Latest news with #Duma
New Paper
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Paper
Elite Prince holds court again
Relative newcomer Elite Prince overcame his outside barrier in the RM200,000 (S$61,000) 3-Year-Old Sprint Championship (1,200m) to score back-to-back wins at Sungai Besi on June 1. Trained by Singaporean Richard Lim, the son of Bon Hoffa faced 12 other runners in the highlight race in Kuala Lumpur, including several last-start winners like Duma, Yes Man, Defeater, Release The Spirit and Rocky Bhai. Elite Prince was no pushover among his peers, though. After an unplaced run on debut on April 20, the Australian-bred opened his account with a handy win in a Restricted Maiden race (1,200m) at his second and last start on May 18, when he beat Singha Bay by 1¾lengths. Although he won from gate 11 then, Lim was still worried the wide barrier 9 this time could work against his positive tactics, but the promising Elite Prince dispelled his concerns shortly after the start. The three-year-old chestnut galloper showed plenty of speed under Shafiq Rizuan to cut across and lead on the rails from Sakura (Mohd Zaki) and Yes Man (Oscar Chavez) in the back straight. Turning for home, Elite Prince ($30) quickly put a two-length margin between him and Yes Man. Duma (Andre da Silva), who had been buried in fifth on the rails, switched to the outside at the 400m to launch his challenge. But Elite Prince was in no mood to relinquish his advantage and held on all the way to the line. Duma ran more than two lengths behind in second while Yes Man finished another length away in third. The winning time was 1min 9.28sec for the 1,200m on the short course. Lim was relieved with Elite Prince's second win over the 1,200m trip, which he has raced over in all three starts in Malaysia, but reckoned the Mahalinggam Palanisamy-owned gelding could have his job cut out for him in the 3-Year-Old Mile Championship (1,600m) on June 29. "We were quite worried before the race, not just (the highest-rated) Duma, but many other runners too because they've all done quite well," said the Penang-born conditioner. "There's a lot of speed in the race and he (Elite Prince) has drawn wide, so we thought he could be caught wide. Luckily, he got across quite easily. "The 1,600m might be a bit too long for him. I would have to discuss with the owner and Shafiq again to decide if we run him then." First-time race partner Shafiq said a change of racing pattern could suit Elite Prince should he go over the mile. "I worked the horse in the week and I know he's got ability, because he won easily at his last start," said the former two-time Singapore champion apprentice. "Today, I was a bit worried because we drew wide, but the race worked out very well for him as he led easily. He kept going in the straight. "I think he can stay the 1,600m but we might have to change how we ride him." Lim has brought up his first hat-trick of wins in Malaysia since he relocated to Kuala Lumpur in Dec 2024. Before Elite Prince's victory in Race 7, Southern Speed ($52) took out the RM38,000 Class 5A contest (1,400m) for comeback jockey Troy See in Race 2, while King's Gambit ($15) saluted in the other Class 5A event (1,400m) under da Silva in Race 3. From seven rides at his first meeting in Malaysia on June 1 after eight years, See has racked up a winning double. After D's Secret ran fourth in the opener, the 36-year-old Singaporean jockey steered Southern Speed to a nose victory on his second ride. He then booted home another winner - The Wild Hero ($11) - for trainer Jason Ong in the RM38,000 Class 5A race (1,020m) in the last race. The 2018 Singapore champion apprentice last rode in New South Wales, Australia on Jan 21, 2023, when he incurred the wrath of the stewards for his conduct. He had a mobile phone in his possession during a random search performed in the jockeys' room at his last meeting at Murwillumbah. See, who rode 12 winners in Australia, pleaded guilty to three charges - possession of a mobile phone in the jockeys' room, refusal to obey a stewards' direction and hindering stewards in the exercise of their powers and duties. He was disqualified for 22½ months, from Jan 29, 2023 to Dec 15, 2024. Before he relocated to Australia, he had been riding in Singapore since his debut in 2012. See, who rode in six races for one third in Malaysia back in 2017, has since returned to riding in the barrier trials at Kuala Lumpur on April 2. sharonzhang@
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Truck driver found twenty times over the legal alcohol limit in KZN
