Reposted by Gary R. BuntJo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Rare opportunity to invest in no future. 26819212
Reposted by Gary R. BuntAl Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 29/09/2026Palestinians face delayed medical care and long journeys as Israel tightens movement restrictions across the West Bank.aljazeera.comIsrael's West Bank road closures turn routine journeys into long ordealsPalestinians face delayed medical care and long journeys as Israel tightens movement restrictions across the West Bank. 27547
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Google Earth on #Gazaindependent.co.ukNew Google Earth satellite images show scale of Gaza destruction 010
Reposted by Gary R. Bunt404 Media @404media.co · 28/09/2026Human contractors are reviewing Copilot users’ prompts and uploaded images, 404 Media has learned. The contractors are also bombarded with users’ requests for sexual AI images. @evystadium.bsky.social has more. Sccop here by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/humans-readi... 12464225
Reposted by Gary R. BuntWill Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 28/09/2026A great illustration of the way social media has essentially shredded society’s informational immune system: The USSR spent a fortune trying to spread conspiracy theories, without success because they couldn’t crack newsrooms. Today, you can reach the globe with a post that costs $20 to make. 13840229
Reposted by Gary R. BuntThe Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 28/09/2026British investigators are probing whether Iran or an Islamist group were behind a foiled attack on an air base in England that houses U.S. forces.on.wsj.comU.K. Probes Possible Iran Link to Suspected Terror Plot at Base Hosting U.S. ForcesInvestigators said five U.K. nationals in their 20s were arrested close to Fairford base, which hosts U.S. forces and B-1 bombers. 10154
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026essential viewing from Nawal Al-Maghafi and BBC team #Yemenbbc.co.ukBBC reports from the front-line of an escalating war in YemenIn rare access to Yemen's conflict zone the BBC travels to the front line with pro-government soldiers. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Pope warns against 'losing humanity' to AI machines www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukPope warns against 'losing humanity' to AI machinesThe pontiff delivered the warning on the first day of his trip to France on Friday. 031
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 24/09/2026AI influence ++ - nothing necessarily ‘Super‘ (Intelligence) about it) … 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026My colleague Dr Sadek Hamid is presenting on aspects of the Digital British Islam project. Details: tinyurl.com/3nxrps9k 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026"The recent number was below the peak of almost 800,000 attacks recorded in April, but is still significantly higher than before the conflict escalated. Earlier this year, Dr Al Kuwaiti said the UAE's digital infrastructure faced about 200,000 to 600,000 attacks a day after the war began."thenationalnews.comUAE companies urged to remain vigilant on cyber attacks | The NationalCritical infrastructure remains a major target for those seeking to disrupt 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026"Jack Clark, a billionaire cofounder of Anthropic and former journalist who majored in English literature and creative writing, says his literary education is what helped him become an influential figure in the world of AI." Depending on what is left in the sector in the interim ...fortune.comAnthropic billionaire cofounder Jack Clark studied literature, not code—and says liberal arts degrees will win in the AI age | FortuneAnthropic’s liberal-arts-educated cofounder says “rote programming” is best avoided. 000
Reposted by Gary R. BuntThe Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 19/09/2026Google said that AI models in testing inside the company accessed the internet and hacked other companies, becoming the fourth major tech company to disclose such an incident in recent months.washingtonpost.comGoogle’s Gemini AI hacked into other companies, adding to ‘rogue’ AI incidentsThe incursions came during tests of its cybersecurity skills — similar to other incidents disclosed by OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta. 94834
Reposted by Gary R. BuntMatthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Indeed. Leaving aside whether the US security presence and order in the ME was ever actually a good thing, the way it’s been thoughtlessly wrecked constitutes a colossal geopolitical self-own for all involved. 194
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026French prosecutors open criminal probe into Meta glasses www.lbc.co.uk/article/fren...lbc.co.ukFrench prosecutors open criminal probe into Meta glasses | LBCProsecutors in Paris have launched an investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving smart glasses, as French data protection authorities have already received complaints. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Archbishop of Canterbury withdraws award to Muslim cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks www.lbc.co.uk/article/arch...lbc.co.ukArchbishop of Canterbury withdraws award to Muslim cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks | LBCThe Archbishop of Canterbury’s office has withdrawn an award handed to a Muslim cleric who previously pledged to bestow an honorary title on Osama bin Laden. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026"As demand for AI and agentic applications accelerates, access to advanced computing is increasingly critical to turning Indonesia's AI ambitions into innovation, productivity and broader economic impact."thefastmode.comZankore Builds 100 MW NVIDIA AI Infrastructure to Strengthen Indonesia’s AI CloudZankore Builds 100 MW NVIDIA AI Infrastructure to Strengthen Indonesia’s AI Cloud 010
