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The Inter Faith Network
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Blog from Jo Backus, one of IFN's Trustees
Jo Backus is a Trustee of the Inter Faith Network for the UK. During Inter Faith Week she visited a discussion event held by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust on the theme 'Spirit'.
Inter Faith Week is a programme of the Inter Faith Network for the UK (IFN). During Inter Faith Week 2019, members of the IFN's staff team, Trustee Board and Moderators of its Faith Communities Forum visited a range of activities across the country, and we will be posting blogs and reflections from some of them.
Jo Backus is a Trustee of IFN. She visited an arts and culture event held by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust on the theme 'Spirit'. She says:
"I had the privilege of attending a very important inter faith event hosted by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation.
Dr Anna Farthing, Arts Programme Director for the trust introduced important project work undertaken with a number of hospitals in the trust over an eighteen month period. The project highlighted a number of important issues including the fact that –whether or not the patients express a religious belief they "have a constant need to make sense of their circumstances and to find meaning in the events of life during periods of illness and hospitalisation. Spiritual care recognises the humanity, the uniqueness and the person-hood of everyone.'
There were presentations from Chaplain, Mark Read; medical doctor, Natalia Mesa; and Georgina Bolton, public arts officer from Bristol City Council and associate lecturer on University of the West of England's curating course. Each reflected on ways in which a piece of art, performances or buildings can help a person explore their feelings and experiences in the journey towards healing and can enable creative dialogue and open up new possibilities for patient care which focus on healing of the 'whole person'.
Mark Read, for example, described meeting people through his chaplaincy role who are exploring issues related to their spirit, trying to make sense of their experience and grappling with hopes and fears. Responding to this challenge includes considering and drawing from the connections between space, art, spirit and healing. This is underpinned by the view that a chaplain's role is not separate from the rest of healthcare, which necessitates understanding of how the whole person is looked after.
Examples of the above included the painting 'The Scream' by Edvard Munch, which may epitomise the feeling patients may have of 'being lost' or in chaos when in hospital;and a photograph of Uluru, a striking Australian landmark, which brought to mind the ways in which Aboriginal peoples view all beings and the land as spiritually significant and interconnected, with the environment playing an 'active part' in the healing of a person. A third example, The Sanctuary space at the BRI, is a multifaith area defined as a 'place of refuge'. Whether in times of joy or extreme stress, it is intended as a place of shelter and protection, 'where nature and the world of spirit meet.'
Discussion with the audience highlighted the various ways in which 'spirit' is conceived. For example, as life-force, soul and spiritual energy. Whether derived from sacred or secular contexts, people's views on 'spirit' are often deeply held, personal and associated with how we make sense of 'what is happening to us'.
Natalia Mesa's sources of inspiration included Barbara Hepworth's sculptures, which the artist considered to have something of the divine spirit. Hepworth's sculpture of the Madonna and child is a homage to a child who died and provides, perhaps, a way of exploring both suffering and the nature of the divine. Dr Mesa offered an understanding of 'spirit' as an aspect of human relations in their search for meaning and purpose and offered the thought that we are inextricably connected to each other by 'a power greater than all of us' and that our connection to that power and to each other is grounded in love.
Georgina Bolton focussed on the idea that public art can be understood as sacred experience. A key example she drew attention to was the work of American artist Theaster Gates, who staged his first UK public project in Bristol. Theaster Gates'concern is with "the capacity of artists to imagine new visions of the future for our environment and to sustain and enrich our lives". In 2015 his attention focused on a temporary structure which was installed within the shell of the 14th century Temple Church.With the aim of exploring how future spaces of contemplation might supersede the sanctuaries of the past, the building was transformed through redeploying disused objects and materials. Then the venue hosted a continuous dynamic programme of performance whereby musicians and performers came from across Bristol 'to sustain a performance of sound and spoken word continuously for 24 days, 24 hours a day.' The public had the opportunity to take part day and night in 'a gathering space for collaboration and new encounters'.
Photo credit: University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
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Ерік Карлберг  (, 5 квітня 1880 — 14 серпня 1963) — шведський стрілець, олімпійський чемпіон.

Виступи на Олімпіадах

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Шведські стрільці
Шведські олімпійські чемпіони
Шведські срібні олімпійські медалісти
Олімпійські чемпіони зі стрілецького спорту
Чемпіони літніх Олімпійських ігор 1912
Срібні призери літніх Олімпійських ігор 1908
Срібні призери літніх Олімпійських ігор 1912
Стрільці на літніх Олімпійських іграх 1908
Стрільці на літніх Олімпійських іграх 1912
Стрільці на літніх Олімпійських іграх 1924
Фехтувальники на літніх Олімпійських іграх 1908
Фехтувальники на літніх Олімпійських іграх 1912
Уродженці Карлскруни

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Reading: Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ec...
Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka
R. W. T. M. R. T. K. Bowange,
National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hantana Road, Kandy, LK
M. M. P. M. Jayasinghe,
D. M. D. Yakandawala,
University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, LK
About D. M. D.
Department of Botany, Faculty of Science
K. L. W. Kumara,
University of Ruhuna, Matara, LK
About K. L. W.
Department of Agricultural Biology, Faculty of Agriculture
S. W. Abeynayake,
La Trobe University, Melbourne, AU
About S. W.
Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences
R. R. Ratnayake
Morphologically diverse cyanobacteria significantly contribute to higher microbial diversity in all Sri Lankan ecosystems. They promote promising, safe and low-cost natural alternative solutions for current global demand including food shortage, poverty, deteriorating health patterns, and environmental degradation. Only a few studies have recorded cyanobacterial diversity in some local extreme ecosystems such as hot water springs but most of them remain unexplored. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate cyanobacterial abundance and diversity in selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka based on the morphological characterization. Water sampling was carried out in selected salt marshes and salt pans, mangroves, hot water springs, and lagoons. Purified, monocultures were isolated by subsequent plate and liquid culturing in BG 11 and GO (N-free) media. Isolated monocultures were morphologically characterized using microscopic images photographed with IMAGE FOCUS 4.0 software. Among 143 isolates, 18 cyanobacterial genera namely: Leptolyngbya, Oscillatoria, Nodosilinea, Anabaena, Geitlerinema, Gloeocapsa, Microcystis, Nostoc, Synechococcus, Lyngbya, Spirulina, Limnothrix, Pseudanabaena, Wilmottia/ Phormidium, and Fischerella could be identified. Among them, one unidentified genera of Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, and Nostocales were recorded. Salt marshes and salt pans showed the highest cyanobacterial diversity, Leptolyngbya being the most abundant genus. Pseudanabaena was the most abundant genus recorded in hot water springs. This study provides basic infomation of cyanobacteria diversity and abundance in extreme ecosystems in Sri Lanka for future related research and industrial applications, highlighting the necessity of their conservation.
Keywords: Characterization, Cyanobacteria, Diversity, Extreme ecosystems, Morphology
How to Cite: Bowange, R. W. T. M. R. T. K., Jayasinghe, M. M. P. M., Yakandawala, D. M. D., Kumara, K. L. W., Abeynayake, S. W., & Ratnayake, R. R. (2022). Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science, 51(5), 577–588. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Published on 31 Dec 2022.
Bowange, R.W.T.M.R.T.K., Jayasinghe, M.M.P.M., Yakandawala, D.M.D., Kumara, K.L.W., Abeynayake, S.W. and Ratnayake, R.R., 2022. Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science, 51(5), pp.577–588. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Bowange RWTMRTK, Jayasinghe MMPM, Yakandawala DMD, Kumara KLW, Abeynayake SW, Ratnayake RR. Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science. 2022;51(5):577–88. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Bowange, R. W. T. M. R. T. K., Jayasinghe, M. M. P. M., Yakandawala, D. M. D., Kumara, K. L. W., Abeynayake, S. W., & Ratnayake, R. R. (2022). Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science, 51(5), 577–588. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
1. Bowange RWTMRTK, Jayasinghe MMPM, Yakandawala DMD, Kumara KLW, Abeynayake SW, Ratnayake RR. Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka. Ceylon Journal of Science. 2022;51(5):577-588. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Bowange RWTMRTK and others, 'Morphological Characterization of Culturable Cyanobacteria Isolated from Selected Extreme Ecosystems of Sri Lanka' (2022) 51 Ceylon Journal of Science 577 DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Bowange, R. W. T. M. R. T. K., M. M. P. M. Jayasinghe, D. M. D. Yakandawala, K. L. W. Kumara, S. W. Abeynayake, and R. R. Ratnayake. 2022. "Morphological Characterization of Culturable Cyanobacteria Isolated from Selected Extreme Ecosystems of Sri Lanka". Ceylon Journal of Science 51 (5): 577–88. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Bowange, R. W. T. M. R. T. K., M. M. P. M. Jayasinghe, D. M. D. Yakandawala, K. L. W. Kumara, S. W. Abeynayake, and R. R. Ratnayake. "Morphological Characterization of Culturable Cyanobacteria Isolated from Selected Extreme Ecosystems of Sri Lanka". Ceylon Journal of Science 51, no. 5 (2022): 577–88. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084
Bowange, R W T M R T K, et al.. "Morphological characterization of culturable cyanobacteria isolated from selected extreme ecosystems of Sri Lanka". Ceylon Journal of Science, vol. 51, no. 5, 2022, pp. 577–88. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v51i5.8084

