Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by David Brenner

Carla Denyer @carladenyer.bsky.social · 3d

It's a miracle nobody was hurt. Sending solidarity to the Muslim community in Sussex and across the UK, as well as the Jewish community who are still grieving from the appalling attack in Manchester. No one should EVER feel unsafe in their place of worship
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Police urged to seek clarity on whether hate crime fire at mosque was terrorism

The Green Party has called on police to seek clarity over the motives of the hate crime fire at Peacehaven’s mosque.

www.independent.co.uk

4 69 290

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · 8d

BISA + Brighton = perfect combo! Come and join us next year.

BISA - British International Studies Association @mybisa.bsky.social · 14d

🎉 We are OPEN now for abstract, roundtable and panel submissions for #BISA2026 🎉

'Is International Studies ready for what comes next? New thinking, new directions' 🌎

Submit here! 👉 buff.ly/kK9oIlM

@visitbrighton.bsky.social @simonrushton.bsky.social @julietdryden.bsky.social

3

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · 22d

"We cannot do a project-based revolution."

odi.org/en/publicati...

Making Myanmar: humanitarianism amid revolutionary state-building

This in-depth study calls for a profound rethinking of humanitarianism amid contested governance, with relevance for many contexts beyond Myanmar that face such realities.

odi.org

3

Reposted by David Brenner

Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · 27d

Looking forward to this one by @jamesstout.bsky.social
Should be a really interesting read.

AK Press @akpress.org · 27d

We've been excited to work with @jamesstout.bsky.social on 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦: 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘔𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘮𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘰𝘫𝘢𝘷𝘢, a book about those that cannot wait any longer for the world to change. www.akpress.org/against-the-...

The cover of Against the State: Anarchists and Comrades at War in Spain, Myanmar, and Rojava by James Stout shows a photograph of a group of people in Myanmar raising a black flag. The book's title is displayed in different languages in overlapping circles.

1 6 20

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · 29d

All triggered by the government’s ban on social media.. truly mind boggling!

Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · 29d

A lot can happen in a few hours 😮

Nepal's Prime minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli has resigned, protesters have set the parliament building on fire.

Protesters have also stormed the office of the country’s largest party, Nepali Congress & residences of several prominent politicians.

Reposted by David Brenner

Vicky Blake UCU (she/her) @vickyblake.bsky.social · Sep 4

Why is our trade union emulating the worst behaviour of our employers towards UCU staff? How many of our letters, motions, attempts to bring motions from lay members pressing for resolution have been ignored now? Solidarity with all @uniteucu.bsky.social #UnionStrong #ReclaimUCU

Unite UCU @uniteucu.bsky.social · Sep 4

🚨 Third consecutive vote for industrial action 🚨

✅ strike action: 76%
✅ action short of a strike (ASOS): 80%
✅ turnout: 77%

ASOS begins today with @ucu.org.uk threatening staff: "We'll deduct your wages."

Double standards and vindictive attacks undermine us all.

#ReclaimUCU

Jo Grady calling Queen Mary management "vindictive" for making deductions from UCU members taking action short of a strike: Jo Grady, UCU's general secretary, said Queen Mary's senior management had "launched a vindictive attack" on its members, "punishing them for taking part in lawful industrial action" and "cementing its reputation as the worst university employer in the UK" She said: "It is wrong to do this at any time and all the more deplorable as staff struggle to make ends meet in a cost of living crisis."

Screen shot of the article from The Guardian about Queen Mary ASOS deductions in which Jo Grady is quoted

1 27 37

Reposted by David Brenner

Matthew Ford @warmatters.bsky.social · Sep 5

Congratulations to Dr Claudio Montesi on successfully defending their PhD.

Many thanks to @davidbrenner.bsky.social and Professor Alice Hills who examined the PhD.

Also many congratulations and sincere thanks to my co-supervisor at Sussex IR dept, Professor Fabio Petito.

