#recruitment agency west london

[aviserv]

The Significant Advantages Of Using Aviation Recruitment Agencies

Do you have a teen who wants to pursue a career in aviation? If that's the case, aviation recruitment agencies can help them. The aviation industry is dynamic, ever-changing, and offers numerous career opportunities.

The Many Advantages Of A Career In Aviation

While films have romanticized aviation careers to some extent, the truth is that jobs in the aviation recruitment network offer numerous benefits. Let's look at some of the most popular ones to see if pursuing such a career is a good idea for you.

Travel the world to broaden your horizons - The ability to travel is, without a doubt, one of the most popular reasons for pursuing a career in aviation. If you enjoy exploring, going on adventures, and seeing the world, the sky is pretty much the limit! Individuals who work for a major airline can take advantage of flight benefits for themselves as well as a designated travel companion or other family members. These include "buddy passes" or non-revenue tickets that can be used for air travel if seats are available. In addition to non-rev travel, airline employees such as pilots and flight attendants are frequently able to fit in some sightseeing when traveling to more distant destinations that necessitate an overnight stay. Aviserv is the leading London-based recruitment and staffing solutions that specializes in matching exceptional candidates with great companies.

There are numerous aviation career paths available - There are far more career options available in the aviation industry than the typical jobs such as pilot, air traffic controller, or aircraft mechanic. When you pursue a career in aviation, you can enter a whole new world with the help of aviation recruitment agencies with a plethora of job opportunities:-

Drone pilot certification.

Pilot for a commercial airline.

Flight attendant.

Engineer in aircraft maintenance.

Manager of airport operations.

Technician in avionics.

Inspector of aircraft safety.

Engineer in aerospace.

And there are so many more!

There is a high demand for aviation employees - Flights have returned to, and in some cases surpassed, pre-pandemic levels. More travelers necessitate the need for every employee to have an occupation that assists those travelers. Major airlines have stated that they have aggressive hiring plans for 2022 and beyond. There has never been a better time to pursue a career in aviation!

Aviation jobs can be expensive - Overall pay, like in any other industry, is determined by a number of factors such as education, experience, and demand. However, the aviation industry as a whole offers several jobs that pay well over $100,000 per year. According to the news, the median salary for pilots in 2020 was $130,440, with many earning more than $200,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of aerospace engineers in 2021 was $122,270.

Work schedule flexibility - A career in aviation usually entails a variety of different work schedules, which are mostly determined by the type of work chosen. A typical 9 to 5 job could be in airport operations management or airline marketing, for example. Pilots, on the other hand, may only work a few days per week, depending on the length and frequency of the flights they operate. While they may be away from their families for several days at a time (for example, on a trip abroad), they may have several days of uninterrupted time off each month. The job of temporary job services is to find additional workers for your company for the amount of extra work you have.

Possibilities for advancement - Whatever your choice of aviation career, there is always room for advancement! Pilots may begin by flying small private planes, but with time, experience, and additional education, they can advance to become commercial airline pilots and, eventually, captains. The same is true for other aviation careers:- individuals may begin as entry-level employees but can advance to management positions as they gain experience and seniority. Of course, higher level positions typically have higher pay and benefits.

At A Young Age, Pursue A Career In Aviation

At school, teenagers can learn about and experience aviation firsthand. A solid STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Aviation, and Mathematics) curriculum combined with hands-on flight experience makes it easier than ever for children to realize their aviation dreams. If students graduate with an accredited high school diploma, a STEM endorsement, and the option to obtain their private or remote pilot's license prior to graduation. Furthermore, they are fully prepared to pursue a career in aviation, whether through additional education, military opportunities, or direct employment with a major airline.

For more information just come to us, Aviserv, one of the top aviation recruitment agencies.

[beardedmrbean]

Young children were hired as extras for a public film shoot starring a paedophile, the BBC has learned.

About 200 children and young women played fans alongside Jacky Jhaj, 38, who is on the sex offenders register, in London's Leicester Square.

In 2016 he was jailed for four years, having been found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds after posing as a film producer.

Casting agencies say actors were kept safe and children had chaperones.

The BBC has been told by two cast members that they were not made aware of the real identity of Jhaj, of west London.

Filming was held on 17 October outside the Odeon Luxe cinema, where a red carpet was set up with barricades resembling a movie premiere.

Mr Jhaj can be seen repeatedly parading up and down in different outfits and then greeting some of the extras, in videos and photographs seen by the BBC.

The footage shows the cast in close proximity to Mr Jhaj, with some touching his hands and back.

The BBC has learned that the organiser of the event - known only as "Project BRT" - hired 90 children aged six to 14 from one agency, Jam 2000.

The production also booked about 100 young women between the ages of 16-24 from another company, Uni-versal Extras.

It is not clear who else was involved in the production or what plans there are to release any footage.

The BBC has been provided with the names of people said to have helped organise the filming. All denied involvement or declined to respond - and it is unclear if anyone working as part of a film crew was aware of Mr Jhaj's criminal conviction.

Letters and calls made to Jhaj and the production company were not returned.

The BBC has seen text messages and correspondence sent by Uni-versal Extras when recruiting the older cast - and also following the event.

They show:

Actors were paid £85 to pose as "die-hard" fans who "cry, far-reach and faint"

The cast was requested to wear a range of costumes which included "Clubbing High School Uniform", a "Harry Potter type look (came straight from school)" and "PJs"

"You could very-well [sic] be dressed as if you are to be scouted and requested to join the guests on the red carpet", read the text message

Following the event, Uni-versal Extras emailed its actors to say it had only been made aware after the event that a cast member may have had a criminal conviction. A second email warned them that speaking to the media would be in breach of their contracts.

On 2 November, the agency sent a third email which sought to reassure the cast. It said it had conducted an "extensive investigation" and reported concerns to the police.

"[The Metropolitan Police] assured us that there is no cause for concern in relation to Artiste safety and there were no restrictions placed on this individual preventing him working with, or being near, any of our Artistes, including those under 18," it said.

The BBC approached the Met Police and was told that Jhaj has been charged with two counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register - failure to comply with the registration of a new passport and provide notification of travel seven days prior to departure.

He has also been charged with breaching his sexual harm prevention order by failing to supply a mobile phone for inspection, the Met added. He has not yet been required to provide a plea.

The BBC has also spoken to two young adults who attended the Leicester Square event. Both say they were left "clueless" over the exact nature of the production and given no information about the star's identity or criminal record.

One said she assumed that the lack of information meant it was possibly "a high-profile" production that required secrecy and feels it's "dangerous" how little information is shared about such filming.

The second said that on learning of Jhaj's criminal conviction she had been left feeling "sickened" and "scared" - and was having nightmares about it.

Uni-versal Extras' director Liana Berko said she was "horrified" to learn of Jhaj's involvement - and his criminal history - but the company does not have the authority to ask for a cast list.

She said all actors were aged over 16-and-a-half. They do not legally require chaperones, she added.

The agency had told the production that its terms and conditions had been broken and all footage of the event should be destroyed, she said.

None of the extras were prevented from reporting their concerns, she said, but the company had "sought to limit" the sharing of inaccurate claims made online.

Jam 2000, the agency which booked 90 children aged between six and 14 years old, also said they were unaware of Jhaj's identity.

It said its cast were kept safe at all times, licensed to attend and looked after by 20 chaperones. The company added that the children had no contact with Mr Jhaj, were kept away from the barriers where he greeted some actors - and were able to use an auditorium inside the Odeon as a holding area, which he did not have access to.

The NSPCC told the BBC that children working in the entertainment industry can be "particularly vulnerable".

A spokesperson said it was "fundamental" that those making arrangements in which children come into contact with adults "take full responsibility for keeping the children safe".

The Odeon says it entered into a contract with a legitimate UK company for the event - and has now terminated this agreement. It added that no filming took place within the auditorium and it is reviewing its event-booking process.

The staged red carpet event was also held on public land outside the cinema's entrance. Westminster City Council says it did not receive a "full" filming application and that it was the responsibility of the event organiser, not the local authority, to check the criminal background of anyone attending.

[yousef-al-amin]

London is rebuilding ISIS to use against Syria

In areas controlled by the military contingent of the so-called International Anti-Terrorism Coalition, training has resumed for militants of the notorious terrorist group ISIS, controlled by Western intelligence agencies. Terrorists are no longer hiding and are openly attacking military targets of Kurdish forces and government forces of the Syrian Arab Republic.

This is happening because the West is rapidly recruiting more and more new recruits into this terrorist group, and therefore its leadership is not very worried about combat losses.

