Latest news with #LGM
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Police arrest five over latex theft syndicate in Perak
IPOH: Five men, including a Pakistani national, have been arrested in connection with a latex theft syndicate during a raid here. General Operations Force northern brigade commander Senior Asst Comm Shahrum Hashim said the suspects are aged from 32 to 59 and were detained in Op Intra from 2.30am to 6pm on Friday (August 8). He said the team tracked the activity for two months before tailing a tanker lorry transporting latex from Kedah to a premises in Taiping. At the premises, the suspects transferred latex into 1,000kg IBC tanks using a hose. 'Our checks found the driver had sold about 900kg of latex and used a cunning tactic by placing metal weights in the tanker to mask the shortage,' he said in a statement on Saturday (Aug 9). He said 35,400kg of latex, a tanker lorry, equipment used to transfer latex and two mobile phones were seized, with total value at RM789,132.04. Comm Shahrum said the Pakistani suspect also violated his work permit conditions under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. He said the Pakistani man was handed to the Taiping district police Criminal Investigation Division, while the other suspects and seizures were handed to the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) for further investigation. Comm Shahrum added the case is being probed under the LGM Licensing and Permit Regulations 2014 for buying, storing, selling or processing rubber without authorisation and for dealing in rubber from questionable sources. He said the Northern Brigade will step up surveillance and patrols in Perak, Penang and Kedah and urged the public to share information with the authorities. Comm Shahrum then added that the operation was carried out with LGM, the Taiping Municipal Council and the Taiping district police.
New Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia launches digital system to ensure sustainable rubber traceability
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has launched a new digital system called MSNR Trace to track the movement of natural rubber from plantations to end products, ensuring it is produced sustainably and meets international standards. The system supports Malaysia's efforts to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which requires proof that goods like rubber are not linked to deforestation and are fully traceable. Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the system, which began enforcement in January 2025, shows Malaysia's commitment to responsible and transparent rubber production. "One of the main challenges in the global rubber industry is the lack of a full traceability system. MSNR Trace is our solution to that," he said during the launch ceremony today. Developed by the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM), MSNR Trace combines several existing platforms into one system that helps monitor and document each step in the supply chain. Chan said the system allows buyers and regulators to confirm where and how the rubber was produced, giving confidence that it meets environmental and social standards. He added that enforcement is already being carried out in the field to ensure the system is working effectively. Malaysia was once the world's top rubber producer, generating 1 million tonnes annually. But output has fallen to 380,000 tonnes, forcing the country to import RM6 billion worth of rubber to meet local demand. Meanwhile, LGM director-general Datuk Zairossani Mohd Nor said the system is a major step forward in the board's efforts to modernise and make the industry more sustainable. "With MSNR Trace, we can now provide full transparency to international buyers. This will strengthen Malaysia's reputation as a trusted exporter of sustainable, high-quality rubber," Zairossanisaid. He also said that two Malaysian rubber processors have already exported products using the MSNR system, proving it is ready for global markets. Malaysia last year exported 200 tonnes of MSNR-compliant rubber to Slovakia and the Netherlands, marking its first shipment of sustainable rubber to the European Union.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
US conducts successful test launch of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile
Minuteman III ICBM launch The United States Air Force (USAF) on Wednesday conducted a successful test launch of the nuclear-capable Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which can deliver a nuclear warhead to anywhere on Earth. The missile was unarmed when launched at 12:01 am Pacific Time from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, USAF said in a statement . "This ICBM test launch underscores the strength of the nation's nuclear deterrent and the readiness of the ICBM leg of the triad. This is part of routine and periodic activities designed to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, reliable and effective in deterring 21st-century threats and reassuring our allies," the statement quoted USAF's General Thomas Bussiere as saying. "With more than 300 similar tests conducted in the past, this test is part of the nation's ongoing commitment to maintaining a credible deterrent and is not a response to current world events," Bussiere added. As per the statement, the missile travelled 15,000 miles per hour to the United States Army's Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Marshall Islands 4,200 miles away. The Marshall Islands are a sprawling chain of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean, between America's Hawaii province and the Philippines in Asia. The Minuteman is a 1970-era program which the Air Force plans to replace with the LGM-35A Sentinel system. Minuteman III is to be used as a "viable deterrent" until LGM achieves full capability.
