Latest news with #BlueEyes'
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
How Scottish Labour's ground war delivered victory in key by-election
It was never a simple two-horse race between the SNP and Reform, despite claims by both those parties which were accepted at face value by too many observers. Labour may have lost the 'air war', but in an era when the perceived wisdom is that elections are now digital battles, Anas Sarwar's team proved that a well-oiled, old-fashioned door-to-door campaign still matters. An STV debate – which Labour's candidate Davy Russell ducked – would have been a colossal waste of time. It would have taken the candidate, senior MSPs, and the backroom team away from the streets for days to prep. What mattered was holding as many local conversations as possible. So while the media gaze was seen through a national prism, Scottish Labour gathered data on what its target voters were interested in. During the campaign, around 500 pieces of local casework were picked up, providing valuable insight on what to focus on. The decline of Hamilton town centre and the future of the neonatal unit at University Hospital Wishaw were identified as key triggers for voters. As polling day approached, seasoned activists focused on squeezing every voter they could before time ran out. In the 2023 Westminster by-election in neighbouring Rutherglen, these conversations were quick. This time, they were far longer. There was anger towards Keir Starmer's government and what is seen as an unfulfilled promise of 'change'. But widespread dissatisfaction, too, with the SNP's long record in office and the state of public services. Read More: The result hinged on how many of these conversations would take place before polling day. And thanks to an army of activists – outnumbering their rivals – and extensive data, 7,000 target voters were spoken to on Thursday alone in a co-ordinated 'get out the vote' (GOTV) strategy. Since becoming leader in 2021, Sarwar has built a backroom team that knows how to analyse data, run co-ordinated campaigns, and spend money effectively. Party 'organisers', as they are called, got Labour over the line. They were helped too by a candidate who was popular locally, despite the dismissive comments by those who dubbed him the 'invisible man' or snobbishly suggested he couldn't 'string a sentence together'. Being recognised in the bowling clubs and pubs mattered far more than taking part in a radio interview. Known for crooning Frank Sinatra songs, Russell should add Ol' Blue Eyes' version of 'They All Laughed' to his repertoire – which ends with the lyric 'who's got the last laugh now?' Scottish Labour's effective ground campaign wasn't matched by the other parties. Alan Roden (Image: Greg Macvean) The SNP has lost some of its highly respected election-winning backroom team, and the visibility of so many ministers in the constituency was a clear sign of a shortage among rank-and-file activists. However, the party did run a successful air war, with Katy Louden a polished performer in front of the media. John Swinney's team crafted a narrative that it was a two-horse race with Reform, and – with no local polling to say otherwise – the message landed in the media. Will such claims be so readily accepted again? Reform had little ground campaign to speak of, and scant data on its target voters. It threw everything at the wall to see what would stick, which was enough to come within 1,500 votes of victory. South of the border, in May's Runcorn and Helsby by-election, Reform gathered voter ID through a local petition. It is bound to adopt these kind of smart tactics as its operation grows and professionalises in Scotland. Reform must now be treated as a serious force in Scottish politics, adding to the complex dynamic and uncertainty of next year's Holyrood election. As Sarwar said yesterday, it's time for everyone to 'change the script'. Alan Roden is co-founder of Quantum Communications and a former director of communications for Scottish Labour
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Straits Times
Defendants ask forgiveness ahead of Kim Kardashian robbery verdict
Celebrity Kim Kardashian (centre) leaves with her mother Kris Jenner (right) the Assize Court after testifying in the trial on May 13. PHOTO: AFP PARIS - Defendants accused of stealing US$10 million (S$13 million) in jewellery from reality TV star Kim Kardashian in Paris in 2016 asked for forgiveness on May 23 as the court prepared to deliver its verdict. Nine men and one woman have been standing trial since April, with prosecutors seeking the toughest jail terms – 10 years – for the four men accused of carrying out the robbery. Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive hotel in the French capital on the night of Oct 2-Oct 3, 2016. She was threatened with a gun to the head and tied up, with her mouth taped. Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, accused of being the ringleader, begged to be forgiven in his final statement ahead of sentencing. Khedache is now virtually mute and completely deaf, and his statement was read out by his lawyer. Known as 'Old Omar', Khedache has admitted to tying up Kardashian but denies being the robbery mastermind. 