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Gary R. Bunt

@garyrbunt.bsky.social
1.4K followers 842 following 1.5K posts

Digitally distracted Professor. Researcher/author on Islam, Muslims and the internet. Emoji-free zone. Posting does not imply endorsement, etc. Based in Wales. X antidote. virtuallyislamic.com

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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Saudi Arabia urged to spare man sentenced to death over Facebook post www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Saudi Arabia urged to spare Sri Lankan sentenced to death over Facebook post
Anojan Sivarasa faces execution after he was found guilty of blasphemy over a Facebook comment.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Detailed online elements emerging in this case: Pilot who attempted to hijack Flydubai passenger plane 'dreamed of crashing it into Tel Aviv's main airport' www.lbc.co.uk/article/pilo...
lbc.co.uk
Pilot who attempted to hijack Flydubai passenger plane 'dreamed of crashing it into Tel Aviv's main airport' | LBC
Suspected attacker, Hamam al Hammami, 29, looked at targeting Ben-Gurion airport and a tower block close to Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv, sources say
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
On my first week as a ‘free agent‘, I'm launching Virtually Islamic on Substack ... Find out more here and subscribe to my occasional ramblings about researching #Islam, #Muslims, and the internet. More later this week. Click for details: virtuallyislamic.substack.com/p/welcome-to...
Poster based on a photo by Gary R. Bunt taken in Cempaka Putih Timur, Central Jakarta, Indonesia, © 2024. Edited using ChatGPT
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
“Guardian tested chatbots after French far-right politician stripped a Muslim woman of her hijab in a photo”
theguardian.com
AI chatbots remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted
Guardian tested chatbots after French far-right politician stripped a Muslim woman of her hijab in a photo
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
A report from @news.sky.com
news.sky.com
'Where are we supposed to go?': Fear inside West Bank village where every building is listed for demolition
A Bedouin farming community in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank is living in fear after homes and mosque were demolished by Israeli authorities. Sky's Adam Parsons meets the Palestinian fam...
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Two Iranian men 'targeted Manchester Jewish Museum and Heaton Park synagogue in bomb plot' news.sky.com/share/13594604
news.sky.com
Two Iranian men 'targeted Manchester Jewish Museum and Heaton Park synagogue in bomb plot'
Salam Ahmadyan and Rahman Salehi, who arrived in the country on small boats, have been remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with a terror offence.
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Reposted by Gary R. Bunt
Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Rare opportunity to invest in no future.
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 29/09/2026
Palestinians face delayed medical care and long journeys as Israel tightens movement restrictions across the West Bank.
aljazeera.com
Israel's West Bank road closures turn routine journeys into long ordeals
Palestinians face delayed medical care and long journeys as Israel tightens movement restrictions across the West Bank.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Nothing of concern here …
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Google Earth on #Gaza
independent.co.uk
New Google Earth satellite images show scale of Gaza destruction
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Reposted by Gary R. Bunt
404 Media @404media.co · 28/09/2026
Human 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...
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Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A 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.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 28/09/2026
British 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.com
U.K. Probes Possible Iran Link to Suspected Terror Plot at Base Hosting U.S. Forces
Investigators said five U.K. nationals in their 20s were arrested close to Fairford base, which hosts U.S. forces and B-1 bombers.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
essential viewing from Nawal Al-Maghafi and BBC team #Yemen
bbc.co.uk
BBC reports from the front-line of an escalating war in Yemen
In rare access to Yemen's conflict zone the BBC travels to the front line with pro-government soldiers.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Pope warns against 'losing humanity' to AI machines www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Pope warns against 'losing humanity' to AI machines
The pontiff delivered the warning on the first day of his trip to France on Friday.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
AI influence ++ - nothing necessarily ‘Super‘ (Intelligence) about it) …
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
My colleague Dr Sadek Hamid is presenting on aspects of the Digital British Islam project. Details: tinyurl.com/3nxrps9k
Poster: showing Dr Sadek Hamid. The right-hand corner shows hands on mobile phones; the header is ‘Online Muslim Influencers'.
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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.com
UAE companies urged to remain vigilant on cyber attacks | The National
Critical infrastructure remains a major target for those seeking to disrupt
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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.com
Anthropic billionaire cofounder Jack Clark studied literature, not code—and says liberal arts degrees will win in the AI age | Fortune
Anthropic’s liberal-arts-educated cofounder says “rote programming” is best avoided.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 19/09/2026
Google 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.com
Google’s Gemini AI hacked into other companies, adding to ‘rogue’ AI incidents
The incursions came during tests of its cybersecurity skills — similar to other incidents disclosed by OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
🧵
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Matthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Indeed. 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.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
French prosecutors open criminal probe into Meta glasses www.lbc.co.uk/article/fren...
lbc.co.uk
French prosecutors open criminal probe into Meta glasses | LBC
Prosecutors in Paris have launched an investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving smart glasses, as French data protection authorities have already received complaints.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Archbishop of Canterbury withdraws award to Muslim cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks www.lbc.co.uk/article/arch...
lbc.co.uk
Archbishop of Canterbury withdraws award to Muslim cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks | LBC
