Our correspondent says the Arab observers gained a first impression entirely untypical of the long story so far.

BBC: Syria says twin suicide bombings in Damascus kill 44

So while this story will no doubt be yet another in a long line of Russian PR disasters, the actual real world impact will be so muted as to be unnoticeable.

FORBES: The Russians Are Sending Ships to Syria (Again)

To make a long story short, card issuers have raised balance transfer rates and fees big time, so many cards that used to charge 2-3% are now charging 4-5%.

FORBES: Credit Card Issuers Stay Profitable Despite Headwinds