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026"Sheikha Latifa said younger generations were particularly aware of the challenges posed by misinformation, noting that 55 per cent of people under the age of 30 in the Arab world are exposed to a rapidly changing information environment."thenationalnews.comSheikha Latifa denies social media users were paid for positive posts during Iran war | The NationalHead of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority said people voiced support out of love of the country 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Abu Dhabi AI integration:thenationalnews.comSheikh Khaled chairs first Abu Dhabi Executive Council meeting to use agentic AI platform | The NationalAbu Dhabi Crown Prince leads meeting where AI tools shaped discussion on key public programmes 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026"Mobile data and broadband services have been suspended in the territory since protests for electoral reform erupted in early June."aljazeera.comInternet shutdown crosses 100 days in Pakistan-administered KashmirMobile data, broadband services suspended in the territory since protests calling for electoral reform in June. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026"Ransomware activity tracked by cybersecurity company CloudSEK rose from 17 incidents in April 2025 to 357 in June this year, with the company saying the increase reflected a growing focus on the region by established criminal groups."thenationalnews.comRansomware activity rises across Middle East as criminal groups attack Gulf | The NationalNew cybersecurity report shows rising ransomware activity as hackers increase focus on Gulf businesses and infrastructure 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026"Digital Silk Road" discussed in ‘special report‘ ...scmp.comAncient Silk Road to modern Belt and Road: how Hong Kong bridges China and the Middle EastAs the Middle East seeks economic diversification, Hong Kong acts as the financial gateway for investment. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026"“The details of this cyber campaign reveal how Iran ruthlessly uses digital surveillance in pursuit of its aim to repress critics of the regime, stealing emails and messages and accessing devices,” said Paul Chichester, the director of Britain’s NCSC."aljazeera.comUK, US, Netherlands warn of Iran-linked spywareWestern intelligence agencies highlight 'CHOSEN BRICK' spyware targeting critics of Iran government abroad. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026sci-fi vibes and ethical concernstheguardian.com‘I created my mom and talk to her’: AI ghosts and deathslop are changing the way we mournThe rise of AI-generated tributes and bots for ‘talking’ to the dead has experts concerned more people will grieve in isolation 141
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026UAE cloud data issues:reuters.comAmazon's AWS is unable to restore access to Bahrain, one UAE cloud data zone after war damageAmazon Web Services cannot restore access to its cloud-computing facility in Bahrain and one of three data-hosting zones in the United Arab Emirates following damage during the Iran war, according to... 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026From Euronews: "Now, Mojtaba Khamenei is intentionally presented as a cleric rooted in religious and security structures while staying in touch with modern culture — someone familiar with English, Hollywood cinema, and technology, yet not at odds with the Islamic Republic's political order."euronews.comIran's new ayatollah is a Nolan fan keen on start-ups, in-laws saySix months after succeeding his father, Mojtaba Khamenei has made no public appearances, yet his late wife's family has described him to state-affiliated outlets as a film buff familiar with Christoph... 000
Reposted by Gary R. BuntJoseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 14/09/2026New from 404 Media: humans are reading ChatGPT conversations. OpenAI has hired an army of contractors who read real ChatGPT users' chats. I've seen internal docs, the review system, and real user prompts. Sometimes they contain very personal and sensitive information www.404media.co/inside-proje...404media.coInside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT ChatsHumans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 M... 561998986
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Multiple implications here ... "The discovery in the Madinah region comes as Saudi Arabia pushes to boost investments in its energy and mining sectors, Prince Abdulaziz told the International Atomic Energy Agency general conference in Vienna on Tuesday."thenationalnews.comSaudi Arabia discovers 110 million tonnes of uranium-concentrated ore in Madinah region | The NationalProject among most significant rare earth resource sites under development around world, Energy Minister tells IAEA forum 010
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 14/09/2026“ … weak data safeguards and entrenched ethnic and religious fault lines could allow political actors to target voters faster than regulators or platforms can respond.” #Malaysia AI “plot”scmp.comHow an AI plot targeted Malaysia’s elections and exposed deep data risksAnthropic’s discovery of an AI election campaign in Malaysia shows how weak data safeguards exacerbate the risk of political manipulation. 000
Reposted by Gary R. BuntAl Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 13/09/2026Iran says it plans to hold talks with Iraq and Gulf nations in Oman to help strengthen shared regional security.aljazeera.comIran-GCC summit: What's behind the meeting, why is Bahrain not attending?Iran says it plans to hold talks with Iraq and Gulf nations in Oman to help strengthen shared regional security. 15519
Reposted by Gary R. BuntMorgan J Freeman @mjfree.bsky.social · 13/09/2026💔 HEARTBREAKING: Search underway for about 130 people after Indonesian ferry overturns apnews.com/article/indonesia-passen… via GoogleNews (on X)apnews.comSearch underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it loses contactIndonesian rescuers have launched a search operation after a passenger ship carrying more than 240 people lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan on Borneo island. 26723
Reposted by Gary R. BuntLe Monde @lemonde.fr · 13/09/2026Le contrôle des houthistes sur le détroit de Bab Al-Mandab fait planer une nouvelle menace sur l’économie mondialelemonde.frLe contrôle des houthistes sur le détroit de Bab Al-Mandab fait planer une nouvelle menace sur l’économie mondialeLa mainmise des rebelles alliés à l’Iran sur le bras de mer situé entre l’Afrique et la péninsule Arabique, point de passage obligé sur la voie maritime la plus courte reliant l’Asie à l’Europe, fait redouter une hausse des cours du pétrole et des prix du transport maritime. 3114
