2023-09-17 13:36:36
The idea of the existence of living organisms in outer space has long occupied scientists, and much research has been conducted to discover any signs or indications of the existence of life outside our planet. Days following the Mexican Congress displayed bodies that researchers claimed were aliens, NASA announced its discovery of indicators that may be a sign of the possible existence of extraterrestrial life. What did the discovery include? According to a new paper to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, the James Webb Telescope has discovered the presence of a chemical compound on a distant exoplanet called K2-18 b, which is produced only by living organisms on Earth. Although the James Webb Telescope has been known for its accuracy in detecting molecules such as carbon dioxide and methane before, scientists say that the discovery of the molecule known as dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, is still preliminary and requires more research, analysis, and data collection. The discovery of compounds on other planets is not new. Years ago, researchers announced that they had discovered “phosphine” molecules in the atmosphere of Venus, but upon further analysis, the possibility of the existence of life on its surface was ruled out. The importance of planet K2-18 b: This planet is located under the planet “Neptune”, and its mass is regarding 8.6 times the mass of Earth. It is a type of planet covered by a moderate ocean, and its atmosphere is rich in hydrogen. Scientists see this planet as an ideal place for the possibility of life on its surface, as water vapor has previously been discovered in its atmosphere. The planet K2-18 b is also located in the habitable zone within its system known as the “Hessian world,” which is a promising system and scientists place hopes on it for discovering life outside the planet. Scientists say that even if future research disproves the idea of the existence of life on this planet, it will suffice as strong proof of the accuracy of the James Webb Space Telescope. The paper’s lead author, Nico Madhusudan, points out in a NASA press release that the ability to discover these distant worlds and planets would have been impossible only a short time ago. He explained: “Our primary goal is to discover life on planets outside the solar system, which might reshape our understanding of our place in the universe.” He continued: “Our recent results are a step towards this understanding and achieving greater knowledge regarding the Hessian worlds.”
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#James #Webb #discovers #chemical #space #living #organisms #produce
Daily Archives
September 17, 2023
2023-09-17 12:59:00
There were very hard times at the beginning of the 19th century. Hunger and misery were breeding grounds for violent criminals. One of the most brutal of them was Johann Georg Grasel, who was up to mischief in the area between the Waldviertel and the Czech Republic. His brutal craft might be “genetically” determined because his father took him on raids when he was a child.
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#Grasel #murderer
“I saved between 2 and 4 weeks on public procurement”: Why did the Government eliminate the technical approval for IT procurement under 1 million euros
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
2023-09-15 14:14:00
Increasing the threshold from which CTE approval is required from 2 million lei, excluding VAT, to 5 million lei, excluding VAT, for purchases financed from European or national funds that involve an IT component will lead to a reduction of up to 4 weeks of the public procurement process, claims the Ministry of Digitalization in a response to HotNews.ro.
IT public contractsPhoto: Yakobchuk / Dreamstime.com
The Ministry of Digitization, led by Bogdan Ivan (PSD), sent to HotNews.ro the reasons why the Government recently eliminated the technical opinion of the Economic Technical Committee for all IT purchases under one million euros.
Many projects might be affected by unjustified delays
The Ministry claims that most procurements in the public sector have an IT component and obtaining this approval would have led to unjustified delays and the possible loss of European funds from PNRR and POCIDIF.
- We reproduce the Ministry’s explanations in full:
“The funding programs through which we will build the digital infrastructure of the Romanian state and develop electronic public services have a very tight implementation schedule. In order to benefit concretely from the funds from PNRR and POCIDIF, an optimization of the internal procedures of the administration was needed.
The difficulties in using these funds might have created, in a cascade, generalized delays in accessing the funds, in the effective implementation of the projects and in the use by the Romanians of the deliverables of these projects.
The Technical-Economic Committee for the Information Society (CTE) is a body without legal personality, which assists the Authority for Digitization of Romania in order to develop and monitor the implementation of the Government’s policy in the field of information technology and information society.
CTE approves the technical specifications related to feasibility studies, technical projects and specifications as follows:
- a) Before the start of the procedures for awarding the public procurement contract, in the case of financing projects that have a specific component for information technology and communications with a nominal or cumulative value greater than 2,000,000 lei, excluding VAT, financed from national funds;
- b) before the submission of the financing request to the competent authorities, as well as before the start of the procedure for awarding the public procurement contract, in the case of financing projects that have a specific information technology and communications component with a nominal or cumulative value greater than 2,000 .000 lei, without VAT, financed from European funds.
Considering that, in the current activity of the public sector, most purchases aimed at developing the administrative capacity of institutions contain an IT component, many projects might be affected by unjustified delays in terms of purchases and, implicitly, in the operationalization of deliverables for citizens.
