Someone is getting poetic at Piccadilly Circus tube

“Criminal syndicates are recruiting Africans to help Russia replenish its army… [after] years of war in Ukraine. Hundreds of Kenyans, many with no military training, have been lured to Russia with false promises of jobs…to find themselves deployed in the fighting” www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Bruce is exhausted after his walk.

Mild and sunny for today’s walk down the lane. Bruce came along too although he got spooked by a dog along the way.

⚡️ Entire oblasts in Ukraine 'almost completely without power' after mass Russian missile, drone attack. At least three people have been killed, and 12 others injured.

🎙️ Yesterday I spoke to @rteradio1.bsky.social News at One about recent developments in #Russia's war against #Ukraine www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

7 a.m. in Ukraine. The Russian drone attack that lasted all night has now turned into a morning missile strike.

The russian pre-Christmas peace proposals are once again flooding Ukrainian skies — in drones and missiles.

Late evening in Kyiv. I made a warcoffee. We’ve been warned about a massive missile and drone attack tonight. Nothing to add to this reality check.

Dreaming of #Christmas 💤

bit of an edgy tweet here for Dmitriev, given all the Trump bootlicking

Winter solstice in Edinburgh.

why is it always “I’m against nuclear war so I think Ukraine should surrender” and never “I’m against nuclear war so I think states shouldn’t threaten nuclear war”

"Cadair Arthur" rising above Glyn Tarell in Wales.

Wow!

It’s my husband’s birthday tomorrow and I made his traditional birthday cake: chocolate with chocolate frosting. We decided not to wait until tomorrow to sample it. 🎂

Citizens of the Soviet Union scoffed at Brezhnev’s demented vanity, his insatiable need for praise, and the obsequiousness of his entourage. But it was nothing compared to the self-aggrandizing behavior of #Trump and the sycophancy of his enablers. www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/t...

"The Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, 30 km from zones of active hostilities." I just want the world to see that here in Ukraine, despite the long war, people still feel the taste of life. None of us are giving up (in every sense of the word).

'That Russia is winning the war is the greatest disinformation campaign Putin’s regime has ever launched.' @sianushka.bsky.social sianushka.substack.com/p/russias-gr...

Shadow’s plan for #Caturday

Contemporary Ukrainian painter Maria Chepeleva #WomensArt #ArtAdvent

On a cold #caturday before Midwinter, our 21st #yulefolklore tale brings us to Iceland where idle hands make food for the YULE CAT! Read the tale of dread Jólakötturinn in the link below. 🎨 IrenHorrors

For the last Saturday before #Christmas, the awesome, breathtaking ceiling of medieval angels which soar high above you in Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh, Suffolk - the 'Cathedral of the Marshes' The angels still retain some of their paint colour - incredible 🥰😮 📷 My own, 2020

US intelligence says Putin still aims to capture all of Ukraine and reclaim former Soviet territories in Europe, six sources told Reuters. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

🎙️ Yesterday I did four radio interviews, including this one with Megan Davies on BBC Radio Wales' Drive programme about the EU loan to #Ukraine and about what #Putin had to say in his end of the year press conference. From 12:45 in the recording www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

An important piece of analysis about the damage that #Russia's war against #Ukraine is doing to Russia - the section about the lessons of past Russian imperial wars matches the conclusions that MA students taking my Russia at war since 1812 drew in our final seminar.

Nadolig Llawen! Happy Christmas!

This video will inspire you and break your heart and remind you why we humans have a chance - this is famous Ukrainian ‘Schedryk’ - you might know it as Carol of the Bells - performed live at one of DTEK thermal power situations ruined by Russian attacks P.s. it will make you cry.

University term finished on Friday and the students have scattered far and wide for the holidays, but before that the Interpol society and the student diversity working group held a joint "Worldly Winter Party" event, meeting for an evening of crafting and a quiz with hot chocolate and biscuits.

Look what arrived today! Now I am all set for 2026, thanks to @justin-ng.bsky.social

Our neighbours at @tcdpoliticalsci.bsky.social are hiring 3 (!) tenure-track faculty members: – Assistant Professor in Political Economy – Assistant Professor in International Politics – Assistant Professor in Political Science Deadline: 15 Jan 2026 More details: jobs.tcd.ie @tcddublin.bsky.social

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold his annual Direct Line call-in show and press conference with Russian citizens and journalists Friday. To help you watch it as it unfolds, The Moscow Times has created our own version of “Putin Bingo,” with some of the tropes and phrases we expect.

"Russian strategic culture treats war as a permanent condition, challenging the West’s notion of armed force being limited by international law", writes Beatrice Heuser for CSDS. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...

Russia will be paying for its invasion of Ukraine for years to come, as the government plugs a widening gap in the military budget. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Just another indication that Russia is struggling to maintain its war against Ukraine.

Naturalized citizens are citizens. If their citizenship can be revoked, anyone's can.

Read this and remember that we need to pay attention to women, non-binary people and people of colour of all genders when they issue warnings about politics

Clare Youngs, contemporary graphic designer and artist who works with collage, paper and fabric #WomensArt

Russian economic collapse: military plants have also stopped paying workers. The situation is so bad inside Russia now that even strategic military manufacturers are running out of money, and workers have been unpaid for over 3 months. A lot is going wrong, all at once.🍿🍿🍿

This is a parody, right?

Looking forward to speaking at the "Emergency Exits: Discussion Day" at the Imperial War Museum on 28 February. Please join us! www.iwm.org.uk/events/emerg...

Just a beautiful moment in Kyiv – because life goes on.

Quoted in this @kyivindependent.com article about the possible security guarantees that #Ukraine might get in a peace deal - although I do not put any faith in US promises kyivindependent.com/the-problem-...

End of term vibes ...

Despite threats of unlawful mass arrests, Georgian protesters are still here. Day 385 of nonstop protests.

My IR department at the CEU in Vienna, Austria is hiring a security scholar. I am happy to answer questions. careers.ceu.edu/job/Vienna-A...

Finally decorated the #Christmas tree 🎄

Russia's oil income has dropped to lowest level since introduction of oil price cap in late 2022 • Drop in oil prices and appreciation of Russian rouble are weighing on oil revenues • Data highlight increasingly difficult fiscal equation for Moscow to finance war www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

🎙️ This morning @jmacrodgers.bsky.social and I spoke with @georginagodwin.bsky.social on Monocle Radio's The Globalist about the prospects for compensation to be paid to Ukrainian victims of Russia's war on their country. The segment begins at 03:15 in the recording monocle.com/player/?uuid...