Latest news with #Jina
The Star
20-05-2025
- The Star
GOF cracks down on ornamental plant smuggling in Kelantan border districts
KOTA BARU: Batalion 8 of the General Operations Force (GOF), Tenggara Brigade, seized a large quantity of decorative plants suspected to have been smuggled from Thailand after intercepting a suspicious lorry in Kampung Ana, Tumpat, last Sunday. In a statement on Tuesday (May 20), Brigade Commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the operation, under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan, led to the discovery of 115 blackwood bonsai trees, 3,000 jasmine plants, 5,000 Papan plants, and 3,000 Jina plants believed to have been brought in illegally. The 42-year-old driver was allegedly transporting the plants, estimated at RM2.42mil, to a nursery in Perak. The case is being investigated under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167). In a separate incident in Jeram Perdah, Pasir Mas, Nik Ros Azhan said another suspicious lorry was detained in front of Pos Pok Teh Kana around 7.30pm the same day. He said a search of the vehicle uncovered 15,000 green bamboo plants and 30 casuarina trees believed to have been smuggled from Thailand for delivery to a nursery in Johor. The estimated value of this seizure, including the lorry, is RM1.02mil. Nik Ros Azhan emphasised that it will carry out sustained, intensive enforcement along the border to curb rampant smuggling of plants and other goods. - Bernama
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
GOF cracks down on plant smuggling at Kelantan border
KOTA BHARU: Batalion 8 of the General Operations Force (GOF), Tenggara Brigade, seized a large quantity of decorative plants suspected to have been smuggled from Thailand after intercepting a suspicious lorry in Kampung Ana, Tumpat, last Sunday. In a statement today, Brigade Commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the operation, under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan, led to the discovery of 115 blackwood bonsai trees, 3,000 jasmine plants, 5,000 Papan plants, and 3,000 Jina plants believed to have been brought in illegally. The 42-year-old driver was allegedly transporting the plants, estimated at RM2.42 million, to a nursery in Perak. The case is being investigated under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167). In a separate incident in Jeram Perdah, Pasir Mas, Nik Ros Azhan said another suspicious lorry was detained in front of Pos Pok Teh Kana around 7.30 pm the same day. He said a search of the vehicle uncovered 15,000 green bamboo plants and 30 casuarina trees believed to have been smuggled from Thailand for delivery to a nursery in Johor. The estimated value of this seizure, including the lorry, is RM1.02 million. Nik Ros Azhan emphasised that it will carry out sustained, intensive enforcement along the border to curb rampant smuggling of plants and other goods.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
GOF cracks down on ornamental plant smuggling in Kelantan border districts
KOTA BHARU: Batalion 8 of the General Operations Force (GOF), Tenggara Brigade, seized a large quantity of decorative plants suspected to have been smuggled from Thailand after intercepting a suspicious lorry in Kampung Ana, Tumpat, last Sunday. In a statement today, Brigade Commander Datuk Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid said the operation, under Op Taring Wawasan Kelantan, led to the discovery of 115 blackwood bonsai trees, 3,000 jasmine plants, 5,000 Papan plants, and 3,000 Jina plants believed to have been brought in illegally. The 42-year-old driver was allegedly transporting the plants, estimated at RM2.42 million, to a nursery in Perak. The case is being investigated under Section 5 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167). In a separate incident in Jeram Perdah, Pasir Mas, Nik Ros Azhan said another suspicious lorry was detained in front of Pos Pok Teh Kana around 7.30 pm the same day. He said a search of the vehicle uncovered 15,000 green bamboo plants and 30 casuarina trees believed to have been smuggled from Thailand for delivery to a nursery in Johor. The estimated value of this seizure, including the lorry, is RM1.02 million. Nik Ros Azhan emphasised that it will carry out sustained, intensive enforcement along the border to curb rampant smuggling of plants and other goods.
