Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · 7d

Jane Goodall’s passing reminds us of what we ignored while she was alive. Her life’s work held up a mirror to human arrogance — our assumption that we stand above nature, separate from it. She taught us that kinship with animals is not weakness, but wisdom. The real grief is how little we listened.

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · 8d

Genocides target people, not states. Whether those people live in a recognized state is irrelevant — @claudiofrancavilla.bsky.social

More in my latest: tribune.com.pk/story/256940...

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · 14d

As the EU moves to court New Delhi, @hrw.org has raised the alarm again, reminding Brussels not to hand Prime Minister #Modi a free pass on #India’s ‘authoritarian drift’

If India is the world’s largest democracy, it should act like one - @claudiofrancavilla.bsky.social

EU warned over India’s authoritarian drift | The Express Tribune

Rights group cautions against overlooking the country’s deteriorating domestic landscape

tribune.com.pk

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · 26d

#Apple has perfected the art of selling déjà vu -- year after year. Series 11 runs the same S10 chip as Series 10. No new health sensor. Just sleep scores and hypertension alerts dressed up as “innovation.” At best, the latest #AppleWatch is iterative. At worst, it’s just a repackaged piece of tech.

The Verge @theverge.com · 29d

Apple Watch Series 11 announced

Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 11

The Apple Watch Series 11 makes its debut.

buff.ly

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jul 23

World is run by old men in a hurry on.ft.com/3IGgA7a

The world is run by old men in a hurry

The advanced age of leaders is a destabilising force in international politics

on.ft.com

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jul 22

Honor killing remains a national sport in Pakistan. Don’t mistake my sarcasm—I have nothing but contempt for the toxic social constructs that fuel it — misogyny, hyper-masculinity, and the belief that women are mere objects of male ownership. No man is superior to a woman—anywhere, in any way.

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jul 15

The 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel was marked by a flurry of propaganda, disinformation and covert operations aided by artificial intelligence and spread by social media. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/t...

Israel and Iran Usher In New Era of Psychological Warfare

www.nytimes.com

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jul 14

Gisèle Pelicot carved her place in history, and she did it with strength, dignity, and grace. France hasn’t done her a favour — it’s just catching up to the truth. Brava.

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Jul 13

Pelicot has been praised globally for her courage during trial, which forced changes to France’s rape law.

Feminist icon Gisele Pelicot awarded France’s top civic honour: Report

Pelicot has been praised globally for her courage during trial, which forced changes to France’s rape law.

bit.ly

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jul 6

Hard to say what’s more dangerous for Kabul — a city running dry, or a regime of paedophiles enjoying Western approval. Either way, the END isn’t waiting politely at the door — it’s halfway through the living room…

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jul 6

Of all things, only human indifference appears untouched by #climate change — tragically comical, to say the least.

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jun 18

Ten years after the signing of the Paris accord, demand for coal is still growing — and shows no signs of peaking. on.ft.com/3HKhDm1

Why the world cannot quit coal

Ten years after the signing of the Paris climate accord, demand for coal shows no sign of peaking

on.ft.com

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jun 17

Earth’s warming could trigger sweeping changes in the natural world that would be hard, if not impossible, to reverse.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How Close Are the Planet’s Climate Tipping Points? (Gift Article)

Earth’s warming could trigger sweeping changes in the natural world that would be hard, if not impossible, to reverse.

www.nytimes.com

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Jun 16

#France defends #Israel’s provocation, a preemptive strike against #Iran. Honestly, the French haven’t made sense of anything — including their own existence — since Marie Antoinette tried to feed them cake.

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · May 16

The US—for better or worse—has long presented itself as a promoter of press freedom. So when the US falls short, it becomes much harder to advocate for #pressfreedom abroad, says Katherine Jacobsen of @pressfreedom.bsky.social More in my latest: tribune.com.pk/story/254622...

Press freedom under siege in Trump’s first 100 days | The Express Tribune

US president’s hostile rhetoric toward independent media has left newsrooms increasingly on edge

tribune.com.pk

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · May 14

Hi, Ben, what’s a the best way to contact you for a news report?

