(2021-05-19). Gaza conflict: no matter how powerful Israel's military becomes it still can't win. juancole.com 
By Paul Rogers | — Israel is the most powerful state in the Middle East. Its military forces may not match the likes of Egypt or Turkey in numbers, but the might of its training, equipment, technologies and nuclear weapons make it unassailable. Given its long-developed capabilities in public order control, such a position should …
(2021-05-19). Central Syria: Eight Pro-Government Fighters Killed In ISIS Ambush. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | Early on May 18, ISIS cells ambushed a convoy of pro-government forces in the southeastern countryside of Aleppo. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the deadly ambush took place to the south of the village of al-Mateyah in Maskanah desert."Five four-wheel-drive vehicles of the 25th Division and the Iranian militias were attacked in the area, while clashes took place between ISIS members and Iranian militias, which led to the death of eight members, including an Irania…
(2021-05-19). The Pentagon Inflates the Chinese Nuclear Threat in a Push for New Intercontinental Missiles. thenation.com The Pentagon Inflates the Chinese Nuclear Threat in a Push for New Intercontinental Missiles…
(2021-05-19). Plasma physicists lay out a manifesto for the data-driven future of the field. imperial.ac.uk Research into the extreme physics of space, nuclear fusion, and fundamental phenomena could be transformed by big data and AI, say scientists.
(2021-05-18). Tomgram: Andrew Bacevich, War as the Enemy of Reform. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. "A United States Coast Guard cutter fired 30 warning shots after 13 Iranian fast patrol boats menaced a group of American Navy ships sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the Pentagon said on Monday…" — so began a …