Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 1h

“A case involving two men accused of spying for 🇨🇳 China collapsed because evidence could not be obtained from the government referring to China as a national security threat, the 🇬🇧 UK's most senior prosecutor has said.

Charges were dropped by prosecutors last month prompting criticism.”

Spy case collapse blamed on failure to label China a threat

Prosecutors say they were unable to obtain evidence from the government to meet the threshold for prosecution.

www.bbc.com

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 1h

“The KSOT is said to be equipped with artificial intelligence, capable of a submerged endurance of up to 72 hours, a top speed of 20 knots, and controlled through direct radio or satellite links up to 200 miles away.”

- 3 configurations: surveillance, one-way attack (kamikaze), and torpedo-armed.

Naval News @navalnews.com · 2h

Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia unveiled its autonomous submarine (Kapal Selam Otonom/KSOT in Indonesian) to the public for the first time 🇮🇩
Story by @fmalufti.bsky.social with comments by @covertshores.bsky.social
www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2...

PT PAL Unveils KSOT Autonomous Submarine Prototype for the First Time - Naval News

Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia unveiled its autonomous submarine (Kapal Selam Otonom/KSOT in Indonesian) to the public for the first time

www.navalnews.com

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 2h

No.

Subsidy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 2h

*Highlighting.

Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

Frank A. Stengel @frankstengel.bsky.social · 5h

Wait, consultants cut corners and deliver shit for tons of money? Impossible.

Rafe Meager (they/them) @economeager.bsky.social · 6h

Deloitte issued partial refund to the Australian Gov for its error-ridden AI-generated report youtu.be/C17KWJ02Goo

Deloitte delivers report to government using AI which contained errors | ABC NEWS

YouTube video by ABC News (Australia)

youtu.be

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 13h

Unfortunately, POTUS deciding that the U.S. is at war with secret enemies is not unprecedented.

Except during the “war on terror” it was at least notionally pursuant to delegated authority under the 2001 AUMF.

Now the executive branch is simply usurping Congress’s power to declare war.

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 13h

Senator Slotkin asks Army GC nominee about how many "designated terrorist organizations" the US is now supposedly in an armed conflict with and whether he can name them.

Army GC nominee refuses to answer.

Administration refuses to tell American public and Congress who POTUS has declared war on.

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

Christian Panton @pa.nton.cx · 13h

Looks like Danish Police is starting to use drones for border enforcement.

Somehow I like that it says "POLITI" on the bottom, but unless it is glow-in-the dark, most people will end up calling the police about drone sightings :)

But, aesthetically, it looks like shit.

politi.dk/syd-og-soend...

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 13h

Update on this issue

Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 13h

🔱A great article by Dan Katz on the current state of 🇨🇳 Chinese shipbuilding.

Highling a section that is key to understanding the enormous progress of Chinese shipbuilding in a short timeframe: basically an avalanche of cash was unleashed.

Now, we need someone to calculate what this has cost China.

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 13h

🔱A great article by Dan Katz on the current state of 🇨🇳 Chinese shipbuilding.

Highling a section that is key to understanding the enormous progress of Chinese shipbuilding in a short timeframe: basically an avalanche of cash was unleashed.

Now, we need someone to calculate what this has cost China.

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 14h

Acc. to Cristina Lopez-Gottardi (University of Virginia) “Cuba is in a severe economic and energy crisis. She noted the average monthly wage on the island is roughly $20, while recruits are reportedly being offered about $2,000 a month to fight for Russia, a sum astronomical by local standards.”

3/

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 14h

“Russia is increasingly outsourcing its war in Ukraine. To offset record losses and dwindling recruitment, Moscow is importing manpower from abroad. What began as a regional invasion has turned into a multinational proxy campaign of authoritarianism against Ukraine.”

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 14h

“As many as 25,000 🇨🇺 Cubans could soon be fighting for 🇷🇺 Russia, overtaking North Koreans as the largest contingent of foreign troops on the battlefield. “It is beneficial for Putin’s regime to attract Cuban mercenaries,” said Andriy Yusov of 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s military intelligence on Sept. 19.“

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Cubans Could Soon Become Russia’s Largest Foreign Fighting Force

Facing over a million casualties, Russia is sourcing foreign fighters from Cuba to North Korea.

www.forbes.com

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

auonsson @auonsson.bsky.social · 14h

There has been continued sabotage against telecoms infrastructure along roads of southeast Sweden. These are the roads, ports and railways necessary for moving troops to Gotland

Yesterday it was revealed that a fiber optic cable undergoing maintenance has been cut on several spots along highway E22

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

NOELREPORTS @noelreports.com · 15h

Russian media confirm a railway line between Stroganovo and Mshinskaya was blown up in the morning, causing a locomotive and several cars of a military cargo train to derail. Traffic on the section has been halted, with passenger and freight trains rerouted and delayed for several hours.