3 13

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Sep 3

I’ve never been one for commas but this here pretty much sums up the brave new world of marking.

Scott Stein @sstein.bsky.social · Sep 2

Old me, grading papers: This sentence is incomplete, this one has a comma splice, this one could be more clear.

New me, grading papers: You wrote your own paper! You have thoughts! You are an excellent student!

#academicsky

2

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Sep 2

Absolutely, and Labour's paddling to the far right seems even worse than what happened under Biden in the US. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Yvette Cooper: Fly your country’s flag anywhere — I do at home

The home secretary’s comments follow the raising of the Union Jack and St George’s flag across the UK as part of a social media campaign called Operation Raise the Colours

www.thetimes.com

1

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Sep 2

As England drowns in Union Jacks and St George’s flags, local politicians’ statements of solidarity with ethnic minorities are welcome. But their mantra-like claims that far-right nationalism is supported by only a small fraction are irresponsible, especially with Reform UK 8 points ahead in polls.

1 3

Reposted by David Brenner

Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · Aug 30

KontraS have posted this on twitter. Things are bad in Indonesia. Live ammo has been authorised by the chief of police against protesters.

KontraS #StopGenocide @KontraSupdates

ALL EYES ON INDONESIA'S DYING

DEMOCRACY

From the misuse of tear gas to the

open fire of live bullets. From ‘foreign

henchmen’ narratives to 'paid protests’

narratives. From promises of respecting

dissent to silencing journalists

#ProtectEachOther

#StopPoliceBrutality

2 25 33

Reposted by David Brenner

Erin Cook @erincook.bsky.social · Aug 28

Very nice explainer from twitter user normelpeople on what's happening in Indonesia this week and how people are feeling

4 67 90

Reposted by David Brenner

Anna Stavrianakis @annastavrianakis.bsky.social · Aug 29

Classic UK govt move: there is a useful fiction of the separation between arms companies and governments. So the UK gets to look like it did something good while materially enabling the bad stuff to happen and letting the Israeli govt cry wolf about how badly it’s treated.

Lordy @lordey.bsky.social · Aug 29

Starmer's government bans Israeli officials but not Israeli arms companies. Says it all about Starmer.

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Aug 29

UK government says Israel’s decision to escalate war on Gaza ‘wrong’ as Israel decries ‘discrimination’.

6 10

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Aug 27

Time to use your university library again. Academia will survive without citation counts and h-indexes. Could be worse 🤷‍♂️

Hannah Shelley, MLIS (Metadata, Lattes & Impostor Syndrome) @hannahshelley.bsky.social · Aug 13

Since search is dead, how soon do you think Google Scholar is headed for the Google Graveyard? I'm betting it's soon, and academia is NOT prepared

Google Scholar Is Doomed

Academia built entire careers on a free Google service with zero guarantees. What could go wrong?

hannahshelley.neocities.org

2

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Aug 26

I was seriously puzzled as to why this is happening. Makes a whole lot of cynical sense now.

1

Reposted by David Brenner

Xun-ling Au 歐迅灵 🏴 @xunlingau.bsky.social · Aug 26

This is good (though doesn't go far enough). Thai Government will grant long term refugees in the displacement camps along the Thai-Myanmar border the right to work in Thailand.

It doesn't seem to cover the many Myanmar refugees since coup. Nor will it likely stop deportations back to Myanmar.

UNHCR welcomes Royal Thai Government resolution providing long-term refugees the right to work

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today commended the Royal Thai Government’s adoption of a resolution that will grant long-staying refugees from Myanmar the right to work in Thailand.

www.unhcr.ca

1 10 17

Reposted by David Brenner

Emily Fishbein @emilyfishbein11.bsky.social · Aug 25

Important new Shan Human Rights Foundation report reveals 19 rare earth mining sites in territory controlled by the National Democratic Alliance Army, aka Mong La army, in Shan State's Mong Yawng township near the Mekong River & China border (short thread).
shanhumanrights.org/satellite-im...

