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Govt needs to be clear with citizens about potential costs of OTB. US anti-boycott laws could cripple American companies here and encroachment into EU trade competence could bring conflict with Brussels. Fine if the public accepts costs, but debate needed ft.com/content/cb2647…

Plenty of issues with third level education sector in Ireland, including whether its suits so manyu, but it is certainly working. Two thirds of 25-34 year olds have tertiary qualifications, highest in Europe.

Europe suffers tech envy when it looks across the Atlantic, but employment in the sector is exploding, up almost two thirds (+4 million) in a decade. PS Total employment in the EU is up 10% over the decade, the same rate as the US.

It must be imperial nostalgia irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/0…

Talk of Irish 'leadership' on any distant conflict is odd if not delusional. No country looks to Ireland for leadership on this conflict, just as they don't take their lead from any other small (or even big) western European country. rte.ie/news/2025/0527…

Another view, again borderline delusional IMHO, is that because Ireland had a peace process, we have a unique insight into the Israel-Palestine conflict. Spaniards/Basques don't claim this because European conflicts are so different: depth of divisions, dynamics, regional context

Average weekly earnings top €1,000 a week for the first time. With earnings rising by 5.6% in the first three months of 2025 (compared to a year earlier) and consumer prices up 2% over the same timeframe, inflation-adjusted earnings are growing strongly.

Average earnings in lots of sectors are still below 2020 levels in real terms - consumer prices rose by 23% over the past five years. Economy-wide, inflation adjusted earnings are up 5% over five years. Curiously, construction is the second weakest sector, down 5% over 5 years.

Missed a discussion on food prices on radio earlier in the week. Worth posting what latest Central Statistics Office Ireland data from April. From a 5% annual decline in margarine prices to a 16% increase in butter prices, there is a lot of variance, as always.

Recent trends in global food prices here.

Romania's economy has been transformed over three decades, with GDP per capita tripling. Yet it is a country in some turmoil. Tune into IIEA discussion at 1pm to learn more. iiea.com/events

Czechia accuses China of a cyber attack on its foreign ministry. Some naively belief that Irish neutrality protects the country from such attacks. The opposite is more likely to be the case.

The collapse in fertility across East Asia since 2017 has been extraordinary. The widely held assumption that this century would be the Asian century is now very much in doubt.

Ireland 🇮🇪 supports the statement from the HRVP and joins EU partners in standing in solidarity with Czechia 🇨🇿 regarding the malicious cyber campaign that targeted its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Democratic Europe is rearming.

Does any other neutral country give foreigners a veto on how they deploy their soldiers?

Finland’s defence minister: Russia will highly likely continue strengthening and developing its armed forces, and hybrid warfare in all the domains…China has enabled Russia’s war effort in Europe.” Points to “intensifying hybrid ops” incl cable sabotage in Europe and Asia.

Catching up on the week's events. On Thursday, the Taoiseach said Israel was engineering a campaign against Ireland (5 mins in). Haven't seen any details or follow up on this. Any links I may have missed appreciated. rte.ie/player/series/…