Spanish rider Gomez dies at 20 after Magny-Cours crash
Spanish motorcycle rider Borja Gomez has died aged 20 after crashing at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France, his team Honda Laglisse said.
Gomez, who was set to compete in the third round of the FIM Stock European Championship, crashed during a pre-event test on Thursday, with reports in Spanish media saying he was hit by another rider after the crash.
"It is with a heavy heart that we regret to announce that Borja Gomez has passed away at the Magny-Cours circuit after a serious accident in the first free practice of the European Stock Championship," Team Laglisse said in a statement.
"Beyond his exceptional talent as a driver, we will remember Borja as the great person he was. His sympathy and his smile will be everlasting. We will always carry him in our hearts."
Gomez competed in two seasons of the Moto2 World Championship, racing for Flexbox HP40 in 2022 and Fantic Racing in 2023. REUTERS
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Straits Times
35 minutes ago
- Straits Times
High Court orders Instagram seller to pay Louis Vuitton $200,000 in damages over counterfeit goods
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The fakes were passed off as genuine and sold at a fraction of the price of the real items. SINGAPORE - An Instagram seller who sold fake Louis Vuitton items as authentic and ghosted the High Court during court proceedings has been ordered to pay $200,000 in damages to the French luxury fashion house for trademark infringements. Mr Ng Hoe Seng, operating under Instagram accounts 'emcase_sg' and 'emcrafts_sg', sold counterfeit goods such as phone cases, passport covers, card holders and purses through the social media platform. The fakes were passed off as genuine and sold at a fraction of the price of the real items – a fake passport cover, for instance, was priced at $159, compared with $560 to $945 for the real thing. Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVM) discovered the infringements in July 2022 and conducted a sting operation. A representative made test purchases worth $2,100 from Mr Ng's first Instagram account 'emcase_sg'. LVM confirmed the goods were counterfeit and issued a cease-and-desist letter in March 2023. Instead of stopping, Mr Ng shifted operations to a new Instagram account, 'emcrafts_sg', and resumed sales. To catch him again, an LVM representative made a second undercover purchase. The company later filed a lawsuit in August 2023. Mr Ng ignored the proceedings and did not appear in court. On Nov 30, 2023, the High Court ruled in LVM's favour and went on to assess damages. Computing its damages, LVM said it should be awarded $4.84 million in damages but claimed $2.9 million against Mr Ng – based on 29 infringing acts at $100,000 each, the statutory cap. But Justice Dedar Singh Gill disagreed with the claims. 'The claimant's proposed quantum of $2.9 million is grossly excessive,' he said in a written judgment on July 2. He limited the maximum award to $900,000, or $100,000 for each of the nine different types of goods where there were infringements, ultimately awarding $200,000. While LVM argued that the counterfeits dilute its brand, the judge questioned the financial impact. 'I have my doubts as to whether the claimant will suffer lost sales in any significant way... knock-offs of luxury goods are usually not substitutable with the genuine goods.' He added: 'One must bear in mind that the defendant is a sole proprietor operating through a social media channel. He is not a large-scale manufacturer who has distributed the offending goods to other retailers and sparked other chains of infringement.' In his judgment, Justice Gill highlighted the deceptive marketing tactics Mr Ng used to promote the fake products on Instagram. 'The defendant's modus operandi when it came to promoting his products was to re-post Instagram posts and/or stories by customers who had purchased his products... ostensibly with the aim of thanking them and showing off their rave reviews,' he said. 'In my view, this has the effect of compounding the defendant's false representations.' He added that Mr Ng had 'deployed his coterie of 'influencers' to propagate the misrepresentation about his 'authentic' products more widely to his followers and the public at large'. In his judgment, Justice Gill highlighted the deceptive marketing tactics Mr Ng used to promote the fake products on Instagram. PHOTO: HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT Justice Gill also addressed Mr Ng's claim on Instagram that the products were 'upcycled' from real Louis Vuitton goods. 'This was a lie upon a lie which compounded the false representation perpetrated upon members of the public,' he wrote. Upcycling typically refers to the reuse of discarded material or waste to create a product of higher value or quality than the original. The judge further warned of the risks posed by online sellers who can easily evade enforcement. 