Satellite images and videos reveal 19 rare earth mines in NDAA-controlled area of eastern Shan State near Mekong River - Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF)

Satellite images from May 2025 and recent video footage reveal nineteen rare earth mining sites under the control of the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA or “Mong La” army) in Mong Yawng townsh...

shanhumanrights.org

2 10 24

Reposted by David Brenner

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · Aug 24

I don’t want to be too shrill about this but I think the BBC, ITV and Sky have disgraced themselves in their coverage of the anti-refugee protests. A massive failure of judgement. But now we know the next time a progressive protest “isn’t news” that it’s nothing to do with numbers

80 800 2.9K

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Aug 25

Most universities compete for students with individual career and lifestyle promises. Informal higher education providers in war-torn Kachin State, Myanmar, appeal to a communal desire of national liberation: “lead the nation with truth and knowledge!”

www.youtube.com/watch?si=Q9f...

Hpaji hte Shălawt (Education for Liberation)

YouTube video by Kachinland College

www.youtube.com

5 9

Reposted by David Brenner

Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · Aug 23

It's simple, if you throw paint on a plane then you get proscribed and any 80 year olds defending you get arrested.

If you ask people to burn down hotels, and they try, you get an interview in the Telegraph and positive coverage in the BBC.

That's sensible, proportionate policing.

50 890 2.7K

Reposted by David Brenner

Milk Tea Alliance Calendar @mtacalendar.bsky.social · Aug 22

Lots of good events happening this weekend #MilkTeaAlliance! So as usual here is our roundup of what's coming up.

1st our thanks & congratulations to @myanmar-now.bsky.social for their 10 year anniversary!

Like many media outlets they have suffered to report on #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar 🙏

1/

Screen shot from article 10 years of Myanmar now

Showing Photojournalists take cover near the entrance of a monastery where military supporters gathered to attack protesters and media in Yangon on February 18, 2021

Text reads
Myanmar Now continues its mission is to expose injustice in society. Meanwhile, the military continues to persecute journalists and our team member Sai Zaw Thaike remains behind bars for his reporting.

1 8 17

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Aug 15

The story of Kachin rare earths becoming more bizarre by the day.

Emerald Range @emeraldrange.bsky.social · Aug 15

www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/u...

US envoy went to Kachin but the US denies that they met with the KIA. At the same time the KIA has come out to say that the junta refused to come to Kachin for peace talks

US Envoy Visits Myanmar's War-Torn Kachin

State bordering China harbors rich deposits of rare earth minerals, essential for making everything from electric cars to defense systems.

www.irrawaddy.com

1 1

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Aug 15

Gotta appreciate the honesty.

Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · Aug 15

Russia's foreign minister arrived in Alaska today wearing a "USSR" sweatshirt.

2

David Brenner @davidbrenner.bsky.social · Aug 14

I clearly remember from history class how it really was the fault of Germans that weren’t friends with NSDAP voters… if they had only reflected on their behaviour!

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · Aug 13

It's got to the stage where if 'you don't know anyone whose voting for Reform' you need to broaden your social circle.

Or, perhaps, reflect on what it is about your behaviour that means your friends don't feel able to be open with you about politics.

2

Reposted by David Brenner

Frontier Myanmar @frontiermyanmar.bsky.social · Aug 13

AFP | One of Myanmar’s most conflict-ravaged states has witnessed a “dramatic rise in hunger” after United States aid cuts pushed by President Donald Trump during a punishing civil war, the World Food Programme said Tuesday.

Rakhine State sees 'dramatic' hunger rise after aid cutbacks

One of Myanmar's most conflict-ravaged states has witnessed a "dramatic rise in hunger" after United States aid cuts pushed by President Donald Trump during a punishing civil war, the World Food Progr...

www.frontiermyanmar.net

8 4