Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Toomas Hendrik Ilves @ilvestoomas.bsky.social · 17h

Nothing says East Europeans are nothing but untermenschen not to be listened to like this tweet,

Reposted by Toomas Hendrik Ilves

HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies @hcss.bsky.social · 2d

How do the Baltic states – after decades of Russian oppression – view the future of our democracies? Will Putin risk invading Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania?

On Oct 15, join Estonia’s former president @ilvestoomas.bsky.social & HCSS expert Tim Sweijs at @debalie.bsky.social:

De Balie | At the frontline of Russia’s shadow war: In conversation with Estonia’s former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves - HCSS

Russian MiG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace on September 19th. The incursion lasted only twelve minutes, but the message was clear: Russia continues to test NATO’s borders. What does this mean…

buff.ly

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WIRED @wired.com · 1d

NEW: A professor at Rutgers University who wrote a book about “antifa” almost a decade ago is trying—and struggling—to flee the US for Europe after a weeks-long online campaign against him by far-right influencers was followed by death threats. www.wired.com/story/mark-b...

He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US

Rutgers historian Mark Bray is trying to flee to Spain after after an online campaign from far-right influencers was followed by death threats. He was turned back at the airport on his first attempt.

www.wired.com

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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 1d

This is pretty minor in the grand scheme of things, but it's is a symptom of how stupid and vulgar our politics have become that it's no longer notable or unusual for senior political officials to casually drop profanity in public remarks.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 2d

Seriously, politicians need to cut the f'n swearing:
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Politicians Aren’t Cool Enough to Curse This Much

Political leaders once watched their language. Now they delight in using obscenity.

www.theatlantic.com

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Toomas Hendrik Ilves @ilvestoomas.bsky.social · 1d

Oh boy.

"The espionage activities would be more in line with practices carried out by Moscow and Beijing, than an EU member country."

www.politico.eu/article/orba...

Commission to probe reports that Orbán’s spies targeted EU officials in Brussels

Hungary’s current European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi was in charge of the country’s embassy at the time of the allegations.

https://www.politico.eu/article/orban-intelligence-service-targeted-eu-officials-investigation-finds-varhelyi/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=alert&utm_campaign=Commission%20to%20probe%20reports%20that%20Orbán’s%20spies%20targeted%20EU%20officials%20in%20Brussels

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Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 2d

"Understanding [Russia's] long-term patterns of strategic deception is essential in order to effectively counter" them. Important long read from @katri.bsky.social and @atolvin.bsky.social breaking down how Russia shapes outcomes through narratives over decades.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Reconstructing Kremlin strategic deception: the logic of disinformation narratives during the first phase of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Official Kremlin rhetoric about the ‘special military operation’ produces clashing, often contrasting interpretations of reality. This article applies perspectives from Soviet ideological language ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 3d

I mean how can such a body be considered a court within the meaning of EU law...?

cc @kimlanelaw.bsky.social @rdanielkelemen.bsky.social @profkochenov.bsky.social @grabowskamoroz.bsky.social
@tjmcintyre.com

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Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 3d

Important but arguably flawed ruling with rule of law implications as this is possibly the 1st time a non-EU body manifestly lacking characteristics of a court IMO - US Data Protection Review Court - is nonetheless recognised as a court within meaning of EU law...
www.politico.com/news/2024/01...

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Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 2d

The NYT piece today links to Susanne Lohmann's research on protest in Dresden, which discusses how the painfully normal effect helps legitimize dissidence www.jstor.org/stable/2950679 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

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Timothy Burke @bubbaprog.xyz · 2d

i'm not sure how you can claim to cover things fairly and fully when you're using the bootleg name that is officially only a "secondary name" for the department

Jon Passantino @passantino.bsky.social · 2d

CNN is now using the Trump preferred “Department of War” name in its official statements

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Charlie Sykes @sykescharlie.bsky.social · 3d

Yes, Of Course, Trump Will Invoke the Insurrection Act

open.substack.com/pub/charlies...

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Toomas Hendrik Ilves @ilvestoomas.bsky.social · 3d

kyivinsider.com/channeling-i...

Channeling its Nazi past, Austria aims to lick Putin’s boots for cash

Austria is once again standing apart from Europe — this time not out of neutrality, but out of greed. In a move that has stunned diplomats across the European Union, Vienna has threatened to block the...

kyivinsider.com

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 3d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Prune60 @prune602.bsky.social · 3d

🇷🇺: STANDING IN LINE IS ACTUALLY A GOOD THING! 😅

doctorpiter.ru/obraz-zhizni...

