Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Francesco Nicoli 🇪🇺 🎓

@francesconicoli.bsky.social

6.2K followers 2.4K following 3K posts

All things Europe, in all things European. Neofunctionalist-in-chief, trilemmer, sci-fi & fantasy nerd. Political economist, associate professor at Politecnico of Turin, former fellow at Bruegel. " Europe will be made through crises...." .. more

Political science 64%

Economics 22%

more

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Francesco Nicoli 🇪🇺 🎓 @francesconicoli.bsky.social · Jul 28

Europe folded, precisely as I predicted. We pay our stubborn refusal to integrate European defence, which makes us dependent on the US for security.

This is the only reason the EU folded.

Defence, defence, defence.

Without a European army, we are vassals.

And vassals obey.

Francesco Nicoli 🇪🇺 🎓 @francesconicoli.bsky.social · 3h

Scale, scale, scale.

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 3h

Chinese shipments of fiber-optic cables to Russia grew almost tenfold between July and August, after hitting record highs in May and then again in June, according to the data from China’s customs office. Exports of lithium-ion batteries, probably used to power the drones, also shot up over summer.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 3h

Chinese shipments of fiber-optic cables to Russia grew almost tenfold between July and August, after hitting record highs in May and then again in June, according to the data from China’s customs office. Exports of lithium-ion batteries, probably used to power the drones, also shot up over summer.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 3h

🇨🇳⚠️WP: China has materially helped Russia gain a key battlefield advantage in its grinding war against Ukraine, increasing exports over the summer of key components needed to make the fiber-optic drones that have enabled Moscow to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses on the front lines.

Reposted by Vaughan S. Roberts, Francesco Nicoli

Feelingantsy 🇬🇧🇩🇪. Maker of Puns @feelingantsy.bsky.social · 19h

Reposted by Graham Dutfield, Francesco Nicoli

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 19h

Incredible amount of China-panic over at the other place, apparently they might be trying to influence the UK away from democracy.

Funnily enough not mentioned is the other superpower whose leaders have explicitly stated their intentions in that direction.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

grand theft eigenvalue 🔆 @akhilrao.bsky.social · 22h

data evaporates from the lake, collects in the cloud, and returns to the lake anew via breaches

Reposted by Edgar Morgenroth, Francesco Nicoli

Darth Putin @darthputinkgb.bsky.social · 1d

We are extremely concerned Ukraine will be able to use on us the same type of weapons we've been using on them for 3 years and 8 months.

It isn't an escalation when we do it.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

BYTESEU @byteseu.bsky.social · 1d

RAF spy planes patrol almost entire NATO border with Russia

https://www.byteseu.com/1445612/

Two Royal Air Force aircraft have carried out extensive surveillance flights along NATO’s eastern frontier, covering the entire stretch from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea, the UK Defence Journal …

RAF spy planes patrol almost entire NATO border with Russia - Bytes Europe

According to flight tracking data, a P-8A Poseidon from RAF Lossiemouth and an RC-135W Rivet Joint from RAF Waddington undertook complementary missions

www.byteseu.com

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · 1d

Russian State Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlyov said Moscow could strike US cities if Ukraine uses Tomahawk missiles, as this would mean "direct US participation." Where have we heard that before?

Francesco Nicoli 🇪🇺 🎓 @francesconicoli.bsky.social · 2d

Prank del mese: andare al Mercato del Tartufo di Alba vestito da Guardia di Finanza.
Con un taccuino.
E prendere appunti.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Tom Reagan’s Hat @rufustsuperfly.bsky.social · 3d

“the girlfriend of one of the founders of antifa”

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Andy Diggle @andydiggle.bsky.social · 3d

“the girlfriend of one of the founders of antifa”

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Liz Webster 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧🇪🇺 @lizwebster.bsky.social · 3d

🚨 Starmer’s New Spin:

Starmer will blame Farage and Brexit for looming tax hikes and hopes people won’t notice that he hasn’t spent a year doubling down on the same failed Brexit economics.

Starmer is merely repeating Brexit lies, trying to make Brexit work by selling Britain off cheap.
1/2 👇

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 3d

Because the Global Financial Crisis and the Eurozone Crisis that followed have largely been memory holed 20 years later, a friendly reminder that after economic destabilisation the crises then ran out of control because of political failures such as TARP delay and slow Eurozone state responses

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Michael D. McDonald, Francesco Nicoli

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 3d

The Trump administration has been spreading anti-vaccine propaganda for months. Tonight, Trump's physician announced he just received a flu shot and a COVID booster.

Sophie Sherry @sophiesherry.bsky.social · 3d

During a military-style raid on a building in Chicago’s South Shore, one resident heard a knock on his door.   It wasn’t the feds — it was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for help.

