Almost 50 years after he first got his hands on a computer, the Oxford professor still believes in the power of technology. Can his beloved game theory explain why Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs consistently misuse it? Michael Wooldridge is like the teacher you wish you’d had: approachable, able to explain difficult things in simple terms, neither dauntingly highbrow nor off-puttingly cool, and genuinely enthusiastic about what he does.
Initial vote in Israel brings parliament closer to dissolution The Israeli parliament passed a preliminary reading on Wednesday of a bill to dissolve itself, paving the way for early elections. Of the 120 members of the Knesset, 110 approved the bill introduced by members of the ruling coalition.
How the Iran war broke the ambitions of 'Little Sparta' Submitted by Andreas Krieg on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 20:04 The UAE must abandon the illusion of strategic exceptionalism, and rebuild its autonomy through a collective Gulf security order UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed is pictured in Moscow on 29 January 2026 (Maxim Shipenkov/AFP) On The United Arab Emirates has spent two decades trying to escape the ordinary fate of small states through the network power of hyper-connectivity. It built ports, bought influence, cultivated militias, courted Washington, hedged with Moscow and Beijing, and projected the image of a country too nimble, too wealthy and too useful to be cornered by geography. The “ Little Sparta ” brand sounded less like a nickname than a doctrine: a small federation with middle-power ambitions, relative military excellence and enough networked leverage to shape its strategic environment on its own terms.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Federal Minister for Interior of Pakistan Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Tehran on Wednesday for meetings with Iranian officials, marking his second visit to the Iranian capital in a few days.
An Israeli soldier posted an image of a Palestinian 'for sale'. The Palestinian is missing Submitted by Oscar Rickett on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 10:24 Harel Amshika posted the photo of a tied-up man in Gaza City. He is believed to be Mohammed Shorrab Harel Amshika's photograph showing a man believed to be Mohammed Shorrab (Supplied) Off On 18 November last year, an Israeli soldier named Harel Amshika posted a nine-image carousel on his personal Instagram account, accompanied by some reflections on his time spent fighting in Gaza.
Pakistani interior minister heads to Iran for talks: state media Pakistan's interior minister is heading to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media, to continue negotiations over the conflict with the US. Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Mohsin Naqvi would meet with officials in his second trip to the country in a week.
Sources say Egypt pressing Al-Azhar 'to back UAE' against Iran Submitted by MEE correspondent on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 15:45 The Sunni world’s top Islamic body shifted its line after a presidential warning that Egyptian jobs in the Gulf were at stake UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (right) receiving Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, at al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi on 12 July 2024 (AFP/UAE Presidency/file photo) Off Egypt ’s presidency has pressed Al-Azhar, the leading authority in Sunni Islam, to publicly back the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states in their confrontation with Iran , security sources and sources close to the institution’s grand imam said. The Cairo-based seat of Sunni learning has issued four statements since the start of the current war, including one that condemned Iranian strikes on the UAE as “the aggression of the Islamic Republic of Iran against its Muslim neighbour, the United Arab Emirates”. Al-Azhar has not condemned American or Israeli strikes on Iran in any of its statements, a shift from its position during last year’s war, when it described that conflict as “the aggression of the occupying entity against the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
Israel considered installing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as ruler during war Israel considered installing former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as ruler during the early days of the US-Israeli war on the country. US officials told the New York Times that the former president, previously known for his staunchly anti-US and anti-Israel views, was directly consulted on the issue. They said Ahmadinejad was injured on the war’s first day by an Israeli strike at his home in Tehran that had been designed to free him from house arrest.
The New York Times analyzed the president’s statements suggesting that the conflict was drawing to a close and compared them with the reality of the moment. Often, there was a wide disconnect.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): The US seized an oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean amid US President Donald Trump's constant military strike threats, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing US officials.
Over two days, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect that the cease-fire with Iran will be broken by new US military strikes -- in comments that have drawn close scrutiny from analysts and policymakers.
Israeli authorities transferring 430 Gaza flotilla activists to Israel Israeli authorities are transferring to Israel all 430 activists involved in the the latest flotilla attempting to break the siege of Gaza. "Another PR flotilla has come to an end," a spokesman from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Tuesday. "All 430 activists have been transferred to Israeli vessels and are making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives.
Shida Bazyar’s “The Nights Are Quiet In Tehran,” a novel tracing one Iranian family across four decades of revolution, exile and resistance, is among six books shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned that any renewed aggression against Iran would expand the conflict beyond the region, stressing that the Islamic Republic had not yet employed all its capabilities during the recent confrontation with the US and Israeli enemies.
Trump says he could strike Iran again as Tehran threatens ‘new fronts’ in war if an attack takes place Trump threatens ‘a big hit’ if Tehran does not make deal soon Welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East. Donald Trump warned the US may strike Iran again – a day after he said he had held off a major assault in hopes of a peace deal – but Tehran’s army threatened to open “new fronts” if he went ahead. The US Senate has advanced a war-powers resolution that would end the Iran war unless Trump obtains Congress’ authorisation .
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed as “a baseless fabrication” a US Central Command claim that the elementary school targeted in Iran’s Minab on February 28 had been part of a missile launch facility, saying the gruesome attack constituted a clear war crime.
Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Diplomatic and military pressure around Iran is intensifying as Donald Trump gives Tehran a deadline of “two or three days” to reach an agreement, while Iran warns that any return to war would bring “many more surprises”. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting in Beijing for talks expected to focus heavily on the Iran conflict, energy security and shifting global alliances. Fighting and maritime tensions also continue across Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said US hostility toward the Iranian nation dates back not to 1979 but to the 1953 Anglo-American coup that overthrew the government of then prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh for defending Iran’s national sovereignty and resources.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The United States Senate advanced a War Powers Resolution that could prevent US President Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without congressional authorization amid widening fallout from the conflict.
