[texhax] Apr18 TUG news: bursary, TeX Live, CTAN and some updates

[TeX Users Group]

Dear TeXers,

First, some urgent announcements.

The deadline for BachoTeX registration
(http://www.gust.org.pl/bachotex/2018-en/index_html) is extended until
April 10.  If you have the last minute opportunity to go to Poland,
please use it.

Speaking of deadlines: the Bursary committee just announced a (very
tight) one for applications for support of travel to TUG18 in Rio:

    The deadline for Bursary Fund applications for the 2018 TUG
    Meeting in Rio is May 1, 2018.  This fund helps members of the TeX
    community who would otherwise be unable to attend a TUG
    conference for financial reasons.  Full information is on
    https://tug.org/bursary/.

    We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of circumstances,
    particularly including students and members of traditionally
    underrepresented groups.  You need not be a member of TUG.  The
    Bursary Committee operates independently of the TUG board and the
    identity of applicants is confidential.

    (Please consider making a donation to the TUG Bursary Fund. One
    hundred percent of the money donated is used to help people attend
    conferences.  Thanks for your consideration.)

One of the most important events of April is the expected release of
TeX Live 2018.  The TeX Live team is doing the last minute checks and
adjustments;  many thanks to Karl, Norbert and the other volunteers
working on it.  This release is dedicated to Staszek Wawrykiewicz,
our sadly departed friend and colleague.

Special thanks to the CTAN team: without their dedication TeX
distributions like TeX Live would not be possible.  CTAN was among the
first comprehensive software archive networks.  Such networks as CPAN,
CRAN learned from its experience, so its influence is beyond the world
of TeX.

Among new CTAN packages in the last month there were several interesting
contributions concerning typesetting in Chinese: xtuthesis for
Xiangtan University dissertations, pgfornament-han for traditional
Chinese ornaments, gbt7714 for bibliographies according to the Chinese
standard GB/T 7714-2015, and update of zhlipsum to typeset Chinese
version of the famous Lorem ipsum text.  Looks like Chinese TeX is
alive and well.

Another important new package is GFSNeohellenicMath.  Professional
quality sans serif math fonts are always needed for many applications.
I am very pleased by the new addition to the collection and hope to
see it in TeX Live 2018.

Happy TeXing!
Boris Veytsman, TUG President