Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Stathios Ballas

National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 9h

Have you seen shades of autumn creeping in near you?

Our gardeners expect a gradual build of colour to wow visitors over the coming weeks: buff.ly/sBCrmCY

Photo: Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex by Nick Dibble

#BBCNatureWeek

Looking across a still pool of water in a landscape garden. The water is surrounded by trees and shrubs in shades of green and red on a sunny day

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 40m

Thank you again!

Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 3h

Donald Trump continues to wage a war on his political enemies.

How far will the courts, the media, and the American people let him go?

We discuss this, and other big news of the week, on a new Coffee Klatch.

Join us.

Trump’s War on America | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Robert Reich

youtu.be

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 52m

"In Madhya Pradesh, 14 children have died and 8 remain in hospital after taking the cough syrup Coldrif. Tests later revealed the medicine contained dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol, and authorities have since banned it. Some of the deaths were caused by kidney failure."

Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 54m

Absolutely tragic 👇! And worse because it was preventable. This is negligence in India's health authority and the failure to regulate OTC medical products.
www.dw.com/en/toxic-cou...

Toxic cough syrup kills 14 children in India – DW – 10/07/2025

Public outcry has erupted in India as people demand a full investigation into the deaths of 14 children linked to the cough syrup brand Coldrif. The country also faces scrutiny after its syrups were l...

www.dw.com

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 1h

"The measures cover eight individuals - seven Russian citizens and one North Korean resident - and 14 companies registered in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and the Seychelles."

👍

Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Euromaidan Press @euromaidanpress.bsky.social · 1h

Ukraine and Japan have sanctioned Russian military suppliers operating across five countries

The coordinated sanctions show how Moscow relies on a global network - from China and Türkiye to Kazakhstan and the Seychelles

euromaidanpress.com/2025/10/11/u...

Ukraine aligns new sanctions with Japan, targeting Russian military suppliers in China, Türkiye, Kazakhstan

The measures target eight individuals and 14 companies in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and the Seychelles, with 10-year asset freezes and trade restrictions.

euromaidanpress.com

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 1h

Nice. The most welcome news so far today.

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🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · 3h

❗️🇺🇦Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet using 🇺🇸American GBU39 guided bombs strikes 🇷🇺Russian artillery positions

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Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 2d

Please join me in raising funds for medical cargo buses and trucks with electric jamming for brigades of Ukraine's Khartiia Corps. These automobiles make the difference between whether people survive or not. We can do something very specific and meaningful to help.
www.help99.co/patches/timo...

Timothy Snyder: Freedom is Action

Professor Timothy Snyder – a prominent voice of freedom, teams up with NAFO to fundraise for ten trucks and ten cargo buses with anti-drone jamming systems. These will transport and protect those who ...

www.help99.co

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 1h

It turns out that far more people are low information than we (and they) suspected.

Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 2h

To summarize. If Trump wanted to send Ukraine Tomahawks, he could right now. If Trump wanted to sanction Russia, he could right now. If Trump
wanted to seriously bolster Ukrainian air defense against Russia drones/missiles, he could right now. But he’s not, so he doesn’t want to.

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 2h

And he could have done so anytime after the inauguration. But he didn’t. Instead he staged a nationally broadcast Kremlin-disinformation filled propaganda event using Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as his foil, as the object of feigned outrage.

That is the opposite of aiding Ukraine.

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 2h

And yet: how immensely troubling it is to still hear legal scholars & former neocons claim that we “still have democracy.” Clearly, there are far too many for whom this word “democracy” lacks clear & consistent definition.

Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 1d

The man was 77 years old and his wife previously organized one of the local ‘No Kings’ protests. All he did was write ‘You Lack Values’ and got an intimidation visit from Desantis’s Gestapo.

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 2h

“Border guards observed an unusually large presence of Russian military personnel near the crossing on the evening of Oct. 9…
"Russian border guards routinely patrol the area near Saatse, as it lies within their territory. However, today we noticed significantly more movement than usual.”

The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 3h

⚡️Estonia closes border crossing with Russia over unusual military activity.

Estonia has temporarily closed the Saatse border crossing following heightened Russian military activity near the area, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Oct. 10.

Estonia closes border crossing with Russia over unusual military activity

Estonia has temporarily closed the Saatse border crossing following heightened Russian military activity near the area, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Oct. 10.

kyivindependent.com

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Reposted by Stathios Ballas

The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 3h

⚡️Estonia closes border crossing with Russia over unusual military activity.

Estonia has temporarily closed the Saatse border crossing following heightened Russian military activity near the area, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Oct. 10.

Estonia closes border crossing with Russia over unusual military activity

Estonia has temporarily closed the Saatse border crossing following heightened Russian military activity near the area, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Oct. 10.

kyivindependent.com

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Reposted by Stathios Ballas

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 3h

🇩🇪 VIDEO: Bavarian police join counter-terror drills amid rising drone threats

Dozens of Bavarian police officers take part in a counter-terrorism exercise involving police and armed forces amid growing concern over drone threats across Europe.

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 2h

You can’t fight the enemy you refuse to acknowledge.

Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 2h

I do sympathise with so many people who desperately cling to their pillows of hope as they are washed away by the overpowering current of authoritarianism. It is frightening. But your personal safety depends on assessing the facts objectively, plainly & straightforwardly.

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Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 20h

NEW: The private jet that flew 10 shackled migrants to an Eswatini prison last weekend is owned by Israeli-American billionaires with close ties to Trump.

It’s oligarchs all the way down.

My first for @zeteo.com:

zeteo.com/p/this-famil...

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Stathios Ballas @stathiosb.bsky.social · 3h

Important points. This demonstrates how authoritarian regimes assume control step-by-step through extensive use of propaganda. This has been working by “informing” the population, both supporters of the regime & its opponents, of the ‘unusual circumstances’ which require intervention by the state.

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 5h

This week, MAGA figures claimed Kristi Noem "stared down" violent antifa protesters in Portland. Turns out they were talking mostly about a guy in a chicken suit.

This episode opens a window into how MAGA propaganda works and MSM failure to handle it. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2016...

MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit

A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.

newrepublic.com

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Özden Terli @terliwetter.bsky.social · 9h

Maritime Stratocumulus Wolken verschwinden, das ist schlecht, denn sie wirken kühlend. Ist der Ozean wärmer lösen sich die Wolken weiter auf und der Ozean erwärmt sich. Eine gefährliche Kettenreaktion, die sich global auswirkt.

Details im Video. #globaleErhitzung #Klimakatastrophe

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Reposted by Stathios Ballas

Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · Aug 27

I just received my first copy of the book!

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