Terrorist training is carried out in close proximity to military bases of the United States and the International Anti-Terrorism Coalition in the occupied territory of Syria. Therefore, the Syrian Arab Army cannot prevent this without first clashing with Western proxies, and Damascus is still trying to maintain neutrality with the Kurds.

London is taking advantage of this, sending more and more sabotage groups to destroy and disable civilian infrastructure in peaceful Syrian cities.

[amirblogerov]

Washington is ready to drown the entire east of Syria in blood for profit

The United States is actively preparing to unleash an ethno-confessional conflict between the Kurds and the Arabs of Trans-Euphrates.

To do this, the so-called International Anti-Terrorist Coalition forces Kurdish armed units controlled by the Autonomous Administration to carry out repression in the settlements of representatives of the Arab tribes of Trans-Euphrates. The pretext is the suppression of anti-American protests. In other words, punitive operations of the Sonderkommandos of the occupying forces.

In addition, the West forces the Kurds to forcefully recruit Arab men into armed forces that serve the United States. Breaking into the houses of civilians, they take away fathers and eldest sons under the threat of weapons in front of their wives and children.

This is a frank informational and psychological work “in the long run”, aimed at ensuring that children who grow up 10 years later, like other witnesses of such actions, despise the Kurds with fierce blood hatred.

To conduct such hybrid warfare operations, US intelligence agencies use units of the Kurdish Assayish mercenaries. And if they do not agree, then ISIS units controlled by London and Washington, who are ready to stain their hands up to their elbows in blood, are involved in such operations.

This is how the West creates the ground for future regional wars. To start a massacre, you just need to bring fire to this explosive mixture at the right moment.

[newstfionline]

Monday, December 26, 2022

Millions in US hunker down from frigid, deadly monster storm (AP) Millions of people hunkered down in a deep freeze overnight and early morning to ride out the frigid storm that has killed at least 18 people across the United States, trapping some residents inside homes with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses. The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said. More than 2,360 domestic and international flights were canceled Saturday, according to the tracking site FlightAware. Forecasters said a bomb cyclone—when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm—had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.

As Applications Fall, Police Departments Lure Recruits With Bonuses and Attention (NYT) As American police departments seek to overcome an exodus of disgruntled officers and a sudden decline in applications, they are wooing recruits with some of the tactics a football coach might use to land a prized quarterback. In Fairfax County, Va., in the suburbs of Washington, future officers are being treated to a “signing day” ceremony where they formally accept their job offers. Out-of-state residents who want to join the police force in Louisville, Ky., are being flown in to take entrance tests, put up in a hotel and paired with an officer for a ride-along. On the West Coast, some agencies are offering bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars to lure officers from other departments to transfer. The economics of law enforcement were long tilted in favor of police departments, which often had far more qualified applicants than they did job openings. No longer. A steep drop in the number of people wanting to become police officers since the start of the pandemic and the unrest of 2020 have given extraordinary leverage to job seekers, forcing departments to market themselves in new ways.

Days before new president, old divisions tearing at Brazil (AP) Trumpets and snares will play Brazil’s national anthem at Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s swearing-in on Jan. 1. Then, one will hear a different song on the streets, its lyrics taking a shot at outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro. “It is time for Jair, it is time for Jair ... to go away!” the lyrics say. “Pack your bags, hit the road and go away!” When Lula clinched his election win over Bolsonaro on Oct. 30, tens of thousands of people sang the familiar tune throughout the night, pushing the song to the top of Spotify’s list in Brazil and showing one way that many Brazilians aren’t ready to extend olive branches. Healing Brazil’s divided society will be easier said than done. Lula’s Cabinet appointments thus far favoring leftists and stalwarts of his Workers’ Party are turning off those who trusted the divisive 77-year-old to govern alongside moderates, and who joined forces after Bolsonaro repeatedly tested the guardrails of the world’s fourth-biggest democracy.

Air travellers warned of delays as UK passport control staff strike (Reuters) Passengers at British airports were warned of delays after passport control staff walked out on Friday on the first day of a strike due to last until New Year, though London’s Heathrow and Gatwick reported no major disruptions. The Public and Commercial Services Union said more than 1,000 Border Force staff, who are employed by the government, were expecting to strike. They are following nurses, paramedics, and workers in the rail and postal sectors in the biggest wave of industrial action over pay and conditions in Britain for decades.

In Ukraine, Christmas Lights Defy Darkness of War, and Children Ask for Peace (NYT) Hundreds of missiles and drones aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left millions of people without power—and dozens of cities without Christmas lights. So some Ukrainian cities decided to be inventive with their Christmas decorations—finding ways to win back the season while not wasting precious electricity or disappointing children as holiday lights blink out during the attacks. In the usually serene square of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the capital, the authorities put up what they called the Christmas Tree of Invincibility. It was decorated with papier-mâché white doves and a strip of blue and yellow lights—the colors of the Ukrainian flag—powered by a diesel generator. This year, Christmas decorations are hardly visible in Ukrainian cities, but when they are displayed, they almost always have a patriotic touch. Blue and yellow ribbons are used to create flags, children’s letters to soldiers are put on display and Christmas bunnies now hold blue and yellow hearts. Valeriy Bozhenko, who is working as Santa Claus this season at Kyiv’s central railway station, said children most often ask him “for peace,” with toys usually coming in second.

As Russia bombs Ukraine’s infrastructure, its own services crumble (Washington Post) As Russia has launched relentless strikes on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, leaving millions without electricity, water and heat, towns across Russia have been beset by their own, utility-related disasters. A huge gas pipeline explosion outside St. Petersburg last month, major fires in two separate Moscow shopping malls allegedly caused by dodgy welding, and faulty power grids that have left tens of thousands without heat and electricity are just some of the incidents reported since Russia’s efforts to obliterate Ukraine’s infrastructure that began in October. In late October, two sewer pipes burst in the southern city of Volgograd, flooding several streets with feces and waste water, and leaving 200,000 of the 1 million residents without water or heating for several days. A few weeks later, a similar, though less drastic sewage problem in the town of Pervouralsk, a small city west of Yekaterinburg, provoked residents to drag buckets of fecal water to the offices of the local water council in protest, claiming authorities had neglected the problem for years. While disasters now raise suspicions of sabotage linked to the war in Ukraine, poorly maintained infrastructure is a long-standing and persistent problem in Russia—the result of old Soviet-era systems in need of repair and costly maintenance, decades of endemic corruption, and the government’s prioritization of defense and security budgets, as well as the development of major cities over regional towns.

Putin says Russia ready to negotiate over Ukraine (Reuters) President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready to negotiate with all parties involved in the war in Ukraine but that Kyiv and its Western backers had refused to engage in talks. Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most deadly conflict in Europe since World War Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. There is, thus far, little end in sight to the war. The Kremlin says it will fight until all its aims are achieved while Kyiv says it will not rest until every Russian soldier is ejected from all of its territory, including Crimea which Russia annexed in 2014.

Taliban Bar Women From NGOs, Threatening to Worsen Crisis (NYT) The Afghan government on Saturday barred women from working in local and international humanitarian organizations, officials said, a move that threatens billions of dollars of aid that has kept Afghanistan from the brink of starvation amid an economic collapse. The ban is the latest blow to women’s rights under a Taliban administration that appears to value eradicating women from public life over keeping the country from plunging further into a dire humanitarian catastrophe that risks the lives of millions of Afghans. The edict, announced in a letter from the Ministry of Economy and confirmed to The New York Times by the ministry’s spokesman, warned that the ministry would revoke the operating licenses of any organizations that did not comply. It was unclear whether the ban would apply to the United Nations’ aid agencies, and to all women or only Afghan nationals working in aid organizations.

Pope's lament: Icy winds of war buffet humanity at Christmas (AP) Pope Francis used his Christmas message Sunday to lament the "icy winds of war” buffeting humanity and to make an impassioned plea for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, a 10-month-old conflict he decried as “senseless.” Francis also cited long-running conflicts in the Middle East, including in the Holy Land, “where in recent months violence and confrontations have increased, bringing death and injury in their wake.” In addition, he prayed for a lasting truce in Yemen and for reconciliation in Iran and Myanmar, and cited violence and conflicts in Africa's Sahel region. He lamented that on Christmas, the “path of peace” is blocked by social forces that include “attachment to power and money, pride, hypocrisy, falsehood.” “Indeed, we must acknowledge with sorrow that, even as the Prince of Peace is given to us, the icy winds of war continue to buffet humanity," Francis said. “If we want it to be Christmas, the birth of Jesus and of peace, let us look to Bethlehem and contemplate the face of the child who is born for us,'' he said. ”And in that small and innocent face, let us see the faces of all those children who, everywhere in the world, long for peace."