The 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.
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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.com
Zankore Builds 100 MW NVIDIA AI Infrastructure to Strengthen Indonesia’s AI Cloud
Zankore Builds 100 MW NVIDIA AI Infrastructure to Strengthen Indonesia’s AI Cloud
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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.com
Sheikha Latifa denies social media users were paid for positive posts during Iran war | The National
Head of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority said people voiced support out of love of the country
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Abu Dhabi AI integration:
thenationalnews.com
Sheikh Khaled chairs first Abu Dhabi Executive Council meeting to use agentic AI platform | The National
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince leads meeting where AI tools shaped discussion on key public programmes
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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.com
Internet shutdown crosses 100 days in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Mobile data, broadband services suspended in the territory since protests calling for electoral reform in June.
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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.com
Ransomware activity rises across Middle East as criminal groups attack Gulf | The National
New cybersecurity report shows rising ransomware activity as hackers increase focus on Gulf businesses and infrastructure
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Digital Silk Road" discussed in ‘special report‘ ...
scmp.com
Ancient Silk Road to modern Belt and Road: how Hong Kong bridges China and the Middle East
As the Middle East seeks economic diversification, Hong Kong acts as the financial gateway for investment.
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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.com
UK, US, Netherlands warn of Iran-linked spyware
Western intelligence agencies highlight 'CHOSEN BRICK' spyware targeting critics of Iran government abroad.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
sci-fi vibes and ethical concerns
theguardian.com
‘I created my mom and talk to her’: AI ghosts and deathslop are changing the way we mourn
The rise of AI-generated tributes and bots for ‘talking’ to the dead has experts concerned more people will grieve in isolation
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
UAE cloud data issues:
reuters.com
Amazon's AWS is unable to restore access to Bahrain, one UAE cloud data zone after war damage
Amazon 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...
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
From 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.com
Iran's new ayatollah is a Nolan fan keen on start-ups, in-laws say
Six 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...
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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
New 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.co
Inside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats
Humans 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...
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Multiple 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.com
Saudi Arabia discovers 110 million tonnes of uranium-concentrated ore in Madinah region | The National
Project among most significant rare earth resource sites under development around world, Energy Minister tells IAEA forum
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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.com
How an AI plot targeted Malaysia’s elections and exposed deep data risks
Anthropic’s discovery of an AI election campaign in Malaysia shows how weak data safeguards exacerbate the risk of political manipulation.
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 13/09/2026
Iran says it plans to hold talks with Iraq and Gulf nations in Oman to help strengthen shared regional security.
aljazeera.com
Iran-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.
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Morgan 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.com
Search underway for Indonesian passenger ship carrying more than 240 people after it loses contact
Indonesian 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.
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Le Monde @lemonde.fr · 13/09/2026
Le contrôle des houthistes sur le détroit de Bab Al-Mandab fait planer une nouvelle menace sur l’économie mondiale
lemonde.fr
Le contrôle des houthistes sur le détroit de Bab Al-Mandab fait planer une nouvelle menace sur l’économie mondiale
La 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.
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
American 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.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Why getting pregnant can be a death sentence in Afghanistan news.sky.com/share/13584408
news.sky.com
Why getting pregnant can be a death sentence in Afghanistan
Why getting pregnant can be a death sentence in Afghanistan
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Bin Laden wanted to attack UK years before 9/11, top secret dossier reveals www.lbc.co.uk/article/cia-...
lbc.co.uk
Bin Laden wanted to attack UK years before 9/11, top secret dossier reveals | LBC
The information emerged in previously top secret files released by the CIA to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
🧵
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Congratulations. I’ve learnt a lot listening to @empirepoduk.bsky.social - just don’t test me …
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Lightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran war www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Lightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran war
The capture by the rebels of a stretch Yemen's strategic coastline is the group's most impressive military coup for several years.
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Evan McMurry @evanmcmurry.theatlantic.com · 11/09/2026
Trump’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.com
Trump Loses the Other Strait
The Houthi advance is bad news for the U.S., and even worse news for Saudi Arabia.
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Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Here'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.uk
Americast - Is 9/11 still shaping America? - BBC Sounds
And journalist Peter Bergen on his interview with Bin Laden before 9/11
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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.com
Head of MI5 issues 'call to arms' in 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.
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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.com
How 9/11 conspiracy theories moved into mainstream American politics
Social media and distrust of government has helped disinformation reach increasingly large audiences.
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