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Mercedes-Benz Unveils Vision Iconic Concept Car

Mercedes-Benz Unveils Vision Iconic Concept Car

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a concept car known as the Vision Iconic. The vehicle was revealed at the marque’s design house in Shanghai, China. As per the official fluff, the concept represents the bridge between the future of the company’s EV cars and the rich heritage of the automaker, by combining classic design elements with new […] The post Mercedes-Benz Unveils Vision Iconic Concept Car appeared first on Lowyat.NET .

Award-winning Nigerian agronomist dreams of a cassava ‘revolution’

Award-winning Nigerian agronomist dreams of a cassava ‘revolution’

IBADAN, NIGERIA: Mercy Diebiru-Ojo’s ambitions are straightforward -- increase Nigerian yam and cassava yields by 500 percent, fight hunger and raise her country’s position on the agricultural value chain from a mere grower to a processor. The first steps, at least, are already underway for the 44-year-old agronomist, who was awarded this year’s prestigious Africa Food Prize for her research on yams and cassava, both major food staples in Africa. Traditionally, farmers in Nigeria -- which produces 70 percent of the world’s yams -- replant chunks of yams and cassava from the previous year’s harvest, to grow this year’s crop. Gradually, the plants lose their resistance to diseases -- a serious problem for food security in a country where 30 million people are not getting enough to eat, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme. Diebiru-Ojo’s research involves growing the plants hydroponically in greenhouses, where they are protected from disease. Then, as they sprout, a portion is cut and planted in potted mineral-rich soil in the greenhouse. Only later is it replanted in the fields outside. “So your materials are going to grow very vigorously in terms of vegetative growth,.. even the root formation and all of that,“ Diebiru-Ojo told AFP in an interview on the sprawling campus of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in the southwestern city of Ibadan. The result -- 30 tonnes of yams and cassava per hectare, compared to the typical five. Diebiru-Ojo worked with US agro-research firm Sahtechno, which developed what it calls “semi-autotrophic hydroponics” (SAH) some two decades ago, to adapt the technique to Nigerian agriculture. Her techniques, if widely adapted, could be welcome news for the country’s farmers. - Huge potential - Despite being the world’s top cassava producer, “when it comes to the yield, actual yield potentials and all of that, we are still way behind”, Diebiru-Ojo said. As is the case in many African countries, skilled farmers, with generations of knowledge, face a host of challenges. They must rely on seasonal rains for irrigation, soils are declining in health, financing costs are high and governments have limited budgets for extension services. Despite producing roughly 20 percent of the world’s cassava each year, Africa’s most populous country still imports some $600 million in cassava products, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Yams are also a prized ingredient in Nigerian cuisine -- fried, boiled, mashed or turned into flour. But there’s also a huge -- if largely unrealised -- potential for their use in bioplastics and biofuels, as well as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and textiles, thanks to their starch. Moving up the so-called “value chain” -- switching from producing raw materials to transforming them into finished products -- is a key step in any country’s economic development, economists say. Diebiru-Ojo, who was named an Africa Food Prize Laureate last month alongside Kenya’s Mary Abukutsa-Onyango, is quick to talk of a “revolution of the cassava sector” in Nigeria. It’s an ambition shared by the government -- at least rhetorically -- in a country where critics say a focus on oil has long sidelined investments in agriculture. - Cassava a ‘strategic asset’ - “Cassava is one of the most strategic assets in our agricultural portfolio,“ Vice President Kashim Shettima said in July. He specifically mentioned IITA’s research, and the need to do more processing and food transformation locally. The promise of increased yields also comes at a time when rural farms are under pressure from various armed groups -- jihadists in the northeast, armed gangs in the northwest and farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt. The country’s myriad conflicts are adding to existing pressures on hunger and food inflation. But with better techniques, even in “a very small space, maybe just a garden behind your house, you can produce a lot”, Diebiru-Ojo said. Take-off will require help from the private sector to market the seeds and train farmers on SAH. Already, IITA collaborates with public institutions and private companies in 15 countries on the continent. The objective is “helping a food-secure Africa, not only Nigeria”, Diebiru-Ojo said. An added bonus, she said, would be for her win to serve as an “inspiration to a whole lot of others coming, especially for the women in agriculture”. - AFP

APAD issues show-cause letter to KDEBWM over Batu 14 toll crash

APAD issues show-cause letter to KDEBWM over Batu 14 toll crash

KUALA LUMPUR : The Land Public Transport Agency has issued a show-cause letter to KDEB Waste Management following an accident involving the company’s lorry at Batu 14 Toll Plaza in Puchong. APAD confirmed the letter was dated October 13 in response to the October 10 incident. All new applications from KDEBWM are now suspended pending the completion of the investigation. An intensive investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident and ensure corrective actions are taken. Should any breach of licence conditions be found, the licence may be suspended or revoked under Section 62 of the Land Public Transport Act 2010. APAD reiterated its commitment to safety and reminded operators to comply with licence conditions. Operators must ensure drivers are properly qualified and maintain vehicles in good condition with proper safety features. In the 2.30 pm accident, the truck attendant sustained serious facial and head injuries. The vehicle was driven by an Indonesian man who lost control and crashed into the Puchong Toll Plaza concrete barrier. The driver fled the scene after the accident occurred. The case is being investigated under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act 1987. – Bernama