Reposted by Gary R. BuntMrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 13/09/2026American singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie, who wrote “This Land is Your Land.” The words on his guitar are testament to why the Nazis stifled art—and why Donald Trump tries to silence comics. The arts are not just entertainment when they challenge those in power. 542655700
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Why getting pregnant can be a death sentence in Afghanistan news.sky.com/share/13584408news.sky.comWhy getting pregnant can be a death sentence in AfghanistanWhy getting pregnant can be a death sentence in Afghanistan 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Bin Laden wanted to attack UK years before 9/11, top secret dossier reveals www.lbc.co.uk/article/cia-...lbc.co.ukBin Laden wanted to attack UK years before 9/11, top secret dossier reveals | LBCThe information emerged in previously top secret files released by the CIA to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Lightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran war www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukLightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran warThe capture by the rebels of a stretch Yemen's strategic coastline is the group's most impressive military coup for several years. 000
Reposted by Gary R. BuntEvan McMurry @evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com · 11/09/2026Trump’s “enemies now control both of the two important straits in the Middle East, through which a combined total of about a third of the world’s oil shipments pass every day.”theatlantic.comTrump Loses the Other StraitThe Houthi advance is bad news for the U.S., and even worse news for Saudi Arabia. 57038
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Here's a recommended BBC Americast episode from @mariannaspringbbc.bsky.social, Justin Webb, and Sumi Somaskanda. Includes a detailed interview with Peter Bergen, and a discussion on Zohran Mamdani (referencing social media related issues).bbc.co.ukAmericast - Is 9/11 still shaping America? - BBC SoundsAnd journalist Peter Bergen on his interview with Bin Laden before 9/11 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026"In a rare public intervention, released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US, Sir Ken McCallum wrote that his officers must confront a "markedly different" threat landscape today than back in 2001."news.sky.comHead of MI5 issues 'call to arms' in rare public interventionReleased to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US, Sir Ken McCallum wrote that his officers must confront a "markedly different" threat landscape today than back in 2001. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026"Twenty-five years after two planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City, killing nearly 3,000 people, the conspiracy theories are still going strong. If anything, they have only continued to gain pace and mutate."aljazeera.comHow 9/11 conspiracy theories moved into mainstream American politicsSocial media and distrust of government has helped disinformation reach increasingly large audiences. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026lbc.co.ukLeave 9/11 out of schools and risk social media filling the void with misinformation and extremism | LBCYoung people have no memory of 9/11, so schools must teach them what happened and equip them to question the misinformation and extremism that surrounds it, writes charity director Yvonne Richards 001
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026"The US company has published a lengthy report into AI misuse, including instances of malicious code and dangerous prompts it has discovered in its models."news.sky.comAnthropic blocks effort to use AI to research potential biological weaponsThe US company's researchers have identified misuse of its AI models by groups ranging from "politically motivated individuals" to spyware companies. 010
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Malaysia's data centre power consumption rises ...reuters.comMalaysia's data centres guzzling more power as temperatures soar, officials sayMalaysia's data centres are consuming more power as temperatures rise, leaving a 9 gigawatt gas-fired capacity gap for the government to fill by 2032, officials said on Tuesday. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 10/09/2026"On Iranian social media, everyday items are being used to illustrate rampant inflation. Videos juxtapose the purchasing power of the same amount of money from one or two years ago with its current value."theconversation.comReceipts, memes and supermarket shelves: how Iranians are documenting the economic cost of war onlineWith food inflation over 128%, ordinary households are seeing – and documenting – the impact of sanctions at the checkout. 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 10/09/2026"Children starting school in the UAE this year will study artificial intelligence before they can write a complete sentence." Makes sense ...thenationalnews.comThe UAE wants to teach schoolchildren how to question AI | The NationalBringing AI education to every school is a visionary idea, but its success will depend on two very important factors 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 10/09/2026I was interested to read this in relation to the work undertaken by the @digitislam.bsky.social project ...theguardian.com‘They poison the population’: Swedish Muslims challenge far right ahead of electionAsk-a-Muslim campaign takes to streets as country faces prospect of extremists entering highest levels of government 000
Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 10/09/2026If you read the previously posted Wired article on ‘Slop Jihad', then here's the Institute of Strategic Dialogue's (@isdglobal.bsky.social's) related report (with further details) from earlier this week:isdglobal.orgGeneration ‘Slop Jihad:’ The decentralized ‘media jihad’ gets sloppy - Institute for Strategic DialogueJihadist propaganda is evolving as younger supporters embrace AI-generated ‘Slop Jihad’ content, reshaping online communities and extremist aesthetics 011