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When the Yelp Android App was first built it was a monolith, with almost everything inside a single module. Single modules are easier to deal with; there are no complex dependency graphs to account for and some details of how the app is managed, such as how testing is implemented, are simpler. Eventually the app and company structure grew to a size where the monolith made code changes and testing harder, where modularization would help the app scale. After some discussion we decided to break the app into modules, thinking carefully about how we structured the app. We'll discuss our experiences and the lessons we learned modularizing our applications and how they can help inform similar decisions for other Android applications.
Modularization helps the app scale - builds are faster, tests are faster, and it's easier to understand how the app works. If the app is modularized in a logical way, then individual modules will be the responsibility of a particular team, and when working on a feature, only a few modules would be affected, maybe even only one. This impacts how effectively developers can work on the app. For example, developers no longer have to build the entire app when they make a change. We've recently introduced other optimizations, such as only running tests for a specific module (discussed more later). Furthermore, it helps conceptually group related code in the app, making the app easier to understand. In essence, instead of needing to deal with problems at the scale of the entire app, you can now spend most of your time only considering a small amount of the codebase, which will become increasingly valuable as the app scales.
We've seen some pretty substantial performance benefits from modularization. Currently, a typical build from a minor change in one module takes about 12 seconds to build. A similar change in a previous version of the app which was partially modularized - no feature modules - took 47 seconds to build. While these numbers are relatively small, we have well over a thousand builds a day and those time savings add up.
We've also seen performance benefits for running tests. The time savings are not as dramatic in relative terms, because our tests run in parallel so test times are determined by the longest-running test. In general, though, running tests selectively will tend to decrease the longest running test since it's likely that a small subset of tests won't happen to have the longest running test in the larger subset.
We have a job that, among other things, runs all tests, that developers frequently run when working on a feature, and which runs when code is merged in. Previously, this would take about 16-20 minutes to run. Now, a test in just one module takes about 13 minutes to run.
The main consideration when dividing code into modules is how to structure dependencies. Module dependencies must form a directed acyclic graph; there can be no cycles in the dependency tree. Apps as they are written do not necessarily naturally fall into this structure. Thus, when modularizing, it's a question of how to untangle code into modules with the desired dependency structure, while managing to divide code into conceptually related chunks.
There are two approaches that we explored for dividing up the app.
The first is to divide the app into horizontal modules. Broad categories of functionality are placed into an individual module, then stacked on top of each other in dependency relationships. You have all the UI elements near the top, and utility functions near the bottom, with the dependency relationship going from the top to the bottom. In the middle you have modules such as the data repository (a module through which the network and the cache are accessed), networking and analytics, and models. The precise modules you have would depend on how your app is designed - in practice, our app has tens of modules, multiple modules at the same layer, and not all modules are dependent on modules at lower layers.
The second is to have vertical feature modules. In these modules, for a given feature, the UI code, data repository, models, and everything else, are all in one module. An example of a feature module we created is one for onboarding. A major advantage of this approach is that developers will often work on specific features, and having a corresponding module means that the code they touch is restricted to one (or a few) modules. It's also possible that a developer will focus on a horizontal module — revamping how analytics are done, for instance – but this is less common at Yelp and likely at most companies. Furthermore, modules are more independent of each other: modules affect any module upstream, so having many independent modules at the same level with no connections between them gives more of the benefits of isolation between modules. It should also be possible to have feature modules be at the top (or almost at the top) of the module hierarchy, meaning that many changes will only affect one module.
The big advantage of the horizontal modules is that well-structured code falls into these horizontal slices with clear layering one above the other: for instance, UI code depends on network code, but network code probably shouldn't depend on UI code. We thus started by dividing the app into horizontal modules, untangling our code base and separating out related functionality. This puts us in a good position to make feature modules later, and in the meantime, there are still savings in build speed if we can separate out less commonly modified parts of the code into their own modules. There are also some cases where we will probably keep code in the horizontal modules. For instance, it will probably be easier to keep the Data Repository code in its own module. It includes some relatively expensive annotation processing we want to restrict to one module, and with the way we manage caches, it's convenient to have them be in the same module.
If an app hasn't been substantially modularized yet, there are likely circular dependencies that will need to be addressed. A circular dependency is where class A references class B, and class B references class A, and it makes sense to put the classes in different modules. There can also be more complex circular dependencies (e.g. A->B->C->A). In this case, there is a problem: dependencies between modules must form a directed acyclic graph.
Ideally, these dependencies could be broken. Perhaps some classes can be moved around so that they're in the same module. Perhaps it makes sense to break apart a class, or pass a different value into a method.
Ultimately, though, there will be circular dependencies that can't be removed. One way to resolve this is to make these indirect dependencies using an interface (as shown in the figure below). We found a few common cases where this would happen in many parts of the app, and created a Base module to address them. This module sits at the base of the dependency tree. The class that is higher in the dependency tree then is made to implement an interface that sits in the Base module. Classes can then refer to that interface, which at runtime resolves to the higher class.
You don't want every single class to have a corresponding interface, and we generally try and keep these interfaces to a minimum, finding ways to refactor to avoid needing to make these references where possible.
What should a feature module look like?
When modularizing the app, one team (Core Android) took the lead in the initial modularization work, in particular setting up the horizontal modules and some example feature modules. The goal is for feature teams (e.g. the team focused on Search) to be able to build on this groundwork and make the modules that make sense for them. A good feature module should be whatever structure the feature teams find to be beneficial.
We don't want to set strict guidelines on the size of modules. Modules will hold features or logical pieces of features, and these are likely to vary greatly in size (although a one class module is probably too small). However, we want to have modules be the smallest self-contained unit of functionality that a person is likely to work on at a given time. That way, a developer sees the highest benefit: they see the smallest possible build time and test time for the amount of code they're working on.
Another consideration is that you want to avoid having dependencies between your feature modules. Dependencies mean that if you change one feature module, other modules have to be built or tested. While dependencies can be eliminated using the base class trick above, it's something you want to keep to a minimum - it somewhat obscures how the code works and adds an invisible dependency that might come back to haunt you later (for instance, if you run tests based on what modules appear to have changed).
Where should you start with feature modules? A challenge to keep in mind when modularizing is that moving code to a module that's being very actively developed results in many conflicts when you merge your modularized branch back in. Of course, putting the most important code in modules gives you the greatest benefits, so it has to be done at some point. However, when you're creating your first feature modules, you may need to experiment with different approaches and it's best to do so with a less frequently used part of the codebase. On the other hand, make sure your first modules touch most of the important systems in your app.
When deciding what to put in a feature module and what to keep in a horizontal module, it makes sense to think about what's compiled and modified often. It might make sense to leave code that could fit in a feature module in a horizontal module if it's almost never changed. One example of this are our strings. Furthermore, we have specialized tools for handling them (for internationalization) and keeping them all in one module made the most sense with the way our tools work.
There's also the question of how much to modularize. When pulling code out into feature modules, there were a lot of places where the horizontal modules could be broken down further to make the separation of code in the app more elegant. In particular, our UI module had a lot of utility code that could probably have been pulled out into different modules. In the end, though, it didn't make sense to do so: aside from being more elegant, the actual benefits were fairly small. When modularizing, it's important to have a goal for what you want to achieve. Faster build times and test times are a good goal, as is empowering feature teams to pull their code out into modules. There are advantages to creating very fine-grained modules, but modularization is a time-consuming process, and there's a tradeoff between that and the benefits of modularization.
After seeing the initial benefits of modularization, there is a lot of enthusiasm among feature developers to modularize their features. Older parts of the code will probably take longer to be modularized, but new features will most likely be built in new modules. By setting the groundwork for modules to be created, we make it possible for any Android developer to easily modularize their code.
One question we're exploring is whether we can use modules to limit the number of tests we run. Modules structure your app in a way that you know what code depends on what other code. In doing so, you can greatly reduce the number of tests you need to run: you can run only the tests that are actually affected by a change. If you've made a change to how Reviews are displayed, for instance, it's unlikely you need to run tests on the ordering platform (if the ordering platform doesn't use Reviews). If they are both in modules, it's easy to determine, by looking at the module dependency graph, that these two features are unrelated. Currently, we run tests on every merge, and developers frequently run the full set of tests as they work on a feature.
This is a big win if you do much UI testing. UI testing can be expensive, in terms of both time and resources, and if developers have to wait twenty minutes for all the UI tests to run, they get frustrated. As the app gets bigger, this becomes more and more of a problem. Modularization can allow rigorous testing to scale as your application grows.
One concern, though, is the indirect dependencies above. At runtime, modules can depend on code from other modules in a way that isn't reflected in the dependency graph. In our particular app, we looked through these dependencies to understand the potential impact of running tests selectively, and concluded that, with the way the app is structured and the types of indirect dependencies we have, it's unlikely to be a problem. Fortunately, we have a limited number of base interfaces, making it possible to reason about the impact of these indirect dependencies. Furthermore, we run the full set of tests on the master branch after every commit (in addition to before every merge), so we expect to catch any false negatives (see our previous blog post here about how we run tests). However, as we deploy the selective running of tests, we'll carefully monitor to see if these assumptions are correct.
Modularization has a lot of advantages, but it comes at a cost and may not be for everyone. In particular, it's not a magical fix for all your problems. For instance, reduced build times were a major motivator for modularizing our app. As described above, we did see some pretty substantial benefits, but after profiling our build we found other approaches that had an even more dramatic effect (for instance, our virus scanner made file i/o slow). Don't just assume that because modularization helped someone who wrote a blog, that it suits your use case!
We found modularizing took a substantial amount of engineering effort. Resolving circular dependencies is time-consuming, and changes that affect large portions of the app run into problems with extensive merge conflicts. When the largest module was broken out of our app, the engineer involved merged in his code on a weekend. Otherwise it would have been impossible to deal with the merge conflicts. Completely modularizing the app could easily take months. Furthermore, our testing, merging and release infrastructure was based around code being a single module and there was large overhead in getting it to work with multiple modules, particularly our testing infrastructure.
There are also corner cases you have to deal with, especially around tests. We had a lot of code shared between tests, but code can't depend on code in the test folder of another module. This made splitting test code into modules more difficult. Furthermore, many of the tools (particularly those related to tests) assumed that the main code was in one module, and so they had to be updated.
There is probably a point at which the app grows too big to be one module. The bigger the app, the more important that it be modularized. On the other hand, the bigger the app and the more developers, the larger the engineering effort to modularize (due to the number of circular dependencies to resolve and the number of merge conflicts respectively). There's no easy answer as to the optimum point in time to modularize the app.
If the app isn't growing much, though, and you're fine without modules as it is, it's probably best to leave it as it is. Some apps may never reach the point where modules make sense, and you want to avoid prematurely wasting effort that could better be spent elsewhere.
Whether to start out with modules when creating a new app is an interesting question. Since our experience was to first create a monolith and then break it up, it's hard to authoritatively claim that starting with modules is a good idea. The argument has been made that usually apps are more successful when you start with a monolith - there is an interesting discussion of the topic here.
Overall, there isn't an easy answer to that question. The goal of this blog post isn't to convince people that modularization is necessarily the right decision, but to bring forth the considerations when deciding whether and how to modularize.
Interested in these kinds of problems? The Core Android team is hiring!


