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Is Rising Student Debt Harming the U.S. Economy?
Higher education provides students many socioeconomic benefits and increases the global competitiveness of the United States, but mounting student loan debt has sparked a debate over federal lending policies.
Students attend their graduation ceremony at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
Anshu Siripurapu and Mia Speier
April 13, 2021 4:14 pm (EST)
For decades, the U.S. government has helped students finance their higher education to bolster the country's economic competitiveness and national security.
U.S. student loan debt has ballooned in recent years, outpacing most other forms of consumer borrowing.
President Biden is under pressure from some lawmakers and advocates to cancel all or part of the existing federal student debt, which would be a controversial policy move.
Student loan debt in the United States has grown enormously in recent years and is now one of the largest forms of consumer borrowing in the country. Though the benefits of a college education outweigh the costs in most cases, many graduates are concerned about entering a weak job market and worry that lingering debt could hinder their financial futures.
James M. Lindsay
Five Good Foreign Policy News Stories in 2021
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U.S. Innovation and Economic Recovery
Most economists see student loan programs as a sound investment in U.S. workers and essential for maintaining the country's competitive edge, but questions remain about the appropriate level of federal involvement. A debate has also emerged over whether the government should forgive student loan debt and, if so, how much it should forgive. President Joe Biden's administration faces increased pressure to cancel student debt amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic disruption.
How much student debt is there?
Student debt has more than doubled over the last two decades. At the end of 2020, about forty-three million U.S. borrowers owed nearly $1.6 trillion altogether in federal student loans. Additional private loans bring the total to about $1.7 trillion, surpassing auto loans and credit card debt; only home mortgage debt, at about $10 trillion, is larger.
Student debt has grown because more and more students are attending college. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, most high schoolers did not enroll at colleges or universities; of those that did, less than half borrowed money to do so. In recent years, about two-thirds of high schoolers have enrolled, and most of them have taken out student loans.
The average student is also taking on more debt: the balance per borrower rose by 26 percent from 2009 to 2020, according to U.S. News and World Report. Students are generally borrowing more because college tuition has grown many times faster than income. The cost of college—and resulting debt—is higher in the United States than in almost all other wealthy countries, where higher education is often free or heavily subsidized. Meanwhile, U.S. states have pulled back funding for public universities and colleges in the wake of the Great Recession.
Who owes it?
About half of the outstanding student debt is owed by borrowers who attended two- or four-year colleges or universities; the rest is from graduate school borrowers, according to the Brookings Institution. While the majority of college students graduate with less than $20,000 in debt, a small portion of borrowers hold an outsize share of student debt. According to Brookings, one-third of the outstanding debt is held by the 6 percent of borrowers who owe more than $100,000. However, borrowers with smaller amounts of debt often have a more difficult time repaying their loans, as higher debt from graduate or professional degrees can pay off with much higher incomes. Students who do not complete their degrees often struggle the most; their default rate is three times higher than those who graduate.
Additionally, the type of institution makes a difference in how much debt is owed. Private school graduates, especially those who attended for-profit schools, generally have larger debts than those who attended public schools.
There is also a racial disparity in student borrowing that many experts say is problematic and the result of decades of systemic discrimination. Black college students generally take on more debt than white students, and they are more likely to struggle with loan repayment after graduating, in part because they typically have lower levels of family wealth. Black, Latinx, and American Indian students are all more likely to default on their loans than white students.
Why do students take on debt?
Most U.S. students have an incentive to borrow because higher education is typically required for the highest-paying jobs. A worker with a bachelor's degree earns more than 1.5 times the amount a person with a high school diploma does, while those with doctorates or professional degrees earn more than double, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, analysts caution that the return on investment in terms of future income can vary widely, depending on factors including a student's major and the institution. Some recent research found that although a college education still provides a boost in earnings, the increase in wealth a degree provides has declined significantly over the past fifty years, due to the rising cost of college and the increase in other forms of consumer debt.
Why does the government lend to students?
The U.S. government invests in higher education for its people—through need-based tuition grants, student loan programs, veterans' benefits, and research grants—because an educated and highly skilled workforce promotes national prosperity. Highly educated workers provide greater tax revenues, are generally more productive and civically engaged, and are less reliant on social programs. Moreover, postsecondary education is seen by most experts as fundamental to a dynamic, innovative economy. Major U.S. research universities, such as Stanford, Harvard, and Duke, often anchor regional innovation clusters.
What is the history of U.S. student lending programs?
The federal government began taking a large role in funding higher education after World War II. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill, provided tuition assistance and many other benefits, including low-interest home loans, to nearly eight million returning veterans. The program continues to pay tuition for hundreds of thousands of servicemembers and veterans each year.
However, federal student lending did not begin until the Cold War. In response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik in 1957, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act, sweeping legislation that created federally funded student loan programs and supported national security–related fields, including science, math, and foreign languages. In 1965, the Lyndon B. Johnson administration expanded federal involvement at all levels of education with the Higher Education Act (HEA), which laid the foundation for the current system of federal student lending. Since then, Congress has passed laws that expand loan eligibility and allow parents to borrow on behalf of their children.
The federal government also provides need-based aid in the form of Pell grants, which were established in 1972 and students do not have to repay. But funding levels for the program have not kept pace with the rising cost of college, resulting in more students turning to loans.
The U.S. government used to guarantee or subsidize private loans through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program, but critics, including President Barack Obama, argued that this was a handout to commercial lenders, and the program was ended in 2010. All federal student loans have since been issued directly by the Department of Education.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Donald J. Trump administration took an extraordinary step in providing tens of millions of student borrowers with temporary relief from making payments on their loans. In one of his first acts in office, President Biden extended the payment moratorium for federal student loan borrowers until October 2021. He also expanded it to include private loans made under the discontinued FFEL program that are in default, closing a loophole that affected more than one million borrowers.
What is the current debate?
In a 2020 poll, less than half of millennials surveyed said taking out student loans was worth the cost, compared to two-thirds of baby boomers.
Many experts and policymakers argue that surging student debt is harming younger generations of students by preventing them from reaching their financial goals while exacerbating racial inequality. While older generations were generally able to pay their way through school, or find jobs that enabled them to pay off their debts, that no longer holds true for recent cohorts, they argue. The combination of soaring tuition costs and the recessions caused by the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have particularly affected the millennial and subsequent generations. In a 2020 poll, less than half of millennials surveyed said taking out student loans was worth the cost, compared to two-thirds of baby boomers.
Significant student loan debt can also make it more difficult to borrow for other major purchases, such as houses and cars, and accruing interest can prevent borrowers from ever paying off their debt. In focus groups conducted by the Pew Charitable Trusts, many borrowers said they deferred their student loan payments during periods of financial hardship, either without realizing that interest would continue to build up or because they felt they had no other option. Student loans are more difficult to discharge in bankruptcy than other forms of consumer debt, such as from credit cards, because borrowers are required to prove "undue hardship" from their loans in court.
However, other observers disagree about the extent of the challenge. The Urban Institute's Sandy Baum says that labeling the current borrowing and debt levels a "crisis" is misleading, because most individual borrowers are able to pay back their loans. According to Pew, about 20 percent of federal direct and FFEL loans are in default.
Some education finance experts say the increase in federal student lending is making college less affordable for many by allowing institutions to artificially inflate tuition. William J. Bennett, the secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush, argued in 1987 that federal aid was shielding colleges from market pressures, allowing them to charge ever increasing prices. The so-called Bennett hypothesis continues to be debated by education experts. A 2014 study found that federal aid led to tuition increases only at private, for-profit schools, though other research has established a link between aid and rising tuition at public schools as well.
What are some proposals for reform?
Most experts and policymakers agree that both the rising cost of college and the existing volume of loans need to be addressed, though they differ in their proposals for how to do this. The most recent debate has centered on the issue of loan cancellation: some have called for universal loan cancellation in varying amounts, while others say only targeted relief is warranted.
President Biden has said he supports forgiving at least $10,000 for all borrowers, and more for low-income students who attended public schools or historically Black colleges or universities. But some Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups have called on him to go further by canceling either all or up to $50,000 of borrowers' student loan debt, depending on certain factors. Though Biden has said he would prefer debt cancellation to be handled by Congress, his administration is weighing his legal authority to cancel debt via executive action, as some Democrats have urged.
Proponents argue that large-scale debt cancellation would help advance racial and socioeconomic equality and provide critical financial assistance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the burden of student loans, they say, more people will be able to buy homes, take entrepreneurial risks, or save for retirement.
Opponents counter that broad cancellation would be unfair to those who successfully paid off their student loans or who avoided debt altogether. They also say it would disproportionately benefit high-earning Americans, such as doctors and lawyers, who may have large debts but would likely not struggle with their payments. They also contend that the cost of sweeping student loan cancellation would be untenable. Calculating the exact expense of debt forgiveness is tricky, but estimates range in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Instead, some experts advocate targeted debt relief, aimed at low-income borrowers, as well as reforms to the system, including expanding access to so-called income-driven repayment plans, which Biden has also proposed. These plans cap payments at a percentage of a borrower's usable income and are eligible for forgiveness after twenty or twenty-five years. However, in the Pew focus groups, many borrowers said they found it difficult both to enroll and to remain in such plans, since they require an annual certification, and that the plans did not take into account expenses such as mortgage and car payments. Moreover, few students have had their debts forgiven. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has been plagued with problems, though Biden has pledged to reform it.
To contain the spiraling cost of higher education for students, some experts and lawmakers say public funding should be increased to, for example, make public colleges and universities tuition-free. Biden has pledged to make community colleges tuition-free for a student's first two years and proposed doubling the size of Pell grants for low-income students.
Others say the perception that college is the only path to a well-paying job drives up demand and harms students who could be better served by other forms of education. In recent years, politicians from both major parties, including President Donald Trump, have advocated increasing access to career and technical education (also known as vocational education) as an alternative to college, with the aim of giving students marketable skills without the expense of a four-year degree. Germany's apprenticeship program is often held up as a model of such an approach. However, some for-profit career training schools have been accused of defrauding their students, leading to calls for greater oversight of the sector.
The Brookings Institution's Adam Looney, David Wessel, and Kadija Yilla explain who owes student debt and who would benefit from debt forgiveness.
In this video, CNBC explores the rising cost of higher education in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Education traces the history of federal student aid policy.
The Congressional Research Service explains federal student debt relief [PDF] in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus Center makes its case for canceling student debt [PDF].
The Aspen Institute analyzes the economic impacts [PDF] of current proposals to cancel student debt.
Steven J. Markovich contributed to this report.
The U.S. Inequality Debate
by Anshu Siripurapu
The National Debt Dilemma
by James McBride and Anshu Siripurapu
Reconciliation in the United States
Webinar with Mari Fitzduff, Swanee Hunt and Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò December 15, 2020 Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
Higher Education Webinar: Campus Sustainability and Climate Change Mitigation
Webinar with Raghu Raghavan July 22, 2021 Academic and Higher Education Webinars
Arthur Ross Book Award: "These Truths–A History of the United States"
Presider Gideon Rose celebrates the winners of this year's Arthur Ross Book Award: Jill Lepore, Andrew Roberts, and Max Hastings. Gold medalist Jill Lepore discusses why the United States needs a national history. Gold Medal: Jill Lepore for These Truths: A History of the United States Silver Medal: Andrew Roberts for Churchill: Walking With Destiny Bronze Medal: Max Hastings for Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945–1975
Event with Jill Lepore January 13, 2020 Renewing America