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · May 10

In every chapter of Indo-Pak hostilities, the presence of a third party has invariably been essential to pull the region back from the precipice. Whatever one’s view of #Trump, it is a matter of record that he played a consequential role in steering South Asia away from the edge.

Reuters @reuters.com · May 10

President Trump said India and Pakistan agreed to a 'full and immediate ceasefire' after a fourth day of strikes and counter-strikes against each other's military installations reut.rs/3StaecP

Trump says India and Pakistan agree to a ceasefire

The announcement came as fears that the countries' nuclear arsenals might come into play spiked.

reut.rs

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Apr 9

Expect increased media #censorship from governments focused on extraction to support Donald’s anti-environment agenda.

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Apr 9

The brouhaha over #tariffs is justified, but it distracts from a more sinister move— #Trump’s fixation on grabbing critical #minerals & benefits through coercion. For weak #democracies, that means massive #environmental wreckage. It fuels global plunder when the planet can least afford another blow.

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Apr 9

The brouhaha over #tariffs is justified, but it distracts from a more sinister move— #Trump’s fixation on grabbing critical #minerals & benefits through coercion. For weak #democracies, that means massive #environmental wreckage. It fuels global plunder when the planet can least afford another blow.

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 30

W.Rodney’s How #Europe Underdeveloped Africa exposes #colonialism not as a past injustice but as a deliberate system of exploitation that outlived formal rule. Europe didn’t just plunder #Africa’s wealth, it engineered a cycle of dependence, ensuring that so-called independence remained an illusion.

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 28

Sinking land, rising seas—and yet denial reaches new heights. How much evidence is enough?

New Data Details the Risk of Sea-Level Rise for U.S. Coastal Cities (Gift Article)

A new study of sinking and rising land along American coasts offers a more specific understanding of potential flooding in 32 coastal cities.

www.nytimes.com

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 28

#Sweden has cemented its reputation as a nation that wasted no time in slamming the door on migrants—first under a center-left govt, then with even greater enthusiasm under a right-leaning one. Only shows that when political survival is on the line, the left and right aren’t so different after all.

Opinion | The Problem With Sweden Is Sweden (Gift Article)

The country’s backlash against migration stems from a deeper discontent.

www.nytimes.com

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Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 28

As gold is smuggled out and weapons pour in, #Sudan’s civil war remains ruthless, relentless, and well-funded—all thanks to the #UAE, which conveniently sits at the heart of the illicit trade, profiting off both blood and bullion, ensuring that conflict stays as lucrative as ever.

Yale Environment 360 @yalee360.bsky.social · Mar 27

A gold mining boom is funding both sides of Sudan's bloody civil war.

The mercury and cyanide used to process gold are poisoning miners and their families, degrading farmland, and seeping into groundwater.

In War-Torn Sudan, a Gold Mining Boom Takes a Human Toll

As civil war rages in Sudan, a surge in gold production is helping finance and arm the warring factions. Most of the mining is done on a small scale by villagers who process the gold using mercury and...

e360.yale.edu

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 28

Reading about #lithium extraction in #Chile, I’m struck by the irony of #climate / environment reporting—no matter the geography, the patterns of human suffering remain eerily similar, only varying in degree.

Chile’s lithium boom promises jobs and money — but threatens a critical water source

The Atacama Desert is a major source of lithium for EV batteries. As global demand ramps up, the local Lickanantay people are racing to protect already scarce water supplies and their way of life.

grist.org

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 27

Ah, the European tradition of selective outrage. #Humanrights are sacred—until they clash with energy contracts and arms deals. Then, righteous indignation takes a well-timed nap. In the #MiddleEast, the moral high ground gets remarkably slippery, and silence becomes the language of choice. #Bahrain

Hammad @hammadsarfraz.bsky.social · Mar 27

Don’t we have enough living pharaohs? I mean, look no further—the pharaoh of pharaohs resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Mar 27

Archaeologists have unearthed the huge tomb of an unknown pharaoh at an Egyptian necropolis, a team of researchers said on Thursday, in what they are calling the second discovery of a king’s tomb this year.

Tomb of Unknown Pharaoh Is Unearthed in Egypt

The burial chamber most likely belonged to a ruler in a line of kings once lost to history, researchers said. “It’s a new chapter in investigating this dynasty.”

www.nytimes.com