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Lizzums Lives Life
Tag: thriller
The Night Lawyer by Alex Churchill (Review)
book reviews · Bookish
November 3, 2020 lizzumsbbLeave a comment
Phew. I can't believe we are so far through the year already… I don't know if the dreaded COVID has made it go faster or slower.. It's sure given me more time for books though. Although I didn't feel much like reading early on in the pandemic. What about you? Did it effect your desire to read?
Today I'm reviewing The Night Lawyer by Alex Churchill. Red Door kindly gifted me a copy of the book which you can pick up now in Paperback or Kindle format.
The Night Lawyer is a compelling and authentic feeling legal thriller. This makes sense as the author has a background in law and it really lends to how convincing of a character of Sophie Angel, the main protagonist is.
Sophie is assigned a case but upon visiting the ..not so gentle man in custody, she realises that she has represented him in the past. He made her feel uncomfortable and she decided she couldn't be on his case. This man was delusional and she unwillingly and unknowingly fed that delusion which has serious repercussions later. Instead she is takes on the case of a young male accused of rape. This opens a whole can of worms in to Sophie exploring her own personal history and facing the chaos of the justice system.
I was really surprised by some things in this book; however sharing them with you would be spoilers, so you'll have to find out for yourself. 😉 The story took a direction I wasn't expecting and threw some curveballs at me. I was really pleasantly surprised. The second half of the book got pretty intense and a lot went on. The events from the first half all started to pull together and make sense.
All in all, it lead to a satisfying conclusion. It wasn't too open ended, didn't leave me with a million questions. I would absolutely recommend giving this one a read. It's well written, well paced, the plot is solid and the later half of the book will consume you.
Once a week, she's the one who decides what the papers can and can't say. During the day, she's a barrister. She struggles for justice in a system that's close to collapse, where she confronts the most dangerous aspects of humanity. Her life changes when a wealthy Russian offers her the biggest case of her career, a rape trial with a seemingly innocent client.
But is someone manipulating Sophie from the shadows? And is it someone from her childhood in Soviet Russia or is the danger much closer to home?
With her marriage under strain and haunted by nightmares from the past, Sophie must find the answer to these questions before it's too late. This is a story about betrayal, trust, guilt and innocence, played out from the courtrooms of London to the darkest corners of Soviet era Moscow.
I Can't Sleep by J.E Rowney
October 12, 2020 lizzumsbbLeave a comment
Hello! Today I'm bringing you a spotlight on I Can't Sleep by JE Rowney! Please check it out!
"I can't sleep. Not since June 16th, 2018.Not since what happened…"
Traumatised by the events of her past, exhausted by insomnia, Becky Braithwaite believes that a new start will help her to recover. She leaves home to fulfil her brother's dreams, and honour the life he never had but she soon finds that escaping from the past is not as easy as she imagined.
Is her fatigued mind playing tricks on her, or is danger really lurking in the shadows?
This unputdownable psychological thriller will keep you turning the pages to find out the truth.
Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðardóttir (Review)
October 8, 2020 lizzumsbb1 Comment
Good afternoon everyone! Had some technical gremlins so it's later in the day than I would have liked with this one – I ended up having to re-write it! But I am pleased to be bringing you a review of Betrayal by Lilja Sigurdardóttir, translated from Icelandic by Quentin Bates as part of another wonderful Orenda blog tour. Please be sure to check out the other awesome stops on the tour!
I received a copy of Betrayal for free for review purposes.
Betrayal is a standalone work of Icelandic Noir about corruption in politics as Úrsula, the newly promoted minister and former aid worker ends up unknowingly drawn in to a plot to benefit everyone aside from herself.
As soon as Úrsula is in office, she knows what she wants to get done in her year tenure at the ministry. Right off the bat, she makes a promise to a mother who is on tenterhooks about the progress of her daughters rape case, having no idea that there was far more to it than a police officer being the culprit as some of her colleagues attempt to hinder her at every juncture. She finds an unlikely acquaintance in Stella, whom shows Úrsula a place where she can smoke in private. A cleaner whom usually goes ignored.
I really liked the characters in Betrayal. Úrsula was so passionate and believable but also very human. Her driver, Gunnar who was very serious and clearly had far more to him than meets the eye – I'd have liked to have learned more about why he is the way he is. Stella. Rough around the edges. An alright sort whose done some bad things whom I couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards.
Betrayal is well paced with short, punchy chapters that flip between the perspective of numerous characters as Úrsula works at the ministry to the best of her ability while receiving threats and tackling obstacles that are deliberately placed to hinder her. I felt really bad for Úrsula as it seemed she would not have an easy run. Often the point was made about having a woman as a minister and the portrayal of her in the media. It felt very believable. All in all, I really enjoyed Betrayal and following Úrsula on what turned out to be a very chaotic and short tenure as minister. I found it to be a compelling read.
Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.
But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And why has the death of her father in police custody so many years earlier reared its head again?
As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher…
The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn (GIVEAWAY!)
September 28, 2020 lizzumsbbLeave a comment
Hey you lovely bunch. Can you believe it's almost OCTOBER? Eeeek. This year has been such a weird one. Anywhoo! Today I am on the Orenda tour for The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn, translated from Norwegian (Nynorsk) by Rosie Hedger. It's out now in both Kindle and Paperback formats. BUT! You can win an e-book copy for free! Read on for the details… Be sure to check out the other wonderful tour stops!
Sounds good, right? If you want to win your very own copy for free, just head over to my Twitter @LizzumsBB and follow myself and @OrendaBooks, then like and retweet this tweet to be in with a chance! Open until the 18th October 2020 to anywhere in the world. Thank you kindly to the folks at Orenda for letting me host this giveaway and for giving away a copy to one of you lovely lot!
University professor Nina is at a turning point. Her work seems increasingly irrelevant, her doctor husband is never home, relations with her difficult daughter are strained, and their beautiful house is scheduled for demolition.
When her daughter decides to move into another house they own, things take a very dark turn. The young woman living there disappears, leaving her son behind, the day after Nina and her daughter pay her a visit.
With few clues, the police enquiry soon grinds to a halt, but Nina has an inexplicable sense of guilt. Unable to rest, she begins her own investigation, but as she pulls on the threads of the case, it seems her discoveries may have very grave consequences for her and her family.
Exquisitely dark and immensely powerful, The Seven Doors is a sophisticated and deeply disturbing psychological thriller from one of Norway's most distinguished voices.
House of Straw by Marc Scott (Review)
July 23, 2020 lizzumsbb2 Comments
Good afternoon! I hope everybody is keeping safe and well. Today I am pleased to be on the blog tour for House of Straw by Marc Scott. It's available in Kindle and Papaerback formats. I received a paperback copy for free for review purposes.
House of Straw follows two women, Bree and Poppy. Bree loses her brother in a tragic and brutal way, however, he becomes a hero in the process. The question is, was this tragedy truly an accident? People hound her about the possibility of a suicide note, but things really aren't the situation they think it is. Bree ends up falling in to absolute despair and her friend Kayleigh tries her best to help her friend.
Meanwhile, Poppy is living in a flat, with an abusive, nasty piece of work that she calls her boyfriend, due to feelings of obligation. Poppy clearly has a lot of issues, however, she managed to get herself clean from drugs after some time at her majesty's pleasure and manages to stay clean after that, despite her drug abusing boyfriend. It's not surprising Poppy has a lot of problems. To say she was dealt a rough hand seems like an understatement.
It turns out, Bree and Poppy are half sisters. They share a parent. It turns out that they also share something else thanks to that parent. It's clear the two of them are very troubled women. At first, it seems they are absolute polar opposites, Poppy having a rough upbringing and eventually going through the care system where Bree led a more privileged life. The book follows them through their current day struggles and tells us about their past. It feels wrong to say that their tales are fascinating but.. they are. Fascinating and disturbing.
Poppy had a horrible time. I found myself gasp out loud at one moment and wanting to cry because my heart hurt for her. This book is focused around the characters so it's important that a good job is done with character building. Now, neither of these women are particularly likeable but I couldn't help but root for them, even knowing what they've done, their characters and the bubbles they live in are incredibly well written and it makes their life stories enticing and interesting. I feel a bit like I was staring at a fish tank.
I think this is one of those stories that lingers in the mind, that will stay with you. I couldn't often predict what would happen next, all I knew was "something bad is going to happen", twists all over the place. The ending picked up pace and there were a lot of revelations in a short space of time, things I didn't predict. When I finished, I had to sit for a moment and process what happened. The writing really evokes feelings for these two women, good and bad – or it did for me, personally. It feels wrong to say I enjoyed such a tragedy of a book, but it was a fantastic read and I'm interested to see what Marc Scott does next! House of Straw is a true psychological thriller that really hones in on the troubled minds of these women and I couldn't put it down.
Traumatised by the tragic death of her twin brother, Brianna falls into a state of deep depression, isolating herself from the world and all those that care about her. When a twist of fate reveals that she has a half-sister she finds a new purpose in her life and sets out to find her sibling, desperately hoping she can fill the void left in her world.
Poppy has not enjoyed the same privileged lifestyle as her sister while growing up. Abandoned into the care system at the age of eight, she has encountered both physical and sexual abuse for most of her life. Passing through the hands of more care homes and foster families than she can remember, the damaged product of a broken upbringing, Poppy has never found a place to feel truly safe. Kicking back at society, she turns to drug abuse and acts of extreme violence to escape from reality.