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MIND Reviews Books: March/April 2012
Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain
by Michael S. Gazzaniga. Ecco (HarperCollins Publishers), 2011 ($27.99)
Most people are convinced that they possess a central "me," a purposeful self who calls all the shots. In the past few decades, however, this view has come under attack, as scientists and philosophers increasingly adopt a mechanistic view of the universe, in which physical laws govern our every move and choice. Know enough about how the brain operates, and you will be able to understand—and predict—the mind.
Into the fray enters neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga, who dodges those well-worn reductionist arguments to offer a fresh perspective in his new book. Determinism has no meaning in the context of free will, he argues, because personal responsibility is a contract between two people, not a property of the brain.
Gazzaniga begins his exploration of free will by describing how no single entity or process generates our conscious experience; rather it is assembled on the fly. Yet we still feel like we live a narrative of our own choosing, a result of what he dubs the "interpreter" module of the brain. This specialized neural system integrates our actions, memories and perceptions, stitching together a unified story.
Flaws in this well-orchestrated system can be observed in people with brain damage. Gazzaniga introduces a patient who cannot see objects from the right side of his brain but can draw them. Another individual reports that her hand belongs to her son. These and other cases expose consciousness for what it really is: a vast assembly of disparate systems that interact to form our experiences.
Still, simply tallying up all our neurons' behavior will not help us make sense of our lives. Just as knowing every detail about all cars on the highway will never predict traffic, tracking every neural twitch will never reveal a specific mental state. Furthermore, the brain makes decisions within a social context, not in isolation. Here Gazzaniga gets to the real question about free will: personal responsibility. He points out that notions of accountability arise only when brains interact, which neuroscience is barely beginning to understand.
Gazzaniga concludes by urging us to consider this bigger social picture when debating what it means to be a responsible agent. An accessible read, Who's in Charge? will make you think twice about your actions and interactions.
—Lena Groeger
EXTREME SELF-HELP
The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger
Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband
by David Finch. Scribner, 2012 ($25)
Asperger syndrome is not funny—or at least it is not supposed to be. People with the disorder, which falls on the autism spectrum, lack social intuition and may fixate on obscure topics. For many, the condition can be isolating. Yet in The Journal of Best Practices, David Finch finds hilarity in the disorder, all the better for his fellow Aspies, the self-anointed nickname for members of the Asperger community, and the rest of us, who gain an entertaining lesson on what their lives can be like.
Finch is 30 years old when he is diagnosed with the syndrome. Although his wife, Kristen, accepts Finch as is, for him the diagnosis is both a revelation and a road map to mending their marriage, a union he believes had unraveled because of his Aspie quirks.
Finch tries to overcome those tendencies—his self-involvement, obsessions, inflexibility and lack of empathy—by developing a guide to help him become if not "neurotypical," at least easier to live with. A behavioral instruction manual appeals to Finch, who thrives on order. One of his many epiphanies comes after a workplace performance review, when he goes home and declares to Kristen that he wants one from her, too.
That may sound like a strategy sure to backfire, but Finch's efforts to understand when to use his "best practices" and when to just be himself is part of how he learns to manage Asperger syndrome. Empathy remains Finch's Holy Grail, and his struggle to master it is an ongoing source of frustration for him.
Despite this lack of social intelligence, Finch understands how funny his earnest attempts at empathy come off to neurotypicals. He puts his Aspie obsessiveness to admirable use, diving into reality television, couples massages and Cosmopolitan magazine to try to "get" his wife. He studies—and parrots—talk-show hosts to learn how to converse, and he adopts a persona to suit every occasion: Business Man for the office and Outgoing Man for social encounters.
That Finch ultimately discards these amazing compensatory skills is a testament to the happy medium he discovers. Forget a scarlet A for Asperger. Finch has earned an A for effort, and he should wear it proudly.
—Jordan Lite
Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships
by Kayt Sukel. Free Press, 2012 ($25)
Consider this ubiquitous yet poorly understood affliction: love. It is likely to cause drastic changes in behavior, difficulty concentrating and rapid mood swings. Even after it ends, the sufferer gains no respite. Instead more erratic behavior emerges, and the afflicted often report a loss of appetite, crying and obsessive thoughts. Yet we all want it.
In Dirty Minds, journalist Kayt Sukel takes on this nearly universal brain scrambler. She tackles provocative questions to determine why love can relieve us of our sanity, why we seem to pick the wrong people, and why the turmoil of a relationship can induce feelings resembling both love and hate. She sprinkles in personal anecdotes from her recent divorce, her trials on the dating scene and advice from her friends.
On her investigative journey to uncover the truth about the brain in love, Sukel also interviews scientists and combs through the literature. A highlight of the book comes when Sukel bravely agrees to participate in a study that requires her to bring herself to orgasm in the claustrophobic confines of a functional MRI machine while researchers look on.
Dirty Minds is not short on moments of insight, such as when Sukel discovers that an orgasm involves as many as 30 different areas of the brain. She learns that cheating likely has a genetic link, which lends some credence to her married friend's idea that his biology requires him to take lovers. Moreover, she finds that many of the same parts in the brain become active when people feel both love and hate, a confusing phenomenon she admits she got to know well during the dissolution of her marriage.
Sukel, however, is quick to caution that although today's studies on the subject of love may indeed explain a thing or two about one's patterns in relationships, they cannot serve as an instruction manual any more than DNA discoveries can predict the diseases you will contract. In other words, when it comes to love, much of the mystery remains. That, Sukel says, is just the way she likes it, even if it means her newly single future will involve plenty of awkward dates and false starts.
A fun and insightful read, Dirty Minds manages to evoke the feel of both a wine-laden conversation with an old friend and a great neuroscience lecture from your favorite college professor.
—Samantha Murphy
ARE YOU COPYING ME?
Wired for Culture: Origins of the Human Social Mind
by Mark Pagel. W. W. Nor ton, 2012 ($29.95)
Human populations have faced bottlenecks over time that put them in peril. Evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel believes that humans overcame these forces by banding together in larger groups, which may have propelled their brain capacity to greater heights.
In Wired for Culture, Pagel proposes that humans learn best through imitation. Aggregating into larger clusters allowed social learning to truly flourish, ultimately leading to the formation of societies, technology and culture. Humans are unique among other primates, however, in that they did more than simply pick up the latest spear technology by observing and mimicking their peers. As they developed more complex communication skills, they were able to adapt and pass on these tactics to the next generation. Pagel theorizes that the evolution of language ratcheted up the exchange of the ideas and skills that eventually formed the basis of different cultures.
Yet this collaborative spirit did not extend to make humans altruistic, Pagel concludes. As a species, we join forces only with those whom we trust and whose actions we anticipate will be similar to our own. In fact, he proposes that thousands of different languages exist in the world because we are inclined to promote trust within our own social circles but confusion among outsiders. Language allowed us to pass along individual cultures as much as it segregated, and even protected, us from different ones.
The book's narrative is diffuse, veering offtrack as Pagel attempts to explain lofty concepts. Also problematic is that Pagel appears to build his theory on the absence of contradictory evidence—our brain and behavior differ from those of other primates, so the human mind must help explain these distinctions. He cites theories from philosophers and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, who argues that people who are genetically related are more likely to behave altruistically toward one another.
Despite these issues, the main themes are worth exploring. If Pagel's theory is correct, the success of the human race largely depended on culture, which spawned not just from neural connections within the brain but also from the social connections people made within their communities.
—Brian Mossop
Roundup: Strengthen Your Resolve
Three books suggest ways to improve your life.
We typically spend four hours every day resisting temptation, says social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister. In Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (Penguin Press, 2011), Baumeister and New York Times science writer John Tierney reveal that one of our most valued abilities—selfcontrol—actually operates like a muscle: it can be strengthened with practice and exhausted by overuse. The authors share how entrepreneurs, parents and artists have improved their willpower and how we can, too.
Improved self-control can help diminish stress, an important skill for harried parents. In Kids Pick Up on Everything: How Parental Stress Is Toxic to Kids (CreateSpace, 2011), family coach David Code describes how, just as they can catch a cold, children can "catch" their parents' anxiety, making them more likely to develop learning disabilities, mental illness and obesity. Code, who founded the Center for Staying Married and Raising Great Kids, tells parents to relax and have fun to help their children grow up healthier and happier.
Another key to a good life comes from our ability to explore complex social problems through stories, writes Jonathan Gottschall in The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human (Houghton Mif in Harcourt, 2012). Gottschall, who studies the link between literature and science, argues that our penchant for spinning yarns developed, as with other behaviors, to enhance our survival. This book may offer insight on how our storytelling abilities can help us solve problems. —Victoria Stern
This article was originally published with the title "Books" in SA Mind 23, 1, 68-69 (March 2012)
doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0312-68
Scientific American Mind Volume 23, Issue 1
Discover new insights into neuroscience, human behavior and mental health with Scientific American Mind.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In the presence of her President, Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection has signed on Wednesday, October 25th, 2017, in Rabat, on the sidelines of the 7th Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers (ICEM), a program of cooperation with ISESCO for 2018 and 2019.
The program implemented aims at giving a new impetus to the cooperation between the two organizations. ISESCO will accompany the Foundation in the whole of the countries where it intervenes, for the sharing of its expertise in coastal management, air quality, in Education for Sustainable development with, in particular, its programs Eco-schools and Young Reporters for the Environment, for the sharing of its good practices, the development of educational tools, for the formation of the formators and the young journalists for the environment, and finally for the provision of its network of environmental experts and its associative network.
In 2017 this partnership allowed the organization of three seminars of formation and sensitization. The first one was held in Casablanca in May for the formation of young journalists in e-learning, the second in Amman (Jordan) in July around responsible tourism, and finally the last one in Dakar in September for educational tools in the service of Education for Sustainable development.
ISESCO (Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a partner of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental protection , for education and sustainable development since 2007. In ten years of a fruitful collaboration materialized by two conventions signed in 2007 and 2013, the Foundation and ISESCO worked in the sensitization of educators in the field of environmental protection, in the integrated water resources management in favor of NGOS and institutional partners, in the strengthening of the role of the civil society in the development of a responsible tourism and in the formation of the African journalists regarding climate change.


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DVD Talk Forum (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/)
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dvdtalkreviews 11-25-21 04:02 AM
DVD Talk reviews for Wednesday, November 24th, 2021

Highly Recommended

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (Blu-ray)
by Adam Tyner

"I just met my mother and father for the first time! How happy I am! God, if this happiness is all a dream, please don't ever let me wake up!""Dream", perhaps, isn't quite the right word for it.[click on the thumbnail to enlarge]The Megumi Children's Home is all that ten-year-old Sayuri (Yachie Matsui) has ever known, but that's soon to change. As it turns out, Sayuri's birth family has been searching for her for years, following a mixup at the hospital

Recommended

Love & Basketball (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)
by William Harrison

THE FILM:Gina Prince-Bythewood wrote and directed this Spike-Lee produced romantic sports drama that begins in 1981 Los Angeles, where Monica Wright (Kyla Pratt in youth, Sanaa Lathan as an adult) meets Quincy McCall (Glenndon Chatman in youth, Omar Epps as an adult) when Monica's family arrives from Atlanta. The pair bonds over basketball, at first squabbling on the court, because Quincy is not used to getting shown up by a girl, but soon becoming inseparable. The kids hope to follow their hoop dreams and play for prestigious college and professional teams, but, at first, are not taken seriously by other friends and family. In high school, Quincy's natural talent has blossomed, and he has to work far less hard for success. Monica becomes frustrated that she cannot keep up with other teammates, and her fiery attitude threatens to get her kicked off the court. It does not he...Read the entire review »

Rent It

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (4K Ultra HD) (Blu-ray)
by William Harrison

THE FILM:I am kind of surprised Paramount gave Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins a $100-million budget as the third film in a franchise that has not exactly lit the world on fire. Director Robert Schwentke's film is basically a prequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and serves as the origin story for the title character, played by Henry Golding. I reviewed the first two G.I. Joe films on 4K recently, and even the better of the two, Retaliation, is pretty forgettable. This outing is better than the silly The Rise of Cobra but lacks the intensity and comedic elements of Retaliation and had my eyes feeling heavy at several points during the 121-minute running time.A young orphan after his fa...Read the entire review »


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Tailored AFM Probes Created via 3-D Direct Laser Writing
A group of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology researchers in Germany report using 3-D direct laser writing based on two-photon polymerization as a tool to fabricate custom-made probes for atomic force microscopy (AFM).
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 8, 2016 — Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a technique that allows researchers to analyze surfaces at the atomic scale, and it's based on a surprisingly simple concept: A sharp tip on a cantilever "senses" the topography of samples.
While this technique has been successfully used for more than 30 years, and you can easily buy standard micromachined probes for experiments, standard-sized tips aren't always exactly what you need. Researchers frequently desire tips with a unique design — a specific tip apex shape or extremely long tips that can reach the bottom of deep trenches. Preparing nonstandard tips via micromachining is possible, but it's often expensive.
But now, a group of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) researchers report that they have developed a method to tailor tips for specific applications via 3-D direct laser writing based on two-photon polymerization that will be appearing on the cover this week in Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing.
Two-photon polymerization is a 3-D printing process that provides structuring with extremely high resolution. It involves using a tightly focused infrared femtosecond laser to expose an ultraviolet-light-curable photoresist material, which causes two-photon adsorption that, in turn, triggers a polymerization reaction. In this way, freely designed parts can be written exactly at the place of their purpose — even nanoscale objects such as AFM tips on cantilevers.
"This concept isn't new at the macroscopic scale: you can freely design any shape with your computer and print it in 3-D," explained Hendrik Hölscher, head of the scanning probe technologies group at KIT. "But at the nanoscale, this approach is complex. To write our tips, we applied two-photon polymerization with an experimental setup, recently developed at KIT, which is now available from startup company Nanoscribe GmbH."
Tips with radii as small as 25 nanometers — about 3,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — and arbitrary shapes can be attached to conventionally shaped micromachined cantilevers, according to the group. Long-term scanning measurements show low wear rates that demonstrate the reliability of these tips. "We were also able to prove that the resonance spectrum of the probe can be tuned for multi-frequency applications by adding reinforcing structures to the cantilever," Hölscher said.
The key significance of the group's work is that the ability to design optimal tips or probes opens the door to endless options for analyzing samples — with greatly enhanced resolution.
"Writing parts via 3-D printing is expected to become a big business at the macroscopic scale," he said. "But I was surprised by how nicely it works for nanoscale, too. When our group started with this project, we tried to continuously stretch the technology's limits … but Ph.D. students Philipp-Immanuel Dietrich and Gerald Göring kept coming back from the lab with new successful results."
As for near-term future applications, two-photon polymerization will become widely available for nanotechnology researchers. "We expect other groups working within the field of scanning probe methods to be able to take advantage of our approach as soon as possible," Hölscher noted. "It may even become an Internet business that allows you to design and order AFM probes via the web."
The group will "continue to optimize" their approach, Hölscher said, and apply it to research projects ranging from biomimetics to optics and photonics.
AIP Media Line
Tailored probes for atomic force microscopy fabricated by two-photon polymerization
Gerald Göring, Philipp-Immanuel Dietrich, Matthias Blaicher, Swati Sharma, Jan G. Korvink, Thomas Schimmel, Christian Koos and Hendrik Hölscher
Swapping Substrates Improves Edges of Graphene Nanoribbons
Researchers Immobilize Underwater Bubbles


On Tuesday December 26th, 2017, the long-time parishioner of St. Sergius of Radonezh Church, at the Tolstoy Foundation, reader Nickolai Christoff departed to the Lord….
On Monday, December 18, 2017, Archbishop Andronik accompanied by Hierodeacon Pavel and two of his parishioners arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they served the All-night Vigil in the house church dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker….
Congratulations to the Bishop of Trenton and North America, the Right Reverend Stefan, on his 10th Anniversary of Consecration as Bishop, from the Archbishop of Syracuse and St. Nicholas, the Right Reverend Andronik.
Congratulations to the Archbishop of St. Petersburg and Northern Russian, the Right Reverend Sophrony, on his 10th Anniversary of Consecration as Bishop, from the Archbishop of Syracuse and St. Nicholas, the Right Reverend Andronik.
On December 1, 2017, a meeting of the ROCA Council of Bishops (Diaspora District) was held in the Spiritual and Educational Center of Mountain View.