China angered, Taiwan cheered by new U.S. defence act (Reuters) China expressed anger on Saturday at a new U.S. defence authorisation law that boosts military assistance for Taiwan, while Taipei cheered it for helping boost the island’s security. China, which considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory, expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” regarding the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It said the $858 billion military spending measure, which authorises up to $10 billion in security assistance and fast-tracked weapons procurement for Taiwan, contained provisions that “cause serious damage to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”. China has never renounced using force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan strongly disputes China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s 23 million people can decide their future.

[unityrecruitment-blog]

Unity Recruitment’s data mining, networking, data banks and social media approaching techniques makes us the most coveted recruitment agency in west London. With an experience of over 30 years as a recruitment agency, we have a vast database of candidates applying for specific job roles ranging from initial to top level executives. We offer services for headhunting, pre-screening, vacancy and payroll advertisements and a dedicated account manager for transparent execution and effective communication on both sides.

[senatushq]

NAME. Sebastian West AGE & BIRTH DATE. 34 & August 16th, 1988 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male & He/Him SPECIES. Human AFFILIATION. The Eye (Military Division) OCCUPATION. Overseer at The Eye FACE CLAIM. Theo James

BIOGRAPHY

( tw: war, IED injury, PTSD) Sebastian’s family followed the usual military pattern. Like clockwork, his mother and father relocated every few years, uprooting their lives to serve Queen and country. Making new friends and establishing routines wasn’t easy, but Sebastian believed his parents were saving the world. Applying to the British Armed Forces at 15 years and nine months, the earliest an aspiring soldier can enlist with parental permission, he was promptly snagged up by a recruiting officer near their home in South London. Sebastian dutifully completed his studies while training at the Army Foundation College and was placed with the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment two weeks after his 18th birthday. 

Each deployment consisted of months of drills, playing golf in the sand, writing letters, football, freezing at night, burning during the day, and then several hours of pure horror. A triggered explosion, a friend missing both their legs, sleeping with one eye open, running as fast as humanly possible, another civilian casualty, this time a child, a neighbour squad ripped in half by enemy fire. Nothing could’ve prepared the legacy gunner for the realities of war. 

Specially trained in close combat and regarded for his indomitable determination during complex engagements, Sebastian ascended 1PWRR’s ranks in the crossroads of Central and South Asia. As his reputation grew, so did the weight of his conscience. Hypervigilance, flashbacks, insomnia, agitation, headaches… he knew teammates on the reserve with post-traumatic stress disorder, soldiers emotionally and morally scarred, but experiencing it first-hand was debilitating. He’d witnessed too many innocent people displaced or killed, their lives destroyed by foreign artillery and western corruption. After almost ten years of active service, Sebastian had had enough.

Before completing his final tour, Sebastian was approached by a clandestine agency. They called themselves the Eye, but he didn’t care what name they went by, so long as his plans to leave remained unchanged. Granted an honourable discharge, Sebastian accepted the opportunity to preserve human life on a new front line and relocated to Europe. It was among an international guild of hunters that he discovered the real truth. Monsters existed. Vampires, fey, witches, lycans and demons—these things stalked the streets, feeding and manipulating indiscriminately, and he could stop them. Newly motivated, Sebastian completed the Eye’s rigorous induction training and mastered their weapons in record time. After years of moving from place to place, he learnt everything he needed from established members, kept his head down and got the work done. 

When the time came to plant his boots in Rome, Sebastian did so proudly. As the overseer of the Outpost, he decided reform was needed. For too long, the hunters of Rome worked as single entities. Military strategy used presence, equipment, and information against opponents to gain preeminence, but teamwork was imperative. It took time, but Sebastian formed groups of elite tactical units. In combination with state-of-the-art intelligence, he successfully established operational omnipresence—the ability to be everywhere at once. 

PERSONALITY

+ adaptable, observant, courageous – stern, high-handed, calculating

PLAYED BY IZZY. AEST. She/Her.

[mikhaelasworld]

SUPER MOGUL

#. 1 TYRA BANKS

Tyra Banks, is an American Fashion Model, Actress, TV Host, Producer,Author,Entrepreneur, and a Mogul. She began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first woman of African-American descent to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which she appeared thrice. She was one of the original Victoria Secret Angels and the creator of the hit worldwide reality tv show franchise Americas Next Top Model. By the early 2000s, Banks was one of the world's top-earning models.

She has modeled on the runway for big fashion houses in New York, London, Milan and Paris for Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Anna Sui, Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Herve Leger, Valentino, Fendi, Isaac Mizrahi, Giorgio Armani, Sonia Rykiel, Michael Kors and more.

She appeared in advertising campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Halston, H&M, XOXO, Nine West, Swatch,  Versace, Christian Lacroix, Victoria's Secret, Got Milk?, Pepsi, Nike and more.

Tyra, signed a contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, launching advertising campaigns for the cosmetics company. She was one of only a few Black models to achieve Supermodel status. In the mid-1990s, Banks returned to America to do more commercial modeling.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Tyra has an estimated net worth of $90 million as of 2019.

She had been feauture on the covers of several magazines worldwide with Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle,GQ, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Allure, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Metropolitan, Mega, Style, Remix, Paper, Interview, Black, Ocean Drive, Entertainment, Black Men, Shape, Essence, Ebony and more.

In 2014, She founded the cosmetics brand Tyra Beauty, which she completed a non-degree certificate program at Harvard Business School specifically for. Tyra Beauty uses a multi-level marketing system to recruit sales distributors, who are called "beautytainers" by the company.

In 1998, Tyra, co-authored a book entitled Tyra's Beauty, Inside and Out. She announced in May 2010 that she would be writing a novel, titled Modelland, loosely based on her own modelling experience. It was published in September 2011, intended to be the first of a planned three-part series; Modelland topped The New York Times Best Seller list in October 2011. In 2018, Tyra and her mother, Carolyn London, co-authored a book entitled "Perfect is Boring".

In August 2016, Tyra, accepted a position as a personal branding guest lecturer at Stanford University.

#2. KIMORA LEE-SIMMONS

Known professionally as Kimora Lee-Simmons. She is an American Fashion Model, Fashion Designer, TV Personality, Occasional Actress, Entrepreneur and Mogul. She was discovered by Karl Largerfield at the age of 13 and signed her exclusive at Tutelage to be his model for Chanel.

She helped inspire Karl Lagerfeld's creative vision and call for racial inclusion, and paved the way for other mixed race models in the fashion world. Karl Lagerfeld deemed her the "Face of 21st Century".

She gained attention in the fashion world when she closed Lagerfeld's haute couture show in 1989 as the "bride" – the concluding bridal look signature to every Chanel show under Lagerfeld’s tenure.

Kimora, later modeled for Fendi, Valentino, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Kenzo, Anna Sui, Geoffrey Beene, and Yves Saint Laurent and more.

In 1998, Kimora, then husband, music mogul and entrepreneur, Russell Simmons, was at the helm of "Phat Farm", an urban menswear brand. Simmons created a parallel women’s brand, "Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons", under the umbrella of "Phat Fashions".

Kimora, stepped in as Baby Phat's designer and creative director in creating a collection based on what she would wear.

Kimora has long been passionate about supporting AIDS research via amfAR (the American Foundations for AIDS Research). Kimora attended Lionel Richie’s performance to benefit amfAR at Cipriani Wall Street in April 2006 in NYC, and then the 'Cinema Against AIDS 2006', the annual event in aid of amfAR at Le Moulin de Mougins during the 59th International Cannes Film Festival in May 2006.

#3. ALEK WEK

Alek Wek, is a South Sudanese-British model and designer who began her fashion career at the age of 18. She has been hailed for her influence on the perception of beauty in the fashion industry.

She appeared in the music video for "GoldenEye" by Tina Turner.

She has modeled for big fashion houses in New York, London, Milan and Paris for Off-White, Akris, Balenciaga, Victoria Secret,Fashion by Look, Vivienne Westwood, DVF, Betsy Johnson, CR Book, Moschino, Viktor & Rolf, Michael Kors, Valentino, Lanvin, Versace, John Gallano, Ferragamo, Alexander McQueen, Baby Phat, Etro, Hermes, Givenchy, Sonia Rykiel,Christian Lacroix, Dries Van Nnoten, Schiaparelli,Chanel,Yves Saint Laurent,Dolce & Gabbana,Marc Jacobs and more.

She had been feauture on the covers of several magazines worldwide with Vogue, Harpers Bazaar,Forbes, Elle, Paper, Pop, Stylist, Re-Edition, Glamour, Dazed, i-D, Arise, L'officiel, Purple, Essence, Ebony,Style, Red, Cosmopolitan, Porter, Pride, Archetype and more.

Alek also designs a range of designer handbags called "Wek 1933", which are available throughout selected Selfridges department stores. The name refers to the year her father was born. Her inspiration for the designs came from the brass-clasp briefcase carried by her father.

