Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 7h

Leticia James’ statement.

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 10h

Curious…

Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 10h

Who knew Eurovision would be a precise replica of EU foreign policy?!

😒

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 10h

Austria says it will refuse to host 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel frozen out

Austria says it won't host 2026 Eurovision if Israel frozen out

Israel has been a participant in Eurovision, established after World War II to provide a forum for peaceful competition among nations, since 1973.

www.euronews.com

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 10h

From the theory of the unitary executive to absolute monarchy in a single sentence.

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 12h

Perry: DOJ's definition of rebellion would mean that
"literally all nonviolent protest” could be considered evidence of rebellion. Is that your argument?
Hamilton: The president has determined there is a danger of a rebellion, and you must defer to that finding

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 10h

Austria says it will refuse to host 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel frozen out

Austria says it won't host 2026 Eurovision if Israel frozen out

Israel has been a participant in Eurovision, established after World War II to provide a forum for peaceful competition among nations, since 1973.

www.euronews.com

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 11h

Record defence budget unveiled with 11% boost to military spending

www.irishtimes.com/your-money/2...

Record defence budget unveiled with 11% boost to military spending

Much of increased spend will go towards bolstering Defence Forces personnel

www.irishtimes.com

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The Journal @thejournal.ie · 11h

With just over two weeks to go until polling day, Heather Humphreys and Catherine Connolly have participated in the first head-to-head debate of this presidential election.

Both candidates kept things largely civil.

http://jrnl.ie/6840222t

What's your party piece?': Four things to know from the first head-to-head presidential debate

Both candidates kept things largely civil.

jrnl.ie

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 12h

This year… overwhelmingly they chose Berlin. Yes, some said ‘Trump’ as their explanation but others more reflective in conversation after. Perhaps it’s more than an anecdote, or just a straw in the wind? 😉

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 12h

Over the last 6-7 years it was always a large majority choosing Boston… which then helpfully set me up for a stirring conversation on how Anglo Saxon Ireland might really be 😜

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 12h

Talking about constructions of national identity in my Irish foreign policy module @ucdpolitics.bsky.social (pace Mary Harney) I’ve always liked to test Irish students’ self perception by asking if they had the chance of an ideal professional life & had to choose Boston or Berlin which would it be…

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Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 12h

Perry: DOJ's definition of rebellion would mean that
"literally all nonviolent protest” could be considered evidence of rebellion. Is that your argument?
Hamilton: The president has determined there is a danger of a rebellion, and you must defer to that finding

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 15h

What’s opposite of ‘virtue signalling’ in Maltese?

Stanley Pignal @spignal.bsky.social · 15h

Your forever reminder that there are hundreds of thousands of people who can nominate anyone they choose for the Nobel Peace prize. Assistant history professors! Any MP anywhere in the world! Even Hitler got the nod once (albeit as a sort of practical joke gone wrong)

Reuters @reuters.com · 15h

Malta foreign minister nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize reut.rs/435IiRV

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 15h

Yeah. That’s the reason

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Stanley Pignal @spignal.bsky.social · 15h

Your forever reminder that there are hundreds of thousands of people who can nominate anyone they choose for the Nobel Peace prize. Assistant history professors! Any MP anywhere in the world! Even Hitler got the nod once (albeit as a sort of practical joke gone wrong)

Reuters @reuters.com · 15h

Malta foreign minister nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize reut.rs/435IiRV

Malta foreign minister nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

The foreign minister of European Union member state Malta said on Thursday that he had nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

reut.rs

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 17h

I'd have thought that sending out a hard copy would militate precisely against use of AI or LLM model ?

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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 18h

An unsung success of the EU's Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP):

Jeanette Serritzlev @serritzlev.bsky.social · 20h

"President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine and the European Union are on track to match Russia’s annual artillery-round production by 2026, as reported in an interview on October 9."

UNITED24 Media @united24media.com · 22h

⚡️Zelenskyy says Ukraine and the EU will match—or even surpass—Russia’s artillery shell production by 2026.

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MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 19h

⚔️ NATO countries are discussing the possibility of an armed response to the incursion of Russian drones and fighter jets into airspace, - FT

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 22h

NB Putin is supporting precisely the same parties in Europe as is the US.

Tell me again about the 'Atlantic Alliance' and the credibility of US NATO guarantees.

ECFR @ecfr.eu · 22h

Putin's speech made clear Moscow’s support for Europe’s anti-establishment politicians who prioritise “national issues”, citing far-right parties in France and Germany, writes @abarbashin.bsky.social @ecfreuropeansec.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/46PIkhV

Enemy number one: What Putin’s foreign policy speech says about Europe

At this year’s Valdai club, Vladimir Putin gave his most anti-EU speech yet, citing his determination to see new anti-establishment politicians to come to power and improve Europe’s relations with…

bit.ly

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ECFR @ecfr.eu · 22h

Putin's speech made clear Moscow’s support for Europe’s anti-establishment politicians who prioritise “national issues”, citing far-right parties in France and Germany, writes @abarbashin.bsky.social @ecfreuropeansec.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/46PIkhV

Enemy number one: What Putin’s foreign policy speech says about Europe

At this year’s Valdai club, Vladimir Putin gave his most anti-EU speech yet, citing his determination to see new anti-establishment politicians to come to power and improve Europe’s relations with…

bit.ly

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Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 1d

New from me in @foreignpolicy.com: how the US has gone from leading a global push against transnational repression, to proactively supporting it:

foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/08/t...

Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression

Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.

foreignpolicy.com

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 1d

Rare leadership

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Pritzker: "This guy is unhinged. He's insecure. He's a wannabe dictator. And there's one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump. If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me."

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 1d

A lot rests on US line commanders. Quite a bit of churn of late… new appointees, resignations etc. If it came to a crunch I’m not sure which way it would go.

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 1d

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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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 1d

Trump is calling for politicians he doesn’t like to be jailed.

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James Ker-Lindsay @jameskerlindsay.bsky.social · 1d

#Ireland has a truly fascinating, controversial, but often misunderstood, foreign policy history. From WWII to Ukraine, neutrality to peacekeeping, Good Friday to Brexit, Trump to Palestine. Really great to discuss all this with @bentonra.bsky.social
youtu.be/hv5ggSV2-vQ

Understanding Irish Foreign Policy | Ben Tonra

YouTube video by Prof James Ker-Lindsay

youtu.be

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 1d

If you’re ever in the mood for a 40min survey of Irish foreign policy you might enjoy this: youtu.be/hv5ggSV2-vQ?... Me in conversation with Prof James Jer-Lindsay. Bring a salt shaker. 😆

Understanding Irish Foreign Policy | Ben Tonra

YouTube video by Prof James Ker-Lindsay

youtu.be

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Anthony Zacharzewski @anthonyzach.be · 2d

Listening to a radio story about a Belgian trade mission to the US which is buying US defence materiel and securing a big investment by Amazon in Belgium “which will support Belgian small business” - genuinely not sure which is the more strategically short-sighted.

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MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 2d

▪️This project is one of the fastest industrial defense projects in the recent history of the Netherlands. Usually the creation of such facilities takes years, but at VDL the first production lines were put into operation after just a few months.

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Ben Tonra @bentonra.bsky.social · 2d

I want a halt to all AI development until we’ve stitched in Azimov’s three laws of robotics into the algorithms

a robot sits on a couch with the words that makes perfect sense written below it

ALT: a robot sits on a couch with the words that makes perfect sense written below it

media.tenor.com

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