Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 12h

Quick detour from the news: Just had the greatest plane ride of my entire life. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself (in the form of an empty seat next to someone cool) and I couldn’t pass it up. Perfect end to a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Always go for it!

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 12h

How much have you looked into this?

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 12h

Japan just got their first female Prime Minister. www.bbc.com/news/live/cy...

Sanae Takaichi wins historic vote to become Japan's first female prime minister

Sanae Takaichi, who calls herself Japan's Margaret Thatcher, stitched up a late night deal to bring her within two votes of the PM chair.

www.bbc.com

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

‘From 1979 until 2003, references to Schmitt in scholarly articles on China’s national published works database were paltry. Since then … they have soared virtually every year and are now more than 30 times as high as they were in 2003. Schmitt has, in effect, become the Chinese Fukuyama.’ 2/2

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

‘The China threat prodded the United States to undergo a radical and self-contradictory transformation in which it became, in supposed defense of its liberal identity, progressively less liberal and more absolutist.’ Fascinating essay from Benn Steil. 1/2 www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Reading Schmitt in Beijing

How China’s rise provoked America’s illiberal turn.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

We need the productivity gains from AI. Why would we want workers to say no to AI?

Populations will shrink over the next several decades. Finding jobs probably won’t be a problem. Think of how many of today’s jobs didn’t exist 50 years ago.
We’re going to have to embrace AI or suffer consequences.

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

‘Colombia has received about $14 billion in US aid this century, including roughly $500 million since 2017 for military modernization, demining, and counternarcotics operations.’ This is a relatively small investment. Does obliterating American soft power serve anybody? 2/2

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

US cuts off aid to Colombia: ‘The move comes amid the largest cocaine boom in history, with most of the supply originating in Colombia, and threatens one of Washington’s closest security alliances in Latin America.’ Cocaine is the least of our worries. 1/2 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trump Cuts Off US Aid to Colombia, Calls Petro ‘Drug Dealer’

Donald Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug dealer” and said the US would halt all aid to the country, escalating tensions between the two nations.

www.bloomberg.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

How AI will create jobs: ‘…McKinsey estimates that the United States will need 130,000 additional electricians in the coming years, largely because of the build-out of data centers and manufacturing facilities.’ GIFT LINK (not sure gift links still work on social media for WaPo). wapo.st/43sKQK5

Opinion | Here’s what will really affect jobs in the age of AI

The true challenge is ensuring that workers have the skills to use the technology.

wapo.st

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 1d

The piece argues it will in some ways.

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

On Tomahawks, etc: ‘It was the latest swing in Trump’s back and forth positions on the Russia-Ukraine war that often change following contact with Putin, who has shown a great deal of skill in persuading the U.S. president to his view of the conflict.’ www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

With a phone call, Putin appears to change Trump’s mind on Ukraine. Again.

It was the latest swing in President Donald Trump’s position on the war that often shifts following contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

www.washingtonpost.com

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

On NK protests: ‘Organizers said they trained “tens of thousands” of people in de-escalation to avoid friction with law enforcement and counterprotesters. A statement on the No Kings website said that weapons of any kind should not be brought to the rallies.’ www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

No Kings protests against Trump draw huge crowds across the country

Gatherings had a street carnival atmosphere as demonstrators packed Times Square in New York and lined Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Saturday

www.washingtonpost.com

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

‘The purge of honest and independent officials will have serious repercussions for U.S. foreign policy.
…
It is a recipe for the kind of groupthink that got the United States into the Vietnam and Iraq wars.’ Telling your leader only what he wants to hear is how the pandemic started in China. 2/2

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

On Trump’s military purge: ‘This looks like an attempt by Trump and Hegseth to install compliant general officers who will do the president’s bidding, no matter what, even if the president is demanding actions that are unwise, unethical, or illegal...’ 1/2 www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The Dilemma of Duty Under Trump

What his assault on the U.S. military means for America.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

On cybersecurity: ‘These vulnerabilities endure because software vendors face few incentives to prioritize security. It remains cheaper and faster to shift the costs of insecurity downstream to customers.’ The joys of capitalism… Price comes first. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The End of Cybersecurity

America’s digital defenses are failing—but AI can save them.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

‘The stakes could not be higher. If Trump continues to treat Beijing the way he treats the Gulf, America will discover that the art of the deal is no substitute for the architecture of strategy.’ Fareed Zakaria on US-China (G2) relations. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | China is growling. Bravado won’t stop it.

The art of the deal is no substitute for strategy.

www.washingtonpost.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

The malware is called Brickstorm: ‘Brickstorm is known to be used by a suspected “Chinese-nexus threat actor,” who has used it to maintain “long-term stealthy access” to technology providers, legal service and business process outsourcers, according to Mandiant.’ 3/3

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

‘Chinese state-backed hackers were behind the attack, according to people familiar with the matter. A Chinese official called the claim “groundless accusations made without evidence.”’ Seems pretty clear despite the predictable denial. 2/3

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 2d

‘The state-backed hackers who breached cybersecurity company F5 Inc. broke in beginning in late 2023 and lurked in the company’s systems until being discovered in August of this year…’ Similar to SolarWinds. You’d think we’d have learned by now! 1/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Hackers Had Been Lurking in Cyber Firm F5 Systems Since 2023

The state-backed hackers who breached cybersecurity company F5 Inc. broke in beginning in late 2023 and lurked in the company’s systems until being discovered in August of this year, according to peop...

www.bloomberg.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 3d

‘It would be even more effective for the EU to conduct its own information operations—broadcasting the truth about Russia’s malicious activities—and put Moscow on the defensive.’ The EU must also provide legal/technical assistance to Moldovan authorities investigating illicit financial flows. 4/4

AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 3d

‘For its own protection and the good of the people of Moldova, the EU should continue its efforts to counter Russia’s malicious interference. The European Parliament has resolved to bolster resources for Moldova’s resilience vis-à-vis Russian “hybrid threats and malign interference.”’ 3/4

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 3d

‘Russian intelligence services have also reportedly been training Moldovans in Serbia to conduct destabilization and provocation measures.’ This is how Russia plays their game. Ivana Stradner (FDD) & Mark Montgomery (Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0) on Russian meddling in Moldova. 2/4

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 3d

On Moldova: ‘Russia’s interference included reports of bomb scares, cyberattacks on electoral systems, and false claims by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service that NATO plans to invade Moldova to make it “a military testing ground.”’ No surprise… 1/4 foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/03/e...

Europe Should Support Moldova Against Russian Meddling

Defeating Russian interference in Moldova’s election is merely the first step.

foreignpolicy.com

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AnObserver @watchingeurasia.bsky.social · 3d

I know people with serious diseases that doctors would say can’t be treated without medication. They changed their diets and no longer require medication. Don’t kid yourself, what you eat matters!

Reposted by AnObserver

Bloomberg Opinion @opinion.bloomberg.com · 3d

Extreme diets like keto and strict veganism are helping some patients when medicine can’t. Physicians should stop dismissing them — and learn how to guide them safely.

TikTok Diets Are Helping People When Medicine Can’t

As a species, humans possess a kind of superpower: the ability to survive on a remarkably wide variety of foods, allowing us to thrive everywhere from the Amazon rainforest to the Arctic tundra. Now, thanks to social media, our dietary range is being tested again. TikTok and YouTube have made stars of influencers who tout — often with the help of celebrities — the virtues of various lifestyles from veganism to juicing to subsisting on nothing but meat. Advocates of some of these trends even clai

bloom.bg

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