Welcome to your evening bulletin from Mordor, where the President's race to make us more isolated than North Korea gathers pace. Apologies for any repetition of stuff already in the thread. Have been busy and it moves so quickly I just can't read it all.
Some pretty horrifying footage of the bombardment of Kharkov. This is one of the best disposed cities to Russia outside Donbass, not far from the border and with plenty of those Russian=speakers they're supposed to be desperate to protect. Shows that latter claim up for the transparent lie it is.
Looks like they could be planning something even worse for Kiev. I dread to think what news we may wake up to on that score.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy has suggested that American nationals consider leaving now, while there are still a few commercial flights out. Makes you think, even when you're not an American.
I've predictably had to cancel a trip home to visit my mother, who's 88 and with failing eyesight as well as a plethora other medical conditions. She was widowed last summer, has two kids who both live abroad, and is struggling a bit on her own for the first time in 50-odd years.
That's pretty upsetting, as I also cancelled my last planned trip at Christmas owing to travel restrictions imposed following the UK Covid outbreak. But save your thoughts and prayers for the natives of Kharkov and Kiev. They need them far, far more.
PS - Five million roubles would have been 50 grand in sterling last week. By the end of this week, it'll probably just about buy them a new telly.
