Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 13h

They're cutting religious studies programs so everyone can study tech, just when the tech world increasingly demands religious studies education to understand it.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

Inside tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s off-the-record lectures about the antichrist

The political svengali and investor has been giving lectures on ‘an evil king or tyrant … who appears in the end times’

www.theguardian.com

3 12 47

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 1d

Top notch safeguards I see

7 28 260

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Digital Islam Across Europe @digitislam.bsky.social · 2d

News about the @digitislam.bsky.social presentation at the European Commission by @uwtsd.bsky.social featuring @garyrbunt.bsky.social and colleagues can be found here in English: uwtsd.ac.uk/news/uwtsd-a... and Welsh: www.uwtsd.ac.uk/cy/news/acad...

UWTSD academic presents 'Digital Islam across Europe' project at the European Commission

Ymwelodd yr Athro Gary R. Bunt, o Brifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant (UWTSD), â'r Comisiwn Ewropeaidd yn ddiweddar lle gwnaeth gyflwyniad ar y prosiect Islam Digidol Ar Draws Ewrop a'i ymchwil arall.

uwtsd.ac.uk

1 2

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 1d

New from @digitislam.bsky.social - shedding light on the situation of Muslims in Poland. There are more project publications in the pipeline, including a book …

Digital Islam Across Europe @digitislam.bsky.social · 1d

New publication by Karolina Smołucha of the @digitislam.bsky.social Polish team in Kultura i Społeczeństwo [Culture and Society] entitled: "Troubled Belonging in Offline and Online Spaces: The Case of Polish Muslims". Article (in English) can be found here: czasopisma.isppan.waw.pl/kis/article/...

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 1d

Relistening to this @empirepoduk.bsky.social … if I run any future Islam 101 courses, I’ll encourage students to listen to this episode, which offers some fresh perspectives on long-standing ideas and academic sources @willdalrymple.bsky.social @anitaanand.bsky.social

294. Gaza & The Islamic Conquest (Part 4)

open.spotify.com

2 11

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

140 1.9K 5.1K

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 1d

The message could not be clearer.

Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 1d

Breaking news: María Corina Machado has been awarded the prize for ‘keeping the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness’ . The win dashes the hopes of US President Donald Trump. on.ft.com/4ocHAKY

18 51 270

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Matthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · 2d

“This month, OpenAI…graced the internet with a technology that most of us probably weren’t ready for. The company released an app called Sora, which lets users instantly generate realistic-looking videos with AI.”

These companies are literally force feeding us (reality-destroying) poison. Gift link

What the Arrival of A.I.-Fabricated Video Means for Us

www.nytimes.com

1 5 12

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

NPR @npr.org · 2d

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of a ceasefire deal. And, hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed to the greater Chicago area at President Trump's request. n.pr/46ZzgqK

Israel and Hamas reach initial ceasefire deal. And, National Guard arrive near Chicago

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the "first phase" of a ceasefire deal. And, hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed to the greater Chicago area at President Trump's request.

n.pr

23 27 110

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 3d

"Police confirm the attacker made the call after he crashed his car into a brick wall."

Jihad Al-Shamie pledged allegiance to 'Islamic State' in 999 call

Police confirm the attacker made the call after he crashed his car into a brick wall.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Dan Snow @thehistoryguy.bsky.social · 3d

We have built a society in which people of different skin tones, religious backgrounds & cultures get along, share power, work alongside each other, procreate with each other, recognise the each other’s humanity and democratic rights. It is a STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT OF WORLD HISTORIC PROPORTIONS.

Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 3d

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter

Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

19 300 1K

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 3d

Badenoch and Co see education only as a means to a massive income in some soul destroying career.

Devoid of imagination and the power of knowledge they view life entirely through the prism of the CV.

My advice always is to study what interests you and the rest will follow

320 450 1.9K

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 3d

Students chant ‘from the river to the sea’ as they press ahead with controversial pro-Palestine protests on October 7 www.lbc.co.uk/article/pro-...

Students chant ‘from the river to the sea’ as they press ahead with controversial pro-Palestine protests on October 7 | LBC

Protesters have ignored calls from high-profile politicians to cancel action, including Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch

www.lbc.co.uk

3

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Howard Eissenstat @heissenstat.bsky.social · 4d

George Carlin, eat your heart out.

The federal government's list of words to be scrubbed is more than seven, and it is growing fast.

pen.org/banned-words...

Federal Government's Growing Banned Words List Is Chilling Act of Censorship

Banned words list 2025: The federal government is banning a growing number of words to comply with executive orders from President Trump.

pen.org

6 43 51

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: Blockchain monitoring firm Elliptic says North Korean hackers have stolen more than $2 billion in crypto this year, an all-time record, with three more months to go.

The estimate is based on more than thirty hacks against crypto exchanges and also “high-net-worth individuals.”

North Korean hackers stole over $2 billion in crypto so far in 2025, researchers say | TechCrunch

Blockchain monitoring firm Elliptic said this year’s total is already an all-time record for the North Korean regime.

techcrunch.com

2 10 12

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 4d

More details on the social media influences on synagogue attacker …

Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad al Shamie 'shared ISIS videos, ranted and asked for large sums of money', his friends say

The terrorist's behaviour became unpredictable, friends say, including watching Islamic State videos, asking for money and sudden bursts of temper.

news.sky.com

1 3

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 4d

Man arrested on suspicion of arson after fire at mosque in East Sussex

Police investigating blaze in Peacehaven say 46-year-old is suspected of arson with intent to endanger life A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at a mosque in East Sussex. A 46-year-old was in custody after an arrest was made on Monday afternoon, police said. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

6 18 52

Reposted by Gary R. Bunt

Sky News @news.sky.com · 5d

Sudan's Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman convicted of war crimes in Darfur

The leader of a militia that carried out a series of atrocities and war crimes in the Sudanese region of Darfur has been convicted by the International Criminal Court.

news.sky.com

2 3 15

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 5d

interesting research from @crexuio.bsky.social

C-REX @crexuio.bsky.social · 5d

📢 New blog post: "The Complex Relationship Between Gender and Violent Extremism." @katrif.bsky.social & Inger Skjelsbæk explore how gender influences violent extremism and advocate for viewing prevention efforts through a gender lens. #Gender #Extremism #Prevention www.sv.uio.no/c-rex/englis...

The Complex Relationship Between Gender and Violent Extremism - C-REX – Center for Research on Extremism

The authors outline the many ways in which gender has relevance for violent extremism and propose seeing prevention work through a gender lens.

www.sv.uio.no

1

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 5d

This has been a great @empirepoduk.bsky.social series, and a chance to try and remember my ‘crusader‘ studies from X years ago.

Empire Podcast @empirepoduk.bsky.social · 5d

In episode 5 of the Gaza series, @willdalrymple.bsky.social and @anitaanand.bsky.social are joined by Professor Jonathan Phillips to discuss the Crusader history of Gaza and the rise of the Mamluk dynasty that followed...

2 6

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 5d

Manchester synagogue terrorist 'made ex watch ISIS videos'.

Manchester synagogue terrorist 'made ex watch ISIS videos' | LBC

Manchester Synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie forced his ex-girlfriend to watch extremist videos, it has been claimed.

www.lbc.co.uk

Gary R. Bunt @garyrbunt.bsky.social · 5d

Taking a look at this from @marcowenjones.bsky.social on Sudan's social media and AI.

Ahmed Gatnash @gatnash.com · 5d

Part of your information landscape is very likely fake and designed to influence you. Read @marcowenjones.bsky.social 's investigations to begin grasping the extent. marcowenjones.substack.com/p/nobody-tal...