When the two siblings are finally united, they discover that they have much more in common than their DNA. Their paths are shrouded with sinister secrets of betrayal and regret and both girls share a deep-rooted hatred for one of their parents. As the dark truths of their lives are unveiled they realise that nothing can ever be the same again…
Far from the Tree by Rob Parker (Audiobook Review)
audiobooks · book reviews · Bookish · Uncategorized
July 7, 2020 lizzumsbbLeave a comment
Hello everyone! It's another day in the middle of a pandemic, so I'm bringing you a slice of escape with a review of Rob Parker's latest offering, Far From The Tree, an Audible exclusive, as part of a blog tour. I got to hear the book for free before it's release. There are two more installments to follow this one, which I am thrilled to hear. You may recognise Rob Parker's name as he has been featured here several times previously. You can check out the tag to find my posts on some of his other works, but for now, let's get in to Far From The Tree!
Brendan Foley has worked to balance the responsibilities of a demanding job and a troublesome family. He's managed to keep these two worlds separate, until the discovery of a mass grave sends them into a headlong collision. When one of the dead turns out to be a familiar face, he's taken off the case.
Iona Madison keeps everything under control. She works hard as a detective sergeant and trains harder as a boxer. But when her superior, DI Foley, is removed from the case, her certainties are tested like never before.
With stories of the Warrington 27 plastered over the news, they set out to solve the crime before anyone else. The local constabulary is small and under-funded – Brendan knows they can't crack this case alone, and he's not letting a rival force take over. Not with the secrets he fears are lurking. Their investigations lead them into the murky underworlds of Manchester and Liverpool, where one more murder means little to drug-dealing gangs, desperate to control their power bases.
But as Madison steps into the ring for the fight of her life, the criminals come to them. It's no coincidence that the corpses have been buried in Foley's hometown. The question is, why? Foley might not like the answer….
Introducing a gripping new crime thriller, perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh, Ian Rankin and Line of Duty.
Far From The Tree is the latest offering from Rob Parker, an audible exclusive, performed by Warren Brown. I've not listened to a lot of audiobooks, and this is the first time that I'm reviewing one on my blog. I'm delighted that my first is one by Rob. I had really high expectations for it, and it didn't let me down.
The thing about audiobooks is that it isn't just the story itself, but it's the performance as a whole. If the voice actor is rubbish, it doesn't let the book shine. I'm happy to say that Warren Brown did an excellent job, his voice really suited the content and it was really easy for me to get in to as his performance really lured me in to the story.
A small bit about the book. Far From The Tree is set in Warrington. It opens up with a group committing theft, right off the bat. I wondered where this was going… it becomes an important point later on. Roll on the next day and Brendan Foley is called to a case, what essentially is a mass grave has been discovered, by chance, in what would become a notorious case. That sure had me sit up a little straighter. What was all this about?
They started to work through the bodies and Foley was absolutely shocked to see a familiar face. Someone he cared about deeply and someone who didn't fit the trend of the grave. With such a personal note, they wanted to pull Foley from the case, however, he made a strong case and they allowed him to stay on… for a while. Eventually they pulled him off the case but he continued to work on it with his colleague.
The book is punchy, quickly paced and tense throughout. I didn't realise how long I'd been listening to it when my partner pulled my attention away. I'd tuned the world out and was wholly inside this dark, dramatic and gritty tale. As I've mentioned previously, I have aphantasia, I can't really visualise things, though I've been doing things people suggest may help – anyway – there was plenty of description to get a good idea of the exact atmosphere that Rob was building, the grounds for this thrilling and intense, hard-boiled mystery with a fascinating cast of believable characters.
On numerous occasions, this book managed to surprise me. I don't want to post spoilers, so I wont, but the ending of the book was.. *chef kiss* .. I loved it. The pace picked up along with the intensity. I found myself almost forgetting to breathe. I can't wait for the next installment. What's the equivalent of being unable to put a paperback down. I couldn't stop listening? It doesn't seem weighty enough. I was enthralled for the entire book, but the ending… Ooof. Damn. I loved this audiobook, and hopefully you will too. There's a reason it very quickly shot up to best-seller status. I'd love to see it as a TV show!
Dead Wrong by Noelle Holten (Review)
book reviews · Bookish · Uncategorized
May 20, 2020 lizzumsbb2 Comments
Hello! I hope you are all keeping safe and well. Today, I'm pleased to be closing off the blog tour for Dead Wrong by Noelle Holten – Out now in both Paperback and Kindle formats! You can pick it up for 99p for a limited time!
Dead Wrong is the second book in the Maggie Jamieson series from Noelle Holten. I read the first book (Dead Inside) previously, but this reads just fine without the knowledge from the previous book – however, I'd recommend picking it up anyway because the extra character context is always nice.
First of all, this book is set in my town, so that instantly won points with me. As I've mentioned in the past, I have trouble imagining things, so having known the location, it really helped me get in to the book. Some locales are fictionalised, though I'm pretty sure I know where they're supposed to be.
Maggie has returned to Stafford and is on quite a tricky case. Years prior, she had caught a serial killer, only, the victims are only now turning up. Had she put the wrong person behind bars?
Dead Wrong has a really enjoyable cast of characters that feel real and believable. Being with Maggie on a ride-a-long to get to the bottom if this case was incredibly enjoyable. There is mounting tension throughout and plenty of curiosity. A seed is planted – a thread of something else going on which has only served to make me anticipate the next book which I believe is coming out in October!
I read this book cover to cover. Honestly. I cared so much about the characters, especially Maggie (of course) but also Kate and Nathan – part of the cast that feature quite prominently throughout. The tension and suspense was mounting and the pages left in the book were dwindling, I never guessed the true conclusion (would that make me a terrible detective?!) though there was one thing I guessed correctly. I can't really elaborate without a major spoiler!
Trust me, this is one to read if you want a thrilling crime-fiction book, with a strong female protagonist, that you can't put down!
The serial killer is behind bars. But the murders are just beginning…
DC Maggie Jamieson's past comes back to haunt her in this dark and gripping serial killer thriller.
Three missing women running out of time…
They were abducted years ago. Notorious serial killer Bill Raven admitted to killing them and was sentenced to life.
The case was closed – at least DC Maggie Jamieson thought it was…
But now one of them has been found, dismembered and dumped in a bin bag in town.
Forensics reveal that she died just two days ago, when Raven was behind bars, so Maggie has a second killer to find.
Because even if the other missing women are still alive, one thing's for certain: they don't have long left to live…
Sister by Kjell Ola Dahl (Review)
April 23, 2020 lizzumsbb1 Comment
Happy humpday! Today, I am delighted to be on the blog tour for Sister by Kjell Ola Dahl (Translated by Don Bartlett). It's a Nordic Noir so I couldn't say no, could I! I was gifted a copy of the book for review purposes.
Suspended from duty, Detective Frølich is working as a private investigator, when his girlfriend's colleague asks for his help with a female asylum seeker, who the authorities are about to deport. She claims to have a sister in Norway, and fears that returning to her home country will mean instant death.
Frølich quickly discovers the whereabouts of the young woman's sister, but things become increasingly complex when she denies having a sibling, and Frølich is threatened off the case by the police. As the body count rises, it becomes clear that the answers lie in an old investigation, and the mysterious sister, who is now on the run…
A dark, chilling and up-to-the-minute Nordic Noir thriller, Sister is also a tense and well-plotted murder mystery with a moving tragedy at its heart, cementing Kjell Ola Dahl as one of the greatest crime writers of our generation.
Sister is the 8th book in the Oslo Detective series. This book was my first introduction to the series and reads perfectly well as a stand alone. It's translated from Norwegian but reads perfectly well, you'd never guess it wasn't in it's native language. Very little gives it away as a translated version.
The characters are brilliantly written and it doesn't seem to matter at all that I don't have the previous books for extra context to their characters; though I'm sure I'd benefit from reading those too. The protagonist is excellent, with a lot of depth. He's not just a straight up good guy, he has his demons, his own battles and this makes him a superbly interesting character.
Frank Frølich is working as private investigator. While away doing some work for a retailer who believes a staff member is skimming off the inventory, he decides to pop in to a quiet cafe and strikes up a conversation with the working staff member, Mathilde. They end up taking a liking to each other and begin a relationship. A short while after dating, Mathilde mentions she has a friend who's seeking a PI. Unsure about how likely he is to be paid by the job, Frank agrees to at least talk to her friend Guri.
Guri explains that she is trying to assist an asylum seeker who came to Norway a few years after her sister. The young woman is now facing deportation and can't seem to find her sister anywhere. She claims that returning to home country will likely result in her death. Frølich agrees to help and finds the sister pretty quickly, but things aren't quite as they seem. An author visits him, questioning why Frank is investigating. Shortly after, the author turns up dead.
It doesn't take long for Frank to find the woman. Supposedly, she doesn't even have a sister. During the course of his investigation, he's warned off the case and several people turn up dead and now he is under suspicion too. This only serves to egg him on to discover what is actually going on, stepping in to the dark truths about illegal immigrants in Norway. There are a whole lot of red flags and things that just aren't quite right.
Incredibly well written, well paced and pretty darn intense, Sister really gets you hooked. Just as soon as you think maybe you know what's going on.. BAM! Curveball! I hate to use the trope "twists and turns" but it really does. So much comes under examination and if you blink, you'll miss it. You really have to pay attention to this one. There is a lot going on. I felt like I was part of the investigation and had to figure out this case alongside Frank Frølich. Excellent for those who like to do their own share of the sleuthing while they're reading!
The Bloodline Will by A.B Morgan (Review)
Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful bank holiday weekend! Today I'm on the tour for The Bloodline Will by A.B Morgan. It's out now in both Paperback and Kindle formats and is available as part of Kindle Unlimited.
