloomberg, the clash between the two leaders erupted on Oct. 1 during talks on the EU's strategy to defend itself against the Russian threat and support for Ukraine.

EU leaders back plan for 'drone wall' to counter Russia European Union leaders have backed plans for a new defence network against Russian drones following recent incursions into European airspace.

European Union leaders have backed plans for a new defence network against Russian drones following recent incursions into European airspace.

Connolly defends trying to hire woman convicted of gun crimes after Taoiseach attacks judgement As revealed by The Journal yesterday Catherine Connolly sought to hire a woman sentenced to six years in jail by the Special Criminal Court.

Catherine Connolly has defended her attempt to hire a convicted criminal after the Taoiseach said her approach to the issue showed a "serious lack of judgement".
http://jrnl.ie/6832805t

“The difficulty in managing workloads, for example, may (at least partly) be a consequence of the flexibility and freedom afforded to academics...(that) autonomy was...also attributed to work intensification – especially in relation to invisible labour and struggles to manage excessive workloads."

First time I’ve seen this reported in the press after rumours among experts: BILD reports/confirms there was a “mothership drone” over Germany which sent out smaller drones.
Which a) really points to a capable actor and
b) is concerning because it increases possible reach of these drones

Can Paris and Berlin rescue their joint fighter jet project?

🇪🇺🦅 First steps taken in building ‘drone wall’ on EU’s eastern flank, — Euronews

🇱🇻 Latvian Prime said her government had already started investing in sensors and sound systems for the project, following advice from Ukraine and removing some bureaucratic hurdles.

Justin Tonra, an associate professor at University of Galway, warns students about the consequences of academic dishonesty involving AI tools and stresses the importance of human judgment and creativity in standing out in job applications.

Following today’s summit of EU leaders, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen didn't mince her words when speaking to reporters about increasing tensions with Russia.

Follow the press conference live here: ow.ly/n1oC50X5gyb

A Royal Dutch Air Force F-35A Lightning II displayed a marking of a downed Russian Shahed drone, likely shot down in Polish airspace on September 10.