Today’s most jarring paragraph transition, from the BBC report on the blast in St. Petersburg, possibly caused by a hand grenade, that occurred near the Zenit St. Petersburg training ground:

Three people died, including a child, following an explosion inside a taxi.

Zenit, who face Real Madrid in their final game, realistically need to beat the Italians if they are to stand any chance of reaching the knockout stages.

I realize this is an article in the Sport section, but is this really the right moment to chart Zenit’s possible path through the group stage? According to the Guardian, the bomb may have been intended for a crowded metro station nearby, but the question is complicated by the fact that Putin was in the region to inspect a new border post with Finland. Good morning, incidentally.