Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 1m

I find it hard to believe that the UK has had 127 ‘mass shootings’ since 1950…

Scott L Greer @scottlgreer.bsky.social · 1h

I’ll go for: other countries with more democratic political institutions (eg no unrepresentative Senate, better Supreme Court) regulated guns before the internet turned mass shooting into a severely contagious phenomenon

Rob Arnol @robertarnol.bsky.social · 1d

Mass shootings by year and country.

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 15m

An immobile home - that cost £495,000 in February 2022.

There’s one here in Almeria for sale for €12,000 - but has been awaiting a buyer at least 3 years. I suspect it’s not in good nick

The i Paper @theipaper.com · 43m

I make £35k a year by renting out my mobile home – I don’t pay council tax or stamp duty trib.al/P8RdFUE

I make £35k a year by renting out my mobile home - I don't pay council tax or stamp duty

Nick Holroyd bought the property for cash after selling a flat. He hopes to make even more income from his holiday home by the end of the year

inews.co.uk

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 23m

The much-needed modernisation of the U.S. Army’s battlefield communications network being undertaken by Anduril, Palantir
and others “is rife with fundamental security problems and vulnerabilities” and “should be treated as very high risk,” according to a recent internal Army memo.

Steve Townsend ❌👑 @stevetownsend0.bsky.social · 15h

Spoiler alert: sourcing to modernize from Ukraine would save money and be better than sourcing from Thiel's #NerdReich buddies at Palantir, Anduril and co
❌ Peter Thiel
❌ Alex Karp
❌ Palmer Luckey
www.cnbc.com/2025/10/03/a...

Anduril and Palantir battlefield communication system 'very high risk,' US Army memo says

Anduril and Palantir battlefield communication system has high-risk security problems according to a recent internal Army memo.

www.cnbc.com

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Philip Obaji Jr. @philipobaji.bsky.social · 10h

For months, the Russian army has secretly recruited hundreds, if not thousands, of jobless migrant workers in Qatar to fight on the frontline against Ukraine. Many of the recruits are Africans.

josimarfootball.com/2025/09/25/t...

The migrant soldiers - josimarfootball.com

For months, the Russian army has secretly recruited hundreds, if not thousands, of jobless migrant workers in Qatar to fight on the frontline against Ukraine.

josimarfootball.com

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 36m

“The idea that everyone working in a relatively small organisation should meet one another from time to time would seem unremarkable in most walks of life. But until Baird arrived at the commission and the former chief executive left, it was unheard of”

rozenberg.substack.com/p/an-inspect...?

An inspector calls

Criminal Cases Review Commission wants its casework marked

rozenberg.substack.com

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 42m

The European Parliament overwhelmingly voted on 9 October in favour of a resolution condemning Russia’s recent escalatory actions in violating Polish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Romanian airspace & deliberate drone incursions aimed at critical infrastructure in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 4h

NEW: EU and NATO states continue to take steps to increase European defenses against covert and overt Russian attacks. FT reported on October 9 that four NATO officials stated that NATO states are discussing more forceful responses to Russia’s increasingly provocative actions. isw.pub/UkrWar100925

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 4h

2/ The Kremlin continued its reflexive control campaign aimed at deterring the US from selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, including by threatening to deploy missiles to Cuba. The Kremlin is trying to invoke memories of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis to threaten the United States.

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 52m

Spain is among NATO’s lowest spenders with defence expenditures of less than 1.2% of GDP in 2023. Sánchez has now doubled defence expenditure, to 2.1% of GDP. It is one of Europe’s largest defence industry contractors.

Christian Thiels @christianthiels.bsky.social · 1h

"U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested NATO should consider ousting Spain from its alliance over the country’s trailing defense spending."
@politico.eu
www.politico.eu/article/trum...

Trump suggests booting ‘laggard’ Spain from NATO over defense spending

The U.S. president demanded that alliance members allocate 5 percent of GDP to defense spending. Spain was the only country to refuse to commit to the benchmark.

www.politico.eu

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 57m

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 1h

Reposted by Chris Rivers

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 12h

I for one wasn't aware they'd even started.

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 8h

The lies are becoming pure fantasy lately. Time for the 25th amendment.