He will make his first court appearance in August. The Road Traffic Inspectorate, working with the South African Police Service (Saps), have arrested a truck driver for drinking and driving in Van Reenen along the N3 Freeway. The driver is currently detained in Ladysmith. According to the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, the driver allegedly blew 0.32 mg/1000ml, which is three times more than the legal limit of 0.10 mg/1000 for professional drivers. ALSO READ: Tow truck driver arrested after KZN crash kills 8 Another truck driver, who was also caught driving intoxicated, will make his first appearance in court on 18 August 2025. According to Duma, the second driver was caught driving a truck and blew 2.0mg/1000ml, which is twenty times more than the legal limit of 0.10mg /1000ml. KZN truck accidents KZN has been battling the scourge of truck accidents in recent months, due to several factors. On 16 May, two trucks collided along the N3 Southbound just after the Peter Brown off-ramp, after one of the trucks allegedly experienced brake failure. A week before, a collision between a truck and a light delivery vehicle transporting passengers claimed multiple lives on the N2 highway near Empangeni. ALSO READ: Lifeless body of a driver recovered in KZN after a two-day search Eight victims lost their lives in the accident. Duma says the province has adopted a zero-tolerance attitude to drunk drivers due to the high number of accidents. 'Weeks ago, we laid to rest nine victims of a horrific accident involving a truck in Empangeni along the N2,' said Duma. 'Families lost their loved ones and breadwinners, with children becoming orphans as a result of one reckless truck driver. 'During my meeting with senior management last Monday, I instructed our RTI team to intensify their 'no-nonsense, zero-tolerance' and Alufakwa campaign on our roads. ALSO READ: Truck accident forces closure of N3 toll road as festive season ends 'We undertake to clamp down on bad behaviour in all corners of our province. 'In particular, we are paying more attention to trucks because, more than any vehicle, trucks can damage more vehicles at once, and their accidents can lead to serious injuries because of the impact.' The department said the country's roads would no longer be 'playgrounds' for irresponsible drivers. 'We must remove all these elements that are costing our country a fortune. 'We have been informed that road accidents cost the South African economy over R164 billion annually, an equivalent of 3.4% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).' READ NEXT: Police arrest six truckers for theft of minerals in Pongola, KZN
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Truck driver arrested after being found more than 20 times over legal alcohol limit
KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate officials have arrested two alleged drunk drivers including one who was found to be more than 20 times over the legal limit. The transport and human settlements department said the RTI team working with police arrested a truck driver for drinking and driving in Van Reenen along the N3 on May 17. He blew 2.0mg/1000ml, which is 20 times more than the legal limit of 0,10mg /1000ml. He was arrested and charged by Ladysmith police and is expected to appear in court on August 18. A second driver who was also arrested on Friday for allegedly driving under the influence in Van Reenen is being held in the Ladysmith police cells. The driver allegedly blew 0.32 mg/1000ml which is three times more than the legal limit. MEC Siboniso Duma said nine victims of a horrific accident involving a truck in Empangeni along the N2 were recently buried. 'Families lost their loved ones and breadwinners, with children becoming orphans as a result of one reckless truck driver. 'In my meeting with senior management last Monday, I mandated our RTI team to strengthen their no nonsense, zero tolerance and Alufakwa campaign on our roads. We undertake to clamp down on bad behaviour in all corners of our province. 'In particular, we are paying more attention to trucks because, more than any vehicle, trucks can damage more vehicles at once and their accidents can lead to serious injuries because of the impact.' He said road networks being constructed, rehabilitated and repaired should not be playgrounds for 'irresponsible drivers'. Duma said road accidents cost the South African economy more than R164bn annually, an equivalent to 3.4% of the country's GDP. In addition, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) paid out more than R45.6bn in claims in the 2023-2024 financial year.