Since 2002, Alek has been an advisor to the U.S. Committee for Refugees Advisory Council, which helps to raise awareness about the situation in Sudan, as well as the plight of refugees worldwide.

She is a missionary for World Vision, an organisation which combats AIDS, an ambassador for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan, and devotes time to UNICEF.

In July 2012, she returned to South Sudan with the UN Refugee Agency to highlight the stories of refugees returning from the north and the massive efforts needed to build and stabilise the country. In 2012, Alek teamed up with Amarula as the face of their campaign African Originals.

[justforbooks]

The Best Spy Novels to Read While Stuck at Home

Forty, page-turning spy novels, to Keep you on the edge of your seat. Marked by an exhilarating pace, plenty of dramatic twists, and richly drawn complex protagonists, spy novels are about as riveting as it gets in the library. And while all the excitement of double agents and espionage keeps you at the edge of your seat, these books also offer insight into fascinating and troubling historical periods.

In the name of thrilling reading, no matter what time of year and to wrestle with larger philosophical questions of betrayal, human connection, and the legacy of international conflict, I rounded up 40 of the best spy novels around, to read while stuck at home. Written by former CIA and other intelligence agents and some of the most prolific literary minds of all time, get to know the best spy novels below.

Here are my picks for the best spy novels you have to read while stuck at home.

Rosalie Knecht, Who Is Vera Kelly?

1962 in New York City's Greenwich Village and Argentina. A radio show host is struggling to make ends meet and fit into the underground gay scene when she gets recruited by the CIA to wiretap a crooked congressman in Argentina, and works her way into a radical group of students planning a coup. Think coming-of-age meets historical fiction with a strong female protagonist.

Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow

Modern-day Russia. Dominika Egorova is forced into becoming a secret agent that uses her sultry beauty to seduce an American CIA officer. When she develops genuine feelings for him, her loyalties begin to shift and the plot thickens.

Gina Apostol, Gun Dealer's Daughter

1980s Marcos-era Philippines and modern-day America. Though this book doesn't follow a linear chronology, it reflects Sol's fragmented memory and trauma. As a young woman limited by the comfort of her wealth, she seeks to overthrow the Marcos regime. Spying on the American generals and Philippine elite from her own fancy dinner table, Sol's loyalties struggle between her family, homeland, and her insurgent student friends. Politically charged, lyrical, and eye-opening, this is a must-read.

Helen MacInnes, Agent in Place

New York, Washington, D.C., and the French Riviera during the Cold War. When a Russian spy who's expertly infiltrated Washington society gets his hands on a top-secret NATO memorandum, a high-profile CIA officer's cover is blown in Moscow. Now, everyone is racing against time to uncover who the Russian spy actually is.

Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sympathizer

1975 Vietnam and Los Angeles, A half-French, half-Vietnamese double agent relocates to America after the fall of Saigon, and betrayal, both personal and political, ensues. At once a love story and a spy novel about the legacy and evils of colonialism, the Vietnam War, and ensuing refugee experience in the U.S. you won't soon forget The Sympathizer. It's satirical, sharp, suspenseful, and poignant.

Joseph Kanon, Leaving Berlin

Post-WWII Berlin, Germany. Alex Meier is a young German Jew who fled to America at the onset of WWII to escape Nazi persecution. But with the Cold War underway, it's the peak of the McCarthy era, and he's pigeon-holed into working undercover in East Berlin for the CIA. It's the only way he won't be deported. But when he gets there, he finds out that his target is the woman he loved and left behind before the war. It's a thought-provoking and action-packed love story.

Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent

London, late 1800s. A shop-owner gets wrapped up in an anarchist scheme to bomb the Greenwich Observatory, but the plan goes wrong and throws his life into chaos. It raises philosophical questions and is a literary masterpiece, but that doesn't keep it from being a thrilling, entertaining read.

John Le Carré, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Post-WWII Britain. Unhappily retired after a failed mission, an aging officer sets out to catch a traitor who has worked their way into the highest ranks of British intelligence. Full of political and social commentary with a fast-paced plot, there's a reason this is such a classic.

Ian McEwan, The Innocent

Berlin, 1955. A young Englishman living in American-occupied Berlin is commissioned to install the tape recorders that that will wiretap Russians in Soviet-occupied East Berlin. He begins spying on the Americans for the Brits while helping the Americans spy on the Russians. But, he fails as a spy, and the plot becomes more complicated when he falls in love with an older German with a violent, possessive ex-husband.

Lauren Wilkinson, American Spy

Burkina Faso. In the FBI, Marie Mitchell sticks out as a young black woman. In American Spy, Marie wades through a sea of a mostly white male intelligence community, and an assignment to Burkina Faso, where she meets Thomas Sankara, revolutionary president of the landlocked, West African country.

John le Carré, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

Cold War-era Germany. British intelligence agent Alec Leamas should be on his way back to London, but one more job—an undercover mission to topple East German intelligence, leads Leamas back into dangerous territory. In an interview with Electric Literature, author Lauren Wilkinson (author of American Spy) calls this spy novel "terrific."

Susan Hasler, Intelligence

Post-9/11 America, during an election year. Intelligence trails Maddie James, a CIA counterterrorism analyst as she pursues an al-Qaida operation with an eccentric team. Meanwhile, the Administration is more interested in maintaining the message that America is winning the war on terror. According to author Susan Hasler, a former member of the CIA, writing the novel was a way to cope with residual 9/11 period anger.

Valerie Plame, Blowback

Cyprus. Young, blonde CIA operative Vanessa Pierson assumes the identify of a financial adviser in Cyprus on a reconnaissance mission. Her target: An international arms dealer, Bhoot, who is believed to be aiding Iran to bolster its nuclear activities. With an assassin on her trail, Blowback is full of fast-paced action scenes, as well as intimate details that the Washington Post describes "might elude a male writer." Blowback is co-authored by former CIA agent Valerie Plame, and Sarah Lovett.

Stella Rimington, At Risk

Britain. British intelligence taps Liz Carlyle, a scrappy counter terror agent to stop a terrorist attack. And the person of interest is traveling under a British passport, an "invisible." Author Stella Rimington relies on her former life as a high-ranking spy to author At Risk, Rimington's debut novel.

Patricia Wentworth, Hue and Cry

London. Before Mally Lee's wedding in six months, she accepts a position as governess to a shipping magnate's young daughter. Upon entering the Peterson grounds, however, Lee will be accused of being a thief and spy. Mally flees, leaving her fiancé in emotional shambles and private investigators in hot pursuit. What has Mally stumbled into?

Irène Némirovsky, The Courilof Affair

18th century Russia. Léon M, son of Russian revolutionaries, is tasked with assassinating the ruthless Valerian Alexandrovitch Courilof, Russian Minister of Education. Fronting as Courilof's personal physician, Léon M works his way into Courilof's summer house, and as his relationship with Courilof grows, learns things are more complicated than they seem.

Stephenie Meyer, The Chemist

United States. A page-turning tale of an ex-agent on the run from her former employer (a clandestine, unnamed agency). To clear her name, she accepts one more job that will put her in an even more precarious position. But, the job goes south. What now?

Jennifer Chiaverini, The Spymistress

Civil War-era America. Elizabeth Van Lew is a Union loyalist living in the Confederacy, and she will risk it all to help build the Richmond underground, break free inmates from Confederate Libby Prison, and gather military intelligence under the pretense of humanitarian aid. In this historical novel inspired by a true story, Van Lew's contributions during the Civil War comes alive.

John Buchan, The Thirty-Nine Steps

Over a century old, and Buchan’s adventure novel still passes muster. The first of five novels featuring an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip, Richard Hannay, this is unpredictable, exciting fare – and will keep you guessing until the last page.

Graham Greene, The Quiet American

A novel depicting French colonialism being uprooted in Vietnam may not sound like the most thrilling you’ve ever heard, but in the hands of English literary giant Graham Greene, anything is possible. Featuring British journalism, undercover CIA agents, illegitimate marriage and a light smattering of car bombs, there is action balanced with considered philosophy – and the book is all the better for it.

Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal

Telling the tale of a professional assassin – tasked by a French dissident organisation to kill the President of France – Forsyth’s novel was met with praise when it was first published, and remains so to this day. Of course, the 1973 film adaptation starring the suave Edward Fox did nothing to help with the stories success...

Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity

We all know Matt Damon’s award-winning portrayal of Ludlum’s most famous character, but how many of us have read the novels? If not, you’ll be glad to know that these tales of amnesia, backstabbing and action are just as thrilling on the page – and that Eric Van Lustbader has added to the cannon, with an additional 11 Bourne books available to read.

Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October

Tom Clancy’s debut novel remains his best. Introducing Jack Ryan, the CIA analyst throw into the field, it one again tackles Soviet themes and the adventures of a group of US Navy officers taking possession of a nuclear submarine. It’s thrilling fare, and Clancy’s talent to bring the appeal of classic espionage into modern-day storytelling is impressive to say the least.

Len Deighton, The IPCRESS File

Len Deighton’s first spy novel, like Tom Clancy’s, is also his best. More famous for the Michael Caine-fronted film spun from its pages, this original novel involves Cold War brainwashing, a United State atomic weapons test and an extended sequence in Lebanon – and makes use of spy novel trope to be employed for years to come: that of the nameless protagonist.

John le Carré, The Tailor of Panama

He is Harry Pendel: Exclusive tailor to Panama’s most powerful men. Informant to British Intelligence. The perfect spy in a country rife with corruption and revolution. What his “handlers” don’t realize is that Harry has a hidden agenda of his own. Deceiving his friends, his wife, and practically himself, he’ll weave a plot so fabulous it exceeds his own vivid imagination. But when events start to spin out of control, Harry is suddenly in over his head—thrown into a lethal maze of politics and espionage, with unthinkable consequences...

Eric Ambler, A Coffin for Dimitrios

A chance encounter with a Turkish colonel leads Charles Latimer, the author of a handful of successful mysteries, into a world of sinister political and criminal maneuvers. At first merely curious to reconstruct the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue, Latimer soon finds himself caught up in a shadowy web of assassination, espionage, drugs, and treachery that spans the Balkans.

Ken Follett, Eye of the Needle

“His code name was “The Needle.” He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence—a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history... But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom—and win the war for the Nazis...“

Olen Steinhauer, The Tourist

Milo Weaver has tried to leave his old life of secrets and lies behind by giving up his job as a “tourist” for the CIA―an undercover agent with no home, no identity. Now he’s working a desk at the agency’s New York headquarters. But when the arrest of a long-sought-after assassin sets off an investigation into a colleague, exposing new layers of intrigue in his old cases, he has no choice but to go back undercover and find out who’s been behind it all from the very beginning.

Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana

MI6’s man in Havana is Wormold, a former vacuum-cleaner salesman turned reluctant secret agent out of economic necessity. To keep his job, he files bogus reports based on Charles Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare and dreams up military installations from vacuum-cleaner designs. Then his stories start coming disturbingly true...

Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands

The classic spy novel by Erskine Childers, credited as the first work of modern espionage fiction. Set in pre-World War I Europe, two British subject, Carruthers and Davies, uncover secret German activity suggesting a prelude to war.

Tom Bradby, Secret Service

What if your next national leader was secretly a Russian spy? Kate Henderson is a high-ranking officer of England's MI6—and a recent undercover operation has revealed explosive intel. Russia has infiltrated the upper levels of UK politics by co-opting a senior politician. To make matters worse, there may be a mole moving through the halls of England's Secret Intelligence Service. With an election looming, Kate is in a race to expose the double agents and save those she holds dear. But who can be trusted? Acclaimed British author and journalist Tom Bradby excels at crafting pulse-pounding narratives set against the backdrop of true-life events. In Secret Service, the author delivers a tense and timely spy thriller where the greatest threat comes from within.

James Grady, Condor: The Short Takes

In this novella, the iconic CIA operative Condor is back in a series of new adventures. New York Times-bestselling author James Grady brings back his famous spy but in a surprising setting. Six Days of the Condor was popular during the paranoid era of the 1970s as Condor was a spy in his prime who ruthlessly and heroically deals with a conspiracy within the United States government. In Condor: The Short Takes, Grady presents an aged Condor who finds himself in a modern setting and with 21st century threats. The original framework is present but the stories are far more intimate and less straightforward. Condor finds himself involved in cyber threats and the 9/11 aftermath; perhaps an even bigger scandal than the Cold War. The master of intrigue brings you six stories that are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat; can Condor soar over the obstacles or will he falter and fall? This is perfect for any fans of the hit original series, Condor!

John Lawton, A Little White Death

A social and sexual revolution was had throughout most of the world during the 1960s, and England was no exception. John Lawton's novel implants remnants of this revolution into the third book of his Inspector Troy series. This novel follows Inspector Troy—despite many career set-backs—as he rises to the head of CID at Scotland Yard. However, before the chief detective can celebrate, he finds himself deep into a scandal reminiscent of the Profumo affair. Troy becomes entangled in a web as he attempts to battle illness, police politics, and the Establishment. He must focus on protecting those affected by the aftermath of the scandal and discover who murdered the two key players in the scandal.

Brian Freemantle, Charlie M

Charlie Muffin came into the British secret service in the early 1950s, when the desperate government was in search of more foot soldiers in the impending Cold War. They decided to look into the middle class for the first time and found what they were looking for in Charlie. Even though he is a working-class, state-educated man from Manchester, Charlie has been one of the most effective agents of the secret service. However, times are changing as Cambridge and Oxford graduates are ready to take over again. They have decided it's time to sacrifice Charlie, but he won't go down easy. This exhilarating novel of double-crossing is excellent for fans of le Carre or Deighton!

Patricia Wentworth, Dead or Alive

In this suspenseful tale by British crime author Patricia Wentworth, Meg O'Hara's husband Robin disappears on the day she plans to divorce him. A year after the presumed body of her dead husband is found, someone breaks into her apartment to leave a shocking message. Now Meg is left to uncover if her husband is dead or alive. As more cryptic messages appear, Meg is certain that someone—maybe even her husband—is trying to get to her...but no one takes her seriously. Well, except for Bill Coverdale. For years Bill has been deeply in love with Meg, so he sets out to get to the bottom of things. Together, they find themselves embroiled in blackmail, forgery, and murder all while facing an unstoppable criminal mastermind.

John Altman, A Game of Spies

In preparation of Germany's invasion of France, England needs to gather classified information on Germany...and there's only one highly skilled spy who can get the job done: Agent William Hobbs. During the bleak winter of 1940, Hobbs meets the naive Eva Bernhardt and seduces her into working for the British secret service. Smitten with Agent Hobbs and disenchanted by Hitler, Eva agrees to seek information from the Führer’s inner circle. As Hobbs and Eva plunge into the world of espionage, intrigue, and deception, Eva quickly transforms into a tough and cynical operative, using her feminine guile and manipulative skills to obtain crucial knowledge. A Game of Spies is a thrilling tale with an even more electrifying conclusion as Eva holds her future, and the future of the entire war, in her hands.

John Lawton, Then We Take Berlin

Meet Joe Wilderness, orphaned by World War II - and certain that this fact will allow him to operate outside of society's bounds and rules for the rest of his life. But when he gets recruited into MI6, he discovers a fast-paced life in Berlin that will force him to go to extremes to accomplish his missions. This stylish thriller is a beloved read, best for fans of Eric Ambler.

Helen MacInnes, The Salzburg Connection

MacInnes may be best known for her first novel, Above Suspicion, but in The Salzburg Connection, written over 20 years later, she had become an expert in espionage beyond compare. In this spy vs spy vs lawyer tale, Richard Bryant, British agent, is one of the few who knows about a secret cache of Nazi information. When he’s found dead, an American lawyer gets caught up in the quest to find the information, before it gets in the wrong hands.

Gayle Lynds, Masquerade

Lynds became popular thanks to a collaborative series with Robert Ludlum, Covert-One, but she had been honing her craft long before The Altman Code’s debut. Like Jason Bourne, Liz Sansborough wakes up one morning to discover that she no longer remembers her life as a CIA agent. Luckily, her lover, Gordon, is there to explain what she has forgotten. But can Gordon–or the world–be trusted? There’s an international assassin after Liz, and she’ll need to figure out whom she can trust quickly.

Chris Pavone, The Travelers

A more recent addition, but one worthy of the list, The Travelers by Chris Pavone sees travel writer Will Rhodes is on assignment for Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina when a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Drawn into a tangled web of international intrigue – like so many thriller protagonists before him – this is a standout in a modern world of throwaway poolside paperbacks.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[grootpoepjeplasjehoofd]

Our outfit grew rapidly and we moved again from Berlin-Pankow to a bigger building on the Rolandufer in the center of East Berlin. I was soon promoted as deputy in the newly founded foreign intelligence service to Gustav Szinda, a man with many decades of experience in covert operations in Spain and elsewhere for Soviet intelligence.

Unfortunately, neither Szinda nor I had much idea of where to start against a West German service that had emerged, practically unscathed, from the collapse of the Nazi Reich. Leading intelligence figures who had served Hitler were now working for their new masters in a small, mystery shrouded Bavarian village called Pullach. We had to look it up on the map when its name first started appearing in the press. This was an unknown world to us and seemed quite beyond our reach, although with time, we would become very familiar indeed with its workings.

