Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis): 10.9cm (4.3in). This is a medium sized hummingbird of the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. The adult bird has brilliant green body plumage and a dark blue tail. A remarkable photo taken by Alfredo Irizarry in Costa Rica.

Work younger, retire earlier? In the wake of the #Bundestag passing the government’s pension funding package last Friday, #CDU and #SPD have shown themselves open to the idea of matching retirement to contribution years rather than age. For #DieLinke, a pension cut through the back door. #Germany

#Germany Having changed its name to ‘Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Wirtschaftliche Vernunft’ [*], symbiotic populist party #BSW has elected MEP Fabio De Masi as new co-leader at its congress in Magdeburg alongside in situ Amira Mohamed Ali, replacing party co-founder Sahra #Wagenknecht. 1/

Mauerpark — back when it was the old Nordbahnhof railway station / train yard. View from Bernauer Straße, 1930. Photographer unknown.

VIENNA AT CHRISTMASTIME Ferris Wheel Built for the Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market Image ©Merisi Vienna #EastCoastkin #Photography #Stunday #PhotographersOfBluesky #FerrisWheel

Thousands of school students went on strike across #Germany on Friday against the country’s new conscription law. Speakers in Magdeburg for example criticised the declared aim of war readiness: “I want a state that creates a special fund for education, not weapons”, demanded one student. #antiwar

#sunset After a dismal, rainy day, the clouds briefly turned a nice pink /orange colour as the sun set.

Passage between “An der Fischerbrücke” and “Fischerstraße” in 1905—today’s Fischerinsel—by Max Missmann. Read more on Missmann here: www.slowtravelberlin.com/max-missmann/

It seems I was right. Also see the UN. Nada.

If you're wondering why you're skint, you haven't bought enough gold. Peak Guardian.

I captured this scorpionfish in Sogod Bay, Philippines. It was the most colorful scorpionfish I've ever seen. I took it with my Sony RX100 Mark IV, Nauticam housing, and YS-D3 strobe. #marinelifephotography #marinelife #wildlifephotography #wildlife #naturephotography #nature #scuba #photography

#Germany Following yesterday’s protest in Giesen against new #AfD youth organisation “Generation Deutschland”, umbrella grouping “Widersetzen” (Resistance) has accused the police of excessive use of force. “The police had bludgeoned the way free for the fascists”, said spokesperson Laura Wolf.

Gaza Death Toll From Israeli Genocide “Likely Exceeds” 100K, Study Finds truthout.org/articles/gaz...

Roman Vishniac, Berlin Alexanderplatz, 1928. #berlin

#Germany The Bundestag has passed the government’s budget for 2026 by 322 votes against 252. This envisages expenditure of €525 Billion and new debts totalling around €180 Billion. #SPD Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil emphasised record investment. €108 Billion for Defence is a post-Cold War high.

Germany’s #DGB trade union federation and services union #ver.di have warned of historical parallels following the recent meeting of employers’ lobby group Die Familienunternehmer (‘Family Businesses’) with #AfD representatives with reference to industrialist support for the Nazis in 1933. #Germany

Liverpool James St Station. One of the two first deep underground stations in the world - the other was Birkenhead Hamilton Square of course.

James Chambers, OM, AKA Jimmy Cliff. 1944 – 2025. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpQr...

#Germany The Green Party will not support the government’s state pension proposals. Instead, they wish to restrict the option to retire early at 63 on a reduced pension only to the medically unfit while maintaining the 48% of average earnings lock. Work past 67 years should be supported. #diegrünen

Tranmere v Milton Keynes Main stand for me today. Don’t fancy a soaking in the paddock. Hoping for the best… C’ mon Rovers #TRFC #SWA

Heavy snowfall on Dimitroffstrasse (today Danziger Straße), November, 1965. #berlin

Corporate funded think-tanks urge govt to cut benefits, pensions, schools meals, public spending; charge for seeing GPs. Oppose taxes on the rich. Support subsidies for auto, steel, film, shipbuilding, oil, gas, biomass, semiconductor, internet and other companies. It is class war.

Well another depressingly dull and grey rainy day, so here's a few more photos from a few weeks back, of autumn colours at Sefton Park, Liverpool. 🍁🍃🍂

Samantha Morton responds to Sky News report into death of child in care

Football commentator Steve Bower and Tranmere Rovers star Connor Jennings announced as new patrons of I Am Phab Wirral www.birkenhead.news/football-com...