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Dachshund Desperately Waiting 'In Line' To Greet Owner After Work Delights
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dachshund has delighted viewers on Instagram by taking the saying, good things come to those who wait, to heart, after waiting patiently in line behind their canine sibling to greet their owner. The viral moment had been captured by the dachshund duo's owners, Nick and Jina, and shared to the platform under @ on March 9. The short video showed one half of the New Jersey couple, Nick, arriving home and immediately scooping up Amber, their 9-month-old miniature dachshund, who enthusiastically showered him with kisses. As she wriggled with joy in his arms, a second miniature dachshund, Wilbert—just 5-months-old—was filmed waiting patiently in the background, held in Jina's arms. The post has since drawn over 334,000 likes, sparking laughter on Instagram where viewers were charmed by the clip's pure-hearted hilarity. "It means so much to us that this little moment resonated with so many people online," Jina, who would prefer to keep her full identity private, told Newsweek. "We are touched by the love, laughs, and heartwarming comments the video has received." Viewers watched as Nick lovingly set Amber down to reach for Wilbert, who practically melted into his embrace, emitting what Jina described as his signature squeaky "happy noises." From left: Nick hugs his dachshund Wilbert in a viral Instagram video; and Wilbert with his canine sibling, Amber, sitting outdoors. From left: Nick hugs his dachshund Wilbert in a viral Instagram video; and Wilbert with his canine sibling, Amber, sitting outdoors. @ An overlaid text on the video added more context: "When you have to wait in line to greet your dad coming home from work." For the recently-engaged Gen Z couple, the clip captures one of their most treasured daily rituals. "It is one of our favorite parts of the day—coming home to our pups," Jina, who lives in New Jersey, said. "No matter how long or tiring the day has been, they make the moment we walk through the door feel like a celebration." Despite how adorable as their queuing system appears, it is also part of a well-practiced strategy. In their small, narrow entryway, the overwhelming excitement of two dachshunds leaping up and down together can easily result in what the couple affectionately refer to as "happy pee." In an effort to curb the chaos, Jina and Nick started having Amber and Wilbert greet them one at a time—and it has since worked. Jina said that the pair "did great," when they were first introduced to waiting in line and have since got used to the rule. She added that the dachshund duo have bought "endless affection and energy" into their lives with their loyal and quirky personalities. "Wilbert's vocal joy is completely heart-melting and always brings a smile to our faces," she said. While the viral video only shows a fleeting moment, the couple said their doggy greetings often go on for 10 minutes or more—an extended, joyous reunion at the end of every day. Plenty of viewers online shared that they could relate to the enthusiastic welcome Nick received. "The best dogs and the best sounds," one viewer said, while another added: "This is the stuff that keeps me going." "I have to wait in line when my husband comes home," another commented. "Molly will push her way through to make sure she's first!" The post's popularity has only added to the joy the canine duo bring their owners. For Jina and Nick, who started documenting their dogs' antics simply to share a little happiness online, the positive response has been unexpected and moving. "It is amazing how something so simple can brighten someone else's day—and we are grateful to be part of that," Jina said. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Al Etihad
07-04-2025
- Science
- Al Etihad
No supercomputer needed as AI puts weather power in farmers' hands
7 Apr 2025 23:34 ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)Farmers in poverty-stricken, remote areas often plant in hope and harvest in uncertainty. But a new AI-powered project is trying to change that by putting accurate, locally relevant weather forecasts into the hands of those who need them AIM for Scale Weather & AI-based Weather Forecasting project is part of a wider effort to fix a broken system - one where decisive weather information often doesn't reach smallholder farmers, and when it does, it arrives too late or too generic to help. "We're trying to make weather finally work for people," Amir Jina, AIM for Scale Technical Panel Chair and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago, told Aletihad in an project forms part of a wider initiative called Infrascale, which identifies proven but underused innovations in agriculture and aims to scale them for real-world impact. In its first year, the focus has been on weather, and more precisely, on delivering forecasts that farmers can actually rely is where AI comes in. Traditional weather forecasting relies on physics-based models that run on multimillion-dollar supercomputers, Jina said. However, these systems are out of reach for many low- and middle-income countries, both in terms of cost and customisation."Only the richest countries could afford them," Jina said. "That meant that these systems focused on producing the best and most accurate forecasts for these countries' areas, because that's what they spent their money on."But in the past three years, AI has upended that model. New tools, developed by teams including one of Jina's collaborators at Nvidia, have shown that AI models can not only match but outperform conventional forecasts, at a fraction of the cost and time. "This completely democratises access. Instead of running on a supercomputer, you run this on a laptop," he said. "That means that every single country that could never afford to do this before can suddenly produce its own forecasts."More than just offering access, the project is about precision. Instead of one-size-fits-all predictions, these AI models can be tailored to the decisions farmers need to make. "What do our farmers need? Rainfall information right when they're planting their main crop? Then we make the model accurate for that decision," he said. "That's the difference between saving or losing a harvest."This ability to customise forecasts down to the regional or even local level is a breakthrough. The models already outperform conventional ones on one-to-ten-day forecasts by as much as a full day - a gain that took traditional systems decades to achieve. But AIM for Scale isn't stopping there. The team is investing in research to extend what they call the "lead time" of forecasts, pushing predictions further into the future and tailoring them to different agricultural decisions. Around this innovation is a wider infrastructure push that includes improving weather observation networks, building tools to assess the usefulness of forecasts for farmers, and experimenting with how best to deliver that information - via phones, radio, or other media. The scale of the ambition is matched by the investment behind it. The AIM for Scale weather programme was selected for support under a $200 million fund announced at COP28 in Dubai, jointly established by the UAE and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. That support has since helped coordinate a broader $1 billion effort to modernise global forecasting for the poorest is clear that this backing has done more than unlock funding. It's changed how the work gets done. "We wouldn't be here without this partnership," he said, adding that the people behind the fund are not just providing capital, they're working alongside researchers to remove the roadblocks that usually stall good the project could unlock billions in benefits for farming communities. Improved forecasts in India alone could generate more than $3 billion in economic gains. In field trials in Benin and Colombia, the average benefit per farmer ranged from $103 to $356. And with climate change making weather patterns more unpredictable, those numbers are only likely to it comes down to, Jina said, is helping the world's poorest farmers make better decisions in the face of an uncertain future. "One wrong weather forecast can ruin a whole season. Now farmers in other parts of the world will actually have systems producing forecasts customised to their exact region's needs."