Saudi Gazette
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Russia's casualties in its war against Ukraine near 1 million troops, Kyiv says
KYIV — Russia has lost almost 1 million troops in its ongoing all-out war against Ukraine, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Monday, after Russian forces suffered another 1,000 casualties in the past 24 hours. Kyiv does not specify whether the numbers include killed or wounded, but the general perception is that they include all casualties: dead, wounded, missing, and captured. Ukraine officials have been tracking Russian troops and equipment losses daily since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Ukraine and Russia do not reveal their losses publicly. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since early 2022. He also said nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured and "tens of thousands" remained either "missing in action" or being held in Russian captivity. Russian deputy defence minister accidentally revealed at the end of last year that the ministry received 48,000 applications for DNA tests from relatives of the missing soldiers. Anna Tsivilyova spoke about it at a roundtable in the Russian Duma on 26 November 2024, saying the relatives' DNA had been collected and stored in a database. With the loss rate of around a thousand troops per day, Russia has already tried to recruit foreigners into its army. Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers have joined the Moscow troops since the end of 2024 — as confirmed by Pyongyang after multiple western sources and Kyiv initially reported on this development. In April, Kyiv also said its forces captured the Chinese nationals fighting for Russia. According to the Ukrainian military intelligence, at least 160 Chinese citizens serve in Russia's Armed Forces. Beijing has rejected sending troops in any official manner, claiming these are individuals who volunteered instead. Russia is now preparing for a new offensive, possibly over the summer, the Ukrainian military has said. The fighting has intensified along Ukraine's frontline, stretching for over 1,000 kilometers across multiple regions of the country. Moscow forces have been pushing hard around Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in eastern Donetsk region. The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank (ISW) said Moscow has been pushing for months to capture the remaining parts of Ukraine's Donetsk region, its primary goal since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014. Pokrovsk has been the focal point of Russia's ground assaults, with Moscow troops reinforcing its attacks there. Its geographic location makes it arguably one of the most important logistics hubs and extremely close to the rear of Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion. Kyiv said Russian forces intended to reach and enter the Dnipropetrovsk region by 9 May. However, they failed, although they were getting closer to the administrative border with the Donetsk region. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ihor Romanenko said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to demonstrate his troops' progress during his Victory Day parade on the same day. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has warned that Russia may be preparing new attacks on Kharkiv. Moscow has been gathering its troops close to the border with Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Andrii Pomahaibus, the chief of staff of Ukraine's 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade, said Russia is trying to move the troops closer to the contact line, but has so far failed to carry out attacks. Moscow's plans for the summer offensive seem to reflect Putin's plans of creating what he called a "security buffer zone" along the Ukrainian border. Last Thursday, he addressed Russia's government, saying, "A decision has been made to establish a necessary security buffer zone. Our armed forces are currently carrying out this task." His remarks came after regional officials in Russia's Kursk region urged stronger border measures. Putin noted the zone would be along the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, which border Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called for Russian control over a buffer zone encompassing nearly all of Ukraine, apart from a relatively small area of the Volyn and Lviv regions along Poland's border. Russia's former president threatened that Moscow would seize all of Ukraine as a buffer zone if the West continues to supply Ukraine with military support. Analysing his comments, the ISW calculated that Russian forces would need roughly a century to seize Medvedev's proposed "buffer zone" at their current rate of advance at the cost of nearly 50 million casualties at current loss rates. The think tank added that its estimates assume that Russian forces will be able to maintain their current assessed rate of advance. "(Russian troops) have not demonstrated the ability to conduct the kind of rapid, multi-directional offensive operations necessary to accomplish these goals since early 2022 and are unlikely to significantly improve their abilities in the near future," the ISW said. — Euronews
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Russia lost nearly 1 million troops in its war on Ukraine, Kyiv says
Russia has lost almost 1 million troops in its ongoing all-out war against Ukraine, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Monday, after Russian forces suffered another 1,000 casualties in the past 24 hours. Kyiv does not specify whether the numbers include killed or wounded, but the general perception is that they include all casualties: dead, wounded, missing, and captured. Ukraine officials have been tracking Russian troops and equipment losses daily since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Ukraine and Russia do not reveal their losses publicly. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since early 2022. He also said nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured and "tens of thousands" remained either "missing in action" or being held in Russian captivity. Russian deputy defence minister accidentally revealed at the end of last year that the ministry received 48,000 applications for DNA tests from relatives of the missing soldiers. Anna Tsivilyova spoke about it at a roundtable in the Russian Duma on 26 November 2024, saying the relatives' DNA had been collected and stored in a database. With the loss rate of around a thousand troops per day, Russia has already tried to recruit foreigners into its army. Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers have joined the Moscow troops since the end of 2024 — as confirmed by Pyongyang after multiple western sources and Kyiv initially reported on this development. In April, Kyiv also said its forces captured the Chinese nationals fighting for Russia. According to the Ukrainian military intelligence, at least 160 Chinese citizens serve in Russia's Armed Forces. Beijing has rejected sending troops in any official manner, claiming these are individuals who volunteered instead. Russia is now preparing for a new offensive, possibly over the summer, the Ukrainian military has said. The fighting has intensified along Ukraine's frontline, stretching for over 1,000 kilometres across multiple regions of the country. Moscow forces have been pushing hard around Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in eastern Donetsk region. The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank (ISW) said Moscow has been pushing for months to capture the remaining parts of Ukraine's Donetsk region, its primary goal since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014. Pokrovsk has been the focal point of Russia's ground assaults, with Moscow troops reinforcing its attacks there. Its geographic location makes it arguably one of the most important logistics hubs and extremely close to the rear of Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion. Kyiv said Russian forces intended to reach and enter the Dnipropetrovsk region by 9 May. However, they failed, although they were getting closer to the administrative border with the Donetsk region. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ihor Romanenko said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to demonstrate his troops' progress during his Victory Day parade on the same day. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has warned that Russia may be preparing new attacks on Kharkiv. Moscow has been gathering its troops close to the border with Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Andrii Pomahaibus, the chief of staff of Ukraine's 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade, said Russia is trying to move the troops closer to the contact line, but has so far failed to carry out attacks. Moscow's plans for the summer offensive seem to reflect Putin's plans of creating what he called a "security buffer zone" along the Ukrainian border. Last Thursday, he addressed Russia's government, saying, "A decision has been made to establish a necessary security buffer zone. Our armed forces are currently carrying out this task." His remarks came after regional officials in Russia's Kursk region urged stronger border measures. Putin noted the zone would be along the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, which border Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called for Russian control over a buffer zone encompassing nearly all of Ukraine, apart from a relatively small area of the Volyn and Lviv regions along Poland's border. Russia's former president threatened that Moscow would seize all of Ukraine as a buffer zone if the West continues to supply Ukraine with military support. Analysing his comments, the ISW calculated that Russian forces would need roughly a century to seize Medvedev's proposed "buffer zone" at their current rate of advance at the cost of nearly 50 million casualties at current loss rates. The think tank added that its estimates assume that Russian forces will be able to maintain their current assessed rate of advance. "(Russian troops) have not demonstrated the ability to conduct the kind of rapid, multi-directional offensive operations necessary to accomplish these goals since early 2022 and are unlikely to significantly improve their abilities in the near future," the ISW said. Emmanuel Macron signed a deal with Vietnam on Monday for 20 Airbus planes, among other agreements, in the first visit by a French president to Hanoi in nearly a decade. The Airbus deal with VietJet for 20 A330neo aircraft, worth an estimated €7 billion, follows a previous agreement for 20 European-made aeroplanes. The French leader struck other deals — said to be more than 30 — in a bid to expand a trade relationship worth €5.3 billion, including cooperation on energy, Earth-observation satellites, vaccines and railways. 'It is truly a new page being written between our two countries … a desire to write an even more ambitious page of the relationship between Vietnam and France, between ASEAN and the European Union,' Macron said. France's push towards stronger links with its former colony marks an attempt to offer a "third way" outside of Washington and Beijing. Macron's trip comes amid threats of 50% US tariffs on EU goods. Vietnam, which has also been threatened with 47% tariffs by US President Donald Trump, is considering purchasing Boeing planes to reduce its trade surplus with the US. Macron's three-leg Southeast Asia tour will continue with visits to Indonesia and Singapore.