'Such online retailers can easily spread out all of their eggs in multiple baskets by setting up different online platforms at relatively low costs to sell their goods,' he said. 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'A strong message needs to be sent to the defendant that he may be able to run from the claimant, but he will not be able to hide from the long arms of the law.' The judge further warned of the risks posed by online sellers who can easily evade enforcement. PHOTO: HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT Justice Gill concluded: 'The defendant has shown himself to be a recalcitrant infringer, and he will need to face the consequences accordingly.' LVM was represented by lawyers Ravindran Muthucumarasamy, Chan Wenqiang and Neo Xuan Hao Edwin from Ravindran Associates. Mr Ng was unrepresented. Despite the High Court victory, it remains uncertain whether LVM will recover the $200,000. As at July 3, Mr Ng's registered business EMCASE SG has ceased registration with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and his two known Instagram accounts have vanished. However, a similarly named account – ' – remains active, appearing to sell Louis Vuitton-branded goods.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
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Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Tank collides into traffic light during NDP preview show
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A video of the accident posted to Facebook page SGRV shows the traffic light standing slightly askew after the incident. SINGAPORE - Mobile columns - where a country's military hardware such as tanks are displayed during celebrations such as Singapore's National Day Parade (NDP) - often attract attention, awe and admiration from members of the public. However, one tank garnered more attention than its operators bargained for during a National Day Parade (NDP) preview show on July 5. While making a right turn outside of Parliament House and the Supreme Court , the tank - identified by netizens as a leopard tank - ended up bumping into a nearby traffic light. A video of the accident posted to Facebook page SGRV shows the traffic light standing slightly askew after the incident. The video, which was posted at about 9.55pm on July 5, had garnered 472,000 views within 10 hours. It also amassed 2,400 likes and 738 comments as of 9am on July 6. The NDP, which marks Singapore's 60 years as an independent nation, will take place at the Padang on Aug 9. Many netizens saw the collision as a minor hiccup and called for others to be more empathetic towards the tank driver. Facebook user Chen WL commented: 'Guys, have a little heart. He's probably a NSF (full-time national serviceman) earning minimum allowance... Let's hope the unit or the RSM (regimental sergeant major) won't tekan the poor kid too much...' Another user, Mr Low Beng Keat, said that accidents such as these are why rehearsals, previews, and dry runs are performed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July launch Singapore TTSH to demolish century-old pavilion wards, keeping one as heritage marker World 'Formed to give you back your freedom': Elon Musk says he has created a new US political party Singapore Don't view your first property as a dream home, get a foothold in the market instead: PropNex's Ismail Gafoor Asia HIV surge in the Philippines amid poor sex education, policy gaps Tech Graduates are not screwed if they study engineering: James Dyson in response to Economist article Business When a foreign wife failed to turn up for a $10m divorce 'If there is a mistake, get up and move on, learn and be mindful the next time. No big deal, don't take it too hard on our soldiers guarding and defending on our homeland,' he wrote. Several commenters said they believed the accident arose due to a mechanical failure. One such person was Mr Lucas Por, who said he was a former technician for such tanks. '(The) driver even has trouble pivoting while stationery (sic), which should be an easy feat,' he said. User Hizdiebidi Bidi agreed, noting it was 'Impossible (that the) driver suddenly forgot how to turn'. Another user, Wo King Tre, said it looked to be a 'steering linage failure'. 'It can happen sometimes. Nothing much the tank operator can do about it. Just have to limp the tank to safe spot for the technicians to perform recovery,' he said. Many netizens praised the tank operator for reacting swiftly, noting that the accident could have had catastrophic consequences if the tank was not stopped in time. As user Janice Lau put it: 'Tank-ful no one is hurt'. The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Defence and Land Transport Authority for more information.