I initially came across the name of General Reinhard Gehlen, the first leader of West German intelligence, in a headline in the London Daily Express that read HITLER’S GENERAL SPIES AGAIN - FOR DOLLARS. The byline was that of Sefton Delmer, a journalist known for his connections with British intelligence; during the war he had been in charge of the British counterintelligence radio station Soldatensender Calais. Delmer’s report caused a furor. It revealed not only that the Nazi intelligence old boy network remained intact, but that the new espionage services in the Federal Republic contained numerous former SS men and military intelligence experts who had operated under Hitler in France and elsewhere. Gehlen himself had been head of the Nazis’ military espionage unit against the Red Army. Through the Gehlen Service, as it came to be known, the Americans, who were giving the orders in West Germany’s intelligence sphere pretty much as the Russians were in the Eastern bloc, had access to the old Nazi connections.

There were also rumors about the role of General George S. Patton, Jr., who was said to be extending his protection to certain high-ranking German officers. Worriedly, I realized that the postwar goal of a Europe at unified peace was no longer tenable. The muzzles had been loaded on both sides. The peace won at such sacrifice now appeared very fragile. Europe was divided, and the fault line ran right through Germany.

West Germany’s chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, threw in his lot with the American “policy of strength” and the strategy of rolling back communism professed by John Foster Dulles, whose brother, Allen, was the chief of the U.S. intelligence service, the Central Intelligence Agency. Soviet power had pushed west at the end of the war; now Washington was prepared to summon up all the political, intelligence, economic, and, if necessary, even military strength of the United States and its allies to counterattack. Gehlen recognized the opportunity the new clash provided for him to exert a direct influence on policy. He met with Adenauer before the West Germans took over his intelligence service from the CIA and was given extraordinary powers and support. That included the control of files against domestic political enemies, including Social Democrats who were in parliamentary opposition to the Christian Democratic government. In the West German armed forces and its state bureaucracy, loyal servants of the Third Reich once again held top positions, and former Nazi officers ran Gehlen’s organization.

The name of Hans Globke, one of Adenauer’s closest advisers and ultimately a secretary of state in the chancellors office, became a synonym for this kind of infiltration. A former high-ranking official in Hitler’s Interior Ministry, Globke had been the author of an authoritative commentary on the Nuremberg racial laws that legitimized violent discrimination and eventually led to the Nazis’ Final Solution. Globke would serve as Adenauer’s state secretary for ten years.

In this frantic atmosphere, Berlin in the 1950s succeeded Vienna as the heart of espionage operations in Europe. As many as eighty secret service agencies with their various branches and front organizations were operating in the city. In the Americans’ and Russians’ covert offices, masquerading as everything from plumbing companies and jam exporters to academic and research bureaus, sat whole groups of case officers recruiting and running their respective agents who could easily travel between the sectors of Berlin and the two halves of Germany in the days before the Wall dividing the city and the nation was erected in 1961.

It was also before the West German economic miracle began, and therefore was a time of shortages and economic desperation. Offers of food or advancement lured people into spying. But while the West Germans could resort more easily to financial offers, we were still operating on a shoestring and had to pursue a more ideological approach. Many of our moles in West Germany, particularly in politics and industry, were not Communists but worked with us because they wanted to overcome the division of Germany and believed the policies of the Western Allies were only reinforcing it. We lost some of these later when the Wall went up and presented them with the symbol of a divided Germany literally set in concrete.

The minutiae of setting up the brand-new espionage service took up most of my time. My attention was focused on the West, and I worked hard to familiarize myself with the political shifts in the United States and Western Europe and to keep up with the development of their postwar intelligence services.

We had to acquire new sources in the political, military, economic, and scientific and technical centers on the other side. This was easier said than done, since the security requirements in our own apparatus imposed by the Soviets were extremely strict. Thousands of recommended candidates had to be screened in order to come up with a handful who were acceptable. Those with Western relatives were ruled out, as were most who had spent the war years as refugees or prisoners of war in the West. Contrary to rumors that still persist, we did not knowingly employ former Nazis inside our apparat and regarded ourselves as morally superior in this regard to the West Germans.

We had access to some of the Nazi files on party membership in the Third Reich, which we would use to persuade those in the West who had suppressed their past collaboration with the Nazis to cooperate with us. Many others volunteered to work with us, claiming that they regarded it as a kind of moral reparation for the harm they had done in the past. That was looking at it kindly. The real reason was more likely that they wanted to insure themselves and their new careers in the West against unwelcome revelations from our side at a later date. In German, we called this Ruckversicherung, literally a kind of “backward insurance” for the past. Through the West German Communist Party we inherited the services of a politician in the Free Democratic Party named  Lothar Weihrauch (who later served in West Germany’s Ministry for Common German Affairs) who supplied a great deal of political information until we discovered that he had committed war crimes when he held a high position during the German occupation of Poland. We then cut him off. We also recruited another former Nazi, an ex-storm trooper code-named Moritz, who was helpful during our political battle against the European Defense Community (which was finally blocked by the nationalism of the French rather than anything our intelligence service did to discredit the project).

The past was a powerful weapon among the spy services, and both sides were unashamed to use blackmail. Just as we sought to bring down politicians or senior figures hostile to us by revealing their Nazi complicity, the West Berlin Committee of Free Jurists, an anti-Communist organization made up of lawyers who had fled the East, produced their own booklet of Eastern functionaries who had managed to conceal Nazi Party membership. But since almost all of our senior intelligence officers and the political elite had been in exile or in the underground during the Third Reich, we in the East won that particular propaganda battle hands down.

Some Nazis tried to make the switch to our side by hiding their past. Soon after I started work, a junior member of the staff came to me in a great state of embarrassment to say that he had noticed a man working in the interrogation department who bore the telltale SS tattoo on his arm. Interrogation was the roughest department within the ministry, and I would not have liked to be exposed to some of the thugs who worked there. I could well imagine how someone who had a taste for such work from the previous regime might have felt at home there. We removed him quietly from the post.

The blackmail that went on was a dirty and compromising game and was played by both sides. Some former Nazis in the West offered their services to us out of a kind o f contrition, others for money, or to prevent their unmasking as former collaborators with the Nazi regime. The Soviets had more blackmail opportunities because they held the captured Nazi files, and they took in such people as the former SS-man Heinz Felfe, who had held the rank of Obersturmfuhrer in the Nazi intelligence organization, the Reich Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt), and had found postwar employment with the Gehlen Service. Felfe became a Soviet double agent, betraying all the main achievements of the West German service to Moscow and doing damage on a scale accomplished only by such double agents as Kim Philby, George Blake, and Aldrich Ames.

Markus Wolf, Memoirs of a Spymaster

[aviserv]

6 Benefits Of Using A Recruiting Agency London

For businesses, recruiting new employees can be an expensive and time-consuming process that necessitates significant resources while rarely providing any guarantees. Human resources departments face a difficult task in ensuring a steady flow of talent into the business while also hiring individuals who are suited to the job and the culture of the organization. This becomes even more difficult in a thriving job market, where employers compete for the most skilled and experienced employees. In many cases, employers require specialized assistance with their hiring strategies. Using a recruiting agency London to identify and attract talent, as well as negotiate terms, can alleviate a great deal of stress. This approach can assist organizations in locating the people they require to move forward, bringing them in for interviews, and securing their services within budget.

So, what exactly is the advantage of using a recruitment agency to assist in the hiring of professionals? Here are a few practical advantages:-

Ability to spot talent:- A recruitment agency's benefit is that they work with both employers looking for talent and professionals looking for new opportunities. As a result, they are uniquely placed to be "in the know" and act as a go-between for the two parties. Recruitment consultants' knowledge of how to avoid hiring a bad candidate can be extremely valuable; they know who is looking for work, how capable they are, and what salary expectations people have. Once an employer has created a vacancy and established role criteria, recruitment agencies can begin searching for qualified candidates for the position. The 'ideal candidate' is frequently someone who is not actively looking for a new job but would be interested in one if the right opportunity arose. A recruitment consultant has extensive networks and knows exactly where to look for these individuals. Another advantage of using a recruitment agency is their extensive knowledge of individual segments of the job market and the talent available in specific areas. They also learn about the requirements and goals of their employers. This means they can find talented individuals who can do the job.

Aviserv Integrated Service Solution, the best recruitment company in London has a solid reputation for providing dependable end-to-end recruitment services. We identify and recruit the best candidates for employers looking for a high-quality workforce.