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Laura Gauthier Memorial celebrates 25th anniversary
This year's Laura Gauthier Memorial (LGM) volleyball tournament in Rankin Inlet marked the 25th anniversary of the largest volleyball tournament in Nunavut. The 2025 tournament, held last week, featured 15 teams in the female division and seven in the male division. LGM committee member Toota Tatty said the committee kept talking about it being the 25th year for the LGM and it just felt very big. She said there's a huge sense of accomplishment and a sense of pride with the growth of the tournament over the years. 'The committee has been in many hands, as well,' said Tatty. 'There's been many people who helped it get to this point, but there's a real sense of accomplishment to know that we've been getting together to play volleyball and keeping the sport vibrant. 'It's getting more and more competitive every year and, I think, one of the most awesome parts about this tournament is to have the juniors competing, as well as some of us who are a little older. 'Just the fact that it brings so many people together — it's to the point now where the grandkids of the people who started playing in the beginning are now also playing.' Fellow committee member Reanna Johnston said the LGM has definitely encouraged the growth of volleyball throughout Nunavut. She said she feels like it's a tournament that teams from all over the territory look forward to every year. 'The number of tournaments throughout Nunavut has increased since last year,' said Johnston. 'There's now a Pangnirtung tournament and ones in Naujaat, Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit. 'I don't want to say the LGM was part of that, but I feel because we've been doing it every year for so many years, it's encouraged other communities to step up and run their own. 'We get a lot of positive feedback from others who run their own tournaments and they come to us for suggestions too. We support them however we can. 'We're always open to helping whomever we can. It's nice to be able to provide that kind of support because ours is the biggest volleyball tournament in Nunavut.' Committee member John Ussak said the 25th edition of the LGM is a milestone for Rankin Inlet. He said he sees the women as being more competitive than the men but, throughout the years, it's been quite successful for men to compete in the LGM, as well. 'The men's participation encourages younger males to participate,' said Ussak. 'So it's quite successful, I would say. 'Not this time around, but, hopefully, we're going to see more men participate in the tournament during the years to come.' Tatty said using 2024's LGM as an example, there were a bunch of teams her squad had to compete against and a lot of those contests had finals vibes, like they were playing in the final game, but it was still in the crossover stage or the semifinals. Unfortunately, this year the defending female champs from Iqaluit (Iqaluit were also the defending men's champs) couldn't make the tournament because they weren't able to raise enough funds, she said. 'I think a lot of the difference in the attendance between women and men is, basically, the ability to fundraise,' said Tatty. 'Women excel at fundraising and do better than the guys do. This year our turnout was great. However, there are still teams out there who couldn't make it because of the costs associated with getting to Rankin. Even as central as we are, some communities have to start their travels so early to get here. 'And, the way the flight schedules work, we made a big push this year to try and have the tournament end on Sunday before the flights back to the Baffin takeoff, otherwise they'd be stuck here until Wednesday.' Johnston said the LGM committee talked about the size of the tournament a number of times this past week. She said there were at least five teams that competed in 2024, but weren't part of it this year. 'That goes to show we probably could have had about 30 teams this year, so we have to discuss what next year will look like because we need to be realistic in how we can schedule the games and fit them all in. 'Last year we had 21 teams in total and this year we have 22, but it's way more women than men, so we have to make sure we don't exceed our capacity going forward.'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ice Age Humans Were Experts at Wielding Fire, Study Finds
