Latest news with #Napier
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Flight lands safely at Hawke's Bay Airport after Fire and Emergency callout
File pic Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Fire and Emergency (FENZ) was on standby at Hawke's Bay Airport on Friday morning at the request of an inbound Air New Zealand flight. However, around 8am the flight landed safely, an Air New Zealand spokesperson said. "The crew operating NZ5025 from Auckland to Napier this morning received a maintenance alert during the service," the spokesperson said. Chief operating officer Alex Marren said emergency services were called in line with standard operating procedure after such an alert. The aircraft landed safely and the airline's maintenance team would now inspect the aircraft before it was returned to service. FENZ shift manager Chris Dalton earlier said three crews were at the airport as a precaution after an aircraft indicated a possible "situation on board". He said larger airports had their own fire brigades, but in regional areas FENZ was called in to help. Dalton said there had been no suggestion of an emergency. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Borneo Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
SEDCE partners with RAW Energy to bring hybrid biomass fuel to Sarawak
Clean Energy Solutions through Hybrid Tropical Grass (HTG) pellets for Sarawak with SEDCE as exclusive distributor for RAW Energy. KUCHING (June 20): RAW Energy, a global provider of sustainable fuels, has appointed SEDC Energy (SEDCE) as its exclusive partner to promote and distribute its Hybrid Tropical Grass (HTG) pellets in Sarawak. The HTG pellets will be supplied to power generation facilities and other users requiring scalable, clean energy solutions. The partnership also aims to bring local communities to be part of the sustainability agenda by providing the HTG feedstock through new cultivations. RAW Energy Group chief executive officer Ramsay Wilson welcomed the collaboration, stating that the partnership between SEDCE and RAW Energy represents more than just a strategic business alignment. 'This heralds a transformative era in renewable energy adoption across Sarawak. 'By embracing cutting-edge biomass technology, SEDCE is setting an inspiring precedent for other global communities striving to balance industrial growth with environmental preservation,' he said in a statement. He further explained that their HTG pellets are revolutionising the biomass sector and will redefine energy benchmarks on an international scale. 'With a carbon cycle measured in days versus decades and a thermal energy content exceeding that of wood pellets, we offer a glimpse into a future where sustainable energy sources can outperform and replace traditional fuels such as coal and wood pellets in terms of ecological impact, efficiency, and scalability.' Ramsay also highlighted that Sarawak's use of RAW Energy's biomass resources contributes to building a circular economy by converting agricultural products into valuable energy commodities. 'This initiative will create a ripple effect, encouraging further investment in green technologies. This will also bolster the region's economic and environmental resilience. 'Sarawak is positioned to contribute significantly to the global dialogue on renewable energy, showcasing how regional resources can be harnessed for planetary benefit,' he added. HTG is a sterile hybrid combination of Pennisetum Purpureum (Napier) and Pennisetum Americanum (Pearl millet) grass, which was imported under permit by the founders of RAW Energy back in 2014 and is grown on large scale farms in Bintulu. HTG is a fast-growing high yielding Energy Grass that perfectly harnesses the power of tropical photosynthesis and rainfall and is grown on unproductive marginal land without the 'food versus energy' conflict. SEDCE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, views this partnership as a significant step in Sarawak's journey towards greener energy. SEDCE chief executive officer Robert Hardin described the partnership as a crucial step in Sarawak's decarbonisation journey toward achieving the Net Zero 2050 target by utilising its biomass resources for energy generation. 'RAW's hybrid tropical grass does not compete with our food source, which aligns with UNSDG 15 that promotes the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and halts land degradation. 'We also plan to introduce the cultivation of this hybrid grass, along with RAW Energy, to rural communities in phases,' he said. Both SEDCE and RAW Energy recently entered the agreement, paving way for another path towards decarbonisation efforts not only for Sarawak but also Malaysia and the region for Net Zero 2050.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Drug dealer Seth Forde gets extra jail time after being netted by Hawke's Bay police operation
By Ric Stevens, Open Justice reporter of Motorcyclists gathered in Napier for the funeral of Peter Lui in 2021. Former Outlaws Motorcycle Club member Seth Forde was a friend of Lui. Photo: Supplied/NZME Paranoid and afraid, just out of prison and with no support from his old gang buddies, a convicted drug dealer bought guns for protection and took methamphetamine to stay alert. Now, he's back in jail with extra time added for reoffending while on parole. Seth John Forde, 46, was a former leading member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Napier and a friend of club national president Peter Lui, who was murdered in 2021. Forde was released on parole in March last year from a six-year prison sentence for supplying methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing firearms. He found living in a small central Hawke's Bay community difficult. Soon after he was released on parole, someone pointed a gun at him - the circumstances of which were not spelled out in detail when Forde came back before the Napier District Court on the new charges this week. He received threats from people in the community, his lawyer, Cam Robertson, told the court. Forde was no longer associated with the Outlaws. He had no support or communication from the club since 2021. "He was effectively out on his own," Robertson said. However, he didn't tell his probation officer or his drug counsellor about the difficulties