Latest news with #Pipeline
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Man charged with murder of missing British businessman found in sack of pineapples
A man has been charged with murdering British businessman Campbell Scott, who disappeared while on a work conference in Kenya earlier this year. Police are still on the hunt for more suspects who remain on the run after Mr Campbell's body was found in a sack of pineapples about 60 miles from where he was last seen in the capital of Nairobi. The 58-year-old was reported missing after he failed to return to the JW Marriott hotel, where he was attending a conference for the data analytics company Fico. He was last seen by colleagues on 16 February. On 22 February, animal herders discovered his body, bound with rope, partially concealed inside a green sack of pineapples in the Makongo forest, Kenya's Citizen Digital reported. Following a lengthy investigation, Alex Mutua was charged with murder over Mr Scott's death on Wednesday. Mr Mutua pleaded not guilty. He is accused of murdering Mr Scott on 16 February alongside others, Citizen Digital reported. Mr Mutua applied to be released on bail but was denied, according to Kenyan publication Daily Nation. He is due to appear in court again on 17 June for a pre-trial hearing. Detectives earlier said they suspected Mr Scott had been tricked into going to a fake business meeting. Their preliminary inquiries found that Mr Scott had been taken to Mr Mutua's house in the poor Nairobi neighbourhood of Pipeline where the 58-year-old was then murdered. The prosecution alleged that the accused and others tried to withdraw money using Mr Scott's credit cards. Another man wanted by police over the murder died by suicide in March, Citizen Digital reported, while two suspects remain on the run. Those men have been named as Benard Mbunga Mbusu and Alphonse Munyao Kilewa. Another man, Albunus Mutinda Nzioki, is reportedly helping police with the investigations. Previously, a spokesperson for the National Police Service of Kenya described it as a 'heinous, heinous crime' and said it is an 'intricate and complex' investigation being led by the country's homicide unit. Following the grim discovery of Mr Scott's body, his workplace Fico said the company was 'devastated by this tragic news'. 'We mourn his passing and will miss his humour and kindness,' the company said in a statement. A memorial will be held at the end of the month, according to the Daily Record. The news outlet reported Mr Scott's husband Simon Farrar had shared news of the service on social media, asking friends and family to join in paying their respects to the man he described as having a 'heart of gold'.
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Infrastructure Pipeline Continues To Grow
Press Release – New Zealand Government The March 2025 Pipeline update also shows that the overall value of initiatives in the Pipeline with a confirmed funding source has increased, up $3.7 billion to $111.6 billion, says Mr Bishop. Minister for Infrastructure The latest quarterly update from the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission shows that the value of infrastructure initiatives in the National Infrastructure Pipeline now totals $206.9 billion in the March 2025 quarter, an increase of nearly $3 billion since December, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says. The Pipeline is managed by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission and provides a national view of current and future infrastructure projects and programmes, from roads, to water infrastructure, to schools, and more. 'The March 2025 Pipeline update also shows that the overall value of initiatives in the Pipeline with a confirmed funding source has increased, up $3.7 billion to $111.6 billion,' says Mr Bishop. 'A strong pipeline of infrastructure projects means a growing economy with more jobs and more opportunities for Kiwis. 'The Commission's projections indicate at least $16.6 billion of total spend across all infrastructure sectors in 2025, which equates to nearly 4 per cent of our GDP – up from December's projected 3.6 per cent of GDP spend across 2025. 'Three quarters of projected spend from initiatives with a confirmed funding source occur within five and a half years, providing important planning certainty for the sector. 'The Commission continues to work with infrastructure providers to improve the transparency and quality of information that is available. A more complete Pipeline improves the effectiveness and value that we can gain from this tool. 'It's encouraging that the number of infrastructure providers who contribute to the Pipeline has grown with every quarter under this Government. There are now 114 organisations contributing, including central government, local government, and the private sector. This includes 64 councils, but leaves 14 councils that are yet to contribute, which I urge them to do as soon as possible. 'The Pipeline now includes information on more than 8,100 infrastructure projects that are underway or being planned. This stronger and more transparent pipeline will help New Zealand's infrastructure construction sector plan ahead for major upcoming projects, ensuring they can hire and retain key staff in the right locations. 'The estimated value of projects in the Pipeline shifts over time as infrastructure providers finish projects, update their plans, improve the detail and accuracy of their submissions, and as more organisations share their project data. 'The March Pipeline update was the last opportunity for contributors to have their investment activity and intentions inform the draft National Infrastructure Plan, which is expected to be published in June ahead of public consultation. 'The June and September quarters will inform the final version of the Plan, which will be published in December. 'I encourage the remaining councils and any infrastructure provider who is not yet contributing to reach out to the Commission.'