The Bloodline Will is the second book in the Second Chance Investigations series. I didn't read the previous one, and while doing so would have provided a little more context for the situation in the start of the book – the main character being in psychiatric care, it reads perfectly fine as a standalone. I'd like to go back and read the first one now though.
Ella Fitzwilliam is in a facility, rather than prison after having her life blown up by Konrad Neale; a journalist who exploited her for his own career. He goes to visit her in the facility to apologise but also see's Abigail Nithercott – the wife of a well known businessman, wealthy and usually kept out of the public eye. Konrad is obsessed with the family, convinced they're hiding something and wants to unveil it. In that moment, he decides to once again, use Ella to achieve his goal.
The doctor overseeing Ella's care doesn't seem very professional nor does she treat her patients very well. It turns out, Konrad's wife, Lorna, has decided she wants to help Ella and her case (Ella doesn't want to be held indefinitely, she would rather go to prison and do her time) and in a way, make amends for what Konrad did to her. After hearing about Dr Yellnow, they uncover that her doctor is not who she says she is and it really changes the tide of things. Because of all of that, Ella is able to be released. The details aren't really gone in to, but I don't think they need to. However, the incident isn't really revisited and I kind of wish it was. I want to know what happened with that doctor and the other patients that are mentioned early on in the book.
The pace is comfortable and steady and I find myself really taking a liking to Ella and the people she ends up surrounding herself with. Konrad seems like a terrible person at first, but I think morality catches up to him a little. It's a really nice cast of characters, especially Mal; Ella's new PI partner. I found myself drawn in, also fascinated to find out what the deal was with Abigail Nithercott. Did she actually have problems or was she putting it on? Or both? What was the big family secret? I got reeled in as more details came to light, including somethings I didn't expect. One thing I knew of for sure though – I do not like the Nithercotts.
The pace picks up late in the book as several characters go to attend a pre-opening session of a new local venture. It turns out to be packed with drama and the truth is revealed. The Nithercotts big secret.
I really enjoyed this book, it was interesting and exciting. I always hesitate a little when I see that mental health patients will be depicted, but I trusted in the authors background (a former mental health nurse) and she didn't disappoint. I was so pleased that Ella wasn't depicted as a "crazy person" or that people with her diagnosis are unstable and dangerous. I feel a point was made that with the right treatment and medication, Ella could live a normal life, she just needed a chance and the right help and I feel this is very important. So often are mental health patients depicted as if manic episodes are the norm for everyone, it made me really happy that this wasn't the case. There was a huge contrast between Ella and Abigail and quite a point about how Abigail did NOT get the help she should have, but nor did she seem to want it. I thought it was quite insightful. Waffling on a little here, I know, but I feel it was something worthy of acknowledging and noting.
Overall, I would indeed recommend this book, I'd also suggest reading the previous installment first to give that extra context to this book. I found this review a challenge to write without including spoilers because there's a surprising amount of drama in this book and that really kept me interested.
He made a mistake, and for the sake of his future career, investigative reporter Konrad Neale must apologise in person to Ella Fitzwilliam.
Detained under section in a secure forensic unit, she doesn't foresee a bright future. And she despises Konrad for exploiting her and exaggerating the truth about what she really did.
All in the name of journalism
However, when he spots famous recluse Abigail Nithercott in the same facility, he cannot resist the chance to scoop the next big story.
But must use Ella to uncover the dark Nithercott family secret.
Blood. Thicker than water, it spills…
Some family trees have to die.
Containment by Vanda Symon (Review)
March 27, 2020 lizzumsbb1 Comment
Happy Friday! Today I'm pleased to be part of another fab Orenda blog tour, bringing you a review of Containment by Vanda Symon, book 3 in the Sam Shepard series. This is out now in both Kindle and Paperback formats. I was sent a copy of this book free for review purposes.
Containment is the third book in the Sam Shepard series. This book reads just fine if you've not read the previous installments. Sam(antha) has been promoted to Detective Constable in the Criminal Investigation Bureau in Dunedin. Sam's life is a little chaotic and she has a lot of problems, but thankfully, her flatmate Maggie will pull her up on them and her colleague has her back at work.
The book immediately jumps in with the drama, when containers wash up on the shore along with the remains of a body. As first officer on scene, Sam gets to control the investigation and it's her job to figure out just who, how and what the heck happened. The public are making things difficult as people are looting the containers that washed up. Unfortunately, one of the looters doesn't respect Sam's authority as an officer, but a member of the public has her back.
DI Johns uses that event as an excuse to try and sit her on the bench and assign her to more menial tasks, tasks that end up becoming quite relevant to the case. DI Johns is a wonderfully written unlikeable character and I found myself frustrated at him for his behavior. Meanwhile, Sam is clever, a little stubborn and pretty tough, but she's also very human, very believable and has plenty of ups and downs along with the struggle of working in a team dominated by men.
Containment is incredibly immersive – as I have aphantasia, sadly, this level is description is a negative for me as I just can't put my head in the environments no matter what, I just can't *see* it (and with the current state of affairs, I struggle to get in to things a little more than usual in general, I'm noticing), but it is incredibly descriptive of New Zealand – I know for many people, this immersiveness is incredibly enjoyable. Combined with such a well written and balanced character, I think people could very easily get absorbed in to reading Containment and lets face it, that's something a lot of people want from their reading material right now.
Containment is an excellent, dramatic police procedural that will hook you in, right from the start; with a strong, believable female lead who worries about her home life and her work life, this book is great for those who really like to get cozy and lose themselves in an atmospheric and well-paced procedural.
Chaos reigns in the sleepy village of Aramoana on the New Zealand coast, when a series of shipping containers wash up on the beach and looting begins.
Detective Constable Sam Shephard experiences the desperation of the scavengers first-hand, and ends up in an ambulance, nursing her wounds and puzzling over an assault that left her assailant for dead.
What appears to be a clear-cut case of a cargo ship running aground soon takes a more sinister turn when a skull is found in the sand, and the body of a diver is pulled from the sea … a diver who didn't die of drowning…
As first officer at the scene, Sam is handed the case, much to the displeasure of her superiors, and she must put together an increasingly confusing series of clues to get to the bottom of a mystery that may still have more victims…
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Hello and welcome! I'm Liz, a 20 something lass from the UK. I like to write. I hope you will like to read what I write. That probably goes without saying...
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Analyst Jefferies today updated its research on European freight forwarders, downgrading two, upgrading one and predicting DSV will buy a $1bn+ forwarder.
Noting that, while the pace of trade had picked up last year – growth in air freight increasing 10%, sea up 6% and road 4% – the analyst warned this had created "unprecedented yield pressure and a growing performance divide".
As a result, it downgraded Deutsche Post DHL to 'hold' and Panalpina to 'underperform', estimating 2017 figures would show an organic ebit rise of just 3% for DP-DHL and a decline of 10% for Panalpina.
Predicting increased M&A activity in the forwarding sector this year, Jefferies reiterated its 'buy' rating for DSV – ebit forecasted at 15% – and upgraded Kuehne + Nagel to 'hold', on the basis of a 5% estimated rise in ebit.
DP-DHL's downgrade was a result, it said, of "cost pressures from higher wage inflation in Germany and expected ongoing yield pressure in air freight in the near-term and sea freight in the medium term, likely further delaying the targeted recovery of DHL Forwarding & Freight.
Panalpina, meanwhile, it anticipated would not be a target of a takeover at current valuations.
"Panalpina's restructure-driven earnings recovery has so far failed to materialise, with its financial performance further deteriorating following the strategy update in September 2016. FY17E results on March 7 are expected to reflect a 10% lower ebit, due to unprecedented yield pressure, following rising freight rates.
K+N was faring better, it said, "in view of improving earnings momentum with a pick-up in ebit growth to 11% this year, on the back of an improving conversion ratio towards the target of at least 16% for the group by FY22E under the KN+NextGen strategy.
DSV remains the "best-in-class" forwarder, says Jefferies, and anticipates it making some sizeable acquisitions this year.
It has "the strongest earnings growth track record, the highest yields and profit margins and lowest sensitivity to freight rate volatility, with 75% of gross profit generated by value-added services".
"FY17E results on February 8 are expected to reflect the strongest earnings momentum in the sector, with estimated ebit growth of close to 40%, versus relatively stable earnings for its peers, driven by estimated organic growth of 15% and accelerated cost savings of Dkr700m ($116m) from the integration of UTi.
The analyst noted that air freight rates were some 30% higher last year, but yields were down by 8% on average, "after a 9% decrease in Q4 17E versus Q3 17, caused by a spike in air freight rates, which could not be passed on to customers".
K+N saw air freight volumes grow 22% in 2017, with "the key volume drivers including robust exports from Asia and Europe, growing e-commerce, and new business in the pharmaceutical, hi-tech, aerospace automotive and perishables industry verticals, as well as by the acquisitions of CFI Commodity Forwarders in the US and Trillvane in Kenya in perishables logistics, contributing about 10% to volume, but with estimated 50% lower yields".
DSV's volume growth was estimated at 10%, while Panalpina, "somewhat lagged" at 8%.
In sea freight, it noted Alphaliner's prediction that container volume growth would be 6.5% for FY17E, "implying growth of around 5% for Q4 17E". It increased its FY18E growth forecast to 5%, with global trade expected to further recover. The SCFI increased 26% in 2017 over 2016.
Average forwarder volume growth was 6%, said Jefferies, with "Kuehne+ Nagel and Deutsche Post DHL slightly above market growth, DSV in line and Panalpina below market growth".
Sea freight volume growth is anticipated to be 4-5% this year.
Meanwhile, Jefferies predicts that there will be big M&A deals this year.