he was experiencing. He started using methamphetamine again. "He reverted to old ways," in Robertson's words. Forde was possibly paranoid because of his drug use, Robertson said. He bought firearms to protect himself. He started selling methamphetamine again to pay for the guns. "It was all a very murky world that you were living in, that's for sure," Judge Bridget Mackintosh told Forde at the sentencing hearing. But the main threat to Forde wasn't coming from the criminal fraternity. It was from the police. In October 2024 they began Operation Burr, an investigation into the sale and supply of methamphetamine within Hawke's Bay, and Forde was the "primary target", according to court documents. Just before midday on January 29, 2025, they came to his property in Takapau with a search warrant for his house and Volkswagen Golf car. Detaining Forde, they asked him if there was any "safety risk" to their officers as they began to search. Forde told them no, but immediately confessed that there was an ounce of methamphetamine and a Beretta pistol in a backpack under his bed. Police looked and found the pistol, with six rounds of .308 ammunition in the magazine, and 27 grams of crystal meth in a ziplock bag. In the garage, they found a Uberti .22 revolver firearm in a desk, along with a round of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition. The shell went with the Kushnapup military-style shotgun they found in a cardboard box. Elsewhere on the property, police found scales for weighing drugs, empty plastic "point bags" and $1000 cash. In the pocket of a jersey found in the Volkswagen was one live round of .22 ammunition. Inside Forde's wallet was a bag containing 0.25g of meth. After the search, Forde's parole was revoked and he was recalled to prison to continue serving his earlier sentence. Forde later pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine for supply and six charges of unlawfully possessing firearms or ammunition. Judge Mackintosh sentenced him to two years and four months in prison, to be served after his current sentence, which has a statutory release date of May 12, 2027. "You've got a bad history of offending and a number of [those offences] relate to drugs and violence. It makes sad reading, really," she said. She also noted Forde's "difficult background". As a child, he had been in and out of foster care and "badly treated by people who should have known better". A past brain injury also made it more difficult for him to function. The sentence Forde was recalled to continue serving related to offending in the months up until May 2021. The charges then were similar to his latest - possessing meth for supply and unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition. He claimed the firearms then were for his protection after the March 2021 murder of Peter Lui by two Mongrel Mob members who chased Lui's motorcycle. He was stabbed to death on a Napier street, for his Outlaws patch. Hemi Rapata Meihana Cahill and Belmont Sonny Freedom Eruiti Te Aonui-Tawhai are currently serving life prison sentences for Peter Lui's murder. In February, Forde told the Parole Board that he now felt the need to move away from Hawke's Bay and "make a fresh start in a different area" when he is eventually released. This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Trading ideas: KPJ, Yinson, Apollo, BLand, MMHE, Theta, Chin Hin, UWC, Jaycorp
KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia. KPJ Healthcare Bhd has awarded a total of RM32mn worth of hospital renovation works to a company linked to its major shareholder Johor Corporation. Yinson Holdings Bhd said it has closed the first tranche of US$300mn (RM1.3bn) from US$1bn committed by a consortium of international investors. Apollo Food Holdings Bhd aims to continue the rationalisation of its manufacturing facilities and the execution of its capacity expansion plans in the FY2026. Berjaya Land Bhd has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Impianan Utara Sdn Bhd to explore rare earth mining and the planting of Napier hybrid grass and Blackthorn durian in Perlis. Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd has secured a final legal victory in its long-standing dispute with Kebabangan Petroleum Operating Company Sdn Bhd, after the Federal Court dismissed KPOC's application for leave to appeal against an earlier Court of Appeal decision. Theta Edge Bhd has accepted a letter of award from the National Cancer Society Malaysia for the provision of mobile X-ray equipment worth RM4.4mn. Chin Hin Group Bhd has terminated its proposed acquisition of substantial stakes in two data centre specialist firms, Critical System Specialist Sdn Bhd and CSS Engineering and Construction Sdn Bhd. UWC Bhd remains optimistic about its business prospects and the industries it operates in, citing signs of recovery after reporting a near-doubling of net profit to RM8mn for the 3QFY25. Jaycorp Bhd has posted its first quarterly loss of RM2.2mn in more than three years in the 3QFY25, weighed down by sluggish furniture demand in both domestic and export markets as well as unfavourable foreign exchange rates.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Person arrested after Napier Pharmacy break-in
Life Pharmacy in Napier. Photo: Google Maps Street View Police have arrested one person after a Napier Pharmacy was broken into for a third time in just 10 weeks. Police said two offenders used a weapon to break into the store at 2.30am on Monday and took several items, including expensive perfumes. Officers found a vehicle shortly after the incident which contained the stolen items. Pharmacy owner Peter Bailey has worked at the store for 45 years. He said he's had to replace the shopfront three times since the break-ins, costing him an estimated $30,000. "Our insurance company isn't going to be very happy, I can see our premiums going through the roof - it just makes it tougher in a tough environment." He said the thefts left him "a bit stressed and emotional", but was thankful for the Napier community that had supported him and other staff members. "We had a gentleman drop in a $50 coffee voucher for the staff." A young person was referred to Youth Aid and the items had since been returned to the store. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