Panglima ATM, TUDM terima darjah PGAT

Panglima ATM, TUDM terima darjah PGAT

PETALING JAYA: Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar berkenan mengurniakan Darjah Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera (PGAT) kepada Panglima Angkatan Tentera, Jeneral Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaafar. Istiadat Pengurniaan Darjah Kepahlawanan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (DKAT) 2025 berlangsung di Istana Negara hari ini bersempena sambutan Hari Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) Ke-92. Mohd Nizam mendahului senarai 100 ... Read more The post Panglima ATM, TUDM terima darjah PGAT appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

Pasang CCTV di 200 sekolah risiko siap bulan depan

Pasang CCTV di 200 sekolah risiko siap bulan depan

KUALA NERUS:  Pemasangan kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) di 200 buah sekolah berisiko tinggi di seluruh negara dijangka siap sepenuhnya menjelang bulan depan Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pendidikan (Perancangan dan Pembangunan), Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Rahim berkata, langkah itu adalah fasa permulaan pelaksanaan pemasangan CCTV bagi memperkukuh aspek keselamatan pelajar di kawasan sekolah dan asrama. Katanya, ... Read more The post Pasang CCTV di 200 sekolah risiko siap bulan depan appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

Apartmen jadi mini lab bungkus ekstasi, MDMA RM5.33 juta

Apartmen jadi mini lab bungkus ekstasi, MDMA RM5.33 juta

JOHOR BAHRU – Empat lelaki tempatan diberkas selepas disyaki terlibat dalam sindiket pengedaran dadah menerusi tiga serbuan di sekitar Johor Bahru pada 10 dan 11 Oktober lalu. Ketua Polis Johor, Datuk Ab Rahaman Arshad berkata, dalam siri serbuan bermula pukul 4 petang, suspek yang diberkas masing-masing berusia 35 hingga 54 tahun. Menurutnya, serbuan pertama di ... Read more The post Apartmen jadi mini lab bungkus ekstasi, MDMA RM5.33 juta appeared first on Kosmo Digital .

Mahdzir Terus Santuni Rakyat, Tinjau Pembangunan Desa di Langkawi

Mahdzir Terus Santuni Rakyat, Tinjau Pembangunan Desa di Langkawi

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Okt – Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan UMNO Negeri Kedah, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid terus komited mendekati masyarakat tanpa mengira latar belakang, selari dengan semangat perjuangan UMNO yang sentiasa mendahulukan kepentingan rakyat. Menerusi hantaran di Facebook, beliau memaklumkan menziarahi Suhaimi, jurufoto UMNO Kedah di kediamannya di Taman Seri Abadi, Jalan Kuala Kedah yang kini dalam proses pemulihan selepas mengalami [...]

Pekerja kilang maut, tersepit dalam mesin pengisar

Pekerja kilang maut, tersepit dalam mesin pengisar

BELURAN - Seorang pekerja kilang maut selepas separuh badannya tersepit dalam mesin pengisar conveyor ketika sedang membaiki alat tersebut dalam kejadian di sebuah kilang minyak kelapa sawit di sini pada Rabu.Dalam kejadian kira-kira jam 6 pagi itu, separuh badan mangsa lelaki berusia 32 tahun termasuk ke dalam mesin berkenaan.Ketua Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat (BBP) Beluran, Edoen Macheal berkata, pihaknya menerima panggilan berhubung kejadian itu pada jam 6.20 pagi.Katanya, seramai tujuh anggota bergegas ke lokasi kejadian yang terletak kira-kira 98 kilometer dari BBP Beluran."Sebaik tiba di lokasi, didapati separuh badan mangsa iaitu bahagian kakinya termasuk ke dalam mesin pengisar tersebut."Menurut saksi kejadian, difahamkan mangsa cuba mencungkil objek yang tersangkut di dalam mesin itu," katanya ketika dihubungi Sinar Harian pada Rabu.Katanya lagi, mangsa kemudian dikeluarkan oleh pekerja kilang dengan bantuan pegawai polis yang berada di lokasi."Pasukan bomba membantu mengangkat mangsa sebelum menyerahkannya kepada pihak ambulans untuk dibawa ke Hospital Beluran."Operasi ditamatkan sepenuhnya pada jam 9.32 pagi," katanya.

PARLIMEN: Pelancong datang bukan nak minum arak, tapi nak tengok budaya Malaysia – Hadi Awang

PARLIMEN: Pelancong datang bukan nak minum arak, tapi nak tengok budaya Malaysia – Hadi Awang

KUALA LUMPUR: Pelancong-pelancong Eropah datang ke nagara ini bukan hendak minum arak, sebaliknya ingin melihat budaya Malaysia, jelas Ahli Parlimen Marang, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. Sehubungan itu kata beliau, maruah negara perlu sentiasa dipelihara dengan memastikan segala aktiviti yang dijalankan termasuk dalam sektor pelancongan. Beliau yang juga Presiden Pas berkata, setiap perkara yang dilakukan ... Read more The post PARLIMEN: Pelancong datang bukan nak minum arak, tapi nak tengok budaya Malaysia – Hadi Awang appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .