SETimes.comScience and Technology: Romanian government gets Microsoft licences
18/05/2009
The Romanian government purchases Microsoft licences for ministries and government agencies. Also in the news: Turkey's Internet Technologies Association will bring a ban imposed on YouTube access to the European Court of Human Rights, and software piracy in BiH falls slightly.
The Romanian government authorised the communications ministry to pay 100m euros for 163,138 Microsoft licences for ministries and government agencies between now and 2012, media reported on May 8th. Government funds will pay for the licences, with purchases beginning next year.
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The Romanian parliament announced on May 11th establishment of a new subcommittee for space, whose role will be to work EU space sector norms into national legislation. The new panel is part of the Chamber of Deputies' committee for information technologies and communications.
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Turkey's Internet Technologies Association decided to contest a ban imposed last year by a Turkish court on access to YouTube, before the European Court of Human Rights, the daily Vatan reported on Wednesday (May 13th). The association reached its decision after a Turkish court rejected its demand for an end to the ban.
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Two Bucharest high school students represented Romania at the 2009 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest pre-college science competition. It took place in Reno, Nevada, from May 11th to Friday (May 15th) and included over 1,500 students from 56 countries. The Romanian students competed in computer science.
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Serbian President Boris Tadic met on Wednesday (May 13th) with young mathematicians who represented the country at the Balkan Mathematics Olympics in Kragujevac from April 28th to May 4th. Tadic congratulated the team on the 11 medals it won, including three golds.
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Macedonian archaeologists in Strumica excavated 80 silver Venetian coins dating from the 13th and the early 15th centuries. The coins bear the image of St. Mark on one side and Christ on a throne on the other. Scientists say the find proves the existence of active trade in the region during that period.
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Software piracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) declined by 1 percentage point in 2008 compared to the previous year but still remains high at 67%, according to a Business Software Alliance report on global piracy Tuesday (May 12th). The document also discusses Bulgaria, where the level of usage of illegal software for personal computers stands at 68%.
(Various sources – 11/05/09-18/05/09)