Once one of Moscow's closest allies in the South Caucasus, Armenia has recently handed the Kremlin a series of diplomatic humiliations. Not only did Yerevan host the first Armenia-EU summit on May 4-5, but one of the guests wasPresident Volodymyr Zelensky, marking his first official trip to the country. The state visit by the Ukrainian leader, whose country has been resisting Russia's full-scale invasion for over four years, sparked fury in the Kremlin. Moscowdemands an explanation for platforming Zelensky's "anti-Russian statements," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov fumed. The Russian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, openly askedArmenia: "Whose side of history are you on?"
One line tucked into a federal highway bill would strip funds from cities and states unless they kill their automated plate tracking programs -- effectively banning the tech for all but toll collection.
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal with Iran is "largely negotiated," as both countries and mediators in Pakistan reported progress. Trump posted on social media that the emerging agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping passage whose closure upended global energy markets after the conflict started in February when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
The Ebola outbreak erupting from the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to escalate wildly, with cases nearing 750, deaths reported at 177, and around 1,400 contacts now being traced, the World Health Organization reported in a press briefing Friday. The latest numbers already place the outbreak as the third largest on record, though it was only first reported a week ago, on May 15. And WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is still "spreading rapidly."
President Donald Trump broke a wave of unwanted polling records across national surveys released within days of each other this week. read more
Then there's this ...
Iran, Oman discuss Strait of Hormuz toll system: Report
thehill.com
... Iran and Oman have discussed setting up a toll system to charge vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, despite President Trump's condemnation of charging fees to pass through the waterway.
"Iran and Oman must mobilize all their resources both to provide security services and to manage navigation in the most appropriate manner," Iranian Ambassador to France Mohammad Amin-Nejad on Wednesday told Bloomberg News, which first reported the talks. ...
OK, back down to earth ...
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light (1976)
www.youtube.com
This is a cover song of a song from Springsteen's first album.
The lyrics are often misinterpreted.
The word is "deuce," not "douch."
...
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
...
More from the cited article ...
... President Donald Trump on Wednesday confused his predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama while touting the purported successes of his ongoing war on Iran -- and boasted that he has lost "only" 13 U.S. service members in the unpopular conflict. ...
Oh dear.
Is the Trump family apparent history of mental acuity decline starting to show its face with Pres Trump?
Donald Trump's Nephew Recalls Grandpa's Dementia Symptoms as He Warns of Former President's 'Decline' (2024)
people.com
... Donald Trump's nephew Fred C. Trump III is opening up about his family's often-overlooked history of dementia -- and how his uncle's recent behavior reminds him of the other Trumps who have faced cognitive health challenges, including Donald's dad.
"Like anyone else, I've seen his decline. But I see it in parallel with the way my grandfather's decline was," Fred, 61, tells PEOPLE of Donald, 78, who has at times downplayed his father's symptoms. "If anyone wants to believe that dementia did not run in the Trump family, it's just not true."
Related ...
Russia Wants Armenia Back in the Fold. It May Be Too Late.
www.themoscowtimes.com