Beam / Ausleuchtzone Beam / Ausleuchtzone EuropeU.K.
2014-03-11 18:05:45 frzn (60.5N-25.2E,88cm) Few lower frequency Europe beam transponders receivable with Triax TD-88 in Helsinki.
2014-02-07 17:27:34 remaislu (43.9N-10E,150cm) Since 6th February the BBC channels have been blacked out. What has changed?
2014-02-05 15:13:41 soldido (41N-2.3E,130cm) ? Recepción Perfecta! Alta calidad.


Wizard: Kal-El was born to a high-class scientist on the planet Krypton. He narrowly escaped the destruction of his homeworld when his father sent him to Earth with the goal of preserving human life.
Boomstick: Well, what a coincidence... except for the whole saving human life thing. After landing on Earth, he was found and raised by the Kents, who decided to name him Clark. And weren't they surprised when they found out he was an alien with superpowers.


De azur con dúas torres en branco.
Decreto 546/2005, do 20 de outubro aprobado polo Consello da Xunta de Galicia.
Decree 546/2005 of 20 October, approved by the Council of the Government of Galicia.
De azur (azul), e sobre ondas de prata (branco) e azur, dúas torres de prata; bordura de gules (vermello) cunha cadea de ouro. Ó timbre, coroa real pechada.
Decreto 198/1996, do 17 de maio aprobado polo Consello da Xunta de Galicia.
Azure (blue), and over waves of argent (white) and azure, two towers argent; bordure gules (red) with chain of gold. Surmounted by closed royal crown.
Decree 198/1996 of May 17, approved by the Council of the Government of Galicia.


Treat yourself to this lovely vacation villa in L'Escala with private pool and garden. This villa is located only 200m from the beach Riells and has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sleeps up to 6 people.
This beautiful villa, well maintained, is located in a relatively quiet area of L'Escala, only 200m from e Riells beach.
Inside this vacation rental in Costa Brava is divided into two floors. On the ground floor you have a kitchen, a living / dining room, a bathroom with shower and a double. On the upper floor there are 2 bedrooms and a second bathroom with shower.
Outside of this villa in Spain you will find a fenced garden, terrace with barbecue and private pool.


Move all the characters to their appropriately colored exit-doors! Be careful, they will fall through platforms of the wrong color!
Press [Z] to change platform colors.
Press [X] to change characters.
Press [R] to restart levels.


100% EVENT offer professional, efficient, cost-effective travel management services for corporate, social, leisure group and event travel planning as well as professional sports travel to local and international destinations of choice.
We offer all the services that you would expect encompassing not only the booking of all your travel needs; flights, accommodation and car hire, but treating each client individually we are able to offer a unique travel solution that is right for you.
The 100% EVENT Team are highly experienced, very well travelled personal travel consultants who can speak from direct experience.
Where we excel is putting together something a little special, a dream that you can't buy direct from a brochure. We work with our clients, together with our extensive global alliances, to create a personalised experience, unique to your requirements - never to be forgotten.