ABC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia to host first three events of 2026 WSL Champions Tour
Australian surfers are the big winners in a revamped 2026 World Surf League (WSL) calendar that has axed the divisive finals day to decide the world champions. The WSL has announced a new schedule, pushing the Championship Tour back from a January start to kick off at Bells Beach in April. This is followed by events at Margaret River and Snapper Rocks, giving Australian surfers a flying start in their home breaks. Photo shows Female surfer speaking to media, smiling, prior to a surfing event Surfing legend Stephanie Gilmore has said the competitive fires are still burning as she prepares to return to the World Surf League this weekend on the Gold Coast. "I think kicking off the tour in Australia is a great way to start," WSL boss Ryan Crosby told AAP. "There's so many amazing and iconic waves in Australia, it was a really good opportunity for us to start the season here and we're excited to do that. "This change actually does a lot of things for us as it puts us into a lot of really good swell periods for all of our venues. "It also allows us to bring the European leg into October, which is a big help for us because that's a really good window for them so that'll be a big improvement. "Portugal will now be in a time of year when the wave will actually be better." ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines. There are still 12 events, with the Pipe Masters in Hawaii held in December the tour finale, with a win in that event worth 15,000 points instead of the usual 10,000. The controversial mid-season cut has been softened, coming after the ninth tour stop at Lower Trestles in California, and that will be determined by a surfer's best seven results. The fields of 36 men and 24 women will then be narrowed to 24 men and 16 women for stops 10 and 11 before all surfers return for the iconic North Shore event, with the top eight seeded. Crosby said surfers were surveyed and represented by a new advisory council in discussions about the changes. "We were talking about what's the optimal form for the league and what do we want it to look like, and the answer that kept popping up for us was finishing at the world's most iconic wave," Crosby said. "We were listening to surfer feedback, to fan feedback — we spent a lot of time actually talking to the surfers." Jack Robinson celebrates winning the final at Bells Beach with fans. ( AAP: World Surf League/Ed Sloane ) West Australian Jack Robinson, who won at Bells Beach last month and has competed in the one-day finals over the three years its been held, backed crowning the world champion at Pipeline. "Pipeline is what it's all about — there's a reason so many people dedicate their lives to mastering it," he said in a statement. "Starting my 2023 season with a win at Pipe was huge, but I can only imagine how incredible it would be to end the season winning both the event and the world title there. "It's exciting to see the CT keep evolving, and I'm stoked the WSL is listening to feedback and working hard to make the tour better for everyone." World Surf League Champions Tour calendar 2026 Round 1: Bells Beach, Victoria Round 2: Margaret River, Western Australia Round 3: Snapper Rocks, Queensland Round 4: Punta Roca, El Salvador Round 5: Saquarema, Brazil Round 6: Jeffreys Bay, South Africa Round 7: Teahupo'o, Tahiti Round 8: Cloudbreak, Fiji Round 9: Lower Trestles, United States Start of post-season Round 10: Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Round 11: Peniche, Portugal Round 12: Pipe Masters, Hawaii AAP The ABC of SPORT Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday. Your information is being handled in accordance with the Email address Subscribe
The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Pipeline to return as WSL finale with one-day decider scrapped for 2026
Australian surfers are the big winners in a revamped 2026 World Surf League calendar that has axed the divisive finals day to decide the world champions. The WSL has announced a new schedule that sees the Championship Tour pushed back from a January start to kick-off at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in April. This is followed by events at Margaret River and Snapper Rocks, giving Australian surfers a flying start in their home breaks. 'I think kicking off the tour in Australia is a great way to start,' WSL boss Ryan Crosby said. 'There's so many amazing and iconic waves in Australia, it was a really good opportunity for us to start the season here and we're excited to do that. 'This change actually does a lot of things for us as it puts us into a lot of really good swell periods for all of our venues. 'It also allows us to bring the European leg into October, which is a big help for us because that's a really good window for them so that'll be a big improvement. 'Portugal will now be in a time of year when the wave will actually be better.' There are still 12 events, with the Pipe Masters in Hawaii held in December the tour finale, with a win in that event worth 15,000 points instead of the usual 10,000. The controversial mid-season cut has been softened, coming after the ninth tour stop at Lower Trestles in California, and that will be determined by a surfer's best seven results. The fields of 36 men and 24 women will then be narrowed to 24 men and 16 women for stops 10 and 11 before all surfers return for the iconic North Shore event, with the top eight seeded. Crosby said surfers were surveyed as well represented by a new advisory council in discussions about the changes. 'We were talking about what's the optimal form for the league and what do we want it to look like and the answer that kept popping up for us was finishing at the world's most iconic wave,' Crosby said. 