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

NOELREPORTS @noelreports.com · 22h

One of the cooling towers at the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia was struck. The operator, Rosenergoatom, claims a Ukrainian drone was forced off course by electronic warfare systems.

The so-called 'jamming towers'.

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 14h

Common sense making an appearance in Russia

ChrisO_wiki @chriso-wiki.bsky.social · 15h

1/ 'HELL NO WE WON'T GO', part 2: why many Russians don't want to go to war any more. ⬇️

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

Thomas Wiegold @wiegold.de · 19h

Ob Wehrpflicht oder (noch) keine: Bundeswehr-Bauboom für größere Truppe

Bundeswehr plant neue Kasernen von der Stange: 4-Personen-Stube, Fertigbau, kein Bunker – Augen geradeaus!

augengeradeaus.net

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

Manuel 'HonkHase' Atug @honkhase.bsky.social · 15h

Bleibt bitte alle weiter aktiv und kontaktiert die Abgeordneten, denn das wirkt! ❤️❤️❤️

EU-Überwachungspläne: Unionsfraktion jetzt gegen #Chatkontrolle, Innenministerium will sich nicht äußern

"Überraschend kündigte am Dienstagnachmittag der..."
netzpolitik.org/2025/eu-uebe...

EU-Überwachungspläne: Unionsfraktion jetzt gegen Chatkontrolle, Innenministerium will sich nicht äußern

Überraschend kündigte am Dienstagnachmittag der Fraktionsvorsitzende der CDU/CSU an, dass es eine anlasslose Kontrolle von Chats mit der Union nicht geben würde. Das Innenministerium sagt, die Abstimm...

netzpolitik.org

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 15h

Hence my surprise at the time at their lack of enthusiasm for our splendid idea. Those weren’t academics by the way. Rather, high-ranking former officials with in some cases a history of deep personal involvement in crafting China policy, and active still advising the administration at the time.

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 15h

I thought my post was pretty straightforward? I related a personal experience from 5 years ago that doesn’t talk about internal US gov’t processes. Rather, it shows that the idea of Europeans exploring offensive options isn’t new, but was a hard sell at the time, even in that transatlantic context.

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 15h

Please do! 🙏🏻 I would expect an attempt to appeal, too.

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

Aarne Granlund @aarnegranlund.bsky.social · 5d

Energy experts want to build thousand wind turbines on the Finnish eastern border as part of the #DroneWall

They would provide a platform for airspace monitoring from the height of 200 meters.

#Defence

yle.fi/a/74-2018462...

Itäsuomalaiset vaikuttajat haluavat itärajalle tuhat tuulivoimalaa – toimisivat EU:n droonimuurin osana

Lappeenrannassa selvitetään, voidaanko Venäjän ilmatilaa valvoa tuulivoimaloista. Aiemmin Puolustusvoimat on rajoittanut tuulivoimaloiden rakentamista itärajalle, koska ne häiritsevät Puolustusvoimie...

yle.fi

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 15h

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Oct. 7 said those who built Nord Stream 2, not those accused of sabotaging it, "should be ashamed and remain silent," adding it is "not in Poland's interest" to hand over the suspect.

Ukraine war latest: 'Not in Poland's interest,' to hand over Ukrainian in Nord Stream probe, Tusk says

Key developments on Oct. 7: * 'Not in Poland's interest,' to hand over Ukrainian in Nord Stream 2 probe, Tusk says * Slovakia sends first nonlethal defense aid package to Ukraine since Fico took of...

kyivindependent.com

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 15h

Yes. But which one? I wasn’t able to find this news just now. Please post a link if you have one, thanks!

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Reposted by Sarah Kirchberger

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 15h

🚀 Europe is making a cheap anti-drone rocket for Ukraine that blasts a cloud of steel balls, - Business Insider

As Russia barrages Ukraine with growing waves of Shahed drones, European weapons manufacturer Thales has been fitting an airburst warhead on its 70mm rockets to counter such threats.

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