PLOT SUMMARY: Love, contrary to popular belief, cannot force you to do anything. It can give you a nudge here and there, but the big stuff is all on you. This is sometimes frustrating for Love, as humans have a way of going for the wrong person in the name of... them. In this novel, Love tells us a story about their influence in the life of one Gael Brennan, who, on top of his parents divorcing, is now dealing with the fact that his girlfriend just cheated on him with his best friend. Love is finally ready to help pull Gael out of his funk and push him towards the real love of his life... when Love's plan is thrown into whack by their worst enemy: the Rebound.
FIRST THOUGHTS: I'm not usually into YA romance. I'll often read books that have romance as a subplot, but reading a straight romance is rare for me. But the concept of a love story narrated by Love itself was too cute for me to pass-up. And, in a word, that's how I'd describe this book: cute. That's not an insult -- it's a fun, lighthearted love story, with an interesting twist to pull the reader in. I admit that sometimes Love being the narrator comes off as a bit of a gimmick, but for the most part, it's handled well enough that it doesn't subtract from the storytelling. It doesn't hurt that Love is easily the best part of the whole book. And, yeah, the lowercase-l love is pretty nice, too.
THOUGHTS ON PLOT: This is, in most ways, a very formulaic romantic comedy. An unlucky-in-love hero throws himself into a new relationship, only to realize he was chasing the wrong girl the whole time. Big romantic gesture, all is resolved, everyone ends the story happy. It reminded me a lot of all those Meg Ryan romantic comedies from the 90s and early 2000s, in that respect. You start the story and pretty much immediately know how it's gonna end. But the really innovative thing about it was that, thanks to Love being the narrator, the story doesn't try to hide it the way so many bad rom-coms do. Love tells us straight-up that Gael's rebound girl is just that -- and joins us in screaming in frustration when Gael fails to realize it for 80% of the book. Love assures us that they have a plan, we just have to stick with them and watch while it folds out. Another point in the book's favor is how it doesn't focus solely on romantic love, though that does take up the bulk of the plot. There's an entire subplot about the platonic love between Gael and his (ex) best friend Mason, and Love emphasizes that this is just as important as Gael finding romantic love. Overall, I liked the way the story was told, and I enjoyed the meta-commentary on rom-coms and all they entail, but I wish a few more curveballs had been thrown in for good measure.
THOUGHTS ON CHARACTERS: As I mentioned above, Love is the best thing about this book. They're enthusiastic about their job (if you can call it that), and sincerely wants the absolute best for all the humans they try to help. They screw up sometimes (they're Love, not an all-knowing god, after all), but they always try their best to fix things. They also have a great sense of humor, as well as a tad of exasperation as they watch humans ignore their advice. One of the best aspects of their character is the sense of "These people... these people..." that they give off at times. I have very mixed feelings about our protagonist, Gael, however. While he is, generally, a good guy, and he does have good reasons for wallowing a bit, there are times when he acts like a whiny dickhead, and you kind of want to slap him. I got the sense that that was the intended reaction, but it does get tiresome. I did enjoy how well-developed Gael's family dynamic is, and how his parents have a role in the story beyond being his parents. I also liked that there's no real villain in this story (though I'm sure Love would argue that the Rebound qualifies). Everyone screws up, and everyone has to deal with the consequences, but it's never out of malice -- which, in real relationships, is often how it goes.
THOUGHTS ON POLITICAL STUFF: While I wouldn't call this book problematic, per se, it did fail to deliver in the diversity department. There are no POC or LGBT characters that we know of, and while homosexuality is discussed by other characters, and not in a negative way, it does feel a bit disappointing that none of the characters seem to be anything but straight. (There's also one cringeworthy line that equates asexuality with an inability to get laid, but honestly, that's not too surprising, given how most of society treats it.) However, it does talk gender politics a few times, and none of the female characters come off as misogynist archetypes, so that's a plus. Overall, while there was nothing actively offensive in this book, it wasn't really progressive, either.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a fun read. I'm not sure if I'll be picking it up again any time soon since, like I said, it is a pretty formulaic romantic comedy, and I'm worried that the novelty of the setup may wear off with future reads. Still, it was a fun ride, and I'd recommend giving it a read if you're looking for a lighthearted rom-com with a twist. And I can't knock the gimmick; it did get me to buy the book, after all.
Thanks for reading this book review! If you've read this book, share your thoughts below!
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The payday loan trap is a very real thing, and so is payday loan addiction. The average payday loan borrower takes out 8 loans per year. Psychology Today defines addiction as "a condition that results when a person … engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities." While many people turn to payday loans due to financial hardships, for some, it quickly becomes a compulsive behavior that takes over their finances and their lives. We often think of addiction in terms of a physical dependence that is "characterized by withdrawal symptoms", but that's not the only case.
Danger: Payday Loans are Addictive!
bill or expense pops up. So, they're in need of extra cash to get them through until payday. What begins as a solution to a need can slowly become a compulsive behavior. A person struggling with this "may find the behavior rewarding psychologically or get a 'high' while engaged in the activity but may later feel guilt, remorse, or even overwhelmed by the consequences of that continued choice," says the American Addiction Centers.
We work with hundreds of clients every day who are desperate to escape the payday loan trap. They're living in fear of aggressive payday lenders and have been watching their entire paycheck get eaten up by payday loans month after month after month. For some of these people, what began as a financial need quickly became a compulsive behavior. More money feels good. And payday lenders are ready and willing to lend money to most anyone. Taking out payday loans compulsively in an addictive manner is occurring more often than one would think. And unfortunately, the payday loan addiction leads to disastrous circumstances.
According to findings in a Detroit Area Study (DAS) , when payday loan users were compared to similar low to moderate income households in Detroit who did not use payday loans, the DAS found almost three times the rate of bankruptcy, double the rate of evictions and phone cutoff, and almost three times the rate of having utilities shut off. In another study done in Texas, researchers found that borrowers who received payday loans were twice as likely to file for bankruptcy in the following two years when compared to payday loan applicants who were turned down for payday loans.
If you find yourself falling deeper into the payday loan debt trap and compulsively taking out more and more loans, you're not alone. We can help. Give us a call today . Our team will work with you to, first and foremost, get the payday lenders out of your bank account so that you can take back control of your finances. We're here to support and guide you throughout the entire process. We've done so with hundreds of people before and have the experience and knowledge you need to end the debt trap cycle.


Novartis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have granted priority review status for brolucizumab (RTH258) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), also known as neovascular AMD, or nAMD. If approved by the FDA, Novartis anticipates launching brolucizumab by the end of 2019.
If approved this will have Novartis' med go up against Roche's Lucentis and Regeneron's Eylea.
According to Novartis, estimates suggest that by 2020, 1.5 to 1.75 million people in the US will be living with wet AMD, a leading cause of blindness worldwide.
The regulatory application is primarily based on Phase III data from the HAWK and HARRIER trials - prospective, randomized, double-masked multi-center studies. The primary endpoint of these studies was non-inferiority to aflibercept in mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to week 48 (mean change in BCVA of 6.6 letters for brolucizumab 6 mg versus 6.8 letters for aflibercept in HAWK and 6.9 letters versus 7.6 letters, respectively, in HARRIER). HAWK and HARRIER are the first and only global head-to-head trials in patients with wet AMD that prospectively demonstrated efficacy at week 48 starting with a 12-week dosing regimen.
Additionally, at week 48 in the studies, key secondary endpoint assessments showed significantly fewer brolucizumab patients with disease activity.


Fire personnel have constructed fireline around the south and west sides of the fire. Today's activities will include constructing fireline on the northeast side of the fire. Contingency lines will also be constructed to follow road systems that prevent fire spread to the north and east.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office have structural task forces protecting homes within the Green Springs Fire District area. The structural protection is being provided by agencies from across the state.
Oregon Resources Include: 29 Type 2 hand crews, 6 Camp Crews, 15 engines, 25 dozers, 22 water tenders, and overhead personnel.
California Resources Include: 13 dozers, 10 engines, 6 Type 1 crews, and 3 water tenders.


"Light has won over darkness. Victory and a majority are within our grasp," the politician told supporters at his final campaign rally in Crete.
But the latest polls indicate Syriza will need a partner for a coalition. This could be one of the smaller Greek parties, who would barely manage to pass the 3 percent threshold to gain seats in parliament. One likely candidate is the Independent Greeks, formed by rebels from the New Democracy. They have demonstrated a surprising popularity growth in the past weeks.
The central-right Independent Greeksand leftist Syriza differ on many policy issues, but they find common ground and appeal to their voters in their skeptical stance towards the European Union, and the policies imposed by the troika of international creditors on the bailed-out nation.
Tsipras' political platform lies on reversing much-loathed austerity measures taken by the Samaras government. He promises higher minimum wages, better social security and lower taxes to bring investment into the ailing Greek economy. The country has been in deep recession for years, suffering with unemployment of 25 percent – the worst among European nations.
Delivering on such promises would be a challenge for Tsipras, considering the austerity demanded by the European Central Bank and the European Commission before they bailed out Greece when it was driving towards defaulting on its national debt. Two bailouts were paid in 2010 and 2014 totaling 240 billion euro.
The program, however, expires on February 28. Tsipras wants an extension to the current deal and a renegotiating of the terms, but lenders, particularly Germany, indicated they won't agree.
Balancing between the populist campaigning and the realities, forming a viable government will be a tricky act for Syriza. Previously the party said it would be willing to go as far as leaving the eurozone and the EU. This would allow Greece to return to its national currency and devalue it to boost export and pull out of EU's ongoing trade war with Russia, which has hurt agriculture in European nations, including Greece.
Syriza's message, combined with its threats to default unless their demands are not met, injected uncertainty in the financial markets. It also provoked a flurry of angry comments from other European nations, which would likely suffer if Athens did carry out their threat.
Tsipras' rhetoric toned down in the later stages of the election campaign and European officials didn't fail to notice the fact.
"Once politicians move from being candidates to being members of government, they acquire an additional perspective," Italy's Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan noted in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The change of tone disenchanted some Syriza supporters, who now believe the party's stated anti-austerity agenda was a lie, but also drew in the less-desperate and more skeptical voters, RT's Maria Finoshina reports from Athens.
When pressed to foreshadow his policies after the election, Tsipras remained coy, pointing to his party's anti-austerity manifesto. He plans his first foreign travel as prime minister to Cyprus, a fellow bailed-out European nation.