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Presidency within reach of El Salvador's ex-rebels
By - The Washington Times - Thursday, March 12, 2009
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR (AP) - A former television journalist who has compared himself to President Barack Obama has given El Salvador's former guerrillas their best chance to win the presidency since a bloody civil war ended in 1992.
If Mauricio Funes wins Sunday's election, he would extend a string of leftist victories in Latin America and uproot two decades of conservative Salvadoran governments that have been steadfast U.S. allies. He would also be the first leftist Latin American leader elected since Obama took office, giving him a unique opportunity to build relations on a fresh note.
Funes said Thursday he was confident he would have good relations with Obama: "I trust his sense and different vision of Latin America."
Funes, of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, faces Rodrigo Avila, an FBI-trained former national police chief running for the conservative ruling party, Arena. Most polls show Funes ahead of Avila, though many voters remain undecided.
The election comes at a time of uncertainty over how Obama will approach the region, where populist and socialist governments govern most nations. Former President George W. Bush was broadly unpopular, although Washington was still on good terms with moderate leftist governments in countries like Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.
Even Venezuela's fiery Hugo Chavez and his allies have expressed hope for better ties with Obama, though they haven't blunted the anti-U.S. tone of their speeches.
Central America recently joined the swing to the left. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has allied himself with Chavez, as has Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist who returned to power in 2007 after spending the 1980s fighting U.S.-backed Contra rebels. Alvaro Colom last year became Guatemala's first leftist president in more than 50 years.
Avila, 43, has played on fears of a leftist government in a country still healing wounds from a 12-year civil war that left 75,000 people dead. He warns that a Funes victory would send El Salvador down a communist path and bring it under Chavez's domination.
Funes supporters dismiss such warnings as time-worn scare tactics designed to distract voters from a growing crime rate and rising food and fuel costs.
"The war is over," said retired Col. David Munguia, who leads a group of 100 military officers who have thrown their support behind Funes in an unprecedented alliance. "We cannot change our past, but we can build a future together."
The campaign has turned vicious in the last days, with street skirmishes breaking out between supporters of each candidate. On Wednesday, Avila accused Funes supporters of attacking his campaign caravan with stones.
"They are not prepared to govern. They are the same as criminals," he told reporters, standing in front of two SUVs with shattered front windows.
The Front plucked Funes, 48, from outside its ranks in hopes of overcoming its rebel image 17 years after laying down arms and becoming a political party as part of peace accords.
Funes, who left a career in television journalism to join the party, has been determinedly moderate, promising to fight corruption and tax evasion. He says he will not abandon El Salvador's use of the U.S. dollar as its currency and pledges to respect the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
He has said Obama has kindled hopes for good relations with a leftist-led El Salvador. In campaign ads, Funes even compared his message to Obama's promise of change.
That earned him a rebuke from the U.S. Embassy for using Obama's image in the campaign, but the scolding was mild compared to comments from U.S. officials during past elections clearly favoring Arena's candidate.
El Salvador has remained a bastion of U.S. support under President Tony Saca, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a second five-year term.
It was the last Latin American country to pull troops from Iraq, bringing them home last month. About 10 percent of the 2.5 million Salvadorans living in the United States have temporary work permits granted after a series of earthquakes in 2001.
That has helped keep remittances up even as they fall in neighboring countries amid global economic turmoil.
Avila, who worked closely with U.S. officials as vice minister of security and national police chief, casts himself as El Salvador's best hope for staying on good terms with Washington.
He has also pledged to redress social inequalities that partly fueled the civil war and are pushing the Front's comeback. He has promised to build 50,000 subsidized homes and create 250,000 new jobs.
Associated Press Writer Marcos Aleman contributed to this report.


text:
For the People. From the People.
CBD "Miracle" Oil Now Legal In All 50 States!
Trump orders US military to shoot down North Korean missiles
This file photo from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on August 29, 2017 and released on August 30, 2017 shows North Korea's intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off from the launching pad at an undisclosed location near Pyongyang. (Photo by AFP)
US President Donald Trump has ordered military to shoot down any missile launched from North Korea and heading toward Guam or the United States.
Sources close to the White House national security team told the media on Thursday the order was issued to the US military in the wake of last month's threat by North Korea to fire a ballistic missile toward Guam, a US territory.
"The threat provoked the president," one source told the news agency.
Another national security source told the media that Trump also is considering a new "shoot down" order for any North Korean missile fired toward Japan or South Korea.
"This is a clear exercise of self-defense, and there's no question we should do it," former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told the media.
Special: Doctors: ED Caused By "Clog" You Can Easily Clear By Doing This!
Bolton said the United States must take steps to protect South Korea and Japan which "are in jeopardy."
Trump told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday that the US is ready to use the "full range" of capabilities, including nuclear arsenal, at its disposal in dealing with North Korea, after the country conducted a test of a hydrogen bomb that could be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile.
US ready to nuke North Korea: White House
The US is ready to use its nuclear weapons against North Korea if the country continues to threaten Washington or its allies, the White House has warned.
In his earlier remarks, Trump warned that North Korea would face "fire and fury" should it continue to threaten the United States.
North Korea on Sunday announced it had conducted a "successful" hydrogen bomb test, hours after two tremors were detected in the country.
The North Korean nuclear test came three days after two nuclear-capable US B-1B strategic bombers conducted a military drill alongside four F-35Bs and a few Japanese F-15s.
The US is against North Korea's nuclear weapons but Pyongyang says it will not give up on its nuclear deterrence unless Washington ends its hostile policy toward the country and dissolves the US-led UN command in South Korea. Thousands of US soldiers are stationed in South Korea and Japan.
Brilliant Trick "Melts" Belly Fat Overnight
Mexico has expelled North Korea's ambassador in strong protest at Pyongyang's recent missile and nuclear tests.
'US military reveals 'super radar' that can give pilots perfect vision through clouds and smoke'
A political expert says the United States' threats make North Korea more determined to go on with its nuclear tests.
1 Simple Trick Removes Eye Bags & Lip Lines in Seconds
Putin suggests North Korea will not give up nukes
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that North Korea will not abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Doctors: ED Caused By "Clog" You Can Easily Clear By Doing This!
The United States is pushing for tougher UN sanctions against North Korea after President Trump said that military action is "not a first choice" against Pyongyang.
AmericaToday
© Copyright 2017 AmericaToday. All rights reserved.


text:
Q: Problems matching '\n' in PowerShell I'm practicing PowerShell on Codewars. I'm currently struggling with this rather easy exercise.
My problem is that my match is not matching correctly or I haven't understood what kind of string the Input is. I'm trying find the data set to a given number.
The input is a string, representing a phonebook. The information in each set is in a random order.
So I already tried to first split the input after every new line (-split "\n"). Didn't work, so I tried it with match. (e.g. -match ".*48-421-674-8974.*\n").
Now what I would expect in Matches, is all information to that number until the next '\n'. But instead I'm getting the data set I wanted PLUS the next line. I've already tried \\n, \\\\n, single/double quotes. But I can't find any solution by myself.
So currently my input is this:
"<Sophia Loren> +1-421-674-8974 Bern TP-46017\n <Peter O'Brien> High
Street +1-908-512-2222; CC-47209\n"*
"<Anastasia> +48-421-674-8974 Via Quirinal Roma\n <P Salinger>
Main  Street, +1-098-512-2222, Denver\n"*
"<C Powel> *+19-421-674-8974 Chateau des Fosses Strasbourg F-68000\n
<Bernard >Deltheil +1-498-512-2222; Mount Av.  Eldorado\n"

And my regex ".*48-421-674-8974.*\\n"
(My Regex online)
I'd expect this result:
<Anastasia> +48-421-674-8974 Via Quirinal Roma\n

but I'm getting:
"<Anastasia> +48-421-674-8974 Via Quirinal Roma\n <P Salinger> Main Street, +1-098-512-2222, Denver\n"

I've also tried matching or spliting again after this result, but that did'nt work either.

A: .* is a greedy match. What you want is a non-greedy match (.*?) starting with an opening angular bracket, including the phone number, and ending with a literal backslash and the character "n".
$inputText = @'
"<Sophia Loren> +1-421-674-8974 Bern TP-46017\n <Peter O'Brien> High Street +1-908-512-2222; CC-47209\n"*
"<Anastasia> +48-421-674-8974 Via Quirinal Roma\n <P Salinger> Main  Street, +1-098-512-2222, Denver\n"*
"<C Powel> *+19-421-674-8974 Chateau des Fosses Strasbourg F-68000\n <Bernard >Deltheil +1-498-512-2222; Mount Av. Eldorado\n"
'@

$pattern = '<.*?48-421-674-8974.*?\\n'

$inputText |
    Select-String -Pattern $pattern -AllMatches |
    Select-Object -Expand Matches |
    Select-Object -Expand Value

A: I have imported your input text (keeping the \n characters intact) and wrote this line that does the regex matching:
([regex]".*48-421-674-8974[a-zA-Z ]+\\n").Matches($text)

Now it might happen that if you load the actual phone address data from a file, the newline character might need to be specified like Wiktor Stribizew said as a "`n"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Barbie has discovered the awesome hipster style and she wants an outfit so great that she will be named the hipster princess! Can you find it for her? She could try colorful highlights in her braided hair with a straight bang, a dark green shirt with paint splashes, a red skirt with fringes, a pair of ripped stockings, red shoes with blue laces and a pair of big sunglasses. Another awesome look would be two high pony tails dyed pink, an orange top with green star prints, a denim vest, a pair of purple and pink shorts, a pair of striped stockings, orange sneakers, purple ankle warmers and a pair of hot pink rims instead of glasses. Or she could go with a brown crop top with fringes and a denim vest, a pair of purple and black pants, a straight short orange hairdo and a blue scarf around her neck. Enjoy!


Visit Steve Rasnic Tem's Web Site.
Blood Kin is told from the dual points of view of Michael Gibson and of his grandmother Sadie. Michael has returned to the quiet Appalachian home of his forebears following a suicide attempt and now takes care of his grandmother— old and sickly but with an important story to tell about growing up poor and Melungeon (a mixed race group of mysterious origin) while bedeviled by a snake-handling uncle and empathic powers she but barely understands.


text:
Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art II
Islamic Heritage 2020
Edited By: G. Passerini, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy
Papers presented at the 2nd International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art are contained in this volume. The conference attracted important research highlighting the significance of Islamic heritage architecture and art to the world and its influence across different regions.
The papers deal with the design of many types of buildings in Islamic countries, including not only the better known public buildings like mosques, mausolea, citadels and forts, but also houses and gardens, engineering works such as bridges and dams, irrigation systems and many others which have also had a profound impact on society.
Traditional architecture and urban environment in most Islamic countries is now being eroded by overemphasis on a global type of architecture and city planning. As a consequence, many regions are losing their identity. The included studies review these developments in the light of what classical Islamic urban design and architecture has to offer modern society.
Research contained in this book provides an analysis of the materials employed and the types of structural elements used, particularly those unique to Islamic architecture. Associated topics covered include music, textiles and ceramics, which are essential parts of the architectural fabric. Also looked at are construction materials, including not only stone and brick but also more perishable materials like adobe, wood and reeds.
The preservation of heritage features also requires the development of appropriate conservation techniques in response to the different materials used and the ways structural forms work, including under extreme conditions, such as earthquakes.
Academics, researchers, practitioners and government employees actively involved in the topic of Islamic heritage architecture and art will find this publication of interest.
Book Preview and Contents
Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art
C.A. Brebbia, Wessex Institute of Technology, UK; A. Martinez Boquera, Politechnic University of Valencia, Spain
Islamic Heritage Architecture
C.A. Brebbia, Wessex Institute, UK; A. Martinez Boquera, Politechnic University of Valencia, Spain


Our cottages provide the perfect getaway for people who crave total privacy to completely relax and rejuvenate in the heart of beautiful Lovedale, Hunter Valley Wine Country. Our 3 luxurious cottages are set on 25 acres of lovely countryside.
No check in, no check out - you don't even have to see us!
All cottages have keypads - just enter your code and in you go.
We are located minutes away from wineries, restaurants, cafés, galleries and golf. So go out and play, relax and enjoy your stay!
Star Ratings Australia - 4 Star Eco-Friendly.
Our cottages are solar powered which continues our quest to be Eco-Friendly.
Other initiatives are green waste recycling, Eco-Friendly cleaning products, instantaneous Hot Water Heating, biodegradable toiletry products, tank water and Enviro Cycle waste managemant system.
MEGA CREATURES is back at Hunter Valley Gardens for the April school holidays!


The UN Security Council is agonizing over how to answer North Korea's artillery attack on the rival South but has not even planned a meeting on the deadly assault.
The caution of the major powers is a sign of the lack of feasible answers to North Korea's decades of military outrages and nuclear brinksmanship, said diplomats and experts.
It is possible that the Security Council, the United Nations' guarantor of international peace, will take no action over Tuesday's attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, diplomats said.
"This is the problem from hell if you are a policymaker," commented Leon Sigal, a veteran analyst on the West's dealings with North Korea.
No country has asked for a special meeting of the Security Council over the North's missile attack in which two soldiers and two civilians were killed.
The permanent Security Council powers -- United States, China, Russia, Britain and France -- are in consultations at government level, officials said, stressing the caution with which all wanted to proceed.
"There really is no indication that something will happen," said one Security Council nation diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The council's response to North Korea's sinking of a South Korean warship in March still gives nightmares to many representatives. No meeting or statement was agreed until July -- nearly four months later.
The statement condemned the sinking of the ship, in which 46 South Korean navy crew died, but did not blame the North, which denies involvement.
"Everyone was shocked by the Cheonan affair," said another diplomat. "No one wants to throw their energy into a meeting for no reason. Everyone wants to wait.
"The Chinese are dragging their feet, it's true, but everyone wants to wait and think it out."
North Korea, one of the world's most isolated countries, already faces UNsanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. It has been accused of helping Iran with its nuclear drive and just shrugs off complaints about its human rights and bellicose attitude toward its neighbors.
The international powers "have the feeling they have fired all their bullets and they don't know what to do now with North Korea," the diplomat said.
One diplomat said it was "an option" that the council would take no action. "It could take weeks, maybe nothing will be done," added another.


text:
PowerSchool Teacher Resources
The Information Systems team provides support for many applications, including PowerSchool, MicroSoft SQL server, Tienet and several custom applications.
Our successes are hosting PowerSchool services for 6 LEA districts and List Serves. The Information Systems team hosts quarterly user group meetings and workshops for our group members. We also faciliatate the information exchange between the ISD and sending school districts.
Resourse Links (need Google account to access):
Student Management System
KISD PowerSchool Portals for Teachers/Students/Parents:
PowerTeacher Portal
PowerSchool Student/Parent Portal
CenterBase PowerSchool Portal Teachers/Students/Parents:
Information Systems Lead / Database Administrator: Garrett Burgett
Garrett is a former teacher who has experience in both the teacher and administrative sides of learning and student management systems. He has spent his teaching career focusing on technology in the classroom and blended learning using Project Based and Standards-Based methods. He will provide system training and support for PowerSchool users both on campus and for our LEAs.
Student Informations System Coordinator: Amanda Kanitz
Amanda Kanitz is a former K-12 special education teacher with an area of interest in technology. She attained her Bachelors of Science in Education from Central Michigan University and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in the area of Educational and Instructional Technology. Amanda currently supports PowerSchool users, both on campus and our LEAs, by providing system training and support, as well as delivering new information for faculty and staff members.
Student Information System Support: Mary Minnema
Mary helps to ensure data quality and troubleshooting for our LEAs/PSAs. She provides application support for internal programs to ensure quality data practices are incorporated into the program's processes. She also supports numerous applications: SchoolMessenger, Monsido, kentisd.org, InterSpire Mail Marketer, and PHPQuentionaire to name a few.
PowerSchool Programmer and Technical Support: Peter Nethercott
Peter has worked as a data warehouse developer since the inception of the data warehouse. He has developed hundreds of reports for our LEAs/PSAs. He also is the developer/co-developer of many software applications, such as Great Start to Quality (GSQ), Truancy web application, and the IGOR iPad app. Peter will focus on web-based customizations.
Data Support Specialist: Kathi Thornton
Kathi Thornton has been working with Educational data for 15 years. Kathi supports the collection and reporting of student and instructional data for all of the state and federal mandated collections including General, Early Childhood, Early On, Teacher Student Data Link, Graduation and Dropout, School Infrastructure Database and Civil Rights Data Collection. She has worked with staff certification data through the reporting of the Registry of Educational Personnel. Kathi has a great understanding of how the reporting of educational data intertwines together to ultimately affect the Accountability Report Card. Kathi currently represents Kent ISD and our constituents as a member of the Michigan Pupil Accounting and Attendance Association Board. This board works with CEPI and the MDE to effectively collect and report educational data in the state of Michigan.
Data Integration Specialist: Chris Barnwood
Chris is a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Information Systems and a minor in Business. While at Grand Valley Chris founded and was President of Hackers Analyzing Threats (HAT) and Vice President Grand Valley's chapter of the Association of IT Professionals (AITP). Chris is heavily involved with connecting the districts that Kent ISD serves to MiDataHub. He also provides support when systems are unable to properly exchange data.
Information Systems Contact Information
IS Administrator
Garrett Burgett (616) 301-6198
IS Support
Amanda Kanitz (616) 365-2229 Mary Minnema (616) 365-2306
Peter Nethercott (616) 365-2287
Kathi Thornton (616) 447-2443
Chris Barnwood (616) 447-2439


For more than a decade pianist/sound-sculptor/songwriter Marco Benevento has been amassing an extensive resume of composition and collaboration. His studio albums have set forth a vision for music that connects the dots between Explosions In The Sky and Tortoise on one side, Brian Eno and Brad Mehldau on the other, while in the live setting his performances reverberate with pulsating dance rock energy.
This entry was posted in Marco Benevento. Bookmark the permalink.


Home / News & Events / News & Events / Cafe manager required!
Working hours: 9am to 5pm, 5 days a week. Flexible – could be Monday-Friday.
Contract Type: Full time, seasonal with potential to become permanent.
Responsible for: Managing the daily running of the café and craft shop.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced café manager to take on Lochaber Geopark's wee café, craft shop and visitor centre in Roy Bridge. The visitor centre offers information about one of our most fascinating geosites: The Parallel Roads of Glenroy, a National Nature Reserve (NNR). The craft shop sells beautiful items made by local crafters and the café offers a selection of breakfasts and lunches. Profits from the café go towards Lochaber Geopark Association, Scottish registered charity no. SC038372.
See the ad on HIJOBS.


Akio and Fukado Kawashima came to Southern California in 1984 as lawful Japanese immigrants determined to succeed in business. They operated popular sushi restaurants in Thousand Oaks and Tarzana and recently opened a new eatery in Encino.
But after they underreported their business income in 1991, they paid a hefty price. The Internal Revenue Service hit them with $245,000 in taxes and penalties. The couple pleaded guilty and paid in full. A decade later, the Immigration and Naturalization Service decided to deport them.


Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone recorded their first week with no new cases of Ebola since the outbreak began in March 2014.
The Ebola outbreak has so far killed more than 11,000 people in the three West African countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
New Ebola cases have fallen sharply in 2015, but the WHO has warned that the disease could break out again.
The health agency also said several "high-risk" people linked to recent patients in Guinea and Sierra Leone had been lost track of.
Liberia has already been declared free of the disease after 42 days without a new case. It is the second time the country received the declaration, following a flare-up in June.
Sierra Leone released its last known Ebola patients on September 28 and must now wait to be declared free of the disease.
Guinea's most recent cases were recorded on September 27.


text:
GIS RE
RES facilities
Resource maps
Geothermal resources
Small-scale hydro power
Solar and wind energy
GIS Renewable Energy Sources in Russia
Renewable Energy Industries
Photovoltaic and solar water heating systems, solar energy resources
Wind-powered systems, wind energy resources
Small-scale and tidal power plants maps
Bioenergy resource potential, power plants location, infrastructure data
Geothermal fields parameters, geothermal power and heat-pump based systems maps
The project "Geo-information system "Renewable Energy Sources of Russia" (GIS RE) is carried out jointly by the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University (Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources (NIL RES)) and the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources). The implementation of the project was launched as part of the implementation of State Contract No. 14.740.11.0096 under the Federal Target Program "Scientific and scientific and pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia" for 2009-2013.
The first solar power plant was installed in an apartment building in Kabardino-Balkaria
In Kabardino-Balkaria, the Hevel group of companies and Sber implemented the first project for the construction of a…
Solar power plants for 13 billion rubles will be built in Dagestan
Five solar power plants are to appear in the Republic of Dagestan within three years. According to the…
Education in the field of renewable energy: RAWI recommendations
The Russian Wind Industry Association actively cooperates with Russian universities that train specialists for the wind energy industry…
Faculty of Geography MSU
JIHT RAS
Scientific and educational center "Renewable energy sources"
Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov
Joint Institute for High Temperatures RAS.
info@gisre.ru
© GIS Renewable Energy Sources


A bicycle-drawn passerine dawned basal respirations – the toll of course of which and how and then and who and wait a minute – any doubt of finding polar oppositions or magnetic indiscrepancies would somehow lessen the insistence and effect.
Baby, how some dreams are sensorially mischievous is practically achievable by proxy to the regions, hydro-oxygens to spots that with manipulation glee and you are post-narcotic dreams: auditory, with no seams to show construction; god I loved you.
God I so so very loved you.
~ by perfectionatrix on June 30, 2016.
This entry was posted on June 30, 2016 at 09:37 and is filed under 13372633, Uncategorized.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
HH Carlos Z Leaves Equestrian Sport with a Win at WIHS CSI4*-W
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2017--It was a bittersweet night for show jumping fans as they saw one of the sport's best in his final competition. HH Carlos Z went out on top with victory in the $50,000 International Jumper Speed Final, presented by the Man O' War Project in partnership with Columbia University Medical Center. As HH Carlos Z and McLain Ward (USA) entered the arena for their victory gallop, it was announced that "Carlos" would retire.
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Riding out of the 11th spot in the order in the faults converted (Table C) format class, Ward and HH Carlos Z, a 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z owned by Double H Farm, finished in 57.77 seconds.
"I love the format of this class," Ward said. "It's a 1.50m, but a Table C, so people can have a fence down and still be in the mix. I think it makes it a much more exciting class for the spectators."
McLain Ward rode HH Carlos Z to won final victory on Friday night, winning the $50,000 International Jumper Speed Final before announcing the gelding's retirement. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Devin Ryan (USA) and Eddie Blue, owned by LL Show Jumpers LLC, were second in 58.50 seconds, while Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) and Gochman Sport Horse LLC's Lady Maria BH placed third with a time of 59.05 seconds.
Second place in the $50,000 International Jumper Speed Final went to Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Following the class, Ward stated, "That's it. He's done. He's given more than he had to give. He's been an incredible horse, an incredible winner. He's won everything from five-star grand prixs and jumped Nations' Cups to being a day in and day out winner.
"I wanted the horse to win a good class to finish on," he continued. "I didn't want him to end poorly. This is a nice moment, and I'm very, very grateful to Mr. Harrison and Double H Farm to have the opportunity to ride this horse and also for the opportunity to care for him and retire him in the way he deserves."
Amanda Derbyshire and Lady Maria BH finished third in the $50,000 International Jumper Speed Final. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Ward concluded, "He's always been a winner when it counted. He did it again. It's a little bittersweet, but he doesn't owe us anything."
The Jump for TAPS Challenge raised $16,000 on Friday night, with every clear over the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) fence raising money for the WIHS Official Military Charity.
Kathy Kusner was inducted into the Washington International Horse Show Hall of Fame.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Aaron Vale Clears 6'7" to Win $25,000 International Jumper Puissance
Aaron Vale (USA) and Finou earned their second-consecutive WIHS Puissance victory on Friday night, this year clearing 6'7" to take the win in the $25,000 International Jumper Puissance, presented by The Boeing Company.
"It's the horse," said Vale on the secret to tying with McLain Ward in 2016 and winning outright in 2017. "This horse actually has quite a bit of talent for this. It feels like he could actually jump a very big wall if the class played out that way. He's very comfortable at it, and it'd be exciting to try something pretty high with him if it ever happened. My personal best is 7'2 ¼". If I made higher it than that – that's pretty high to me."
Aaron Vale and Finou 4. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
The Puissance wall began set at a height of 1.80m (5'11") and gradually progressed to the 6'7" height through four rounds of competition. Four horse and rider combinations all successfully contested the first round, with Paulo Santana (ESA) being the first eliminated after failing to clear the wall in the second round with his mount Una du Keske Z, owned by Santana Stables LLC.
Finishing in third were Kama Godek (USA) and her own De Grande. Following Godek and De Grande's elimination in the third round, only Vale and Hunter Holloway (USA) aboard Cassevel, owned by Hays Investment Corp., remained, and Holloway elected to save the gelding jumps for another day, opting out of the fourth round. Vale could have chosen to also call it a night and accept a tie, but much to the enjoyment of the crowd, he chose to return for a fourth and final round.
Aaron Vale was presented as the winner of the $25,000 International Jumper Puissance by Jason Pak (pictured center), the program lead for Boeing's Veteran Outreach and Engagement efforts in the Potomac Region supporting military veterans and their families and a proud combat veteran of the U.S. Army. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
"We've got a big crowd here today, number one," Vale said on his reasoning for choosing to return. "Number two, my horse actually is a very fresh horse, so he needs work. He'll be jumping the grand prix tomorrow night. Last year he jumped five rounds, and then he jumped clean in the grand prix, so four rounds might not have been enough work for him! Maybe I should have come back one more time!"
Emma Kurtz Rides Dedication to Grand Junior Hunter Championship
The 2017 WIHS Grand Junior Hunter Championship and the Ides of March Perpetual Trophy, donated by Linda Lee and Lee Reynolds and given to the grand championship winner, were presented to Emma Kurtz of Hudson, OH, and Dedication, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker.
On their way to winning the grand championship, Kurtz and Dedication, a 12-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding (by Casado), earned two firsts and a third over fences to take the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter Championship and the Chance Step Perpetual Trophy, presented by Chansonette Farms and donated by Brooke Carmichael- McMurray-Fowler and Pam Carmichael Keenan. The division reserve championship went to MTM Hands Down, ridden by Annabel Revers of Weston, MA, and owned by Beechwood Stables LLC.
Emma Kurtz and Dedication. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
At the 2016 WIHS, Kurtz rode Wisdom, owned by Rivers Edge, to the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter championship, but this year marked her first time claiming the WIHS Grand Junior Hunter Championship.
"It's amazing [to win here]," said Kurtz of Hudson, OH. "For [Dedication] to come in here and be bombproof is awesome."
Kurtz, 16, acquired the ride on Dedication in mid-2016 and has made winning on the gelding look easy ever since, but the 17-hand gelding has his quirks.
"He's a little funny about his leads. We never practice lead changes at home, so that he doesn't get nervous for them," Kurtz explained "He's also particular about the way you hold your body over the jump. You have to give him enough time off the ground, but bend over enough the he doesn't hit it behind. It's a formula for sure.
"But he jumps amazing. He's beautiful, he's a good mover; he's the whole package," said Kurtz. "We love him."
Emma Kurtz and Dedication, the 2017 Grand Junior Hunter Champion. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
In the Small Junior 16-17 Hunters, sponsored by the Wasserman Foundation, the championship went to Annabel Revers and Kingpin, owned by Beechwood Stables. The reserve championship was awarded to Haley Redifer of Barboursville, VA, and her own Linus.
The Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter division championship, also sponsored by the Wasserman Foundation, went to Stella Wasserman of Beverly Hills, CA, riding Boss, owned by Laura Wasserman. Finishing in reserve were Sophie Gochman and Dominik, owned by Gochman Sport Horse LLC.
In the Large Junior 15 & Under Hunter division, it was Augusta Iwasaki of Calabasas, CA, who claimed the championship aboard Small Affair, owned by Lyn Pedersen. For her performances and display of horsemanship and sportsmanship, Iwasaki was selected as the Best Child Rider on a Horse, sponsored by Gotham North, and she was presented with the DiVecchia Perpetual Trophy, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Mark DiVecchia, for the win.
Augusta Iwasaki was named the Best Child Rider for 2017. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
"It's really exciting," said Iwasaki, 13, of her win. "It's very exciting to come into the city. I think it's just so different and so cool because when do you get to drive into a city and just show on the streets?"
Taking the reserve championship in the Large Junior 15 & Under Hunters were Brooke Morin of Calabasas, CA, and Seaside, owned by Strasburg Morin Inc.
The Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund WIHS Equitation Finals also kicked off on Friday, and Ava Stearns currently sits at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 89 in the hunter phase. Sam Walker, Alexandra Worthington, Annabel Revers, Haley Redifer, and McKayla Langmeier round out the top six riders, consecutively, heading into Saturday's jumper phase. The hunter and jumper scores will then be averaged to determine the top ten riders who will then participate in the final work-off phase.