The increase in the threshold from which the CTE’s approval is required from 2 million lei, excluding VAT, to 5 million lei, excluding VAT, for purchases financed from European or national funds that involve an IT component aims to reduce the bureaucracy associated with these procedures.
We saved between 2 and 4 weeks in the public procurement process by increasing this threshold.
In the CTE, not only investments in infrastructures and IT systems are approved, but absolutely all investments that had an IT component, regardless of their final objective.
We managed to optimize the intervals for conducting purchases, as well as eliminating a procedure that, many times, was only auxiliary to the concrete deliverables of a project.
It was essential to reduce the time taken by contracting authorities to complete these procedures, especially in the context where EU grants have a strict implementation timetable.
Through the GD proposed by MCID, we offer more flexibility to the contracting authorities, reducing the time needed to implement projects.”, supports the Ministry of Digitization.
What does the Ministry answer to those who claim that the measure would facilitate theft and embezzlement of public money
- “The legislation specific to public procurement remains in force and must be strictly observed in the conduct of procurement carried out through European financing. All contracting authorities are still responsible for the correctness of their own purchases.
- Contracts will not be awarded more easily, they will have to comply with the public procurement process. Through this GD, we eliminated an additional step in public procurement procedures,” the Ministry of Digitization also states.
All public contracts, financed from the budget or with EU funds, which have an IT&C component of less than 5 million lei (without VAT), will no longer need the opinion of the Technical and Economic Committee (CTE) before launching the procedure of acquisition, according to a Government Decision published on Friday, September 15, in the Official Gazette.
- For details, read: Green light for IT purchases under one million euros, without the technical approval of the Technical and Economic Committee – the GD published in the Official Gazette
Photo source: Yakobchuk / Dreamstime.com
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#saved #weeks #public #procurement #Government #eliminate #technical #approval #procurement #million #euros
The Future of Europe: Managing Irregular Immigration and the European Response
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
2023-09-17 13:10:30
“The future of Europe is at stake here,” declared the Italian Prime Minister during a press conference. “Irregular immigration is a European challenge which needs a European response,” added Ursula von der Leyen, calling on “member states to welcome” migrants who have landed in Italy. In front of the press, the President of the European Commission presented a 10-point aid plan, intended to manage the current situation, to better distribute applicants between European countries and to prevent the repetition of episodes of mass arrivals which put significant strain on the peninsula’s logistical and administrative capacities.
It is very important for me to be in Lampedusa today.
I’m here to offer a coordinated response by the Italian and European authorities.
I would like to present to you a 10 point action plan ↓ https://t.co/p1KorMPEh4
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 17, 2023
In Lampedusa, the arrivals management system quickly found itself on the verge of asphyxiation. If transfers began on Friday to relieve the island’s reception structures, the Italian Red Cross (CRI) which manages the “hotspot” indicated on Sunday that 1,500 migrants were still there, for a capacity of 400 people. , their departure towards Sicily and the continent not completely compensating for the new arrivals.
Increase returns and facilitate transfers
The aid plan presented by Ursula von der Leyen is supposed to combine firmness once morest smugglers and facilitation of legal channels of entry into the European area for candidates eligible for asylum.
Brussels first intends to strengthen assistance to Italy from the European Union Agency for Asylum and the EU coast and border guard agency, Frontex, in order to ensure migrant registration, fingerprinting, interviews, etc. Frontex, and other agencies, will also have to intensify surveillance of the seas and “study options for expanding its naval missions in the Mediterranean”.
Then, the commission also wants to facilitate the transfer of people arriving in Lampedusa – who are generally taken by boat to Sicily or on the continent – including to other European countries. “We urge other member states to use the voluntary solidarity mechanism,” declared Ursula von der Leyen, without mentioning Germany which recently decided to no longer receive migrants arriving in Italy.
The plan also plans to improve dialogue with the main emigration countries on this route with a view to the readmission of their citizens who do not meet the asylum conditions, in particular Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Burkina Faso.
Awareness campaigns
The EU signed a partnership with Tunisia in July intended to reduce migrant arrivals on Italian coasts in exchange for financial aid. Ursula von der Leyen estimated on Sunday that the EU should accelerate the payment of this aid to Tunis and Giorgia Meloni raised the possibility of European aid to help the country complete its budget even though the International Monetary Fund conditions the granting a credit of 1.9 billion dollars for the adoption of reforms that President Kais Saied rejects.
Also read: EU asylum reform: painful compromises
Finally, the commission wishes to “increase awareness and communication campaigns to dissuade crossings of the Mediterranean” while “continuing to work to offer alternatives such as humanitarian admission and legal channels” of immigration.
A total of more than 127,000 migrants have landed on Italian shores since the start of the year, almost double compared to the same period in 2022.
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#Migration #European #Union #rushes #Italys #bedside #overwhelmed #arrivals #Lampedusa