Alix Kroeger

And here we go. I never wrote this article, and yet it is cited here.

www.liberalbriefs.com/geopolitics/...

And of course, it sounds so plausible, I seriously checked whether I had forgotten it, or the footnote was slightly wrong.

#AIisnotresearch

Henceforth the red robes will only be worn as an away kit when the Canadian Supreme Court is playing the US one.

Haddock : Quelle semaine, hein ? Tintin : Capitaine, on est lundi, il est 10h

"Temporary" delivery, you say. Have you consulted the emperor and the tortie?

Lovely translation - and very interesting background about Rilke and Rodin

Red-skinned pears hanging from a tree in a north London garden. Behind is a garden chair

Herbsttag Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren, und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los. Befiehl den letzten Früchten voll zu sein; gieb ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage, dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein. Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr. Wer jetzt allein ist, wird es lange bleiben, wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben und wird in den Alleen hin und her unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben. - Rainer Maria Rilke

Autumn in the garden

Peacehaven: Fire at East Sussex mosque probed as 'hate crime' Video appears to show two people in balaclavas at the mosque before a large blaze spreads.

Two people were inside the mosque when the arsonists set it on fire but they managed to escape unharmed

Tawny owl

Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet.

After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵

Great list of places to check out - thanks for posting

Can’t believe they didn’t give it to Taylor Swift

So sorry, Rachel. What happened was appalling and there is nothing to justify it

Not just PE. I was going to meet some friends for dinner at a local pub (independent) before an event. The last time I ate there, mains were £17-18. They're now £22, for e.g. chicken shawarma. When I saw the prices, I went home, took something out of the freezer and met my friends at the event

Not one miniature psychopath, but TWO! Congratulations and good luck getting any work done 😸

Romanesque door with tympanum on church in the Loire Valley

Door of the 12th-century church of St-Gervais and St-Protais, Savonnières, near Tours, France #adoorableThursday

Thousands march in Serbia in persistent resistance to autocratic leader Vucic Thousands have joined protest marches in several Serbian towns reflecting persistent resistance to autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic’s rule despite a government crackdown.

11 months now since anti-govt protests began in 🇷🇸
"Authorities in the past weeks moved to crush the anti-government movement with riot police breaking up rallies and detaining and beating protesters. Scores of people reported losing jobs or facing financial or other pressure for protesting."
#serbia

Mystery drone sightings reported over critical infrastructure in northern Germany German authorities are investigating reports of unidentified drones potentially spying on critical infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein.

More drones spotted where they shouldn't be, this time over critical infrastructure (power plant, hospital, shipyard) in northern Germany. This is becoming a regular occurrence

Goat in a neckerchief beside a cafe table of people on a night out in Tours

Saw this goat enjoying a night out on the town in Tours last week

Serbia arrests 11 for allegedly placing pig heads and other racial hatred acts in Europe Serbia has arrested 11 people suspected of spreading racial hatred in Europe under instructions from a foreign intelligence service.

Pigs' heads found near mosques in France and Germany - 11 arrested in Serbia on suspicion of acting on the instructions from an unnamed foreign intelligence service. Previous destabilising incidents have been linked to Russia (e.g. Paris war memorial daubed with red paint in May 2024)

Airspace violations force NATO to tread a tightrope, deterring Russia without hiking tensions NATO is ramping up aerial surveillance in the Baltic Sea. France, Germany, and Sweden are bolstering Denmark's air defenses due to drone incidents near airports and military bases.

NATO in a bind.
“If they intercept (and potentially engage) the intruders, they risk providing Russia with valuable insights about NATO’s reaction times and engagement procedures. If they ignore them, it risks inviting ever-escalating Russian violations of allied airspace,” Loss from @ecfr.eu said.

Road bike propped against the entry sign for the chateau of Villandry, in the Loire Valley. One wing of the chateau is just visible in the background

Same

Two children's bicycles and helmets locked to a bike stand

Micromobility - Tours, France

Mighty hunter. Top work, Freya

Happy birthday, @londoncentric.media. Here's to more excellent reporting in the year ahead

Whether it wants to or not, the EU is quickly being drawn into a mode of needing to contribute to the security of its members.

Here we have von der Leyen proclaiming that "We" will respond to every provocation and signaling the further investments in the EU's & NATO's Eastern flank:

First drones in Poland, now planes in Estonia. 3 Russian fighter aircraft entered Estonian airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the foreign ministry said
apnews.com/article/brit...

The Economist’s finance and economics internship We invite applications for our Marjorie Deane scheme

We are hiring at The Economist.

This is not just any internship. You will be a paid staff member and writer for 6 months.

www.economist.com/finance-and-...

The Royal Mint - a business which literally has a licence to print money - has reported a loss for 2024-25.

The Bright Side: Earth's ozone layer is healing thanks to international action, UN says The Earth's protective ozone layer is on track to fully recover by mid-century, according to a report from the UN's World Meteorological Organization released Tuesday. The bulletin hailed the success…

Sometimes international action works. The hole in the ozone layer is healing 🌍

And are you not going to share this picture with Bluesky? Tsk tsk

Vaguely menacing seed pod of a plant in Clissold Park, looking like a creature that's emerged from the primordial swamp

Deer having a good breakfast of carrots and swede, Clissold Park

Late-ripening blackberries near Clissold Park

Who knew grapes could grow so well in north-east London?

And here are a few more #morningwalk #blackandwhitephotography