He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Neighbor shielded 7-year-old during South Shore federal raid: ‘I didn’t want them to take her’

During the Sept. 30 raid one tenant protected a terrified girl and her mom. Remnants at the complex, including a detailed map of all the units, offer clues to what authorities may have known before th...

chicago.suntimes.com

Francesco Nicoli 🇪🇺 🎓 @francesconicoli.bsky.social · 3d

That's another level for a Slaanesh Knight conversion

Distinguished Herbert West Fellow, Miskatonic Institute Gigan @gigansprogress.bsky.social · 3d

“<reading my own posts> “this guy gets it”” (2025)

Francesco Nicoli 🇪🇺 🎓 @francesconicoli.bsky.social · 3d

Why trolling?

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Distinguished Herbert West Fellow, Miskatonic Institute Gigan @gigansprogress.bsky.social · 3d

“<reading my own posts> “this guy gets it”” (2025)

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

flux.community @flux.community · 3d

Charlie Kirk was a religious extremist and an advocate for mass censorship of academics he hated.

But as a political organizer and creator of opportunities for his comrades, there's much that can be learned from what he did. @matthewboedy.bsky.social discusses on the latest Theory of Change

What Charlie Kirk knew

The slain co-founder of Turning Point was a masterful political organizer—and a religious extremist

plus.flux.community

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Anton Gerashchenko @antongerashchenko.bsky.social · 3d

A military explosives facility blew up in Tennessee, United States today.

Several people are still missing, there are reports that some have died, according to CNN.

Rescuers are not able to step in fully due to the risk of secondary explosions.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 3d

🤔 Z-propagandist Anastasia Kashevarova announces mass repressions and purges in Russia.

The regime continues to descend into madness and consume itself.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 3d

🇿🇦🤔 Russia has begun secretly purchasing lasers from South Africa for installation on kamikaze drones, - The Moscow Times

South Africa is baffled as to how products intended for civilian use ended up on kamikaze drones and blames "unscrupulous" buyers.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 3d

Why aren’t more women using the deepfake site? 🤔

Sora 2 is drawing a huge crowd of teenage boys. This doesn't bode well — trust me.

Sora 2 seems to encourage people to make fun of each other. It's also attracting a lot of teenage boys. This could be a nightmare for Sam Altman.

www.businessinsider.com

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

Paul Ingrassia is now threatening to sue Politico:

“This vexatious political attack masquerading as "journalism" is defamatory and will be addressed in forthcoming litigation.”

October 10, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Re: Statement on behalf of my client Paul Ingrassia regarding last night's story, Key Trump nominee accused of sexual harassment, POLITICO (Oct. 9, 2025), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/09/ingrassia-trump-harassment-dhs-
00596545
POLITICO's hit piece about Mr. Ingrassia is calculated to cause maximum harm to his promising career — and torpedo his nomination for Special Counsel. This vexatious political attack masquerading as "journalism" is defamatory and will be addressed in forthcoming litigation.
To be 100% crystal clear, so that there is zero room for doubt: Mr. Ingrassia did not engage in any wrongdoing in connection with the matters reported. As POLITICO itself reported: "The woman, whom POLITICO is not naming, said in a statement that she 'never felt uncomfortable' about Ingrassia's behavior and said she had never made a complaint." This is one of the only accurate parts of POLITICO's otherwise fantastical and fictional partisan fairy tale.
Accordingly, one last time, I call upon POLITICO to publicly apologize and issue a full retraction of this disgraceful and partisan sludge.
/s/ Edward Andrew Paltzik
taylordykema.com

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · 3d

❗️The 🇨🇿Czech Army is recording an increasing number of cases of unidentified drones appearing over its own military facilities and near important infrastructure facilities in the country.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Olena Halushka @halushka.bsky.social · 3d

Use frozen russian assets now — to ensure that russia can't freeze Ukraine this winter.

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Nicolas Veron @veron.bsky.social · 3d

Also rotating Lincoln Memorial www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Arc de Trump? New monument model sits on US president's desk

US President Donald Trump is no stranger to ambitious construction projects but could he be eyeing one of his biggest yet? But the "Donald Trump for President" Facebook page, which has more than six m...

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

The Ukrainian Review @theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 4d

🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪 Alarmed by Russia's vast military spending since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the three Baltic states are drawing up contingency plans to deal with the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing a Russian troop buildup or attack, - Reuters

Reposted by Francesco Nicoli

Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 4d

Kenn Valley (Teignbridge) Council By-Election Result:

🔶 LDM: 50.4% (+11.0)
➡️ RFM: 23.1% (New)
🌳 CON: 9.6% (-19.0)
🙋 Ind: 8.2% (New)
🌍 GRN: 5.5% (-13.9)
🌹 LAB: 2.7% (-9.9)
🙋 Ind: 0.5% (New)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
Changes w/ 2023.