Post job openings:- When employers post job openings, they may not receive enough qualified applicants. They are looking for an experienced candidate with specialized skills, but the CVs they receive are simply inadequate. This is frequently due to poor marketing; the high-caliber people they require simply do not see the advertisement. The benefit of hiring agencies is that they not only advertise vacancies - both online and in person - but also actively seek out professionals who fit the job description. Recruitment consultants may make direct contact with talented individuals they know, having previously assisted them in finding a new job, and invite them to apply for the role. Cleaning pots and pans, keeping floors clean, sanitizing food preparation areas, and occasionally assisting with food prep work are all responsibilities of kitchen porter jobs West London. We'd like to meet you if you think you'll enjoy the buzz of a busy kitchen.

Salary negotiations:- The last thing you want as an employer is to reach the end of the recruitment process, having identified your preferred candidate and made a job offer, only to discover that you are diametrically opposed on salary and benefits. Before entering salary negotiations, recruiters can assist you in benchmarking remuneration against other companies in your industry and can provide valuable resources. Recruitment agencies are also actively involved in the hiring process, placing skilled candidates and negotiating salaries. They can negotiate on behalf of both parties and reach an agreement on a remuneration package that is mutually acceptable. If both parties are aware of each other's hopes and expectations from the start, there is a better chance of closing the deal.

Candidates for interviews:- The benefit of using a recruiting agency in London when interviewing candidates is that they can conduct interviews on an employer's behalf, saving time and money. To begin the process of narrowing down the applicants, a recruitment consultant conducts a candidate screening - possibly over the phone. They can learn more about the people on the shortlist and eliminate any unsuitable candidates from the process. The recruitment agency can also conduct background checks on candidates invited to interviews, removing the burden from the employer's HR department. A recruitment agency can advise on what interview questions to ask during the final round of interviews.

Provide the following interim professionals:- Using a recruitment agency allows businesses to increase or decrease employee levels as needed. They can find professionals for full-time, permanent jobs as well as individuals for temporary jobs. An employer may also be concerned about a lack of capacity for a recently launched project or initiative. Receiving and processing incoming stock and materials, picking and filling orders from stock, packing and shipping orders, or managing, organizing, and retrieving stock are all examples of warehouse jobs in West London.

Provide industry knowledge:- Another advantage of working with a recruitment agency is that they provide staffing solutions for businesses in industries such as finance and accounting, financial services, interim management, technology, and office administration 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, they have significant expertise and job market insight on an international, national, and local level, which employers can use to develop their recruitment strategy. Recruitment consultants understand the needs of employers, the expectations of candidates, and the effects of supply and demand on the overall job market. As a result, they are well-positioned to assist employers in making sound business decisions. Employers do not have to go it alone when it comes to hiring. A recruiting agency London, such as Aviserv Integrated Service Solution, can assist businesses and organizations in obtaining the skills and experience they require in a timely and cost-effective manner. Employers can use the time and money saved to help drive the business forward.

[yousef-al-amin]

The Kurds are getting closer to giving up serving the West

A free and independent Kurdistan, once promised to the Kurds by Western politicians and intelligence agencies, has not become a reality over the past decade and has not even come close to it. But tens of thousands of Kurdish families are now mourning their loved ones and continue to supply more and more recruits for the West, who, like their predecessors, will die and become crippled only so that London and Washington can continue to steal cheap Syrian oil.

This state of affairs cannot but influence the mood in both the Kurdish communities and the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Kurds are increasingly inclined to stop working for the West. They are even considering the possibility of joining forces with Damascus to liberate the territories of their historical residence from foreign occupiers. Profits from oil produced by state-owned companies could, in such conditions, be used to transform Kurdish settlements, especially since the Syrian government is ready to equalize the rights of such Kurds with Syrian Arabs, giving them the opportunity to obtain citizenship.

The Kurds are also being pushed to this by the fact that the so-called International Anti-Terrorism Coalition is openly preparing to replace the Kurds, forming a new controlled illegal armed formation from representatives of the tribal unions of Trans-Euphrates, simultaneously pitting Arabs and Kurds in the north-east of the republic against each other even more. The West achieves this by forcing the Kurds to carry out forced recruitment, raids and demonstrative arrests for evading and harboring men of military age.

All this could soon result in insane interethnic massacres and armed interfaith conflict. Both Arabs and Kurds no longer doubt the plans of Western financiers and political scientists, and therefore an increasing number of them no longer harbor illusions about the prospects of serving Western interests. Both of them are increasingly inclined to dialogue with Damascus.

[newstfionline]

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Teen well-being (The Atlantic) Teens who participated in a 1,523 respondent survey between May and July this year were assessed for various mental well-being measures including life satisfaction, happiness, depression symptoms and loneliness. Their responses were then compared to the results of the same survey in 2018, and much to the surprise of the researchers, the teens were pretty much on par, and the percentage of teens depressed or lonely was lower in 2020 than in 2018. This is not to say that teens escaped the malaise that gripped the nation, far from it: 63 percent were concerned about catching the virus, 27 percent said a parent lost their job, 29 percent knew someone who caught the virus. No, the reason for the shift is that those considerable sources of anxiety were compensated for by the fact that teens were finally sleeping the correct amount of time: in 2018, just 55 percent of teens slept seven or more hours a night, and this year 84 percent slept seven or more hours a night while school was in session.

Cruise ship dismantling booms after pandemic (Reuters) Business is booming at a sea dock in western Turkey, where five hulking cruise ships are being dismantled for scrap metal sales after the COVID-19 pandemic all but destroyed the industry, the head of a ship recyclers’ group said on Friday. Cruise ships were home to the some of the earliest clusters of COVID-19 as the pandemic spread globally early this year. In March, U.S. authorities issued a no-sail order for all cruise ships that remains in place. On Friday, dozens of workers stripped walls, windows, floors and railings from several vessels in the dock in Aliaga, a town 45 km north of Izmir on Turkey’s west coast. Three more ships are set to join those already being dismantled. Before the pandemic, Turkey’s ship-breaking yards typically handled cargo and container ships, Kamil Onal, chairman of a ship recycling industrialists’ association, told Reuters. “But after the pandemic, cruise ships changed course towards Aliaga in a very significant way,” he said of the town.

Europe tightens rules as virus surges (AP) Governments across Europe are ratcheting up restrictions to try to beat back a resurgence of the coronavirus that has sent new confirmed infections on the continent to their highest weekly level since the start of the pandemic. The World Health Organization said Tuesday there were more than 700,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in Europe last week, a jump of 34% from the previous week. Britain, France, Russia and Spain accounted for more than half of the new infections. Italy and France are restricting parties and putting limits on restaurants and bars. The Netherlands went further and ordered the closing of all bars and restaurants, And to discourage partying at home, it banned the sale of alcohol after 8 p.m. The Czech Republic is closing all schools until Nov. 2, while Latvia is ordering teenagers to switch to distance learning for a week. And Britain unveiled a three-tiered system for deciding what restrictions to impose, based on how severe the outbreak is in certain areas. Those moves reflect a new approach to containing the virus among governments wary of hurting already fragile economies. Officials are eager to avoid the total lockdowns they imposed in the spring that resulted in heavy job losses. Instead, they are relying on a patchwork of regional or targeted restrictions that have sometimes caused confusion and frustration by those affected. The U.N. health agency appeared to support the new approach, with WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic saying lockdowns should be a “last resort.”

With winter on the way and windows open, Europe’s students prepare for the cold (Washington Post) With winter on its way and coronavirus guidelines advising teachers to keep classroom windows open, students across Northern Europe are preparing for the chill by packing blankets in their school bags and layering up in warm clothing. There is increasingly a consensus among experts that good ventilation is one of the best ways to prevent the virus from spreading. Anthony Costello, a former director at the World Health Organization, said last month that children “can survive a bit of cold, and they’re going to have to, because ventilation is so important.” With temperatures in Germany frequently dropping to freezing, children in the city of Bochum are bracing for a crisp learning environment as officials advise teachers to open the windows for fresh air every 20 minutes. Children have been told to bring blankets and wrap up. Although some schools struggle with the advice that the cold air needs to be brought in, schools in Denmark and other Nordic education systems are taking lessons—and young students—outside. More than half of about 200 Norwegian schools surveyed in a poll by researchers Ulrich Dettweiler and Gabriele Lauterbach last month said they were holding more classes outdoors—a move some already had planned on that was further propelled by the pandemic.