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A marked man: Carney's BoE departure
Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, has found himself in a world where his values are increasingly under fire. The Canadian banker is now set to depart his role in 2019
Mark Carney was the first non-Briton to become the Governor of the Bank of England
"Assessing and reporting major risks does not mean becoming involved in politics; rather, it would be political to suppress important judgments"
Mark Carney's departure from the Bank of England looks to be a much less celebratory affair than his initial appointment to the role. When it was announced he would take over the position in 2012, he was lauded as "the outstanding central banker of his generation" by then-Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. Since then, many have come to view him much less favourably.
Carney's fall from grace appears to be yet another consequence of the UK's decision to leave the European Union. While the timeline for the withdrawal process remains elusive – if even guaranteed – the vote in June last year has already claimed its fair share of political causalities. Former Prime Minister David Cameron resigned immediately after the vote, while key figures of his cabinet were soon culled from office by his replacement, Theresa May.
Carney is another victim of the vote, albeit delayed. While not forced out by Brexit itself, the referendum and the politics surrounding it changed the feeling towards him and the style of administration he represents. Carney has now confirmed he will be leaving his post as the Governor of the Bank of England in June 2019.
Before the bank
Born in the Northwest Territories of Canada in 1965, Carney carved out a long career in the world of economics and finance. Although he attended high school in his native Canada, he pursued his higher education south of the border, in the US. In 1988, he graduated with honours from Harvard University, having majored in economics, before crossing the Atlantic to attend another elite, English-speaking university: Oxford. Through the early 1990s he pursued first a master's degree and then a doctorate, both in economics, from St Peter's College, Oxford.
With the conclusion of his studies, he first pursued a career in the private sector, working for Goldman Sachs. His 13 years at the firm took him all over the world, working in Tokyo, London and Toronto. His various roles saw him involved in the process of bringing post-apartheid South Africa to the international bond market, as well as guiding post-Soviet Russia through its 1998 financial crisis.
Many celebrated his appointment… yet, after Carney dared to wade into the divisive politics of 2016, his popularity soon waned
Carney, however, soon departed from the world of private finance. In 2003, he became the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada, and between November 2004 and October 2007 he served as Senior Associate Deputy Minister and G7 Deputy at the Canadian Department of Finance. In 2008, he went on to serve as the Governor of the Bank of Canada, before leaving the role in 2012 and assuming his current position as Governor of the Bank of England.
Many celebrated his appointment at the time – yet, after Carney dared to wade into the divisive politics of 2016, his popularity soon waned. Over the space of a year, he went from someone generally viewed inoffensively, to the subject of mounting political attack. Leaving the EU, he claimed, would result in the UK seeing two consecutive quarters of negative growth. According to James Bartholomew, writing in The Spectator: "He appeared to be going beyond any formal Bank of England forecast. Effectively he was supporting the Remain campaign by backing 'project fear'. He gave up the political neutrality expected of governors."
Brexit bother
Carney has always maintained he had not broken central bank independence, claiming his warnings on the potential outcome of a British withdrawal from the European Union were just a part of his job; he had a duty to inform the public of the likely results of such a momentous decision. Yet, if a Bank of England governor were to offer up his prognosis of a political party manifesto in an election, it would be classed as a serious offense and breach of central bank independence. Surely, some argued, Carney's actions were no different.
Carney defended himself by saying the UK's EU referendum was different from a general election; it was a "single binary decision". He argued: "As with the Scottish [independence] referendum, we will communicate as much as is prudent about those plans in advance of any risk materialising and as comprehensively as possible once risks have dissipated." Speaking to a House of Lords committee before the EU referendum, he noted: "Assessing and reporting major risks does not mean becoming involved in politics; rather, it would be political to suppress important judgments."
Yet for many, Carney's foray into politics cast a dark shadow over the Bank of England. Most vocal in his condemnation was the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. In a Treasury Committee meeting soon after the referendum, Rees-Mogg – a well-known Eurosceptic – suggested Carney had damaged the reputation of the Bank of England by making forecasts concerning the economic consequences of Brexit: "Did the Bank of England consider whether it was in the public interest to risk its reputation for impartiality?" Carney attempted to brush off the attack by noting that those who had criticised his handling of Bank of England policy before the referendum should "consider their own motivations and their judgements".
[Mark Carney's] departure will come at the same time as the UK's departure from the EU… the date is, in many ways, symbolic
Yet Carney's foray into this divisive political question cannot be named the single cause of his being cast out of favour. The politics that is often seen as having driven the Leave campaign is at odds with Carney's views: a through-and-through technocrat, his expert-style managerialism and post-national ethos is out of step with the new political environment in which the UK finds itself.
Central bankers are supposed to be independent; free from politics, adhering only to a strict doctrine of technocratic management. Many have often dismissed this as fantasy, but of late the very foundations of central bank independence appear to be cracking.
Independence no more
Since 1997, the Bank of England has officially enjoyed political independence. Indeed, this independence is a part of the reason a non-national such as Carney was able to hold the role without controversy. But now, both in the UK and beyond, this doctrine is coming under fire. Central bank independence is increasingly questioned, and, as a result, the very sort of central banker Carney was once lauded as may no longer be the 'ideal type'. If Carney really is the outstanding central banker of his generation, as Osborne proclaimed upon his appointment, then his generation's understanding and practice of central banking comes under question, and so too will Carney's
own reputation.
In the case of the UK, the clearest example of central bank independence being undermined has been carried out by Prime Minster Theresa May. Speaking at the Conservative Party's annual conference, the newly crowned prime minister decried low interest rates as working in the benefit of already-wealthy asset owners, driving inequality. With Carney's Bank of England a steadfast defender of loose monetary policy, it could only be interpreted as a dig at him and his role as the bank's governor. In the same speech, May also criticised the arrogance of the supposed "international elite". The post-national idea of being a 'global citizen' was ridiculed: "If you believe are a citizen of everywhere, you are a citizen of nowhere."
In a world where citizenship and national loyalty once again matter, questions have been raised over the viability of a non-national acting in such an important national role. However, as long as the idea of central bank independence is adhered to or believed in – and while it is accepted a governor is just a technocratic manager, making his or her decision on a purely objective basis – nationality should not matter.
Changing winds
Writing in The Telegraph, William Hague, the one-time Conservative Party leader and former Foreign Secretary, argued: "Central bankers have collectively lost the plot. They must raise interest rates, or face their doom." Even the architect of the UK's central banking independence is reviewing the issue: Ed Balls, the erstwhile advisor to Gordon Brown and former Shadow Chancellor, has, alongside Anna Stansbury and James Howat of Harvard University, argued the Bank of England needs greater political oversight to ensure it does not fall victim to groupthink.
Mark Carney in numbers:
The year Carney was appointed Governor of the Bank of England
non-Briton to take the position in the bank's history
Carney's estimated annual salary
Carney's estimated net worth
They claimed: "After the centralisation of prudential regulation – both of the micro and macro variety – and systemic risk monitoring inside the Bank of England, there is a danger that the UK money-credit constitution is too concentrated in the central bank, leading to the possibility of groupthink, a lack of oversight and ultimately risks to central bank independence."
Internationally, too, the trend is for politicians to either question or outright ignore the doctrine of central bank independence. In September, the German Parliament heavily criticised the European Central Bank's (ECB) Mario Draghi over the wisdom of his bank's negative interest rate policy. Even the German finance minister questioned the central banker's decisions. Bloomberg noted at the time: "Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, the most prominent member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to question ECB policies, has criticised the impact of low rates and suggested that Draghi shares the blame for the rise of the populist Alternative for Germany Party. Schaeuble told lawmakers in the lower house, or Bundestag, to push Draghi to defend the ECB's policies."
During the US presidential campaign, Donald Trump also attacked the US central bank's independence. He regularly chastised the chair of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, for keeping interest rates low. At one point he said she should be ashamed for the Fed's low interest rate policy, accusing her of creating a false economy. Going one step further by questioning not only the doctrine of central bank independence but its very practice, Trump at one point accused Yellen of working with President Barack Obama in some sort of conspiracy.
The future for Carney
While Theresa May's jibe over international citizenship was not explicitly directed at Carney, the Canadian governor must have felt its impact – and adding insult to injury was the fact his very policy was also attacked in the same speech. In what must have felt like a general loss of confidence in his ability to function in a post-Brexit world, it was rumoured Carney had seriously toyed with the decision to step down. Indeed, many media outlets urged him to do just that.
Although he has not bowed to pressure to leave his post early, his departure will come at the same time as (according to UK Government's ambiguous plans) the UK's departure from the EU in the first half of 2019. While having a practical reason (Carney stressed the importance of maintaining continuity during the exit negotiations), the date is, in many ways, symbolic.
Carney is now operating in a world that is increasingly turning against the values he represents and holds: a technocrat who disavows ideology; a transnational figure who feels citizenship in one state doesn't preclude service to another; an expert who imagines himself to be engaged in science, not politics; an appointed official who feels he should be insulated from the passions of public opinion. As a Davos man in a world where the values of Davos are increasingly sneered at or attacked by electorates, Mark Carney is now set to have his own personal Brexit.
Born: 1965, Fort Smith, Canada | Education: Harvard University
Carney was born in Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He attended high school in Alberta before moving to the US to study economics at Harvard University.
Following 13 years working at Goldman Sachs, Carney served as Senior Associate Deputy Minister and G7 Deputy at the Canadian Department of Finance from 2004 to 2007.
After working as an advisor to the retiring Governor of the Bank of Canada for several months, Carney took up the position himself in February 2008, serving in the midst of the financial crisis.
Carney took up the part-time role of Chairman of the Financial Stability Board. He credited his appointment at the international body to "the strong reputation of Canada's financial system".
In November, George Osborne announced Carney would be the next Governor of the Bank of England; Carney would be the first non-Briton to hold the post.
After being accused of making pro-Remain remarks during the UK's Brexit campaign, Carney announced he would be stepping down from his position at the Bank of England in 2019.
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Cecilia Kiker is a design coordinator for this year's SPIRIT Fashion Show. Half Jewish, Kiker has been a part of the fashion show since she was a freshman.
Affectionately, the southern half of my family just calls ourselves "southern mutts." On my Jewish half, my Great Grandparents came from Russia and Poland to the US through Ellis Island. They had to change their last names as a part of the assimilation process, so I don't know much more about my roots. But mother made sure that my middle name (Tepper) was her last name, and I carry it with me as a reminder of them.
Kiker sees SFS as an institution and a beacon for diversity.
The show has been championing body diversity for years, when it was a revolutionary act to do so. As a part of a Black Awareness organization, the show highlights racial and cultural diversity among both its models and its designers, uplifting the designs of minority artists in a way that isn't accomplished in other shows. More than anything, the show creates unity across boundaries through art.
Kiker didn't have any experience when she joined SFS as a freshman. She saw a poster in her dorm and decided to try out.
I saw a poster advertising model tryouts in my freshman dorm. Despite having no experience, and heels I hadn't yet broken in, I showed up to tryouts, and the model coordinators must have seen some potential in me. Once I joined the show, I was learning what SPIRIT was about at the same time that I was learning how to work a runway. It was overwhelming and amazing. If I hadn't seen that poster, I don't know if I would have found the SPIRIT community or SFS, and that would be such a shame because they have been one of the best parts of my time at CMU.
Now, Kiker is a design coordinator in addition to being a model. It's tiring, she says, but rewarding.
Being a design coordinator is like having 17 toddlers you need to take care of all at once. They all need attention from you, and you also need to take them to events that they don't want to be at.
The most difficult thing for her, however, is communication.
We're working with seventeen designers this year, many of whom are professional, and may not be located in Pittsburgh. Giving them the attention they need, while also getting the information that the modeling and tech teams need for the show, is a struggle at times. But once you get accustomed to getting panicked phone calls at odd hours of the night, and you start to build real relationships with the designers, it gets much easier.
Despite the work being exhausting, it's also incredibly rewarding. Knowing that she's made some art possible fills her with pride, Kiker says.
The most rewarding part of working with designers is assisting and witnessing the progression from concept to finished product. I'm someone who has very minimal sewing experience, so the design process is very foreign to me. Watching these individuals dream up sketches and cohesive visions from our show theme, and then create custom garments from bolts of fabric, is fascinating. It's incredibly rewarding any time I hear "thank you" from a designer, even if it's for something small. Generally, I'm proud that we have the opportunity to give these designers a platform to showcase their art, culture, and perspective.
This is Kiker's final fashion show with SPIRIT. Though the work has been stressful, she's found it also exhiliarating.
Working on the show this year has been exhilarating and stressful. Being both a model and a design coordinator has stretched to me to my limits some weeks, but I also love being able to see the show progress from both perspectives. Like every year, I've formed some close bonds with the models, and met people that I never would have interacted with otherwise. The board has become like a family, perhaps a side effect of spending most of our waking hours together, and going out together on the nights that we have free. This is my fourth and final year being a part of SFS, and I'm so proud of how much the show has grown in that time. Knowing that I helped with that is like the cherry on top.
SFS31 will surprise you, Kiker says.
The show will surprise you. You will see relationships between art, people, and culture that you never knew existed. The show is an intercollegiate effort that works with designers in the Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon communities to champion diversity through one of the most familiar artistic mediums: fashion. Plus, everyone loves an excuse to dress up.