“For children in care, turning 18 isn't a milestone of independence - it's often the moment when the scaffolding around them collapses. Social workers step back. Placements change. Funding disappears. Services designed for "children" stop overnight.” Thank you @NickMartinSKY #careleavers

All cat servants know this to be true...

A knife grinder on the street - the children watching in wonderment.

#OTD 9th Nov., 1938: #Kristallnacht Following the assassination in Paris of a German diplomat, Nazi paramilitaries and civilian supporters burnt down 1,400 synagogues and prayer rooms during an anti-Jewish pogrom which also saw at least 91 murdered and widespread beatings and rapes. #germanhistory

"People like Laurence Fox complaining that it's unfair, I never heard them complain when you never saw a black face, never once did they say anything. Now that people are trying to address it, they think it's unfair…because they're scared of a level playing field." #workingclass #DEI

🎉 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵! Today marks the start of the first ever National Care Leavers Month, formerly National Care Leavers Week. This month we have loads of content created by the incredible #SettleAdvocates – watch this space!

And here are The Saints blasting out This Perfect Day live in Australia in 1977 youtu.be/X5YP_tsPzmg

Good question 🤔

The "ordinary people" behind the cheapo plastic flags now stained, mouldy and littering our country in a patriotic kind of way. manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...

A week to forget With respect to Germany’s economic situation, to quote public broadcaster ARD, noting that dependence on Russian gas has been replaced with that on China for rare metals and semiconductors while open markets fall before Trump’s tolls. #Germany www.tagesschau.de/inland/innen...

70,000+ have no health cover. In #Germany, health insurance is compulsory. Results of the most recent annual mini census (1% of population) indicate 75% of uninsured are pensioners or students, 61% male. Experts estimate a higher figure of up to 1 million. Asylum seekers and soldiers need no cover.

Oranienbrücke over the Luisenstädtischer Kanal at Oranienplatz . Photo by Waldemar Franz Hermann Titzenthaler, 1925 (public domain).

Fahrgäste in der U-Bahn, um 1930. (Foto: Landesarchiv Berlin, F Rep 290 Nr. 0214800, Fotograf: Hans Casparius)

Leipziger Straße 1929, Berlin #mokaefti #babylonberlin

Preparing for war. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt #CSU has proposed that children be prepared for crisis and war via the school curriculum to a mixed reaction. While the Greens expressed willingness to go further, the Left Party and AfD saw panic fuelling and warmongery. #Germany

We don't get much good political news these days, but this is some. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

SOS Children’s Villages In a further development, the international organisation has today announced the suspension of its #Austrian branch in reaction to abuse allegations against founder Hermann Gmeiner. An extraordinary general meeting will consider removing Austria’s reserved seat. #childabuse

SOS Children’s Villages ‘SOS-Kinderdorf’ was founded in #Austria in 1949 by former soldier Hermann Gmeiner to care for war orphans, before expanding its remit internationally. Today, the organisation announced Gmeiner is suspected of sexual abuse against at least eight children. #childabuse

🎉I completed the Yorkshire Marathon on Sunday! 🎉26.2 miles in 4 hours and 55 minutes 🥵 Over £1000 raised for @careleavers.bsky.social and @wearesettle.org - Thank you so so much to everyone who donated, shared the fundraising effort, and sent their best wishes for the big day 🙏

The right nationalist #AfD remains ahead of the conservative #CDU-CSU in the most recent national opinion poll (RTL/ntv). Less economic optimism and Chancellor Merz’s blanket blaming of immigrants for a worsening “Stadtbild” (cityscape) have had little effect. #Germany #Stadtbild

I left school at 15 without qualifications but educated myself via the Harold Hill library and ended up with three university degrees.

#OTD 21 Oct. 1966 Cofiwch #Aberfan 116 children and 28 adults died when coal slurry from a spoil tip engulfed Pantglas Junior School and nearby houses following heavy rain. The tip had been situated above natural springs and the risk was known to coal board officials.

Good article. Educational, balanced and well worth a read. A settlement along the lines of the Common Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Interesting idea. #Israel #Palestine

Delighted to have been interviewed by one of my outstanding students for The Tab about my book ‘The Roma’. To me, meaningful student engagement with this project has been one of the most rewarding parts of the book journey. 🙏 Read it here: thetab.com/2025/10/20/i...

New Brighton Tower from Little Brighton complete with a tram.