Belarusian crisis escalates (Foreign Policy) Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has demanded that President Aleksandr Lukashenko resign by Oct. 25 or face nationwide strikes. “[On] Oct. 26, all enterprises will begin a strike,” she said in a statement, “all roads will be blocked, state-owned stores will no longer have any sales.” Tikhanovskaya is hugely popular among protesters but fled to Lithuania in the aftermath of the controversial Aug. 9 election, which saw Lukashenko win by a landslide amid allegations of electoral fraud. Tikhanovskaya’s ultimatum is part of a wider escalation of tensions between Lukashenko and anti-government protesters. On Monday, the government authorized police to use lethal force against protesters after the ninth consecutive Sunday of massive protests in the capital of Minsk.

For Nagorno-Karabakh’s Dueling Sides, Living Together Is ‘Impossible’ (NYT) Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived side by side in the Soviet days, until conflict over the disputed mountain territory called Nagorno-Karabakh exploded in the late 1980s into riots, expulsions and a yearslong war. The violence left personal wounds festering for decades, as stubborn as the tan and gray stone ruins of Azerbaijani villages still scattered in the Armenian countryside. In the last two weeks, those unhealed scars have erupted into a modern-day conflagration of trench warfare, drone strikes and artillery bombardments. More than 500 Armenian soldiers have died, along with scores of civilians and an unknown number of Azerbaijanis. A cease-fire brokered in Moscow over the weekend has failed to hold, and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has threatened a further escalation of his offensive. For the region’s populace, the war is a continuation of on-off strife over both territory and history, with roots going back more than a century. The days when the Soviet Union kept a lid on such conflicts, and Azerbaijanis and Armenians mostly lived together in peace, feel like an irrevocably lost world. “Each wants to say that he is the master of this land,” said one refugee who left Azerbaijan in 1989. “To live together is, put simply, impossible.”

China’s Xi lays out plan to build Shenzhen into global rival to troubled Hong Kong (Washington Post) Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced plans to make Shenzhen an international trade hub and talent center, setting up the mainland metropolis as a business alternative to its politically troubled neighbor, Hong Kong. In a speech on Wednesday, Xi called for Shenzhen to take the lead in developing high-value innovative industries and drawing international talent. He said Shenzhen will develop its finance sector and international trade capabilities—which are Hong Kong’s economic strengths. The top-level support for Shenzhen was a clear message for Hong Kong, which lies just across a river from Shenzhen, said Victor Gao, a chair professor at China’s Soochow University and a former Foreign Ministry official. “If you do not have stability, if you are caught up in revolution, or great turmoil, or anarchy, then you will lose out on whatever advantages and resources you may have previously had,” Gao said. “Then your economic development will reverse course.” Hong Kong, which was supposed to enjoy self-governance in most of its affairs until 2047, has become a thorn in Beijing’s side because of large-scale public protests against China’s tightening control.

Japan’s navy adapts to the digital generation (Times of London) Japan’s navy is to launch a new, scaled down warship to compensate for a drop in recruitment among young people who cannot tolerate long periods at sea without access to their smartphones. The 30FFM frigate is designed for a crew of about 90 sailors, half that of the older vessels. The smaller crews reflect the crisis in recruitment faced by the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. The navy is struggling to fulfill its recruitment quotas, and in 2018 reached only 60 per cent of its target. In that year, it raised the upper age limit for recruits from 26 to 32. It has also taken steps to overcome the principal disincentive to would-be sailors—enforced isolation from the outside world. Sailors can now send emails from their mobile phones and have limited wireless internet access.

Thailand declares emergency after unprecedented protest (AP) Thai authorities declared a strict new state of emergency for the capital on Thursday, a day after a student-led protest against the country’s traditional establishment saw an extraordinary moment in which demonstrators heckled a royal motorcade. After the pre-dawn declaration, riot police moved in to clear out demonstrators who after a day of rallies and confrontation had gathered outside Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s office to push their demands, which include the former general’s stepping down, constitutional changes and reform of the monarchy. The protest Wednesday in Bangkok’s historic district, not far from glittering temples and royal palaces, was the third major gathering by student-led activists who have been pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable—and legal—language by publicly questioning the role of Thailand’s monarchy in the nation’s power structure.

Southeast Asia flood deaths near 40 as new storm approaches (Reuters) Nearly 40 people have died in Vietnam and Cambodia and scores more were missing, including rescuers, due to prolonged heavy rain and flash flooding as tropical storm Nangka edged towards the Vietnamese coast on Tuesday. Heavy rains since early October have caused deadly floods and landslides in several provinces in central Vietnam and displaced thousands of people in western Cambodia, officials and state media said. The floods are expected to worsen over the coming days, with tropical storm Nangka forecast to dump more rain as it makes landfall in Vietnam on Wednesday.

Coronavirus lockdown 2.0 deepens divisions in Israel (AP) When Israel went into lockdown last spring, Jerusalem pub owner Leon Shvartz moved quickly to save his business—shifting to a delivery and takeaway model that kept him afloat throughout the summer. Then came the second lockdown. With restaurants and shops shuttered again, Shvartz’s business is struggling to survive. He has laid off 16 of his 17 employees. By contrast, Israeli software maker Bizzabo, which operates in the hard-hit conference-management sector, quickly reinvented itself last spring by offering “virtual events.” It has more than doubled its sales and is expanding its workforce. Such tales of boom and bust reflect Israel’s growing “digital divide.” Even before the pandemic, Israel had one of the largest income gaps and poverty rates among developed economies, with a few high earners, mostly in the lucrative high-tech sector, while many Israelis barely get by as civil servants, in service industries or as small business owners. Those gaps have widened as the second nationwide lockdown, imposed last month, dealt a new blow to an economy already hit hard by the first round of restrictions. The fallout from the pandemic has also deepened long-simmering divisions among Israeli Jews, pitting a largely secular majority against a powerful ultra-Orthodox minority.

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REVIEW

Landslide by Adam Sikes

A Mason Hackett Espionage Thriller #1

 Excellent debut novel by an author that has a bright future – I am sure that as more books are written they will get even better.

 What I Liked

* Mason – banker, businessman, trouble shooter, travels to difficult locations to meet with shady characters, ex-Marine, has survivor’s guilt and PTSD, trust issues, closed off, provds to be more than I first expected

* Delgado – Mason’s friend and colleague in the marines, has a hold on Mason, plays a big part in this story

* The plot, pacing, writing and international setting

* The intrigue and international travel

* The fast-paced rollercoaster ride provided

* That the story is pertinent to current world events

* That I easily visualized the story as it was

* The direction the story is moving

* That there will be another book in the series

 What I Didn’t Like

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* The twists and turns along with surprises that kept me guessing

* The loss of life that occurred reminding me of war and the evil it truly is

 Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

     BLURB

 International Arms—Private Military Companies—Corruption at Every Turn U.S. Marine veteran Mason Hackett moved to London to start his life over, and he’s done his best to convince himself that what happened fifteen years ago doesn’t matter—the people he killed, the men he lost, the lives he ruined. But when Mason sees the face of a dead friend flash on a television screen and then receives a mysterious email referencing a CIA operation gone bad, he can no longer ignore his inner demons. Driven by loyalty and a need to uncover the truth, Mason launches on a perilous journey from the Czech Republic to Romania toward the war-torn separatist region in eastern Ukraine to honor a fifteen-year-old promise. The answers he seeks—the fate of a friend and his connection to the underworld of international arms dealers and defense corporations—throw Mason into the cauldron of a covert war where no one can be trusted.

 Perfect for fans of Daniel Silva and Brad Thor

       AUTHOR BIO

 Since I was a little boy toddling around Boston, I’ve loved reading, writing, great fiction, history, current events, and piles and piles of books. However, becoming an author has been an unorthodox journey.

In addition to diving into J.R.R. Tolkein, Stephen King, Robert Ludlum, and Bernard Cornwell long before I truly understood what I was reading, I wanted to be a US Marine. I blame my grandparents and parents for this, and for the first ten years of my professional life, I was a Marine infantryman serving around the world both in and out of warzones. But whenever I went overseas, the books and notepads came with me.

After ten years I left the Marines, worked as a consultant for a time, and then was recruited by the CIA to be a paramilitary officer. I won’t go into the details of my time with the Agency except to say that this was when I started gravitating toward becoming a professional writer.

Since then, I co-authored Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan’s First Female Pilot with Niloofar Rahmani, and my debut novel, Landslide, released on 20 September 2022. I’ve also worked with other writers as a developmental editor on books concerning the Kennedys and the Vietnam War, as well as forthcoming science fiction novels. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Robert Ludlum’s former editor, Richard Marek, and the professionals who brought Die Hard, Death Wish, and American Sniper from print to screen. To say I feel lucky would be an understatement.

I received both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgetown University and now live on the West Coast. You can find a list of my favorite books and those I consider noteworthy under The Reading Corner. Feel free to check back frequently for updates and new reviews.

 Website: https://www.adamsikes.com/about/

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Adam_R_Sikes

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adam_r_sikes/

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Night Manager

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