Latest news with #A9.4
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Verdict due in Kim Kardashian jewellery heist trial
A decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian's luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court is set to decide the verdict in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history. Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out - or aiding - the crime during the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian's Paris home, bound her with zip-ties and vanished with $US6 million ($A9.4 million) in jewels. At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, a veteran of the Paris criminal underworld. Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence. His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case. Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. The loot was never found. Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier, and blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" - someone prosecutors say never existed. The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs" - the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute. But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances. The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a verdict. The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted on Friday, they could face life in prison. Kardashian's testimony earlier in May was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of October 2, 2016. "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said. "I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home." She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then she hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot. She said Paris had once been her sanctuary - a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered. The robbery forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the digital age. For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was." Afterwards, she stopped posting her location in real time, stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts, and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury. Defence lawyers have asked the court for leniency, citing the defendants' age and health. But prosecutors insist that criminal experience, not frailty, defined the gang. A decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian's luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court is set to decide the verdict in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history. Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out - or aiding - the crime during the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian's Paris home, bound her with zip-ties and vanished with $US6 million ($A9.4 million) in jewels. At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, a veteran of the Paris criminal underworld. Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence. His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case. Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. The loot was never found. Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier, and blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" - someone prosecutors say never existed. The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs" - the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute. But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances. The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a verdict. The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted on Friday, they could face life in prison. Kardashian's testimony earlier in May was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of October 2, 2016. "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said. "I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home." She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then she hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot. She said Paris had once been her sanctuary - a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered. The robbery forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the digital age. For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was." Afterwards, she stopped posting her location in real time, stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts, and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury. Defence lawyers have asked the court for leniency, citing the defendants' age and health. But prosecutors insist that criminal experience, not frailty, defined the gang. A decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian's luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court is set to decide the verdict in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history. Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out - or aiding - the crime during the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian's Paris home, bound her with zip-ties and vanished with $US6 million ($A9.4 million) in jewels. At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, a veteran of the Paris criminal underworld. Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence. His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case. Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. The loot was never found. Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier, and blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" - someone prosecutors say never existed. The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs" - the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute. But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances. The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a verdict. The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted on Friday, they could face life in prison. Kardashian's testimony earlier in May was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of October 2, 2016. "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said. "I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home." She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then she hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot. She said Paris had once been her sanctuary - a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered. The robbery forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the digital age. For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was." Afterwards, she stopped posting her location in real time, stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts, and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury. Defence lawyers have asked the court for leniency, citing the defendants' age and health. But prosecutors insist that criminal experience, not frailty, defined the gang. A decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian's luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court is set to decide the verdict in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history. Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out - or aiding - the crime during the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian's Paris home, bound her with zip-ties and vanished with $US6 million ($A9.4 million) in jewels. At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, a veteran of the Paris criminal underworld. Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence. His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case. Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. The loot was never found. Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier, and blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" - someone prosecutors say never existed. The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs" - the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute. But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances. The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a verdict. The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted on Friday, they could face life in prison. Kardashian's testimony earlier in May was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of October 2, 2016. "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said. "I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home." She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then she hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot. She said Paris had once been her sanctuary - a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered. The robbery forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the digital age. For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was." Afterwards, she stopped posting her location in real time, stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts, and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury. Defence lawyers have asked the court for leniency, citing the defendants' age and health. But prosecutors insist that criminal experience, not frailty, defined the gang.
West Australian
23-05-2025
- West Australian
Verdict due in Kim Kardashian jewellery heist trial
A decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian's luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court is set to decide the verdict in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history. Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out - or aiding - the crime during the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian's Paris home, bound her with zip-ties and vanished with $US6 million ($A9.4 million) in jewels. At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, a veteran of the Paris criminal underworld. Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence. His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case. Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. The loot was never found. Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier, and blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" - someone prosecutors say never existed. The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs" - the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute. But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances. The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a verdict. The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted on Friday, they could face life in prison. Kardashian's testimony earlier in May was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of October 2, 2016. "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said. "I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home." She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then she hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot. She said Paris had once been her sanctuary - a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered. The robbery forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the digital age. For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was." Afterwards, she stopped posting her location in real time, stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts, and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury. Defence lawyers have asked the court for leniency, citing the defendants' age and health. But prosecutors insist that criminal experience, not frailty, defined the gang.
Perth Now
23-05-2025
- Perth Now
Verdict due in Kim Kardashian jewellery heist trial
A decade after robbers stormed Kim Kardashian's luxury residence and tied her up at gunpoint, a Paris court is set to decide the verdict in one of the most audacious celebrity heists in modern French history. Nine men and a woman stand accused of carrying out - or aiding - the crime during the 2016 Paris Fashion Week, when masked men dressed as police entered Kardashian's Paris home, bound her with zip-ties and vanished with $US6 million ($A9.4 million) in jewels. At the heart of the trial is 70-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, a veteran of the Paris criminal underworld. Prosecutors have asked for a 10-year sentence. His DNA, found on the zip-ties used to bind Kardashian, cracked open the case. Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices, and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. The loot was never found. Khedache claims he was only a foot soldier, and blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" - someone prosecutors say never existed. The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs" - the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. Some read the proceedings from a screen, hard of hearing and nearly mute. But prosecutors warned observers not to be seduced by soft appearances. The trial is being heard by a panel of three judges and six jurors, who will need a majority vote to reach a verdict. The defendants face charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association. If convicted on Friday, they could face life in prison. Kardashian's testimony earlier in May was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of October 2, 2016. "I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said. "I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home." She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then she hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot. She said Paris had once been her sanctuary - a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered. The robbery forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the digital age. For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was." Afterwards, she stopped posting her location in real time, stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts, and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury. Defence lawyers have asked the court for leniency, citing the defendants' age and health. But prosecutors insist that criminal experience, not frailty, defined the gang.
Perth Now
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Shakespeare's four folios set for action in London
William Shakespeare's four folios published more than 300 years ago are to go on auction in London. They are expected to fetch between £3.5 million ($A7.3 million) and £4.5 million ($A9.4 million). The books, which compile Shakespeare's plays, will go on sale at Sotheby's on May 23, a month after the Bard's birthday on April 23. Experts say the first folio, which contains 36 of Shakespeare's plays, is "the most significant publication in the history of English literature", adding that without it up to half of the writer's plays would have been lost, including Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar. Alongside the King James Bible, the auctioneers say the book has had "the greatest impact on the development of the English language itself". The first book's initial print run is thought to have been around 750 copies, which prompted the release of the subsequent volumes to keep up with demand, with the books published between 1623 and 1685. The folios were put together by John Heminges and Henry Condell, who were close friends of Shakespeare as actors and shareholders in the King's Men, the acting company to which Shakespeare belonged for most of his career. Shakespeare even left the pair money for a mourning ring in his will. The earliest recorded purchase of the first folio was in December 1623, when Edward Dering bought two copies for £2. The third folio is the rarest of the books, with the Shakespeare Census listing 182 copies still in existence, just over half of the number of surviving second and the fourth folios. It is believed the third book's rarity is because a proportion of stock was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Born in 1564, Shakespeare is considered one of Britain's greatest writers, with his best known plays including Romeo And Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet. He died on his birthday in 1616 aged 52.