Learning to control fire was a game-changer for ancient humans, who could use it to cook food, see at night, and endure cold weather, among other things. This skill dates back at least a million years, and while fire has proven pivotal throughout human history, it can be especially valuable at certain times. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), for example, was the iciest part of the most recent glacial period in Earth's current ice age – and presumably a great time to cozy up by a fire. Yet despite the era's extreme cold, there is scant evidence of humans using fire during the LGM, which lasted from about 26,500 to 19,000 years ago. In a new study, researchers sought answers to this mystery by analyzing the remains of three ancient fireplaces found at an archaeological site in modern-day Ukraine, all of which are associated with human occupations at the site during the LGM. These hearths reveal new details about pyrotechnology in the late Upper Paleolithic – a span of several frigid millennia when fireplaces seem inexplicably rare in the archaeological record. "We know that fire was widespread before and after this period, but there is little evidence from the height of the Ice Age," says co-author William Murphree, a geoarchaeologist at the University of Algarve in Portugal. Previous research suggests fire loomed large in the lives of Upper Paleolithic people, enabling vital activities that would be difficult or impossible without it. "Fire was not just about keeping warm; it was also essential for cooking, making tools, and for social gatherings," says co-author Philip Nigst, an archaeologist at the University of Vienna in Austria. The LGM brought "rapid climatic deterioration" to Europe, the researchers note, with extremely cold, arid conditions that led to habitat loss and geographic isolation. In that context, it seems unlikely people would choose to build fewer fires. Maybe the cold hindered tree growth in steppes and grasslands, limiting the supply of firewood. Or maybe people built as many fires as ever, but harsh conditions during and after the LGM destroyed most of the evidence. This prehistoric trend may also be an illusion, reflecting a modern publication bias more than an actual decline. Given this uncertainty, the discovery of multiple hearths from the LGM could be revelatory. In addition to insights about ancient fire traditions, it might offer clues about the apparent dearth of hearths from this era. Researchers investigated three hearths previously uncovered at Korman' 9, a site on the Dniester River in Ukraine. They analyzed each with a series of geoarchaeological techniques, seeking long-lost details about fires built tens of thousands of years ago. Using microstratigraphic, micromorphological, and colorimetric analyses, they found the remains came from flat, open fireplaces, and that people mostly burned wood in them. Despite their simplicity, these fires could have heated the ground to 600 degrees Celsius, which could indicate a fire burning well over that temperature, suggesting impressive pyrotechnic sophistication, especially amid such climatic upheaval. The lack of big charcoal fragments made it hard to identify the main fuel source, but analysis of available charcoal revealed a predominance of spruce wood. The hearths also contained traces of bone, but it's unclear why, explains co-author Marjolein Bosch, a zooarchaeologist at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the Natural History Museum Vienna. "Some of the animal bones found at the site were burnt in a fire with a temperature of over 650 degrees Celsius. We are currently investigating whether they were used as fuel or just accidentally burned," Bosch says. Differences among the three hearths could point to separate occupations of the site, possibly weeks or centuries apart, or these could be specialized hearths used by people within one occupation for various purposes or seasons. "People perfectly controlled the fire and knew how to use it in different ways, depending on the purpose of the fire," Nigst says. "But our results also show that these hunter-gatherers used the same place at different times of the year during their annual migrations." While at least some people apparently retained their pyrotechnic skills during the LGM, more research is still needed to explain why we find so few hearths like these at contemporary sites. "Was most of the evidence destroyed by the ice-age-typical, alternating freezing and thawing of the soil?" Murphree says. "Or did people not find enough fuel during the Last Glacial Maximum?" Nigst adds. "Did they not use fire, but instead relied on other technological solutions?" The study was published in Geoarchaeology. Why Aren't Humans as Hairy as Other Mammals? Here's The Science. Ancient Body Paint May Have Been Prehistoric Sunscreen, Study Says Scientists Discover First Probable Evidence of a Roman Fighter Mauled by a Lion