Screenshot of a tweet from Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) on X featuring a clip of Donald Trump speaking. The tweet quotes Trump saying: ‘I don’t know what could be worse than Portland. You don’t even have stores anymore. They don’t even put glass up. They put plywood on their windows.’ The image below shows Trump seated at a table with a microphone and water cup, speaking during a meeting.

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Marlowe_UK @irishdreamer.bsky.social · 12h

I suspect Farage has overstepped today with his idiotic comments about teachers.

Politicians can go after him for this now, from all sides.

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 8h

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the NATO alliance should consider expelling Spain from the bloc and that his administration may impose additional sanctions on Russia.

Trump says Spain could be expelled from NATO, hints at more Russia sanctions

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the NATO alliance should consider expelling Spain from the bloc and that his administration may impose additional sanctions on Russia.

anewz.tv

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 11h

The European Commission is going to investigate allegations that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government placed intelligence officers in Brussels to gather information on EU institutions and recruit an EU official.

www.reuters.com

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 10h

The advice I give young people on choice of degree programme. Choose something you love. You’ve got the rest of your life to be frustrated and miserable.

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Reposted by Chris Rivers

Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 8h

If they'd take just some of those hundreds of billions of dollars they're putting into AI and used it to invent a device that puts the duvet in the cover for you without it becoming a WWF cage match, I think it might do more good for humanity.

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 8h

Lucy Powell would not accept a cabinet post as deputy Labour leader. Such a stance would make her the first Labour party deputy leader since George Brown (1960–70) on the backbenches.

It’s daft. The deputy leader needs to be in Cabinet, just as Rayner was.

morningcall.substack.com/p/morning-ca...

Morning Call: Lucy Powell: I’m already moving Labour leftwards

The first of our deputy leadership interviews

morningcall.substack.com

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 8h

Last Thursday, 35-year-old Jihad al Shamie rang 999 during his deadly synagogue terrorist attack [called a ‘rampage’ by Sky News], pledging allegiance to ISIS in Syria, the country he had escaped as a child.

news.sky.com/story/man-ar...

Man arrested and released over Manchester synagogue attack is rearrested at city's airport

The 30-year-old was detained again on Thursday - as members of the synagogue community gathered to pray and mourn, a week on, victims of the deadly attack.

news.sky.com

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 12h

Renewed my digital Spain National ID/Residence card today. Queued less than 10 mins, supplied fresh photos, good to go for another decade.

Yet at lunch a Brit visitor dismissed the idea, so does one of our adult daughters. British attitudes are bizarre.
politicshomecom.cmail20.com/t/t-e-ghdthi...

PM Admits He Must "Make The Case" For Benefits Of Digital ID

politicshomecom.cmail20.com

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 12h

On average, US children get nearly two-thirds of their calories from ultraprocessed foods packed full of additives and high-calorie sugars, salt and fat, according to a recent CDC report. California has now banned this practice in preparation of school meals.

www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/h...?

More than half of the calories US kids and adults consume are from ultraprocessed foods | CNN

Most of the American diet is comprised of calories from ultraprocessed foods, which have been linked to a myriad of poor health outcomes and are a key target in US Health and Human Services Secretary ...

www.cnn.com

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 12h

Was it worth it?

More than 100,000 people are on organ transplant waiting lists in the US, each holding onto hope for the chance of a healthier, longer life.

NB: Spain is the world #1 for transplants.

www.cnn.com/2025/10/09/h...?

A man in China lived more than 170 days after transplant with pig liver, doctors report | CNN

Doctors in China say they transplanted a genetically modified pig liver into a 71-year-old man who lived 171 days after the procedure, and 38 of those days were with the pig organ in place – a first t...

www.cnn.com

Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 12h

David Aaronovitch - extract.

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Chris Rivers @chrisrivers50.bsky.social · 13h

Recent polls suggest almost 40% of Spanish men aged between 18 and 34 plan to vote for Vox, the far-right party. Vox won its first seat in the Spanish parliament in 2019 and now it is surging again. 20% of young women also say they would vote for Vox.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...?

In Spain, what once seemed impossible is now widespread: the young are turning to the far right | María Ramírez

Migration is barely mentioned – instead, failed policies on housing, wages and employment are driving young voters into the arms of Vox, says María Ramírez, deputy managing editor of elDiario.es

www.theguardian.com