Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 1d

Between 2019 and 2024 in real terms EU exports grew by 11%.

UK exports also grew. By 0.89%.

That's the total. Goods exports were lower in real terms in 2024 than in 2014.

Centre for European Reform @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social · 1d

@antonspisak.bsky.social of the @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social, a think-tank, observes that, after Brexit took effect at the end of 2020, Britain’s goods exports have grown less than those of any other economy in the G7 club of rich countries.

A dangerous post-Brexit world

Britain risks being an unwitting victim of EU-US trade wars

buff.ly

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 1d

It might be hard to convey to people outside economics just how seismic this is. The Trump effect has most certainly arrived to US academia.

Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 1d

I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 1d

An artificial heart for children with congenital heart defects was almost finished. Families had waited for years it.

Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.

The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

www.npr.org

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 2d

Fantastic news for @dublincityuni.bsky.social Well done to the faculty and wider community at DCU.

John Doyle @johndoyle.bsky.social · 2d

A terrific result for @dublincityuni.bsky.social 3rd ranked among the Irish universities, and top ranked in Ireland for Research Quality. We have increased our global position by more than 400 places since 2020. A great platform to have even greater impact, in transforming lives and socieites.

Dublin City University @dublincityuni.bsky.social · 2d

Great news! DCU is now ranked in the top 350 universities in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings @timeshighered.bsky.social, its highest position ever.
DCU is 1st in Ireland for Research Quality.
Read more here: launch.dcu.ie/3L2XCIQ

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 2d

Worth reading this thread, as always, from @peterfrankopan.bsky.social

Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 2d

Belarus rarely makes Western headlines — but it should this week.
A quiet move by the Trump administration has just handed Alexander Lukashenka, and indirectly Vladimir Putin, an unexpected gift.
🧵👇

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 2d

via @waterfordwhispers.bsky.social

Maria Steen Turning Up At Gates Of The Áras Refusing To Leave Until She’s Made President waterfordwhispersnews.com/2025/10/08/m...

Maria Steen Turning Up At Gates Of The Áras Refusing To Leave Until She’s Made President

A WOMAN who has never been a presidential candidate or appeared on a ballot paper has taken up residence outside the gates of Leinster House, vowing never to leave until she is made president of …

waterfordwhispersnews.com

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 3d

EU Commission proposes safeguard legislation to protect EU farmers from possible effects of EU/Mercosur trade deal ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Commission proposes safeguards to strengthen protections for EU farmers in EU-Mercosur deal

The Commission today proposed a Regulation to strengthen protections for EU farmers in the context of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA).

ec.europa.eu

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 3d

I will not back down.

Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power.

What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?

Donald Trump Truth Social Post: Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also.

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Prof John O Brennan @jobmaynooth.bsky.social · 3d

Social Media apps and smartphones are doing enormous damage to young people everywhere.

I’m glad to see some governments are really grasping the nettle and taking serious action.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s as PM warns phones ‘stealing childhood’

Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Andrew Weinstein @andrewjweinstein.com · 5d

It really is staggering to see so many people willing to abandon our 249 year experiment in democracy for an increasingly unstable criminally convicted reality show charlatan.

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 5d

Absolutely shocking - my heart goes out to @booksupstairs.bsky.social

The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 5d

‘Really shocking’: Independent Dublin bookstore damaged in arson attack

Books Upstairs manager hopes to partially open the D’Olier Street store later on Monday

www.irishtimes.com

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Donnacha Ó Beacháin @donnachadcu.bsky.social · 5d

Thirty years ago, we celebrated Eastern Europe’s democratisation

Now democracies are autocratising

The real threat isn’t only external. It’s the cancer of authoritarianism growing from within

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Liz Carolan @lizcarolan.com · 5d

If nothing else, Jim Gavin withdrawing is a financial hit to FF

They'll have banked on him getting 12.5% & his expenses back, €250k worth

MDH spent €75k on posters last time out; €53k on leaflets, Sean G. spent €18k on photos, plus staff, all those drones...

Nothing back now #Aras25

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: Extraordinary scenes in Amsterdam this afternoon (Sunday, Oct 5).

An estimated 250,000 bring the city to a standstill; people all wearing red to show solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸

(🎥 Ahmed Zantac)

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 6d

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s slapstick gaffe parade continues today. She countered criticism of her Reform-copy plan to take the UK out of the European Court of Human Rights by pointing out the US, Australia and NZ aren’t members of the ECHR.

The *European* Court of Human Rights.

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 6d

An inspiration. What a wonderful woman.

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 6d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Simon Kuper @simonkuper.bsky.social · 8d

The retirement age for moguls (Murdoch, Buffett, Armani etc) is now in the 90s. It will rise further for Musk, Zuckerberg et al. Meanwhile, politicians come and go like fruitflies. Me
@financialtimes.com on longevity reshaping the power class, + how Putin, Trump want some of that on.ft.com/46xjG6X

Why 94 is the new 54 for moguls

[FREE TO READ] The careers of moguls are growing to unprecedented lengths

on.ft.com

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Alice Stollmeyer @stollmeyer.bsky.social · 7d

🔥 Finally an EU leader says it out loud:

“We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies.”

Defend Democracy @defenddemocracy.bsky.social · 7d

President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!

We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 6d

Free Greta Thunberg and the rest of the illegally detained flotilla activists.

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 6d

Who could ever have imagined when I played a fictional rebel who joined the Resistance to oppose a criminal Authoritarian & wannabe King, it would be happening in real-life?

#TwentyfiveFortyseven

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 7d

Excellent from @gavinnewsom.bsky.social

Anil Kalhan @akalhan.bsky.social · 8d

Newsom: "If any California university signs this radical agreement, they’ll lose billions in state funding – including Cal Grants – instantly. California will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom"

California vows to ‘instantly’ cut funding to universities that cave to Trump ‘compact’

Governor Gavin Newsom urges schools not to sign ‘radical agreement’ to cuts to departments, students and speech

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

🌎🐎John Hyphen🎮🤠 @johnhyphen.bsky.social · 8d

the EU parliament is looking for a native-level irish speaker for a press officer traineeship, starting next march

it's paid (€1660/month, no tax) and is a pretty sweet opportunity to see how the EU sausage is made, and a chance to try brussels (if you're not already here)

deadline end of october!

European parliament Traineeships - Press Unit - Post E: Press Officer, Gaelic Language

Consultez toutes les offres d'emploi Parlement européen stage et postulez en ligne a nos annonces emploi sur le site recrutement Parlement européen stage

ep-stages.gestmax.eu

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Patrick Freyne @patrickfreyne.bsky.social · 8d

Everyone needs a refresher on how important, expensive & risky REPORTING is. Not opinionising, essaying, podcast shitetalking or YouTube gimmickry which are the main forms of media replacement to have taken root online. So glad small publications like Dublin Inquirer do it

The Fence @thefence.bsky.social · 8d

This article cost thousands of pounds to clear and months of time to report, and gave voice to a number of victims who had been hitherto ignored. We are a tiny publication with just one full-time member of staff. If you'd like to support us, please subscribe today.

www.the-fence.com/shop

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Jay Nordlinger @jaynordlinger.bsky.social · 8d

There is a joke told in Turkey. A prisoner goes to the prison library to ask for a particular book. The librarian says, "We don't have the book -- but we have its author."

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Reposted by Gerry Arthurs

Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 8d

If you're in Dublin next week come join me & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social at the Institute of International & European Affairs (IIEA) on Thursday where we'll talk about our new book Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics

Details: www.iiea.com/images/uploa...

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