'We were listening to surfer feedback, to fan feedback - we spent a lot of time actually talking to the surfers.' Crosby didn't believe that the current finals format, where the top five surfers compete in one-day winner-take-all decider, was unanimously unpopular and said seeding surfers at Pipe meant they retained an element of it. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'There are differing opinions on the format across the board ... I will say I think there were more of the preferred the world champion being decided by aggregate points,' the American said. 'This new system, in the way that it's designed, really gives us what we think is the best of both worlds.' West Australian Jack Robinson, who won at Bells Beach last month and has competed in the one-day finals over the three years its been held, backed crowning the world champion at Pipeline. 'Pipeline is what it's all about - there's a reason so many people dedicate their lives to mastering it,' he said. 'Starting my 2023 season with a win at Pipe was huge, but I can only imagine how incredible it would be to end the season winning both the event and the world title there. 'It's exciting to see the CT keep evolving, and I'm stoked the WSL is listening to feedback and working hard to make the tour better for everyone.' CT1: Bells Beach, Australia CT2: Margaret River, Australia CT3: Snapper Rocks, Australia CT4: Punta Roca, El Salvador CT5: Saquarema, Brazil CT6: Jeffreys Bay, South Africa CT7: Teahupo'o, Tahiti CT8: Cloudbreak, Fiji CT9: Lower Trestles, USA CT10: Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates CT11: Peniche, Portugal CT12: Pipe Masters, Hawaii, USA
Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Pipeline back as world surf tour finale in 2026
FILE PHOTO: Felipe Toledo of Brazil competes at the Rip Curl World Surf League Finals, at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, U.S., September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo SYDNEY - Hawaii's Pipeline Masters will return as a high-stakes finale for surfing's world tour in 2026, part of a shake-up unveiled on Saturday that includes the resumption of a Formula One-style cumulative rankings format to determine world champions. Considered the world's most dangerous and challenging wave, Pipeline has for decades taken centre-stage at surfing's spiritual homeland of Hawaii, with season-ending contests there crowning champions including Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina and John John Florence. In recent years, Pipeline has been the first stop on the championship tour, with a one-day, winner-takes-all contest of the top five surfers held instead in softer waves in Southern California. (The 2025 Finals are being held in Fiji.) "Pipeline has always held a special place in surfing history, and our fans have made it clear they want to see our sport's most critical moments unfold there," said Ryan Crosby, the chief executive of professional governing body, the World Surf League. The tour's controversial mid-season cut of one-third of competitors is also being tweaked. All 36 men and 24 women will contest the first nine "regular season" events and return for the 12th and final event at Pipeline. Stops include Bells Beach in Australia, Jeffreys Bay in South Africa and the 2024 Olympics venue of Teahupo'o in Tahiti. Abu Dhabi's wave pool and Peniche in Portugal will host the two smaller "post season" events before Pipeline. Results at Pipeline will be worth 1.5 times standard championship tour events to reflect its elevated status, with world titles determined by a surfer's best nine results from the April-December tour. "I've never felt anything like the moment I won at Pipeline," said 2019 world champion Italo Ferreira. "Winning the Olympic gold medal and competing in the WSL Finals were amazing, but nothing in surfing compares to winning the world title at Pipe. I'm so excited for the chance to compete for that feeling again." Crosby, giving his first interviews since joining the WSL as CEO a year ago, said the primary focus had been around making Pipeline the finale, which prompted other changes including a return to cumulative points through the season. "One is the final five format. We didn't feel good about only having 10 surfers be able to surf Pipe. That felt like a really bad outcome for the sport and a bad outcome for the surfers. And then secondarily, from a permitting standpoint ... we couldn't run a final five format in a Hawaiian event." Heading into its 50th year in 2026, professional surfing has experimented with a number of different formats and venues but struggled to broaden its appeal to a wider, non-surfing audience, something Crosby said the WSL was shifting focus on. "Our goal, and it's been a bit of a mindset shift, is to really focus on doing what's right for surfing and doing what's right for surfers," Crosby, a keen surfer for more than 20 years, told Reuters. "The belief is focusing on that really engaged audience is the organic growth mechanism to a broader audience." 2026 WSL Championship Tour locations - Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia - Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia - Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia - Punta Roca, El Salvador - Saquarema, Brazil - Jeffreys Bay, South Africa - Teahupo'o, Tahiti - Cloudbreak, Fiji - Lower Trestles, California, USA* - Surf Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Peniche, Portugal - Pipe Masters, Hawaii, USA** * End of regular season, start of post-season ** Full championship tour fields rejoin post-season surfers to compete at Pipe Masters REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