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INSTEX shows EU commitment to JCPOA: Top lawmaker
Tehran, Feb 1, IRNA - Establishment of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) between Iran and Europe proved the European Union (EU) commitment to the Iranian nuclear deal, said a senior lawmaker on Friday.
Registration of INSTEX shows the EU willingness to preserve the Iranian nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Deputy Speaker of Iran's parliament, Ali Motahari said.
He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The Europeans want to have an independent policy and proved the fact that they are not devoted followers of the US policies, he added.
The MP lauded the move by EU, noting that INSTEX can facilitate economic relations between Iran and Europe.
Following US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal, EU took stance against the move by undertaking projects to help preserve the international pact.
By implementing the Blocking Statute, EU companies' compliance with US foreign sanctions was annulled.
In a news meeting in Bucharest late Thursday, German, British and French foreign ministers officially announced the commissioning of the European special financial mechanism known as INSTEX.
PoliticsUkraine Air plane crash should not be used for political gains: Spox
Tehran, Jan 17, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Friday that the tragic incident of Ukraine Air plane crash should not be used as a tool in service of political gains and gestures.
PoliticsIran ready to hand over Ukrainian victims' bodies of plane incident: FM Zarif
Tehran, Jan 17, IRNA – Iranian and Ukrainian foreign ministers discussed the latest situation surrounding the air disaster during a telephone conversation late on Thursday.
Tehran, Jan 15, IRNA – The following headlines appeared in the English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Wednesday:
Headlines in Iranian English-language dailies on Jan 18