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Toomas Hendrik Ilves @ilvestoomas.bsky.social · 3d

news.err.ee/1609822980/e...

Got another one

Estonian Defense League member jailed for collaborating with Russian intelligence

A member of Estonia's volunteer Defense League (EDL) has been jailed for four years and 11 months after passing information about Defense Forces exercises and the border city of Narva to Russia's Fede...

news.err.ee

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 4d

“.. On closer inspection, however, it turned out that the image was not a photograph of a real event in Portland, but instead a fabrication created by combining two photographs of scenes that unfolded in South America nearly a decade apart ..”

@theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 6d

I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’

I have been forced to move my classes online.

If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.

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Jorge Liboreiro @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social · 3d

The proposal in a nutshell:
- Russian diplomats will have to notify their movement to another member state (mandatory)
- Member states will assess the notification and decide whether to allow or deny entry (voluntary)

Which means implementation is likely to be asymmetrical.

Jorge Liboreiro @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social · 4d

The EU is seriously considering a new proposal to restrict the movements of Russian diplomats, a move long advocated by the Czech Republic.

Here's what we know.

EU considers new plan to restrict movements of Russian diplomats

If approved, the system would oblige Russian diplomats to notify in advance their intention to travel to or transit through another member state. #EuropeNews

www.euronews.com

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Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 4d

“Secretary Kennedy is entitled to his views. But he is not entitled to put people’s health at risk.”

Six former surgeons general condemn RFK Jr.

Opinion | Six surgeons general: RFK Jr. is a threat to the health of Americans

It was our duty in office to warn of dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Sanho Tree @sanho.bsky.social · 3d

Any wonder why they wear masks?

👣COCA👣 🇺🇦 @nortygirl.bsky.social · 4d

Chicago October 2025.......

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UNITED24 Media @united24media.com · 3d

Russia’s bombs may level cities, but they can’t bury Ukraine’s identity.

Ukraine’s foreign minister says every destroyed museum or church fuels a new kind of resistance—one fought with art, memory, and truth.

The Only Cultural Legacy Russia Leaves Behind Is Scorched Earth

Ukraine's rich cultural heritage garners global interest, supported by robust initiatives to promote Ukrainian art, literature, and music worldwide.

united24media.com

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The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.com · 3d

"Charlie works for you like your doctor, bound by law, regulation and codes of conduct. Why can’t the same frameworks be adopted for AI? We have learned from social media that power rests with the monopolies who control and harvest personal data. We can’t let the same thing happen with AI."

Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee

My vision was based on sharing, not exploitation – and here’s why it’s still worth fighting for

www.theguardian.com

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Szabolcs Panyi @szabolcspanyi.bsky.social · 4d

💥🔎🇷🇺 Our analysis reveals the scale of Russia’s massive propaganda offensive in Moldova: in 3 weeks, 9,900 TikTok videos were published and generated over 93 million views, created with artificial intelligence. Yet despite Moscow’s efforts, the pro-European PAS secured 50.2% in the Sept 28 election.

24/7 Russian Propaganda Blitz Hit Moldova Before the Elections - VSquare.org

Moldovans had faced months, if not years, of an information onslaught at levels beyond what just about any society has faced. In the end, the pro-European ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) w...

vsquare.org

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Col. Boozy Badger @boozybadger.lawyersandliquor.com · 4d

Dunno man, seems a little misleading to write an article about Trump describing activity in Portland and Chicago as “insurrection” with a 33 year old photo of a burning donut shop taken in the 1992 LA Riots (sans caption explaining that) as the header on all your posts about it.

The picture from
The article with a picture of an armed men standing in front of a burning donut shop. You must click through to read the caption “
Two National guardsmen stand guard outside a burning donut shop in Los Angeles on April 30, 1992.
The National Guard was called in to aid police during the second day of rioting in the city.”

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Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 4d

Claim: 10 cars rammed ICE
Truth: No cars rammed ICE

Claim: She boxed ICE in
Truth: ICE boxed her in

Claim: She shot a rifle at ICE
Truth: She did not have a rifle

Claim: ICE returned fire
Truth: Only ICE fired

Claim: She drove herself to the hospital
Truth: Paramedics found her

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 4d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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