Shooting film: "The last of winter"
Winter is over here in the Midwest. Sure, it's still cold (it went down to 20F this last night), but the white and snowy landscapes are gone for good, I'm afraid.
I had a lot of fun shooting here during snowstorms, hiking through the ice, and looking for minimalistic images driving on secondary roads in the countryside.
This place has inspired me and I believe helped me a lot to improve my photography. This is not the West where you can have a big vista within a 10-minute drive. You have to work to create an image, and be more creative.
In this video, I drove to Michigan City at the shore of Lake Michigan in an attempt to capture the last of winter. I found heavenly conditions for photography and I made some of my favorite images here.


text:
Team PA, Compliance & Risk Management at Lloyd's
Job Reference: 1132226
Job type Job locationLondon, UK
Job Title: Team PA, Compliance & Risk Management
Job Code: 1132226
Skill Band: Clerical & Administration
Location: United Kingdom - London
Type: FTC
Date Posted: 15 May 2019
Team PA, Compliance & Risk Management (FTC)
One Lime Street,
All roles within Lloyd's have an integral part to play in the achievement of the Strategy and Vision 2025:
Lloyd's becoming a brand that is globally admired and recognised and respected for its reputation as the world's specialist centre for (re)insurance. Lloyd's will be known around the world for its integrity and will be a place where talented, diverse and socially responsible employees feel proud to work. This role will practice and promote the principles of inclusiveness and respect the value of diversity.
The Risk Management team is responsible for ensuring risks to Lloyd's are well understood and properly managed. The team proposes risk appetites and policies to the Franchise Board and is responsible for monitoring the risk environment to ensure Lloyd's is well prepared for any risks that the business may face.
The Compliance team is a newly formed and developing team which is responsible for ensuring Lloyd's remains compliant with the wide range of rules and regulations it is subject to within UK legislation.
Provision of comprehensive PA support to Head of Risk Management and Head of Compliance and wider teams as required. Co-ordinate liaison with UK regulators PRA and FCA
As required ensure the Head of Risk Management and Head of Compliance supported are adequately prepared for upcoming meetings, trips and events with the appropriate information and paperwork.
Pro-active preparation of documents such as letters and presentations, e.g. identify queries that require a standard response, and either respond directly or prepare a draft
Arranging, preparing and coordinating meetings, events, and presentations (including agendas, content and venues both internally and externally)
Maintain good relationships with key stakeholders, support staff and senior market and programme contacts.
Make appropriate decisions - delegating work to others.
Extensive diary management using Microsoft Outlook and any associated tools such as Interaction, Lloyd's room booking system.
Managing the flow of emails for both the Head of Risk Management and Head of Compliance responding, prioritising and facilitating responses as appropriate.
Organise travel arrangements and schedules, including some international travel as required.
Preparing and submitting expenses and raising orders/requisitions using Proactis.
Responding to queries via both telephone and email.
Acting as first point of contact and 'host' for both internal and external visitors.
Management of new start set up and team annual leave.
Liaising with the PRA and FCA on behalf of the Head of Compliance in relation to the following:
Supporting the Head of Compliance with arranging and keeping a record of all PRA and FCA Corporation bilateral and trilateral regulatory meetings (averaging 400 over 12 months);
Supporting the Head of Compliance with arranging and keeping a record of all PRA and FCA Lloyd's related regulator meetings for external parties such as Franchise Board and Council members.
Assisting the PRA and FCA on documentation such as board and committee papers and other ad- hoc requests
Support the effective operation of the team, including the identification of and proactive management of risks. Additionally, perform the specific role of Business Continuity representative for the team.
Support to the wider team in key activities as required may include 1-2-1 support to Head of function plus team or support for multiple managers / team members.
Communicator - exhibiting diplomacy, sound judgement and discretion at all times.
Ability to build and manage relationships at all levels up to and including Director level both internally and externally.
Proactive, excellent organisational skills, high attention to detail and the ability to work to tight deadlines.
Ability to produce workable solutions that meets the immediate demands of the situation(s).
Excellent Microsoft Office skills, in particular - Outlook, Word and PowerPoint.
Understanding and experience of working within the Insurance industry and the London Insurance Market
Demonstrable track record of providing comprehensive team PA support to Senior Executive/ Head of Function.
Proven track record of exceeding customer expectations.
Working collaboratively within a team and stakeholders to deliver high quality team PA support.
Adherence to agreed governance processes and procedures.
Track record of achieving high professional standards in specialist area.
As the successful candidate, you can expect to be rewarded with a competitive salary, an enviable range of benefits.
To apply, please visit www.lloyds.com
We are committed to flexible working, therefore if you would like to consider this as a part-time opportunity, please email recruitment@lloyds.com
At Lloyd's we believe that innovation comes from having an inclusive culture of equality and diversity. We use ClearTalents to discover how we might help you feel welcomed, supported and able to do as well as you can when applying to work for us, including identifying any reasonable adjustments that we may need to make. Should you feel that you require reasonable adjustments during your application process we request that you please follow this link to create a ClearTalents user profile:
https://cleartalents.com/apply/lloyds-tpcarm1557923262
Proceed to apply
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Admin, Secretarial & PA
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Learn more about the diversity culture of Lloyd's
Learn more about Lloyd's
Be unique. Be authentic. However you prefer to say it, we really mean it. Our culture embraces people's diverse perspectives and creates a positive environment where everyone belongs. We're determined to build a better, more connected world for everyone.
Armed Forces at Lloyd's
Early Careers at Lloyd's
Women in Finance Charter at Lloyd's
Family-Friendly & Flexible Working at Lloyd's
Disability Initiatives (Physical/Mobility)
Race/Ethnic Minority Initiatives
Lloyd's, Date published21/02/2019
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A new replacement charger for Toshiba Tecra 19v 3.42a, 65 Watt AC Adapter Charger, with power cord included in the package. This Toshiba charger (19v, 3.42a, 65W) can replace any Toshiba charger requiring 65W or less, as long as the voltage matches. The charger can be used worldwide, so take it with you when you travel to another country.


We will not compromise on the quality of our beans, our cacao products, our chocolate bars or any ingredient used in the manufacture of the Ola Pacifica range.
It all starts with the quality of the beans and to provide 100% traceability we work with our own growers in Samoa to ensure that only the very best product carries the Ola Pacifica brand.
We are focused on delivering a sustainable cacao product for our community and our environment.
We are committed to sustainable, ethical and culturally correct, fair for all, and direct to grower trading; contributing to self-determination at the village level and protection of the environment.
It is important to us that the Ola Pacifica collection is ethically made.
Ola Pacifica practices a Direct Trade programme with our growers in Samoa, an incentive based reward system that focuses on paying farmers well beyond Fair Trade prices for quality of cacao.
Why did we start Ola Pacifica? – LOVE!
The Love for our family, for our growers and for our customers ensure sustainability and that we continue to grow and develop new products in the Ola Pacifica range. Join us and share the love.


New Delhi, (IANS) Bharti Airtel on Monday announced that Singapore Telecommunications Limited would invest Rs 2,649 crore in Bharti Telecom, the promoter company of Airtel through preferential allotment of shares.
With this investment, Singtel's total stake (along with its affiliates) in Bharti Telecom would increase to 48.90 per cent.
Singtel currently holds 47.17 per cent stake in Bharti Telecom. Bharti Enterprises continues to hold over 50 per cent stake in Bharti Telecom.
The transaction is subject to the shareholders' approval of Bharti Telecom. The funds raised would be used towards debt reduction, the company statement said here.
"Airtel shares a nearly two decade-long relationship with Singtel, which has only become stronger over the years.
"The fresh round of investment highlights the confidence of Singtel in Airtel, and the increased attractiveness of the Indian telecom sector following the recent consolidation," said Deven Khanna, Managing Director, Bharti Telecom.
The investment comes within 23 months of Singtel's participation in Bharti Telecom's Right Issue of Rs 2,500 crore, which was completed in February 2016.