'I ask for forgiveness. I can't find the words. I am very sorry,' he wrote, asking for 'a thousand pardons' from his son Harminy, who allegedly drove him and two accomplices the night of the theft and is also on trial. 'All I have to offer you is regret. I am sorry. I take responsibility for what I have done,' said Yunice Abbas, another of the four men risking 10 years in prison. Others took a different tack, using the opportunity to reassert their innocence. 'I never, ever took part in the jewellery theft,' said a lawyer, reading a statement on behalf of Didier Dubreucq, another of the four, before the verdict, expected in the late evening. 'Grandpa robbers' Most of the stolen valuables were never recovered, including a diamond ring given to Kardashian by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. Defendant Aomar Ait Khedache (centre) and co-defendant Harminy Ait Khedache (right) at the Assize Court of Paris, on April 28. PHOTO: AFP The ring alone was valued at €3.5 million euros (S$5.1 million). The robbery was the biggest against a private individual in France in 20 years. Most of the accused are now in their 60s and 70s and have been dubbed the 'Grandpa robbers' by French media. They have underworld nicknames like 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes' that resemble those of old-school French bandits of 1960s and 1970s films noirs. But making the sentencing demands earlier this week, the prosecutor urged the judges and jury to remember that Kardashian was targeted by a violent attack and not to be 'taken in' by the 'wrinkles' of the defendants. The American star testified at the trial last week, wearing a diamond necklace valued at US$3 million, according to its New York-based creator Samer Halimeh. Kardashian said she feared she would be raped and killed by the masked men who held her at gunpoint. 'I thought I was going to die,' said Kardashian, who is among the world's most followed people on Instagram and X. The trial has attracted huge media attention and crowds have flocked around the court in Paris's historic Ile de la Cite area hoping for a glimpse of the celebrity. 'I forgive you' During the trial, Kardashian told the court she forgave Khedache after hearing a letter of apology from him. 'I forgive you for what has taken place but it does not change the emotion, the feelings, the trauma and the way my life changed,' she told Khedache, adding that she believed in a 'second chance'. None of the defendants are currently in detention and, even if convicted, their lawyers' main aim will be to prevent their elderly clients going back to prison. Exceptionally, the presiding judge allowed them to all leave the courthouse before the verdict is delivered, saying they must be present from 5pm GMT even if the ruling is expected some time later. Khedache's lawyer argued on May 22 that his client should not go back to jail: 'At that age, a prison sentence is life imprisonment. 'I'm asking you to rise to the occasion. And it's not just me asking you, Mrs Kardashian is asking you,' said Mr Frank Berton, pointing to her statement to the court. Kardashian, sometimes described as 'famous for being famous', became well known in the early 2000s through TV reality shows, before launching fashion brands and appearing in films. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Kuwait Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Kim Kardashian testifies in Paris multi-million-dollar robbery trial
A-list celebrity Kim Kardashian is to testify in a Paris court on Tuesday, an eagerly awaited appearance nearly a decade after being robbed of millions of dollars of jewelry during the French capital's fashion week. Ten suspects have been on trial since late April over the armed robbery in 2016, which saw jewelry worth some $10 million stolen from the reality TV star and influencer. The trial has attracted huge media attention, with close to 500 reporters accredited. Kardashian is ready to 'confront' her Paris attackers, her lawyers said last week. 'She is committed to attending in person,' French lawyers Leonor Hennerick and Jonathan Mattout told AFP last week, saying she would do so 'with dignity and courage'. She is due to take the stand at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT). On the night of October 2-3, 2016, Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive, discreet hotel in central Paris. She was threatened with a gun to the head and tied up with her mouth taped. Lawyers have not divulged what exactly Kardashian, who has been keeping abreast of developments at the trial, will say in her court appearance. During what the French press has dubbed the 'heist of the century', masked men walked away with millions of dollars' worth of jewels. That included a diamond ring given to Kardashian by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West, and valued at 3.5 million euros ($3.9 million). The theft was the most valuable to target a private individual in France in 20 years. Those on trial are mainly men in their 60s and 70s with previous criminal records. They have underworld nicknames like 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes' that resemble those of old-school French bandits of 1960s and 1970s films noirs. 'They're quite a team,' said investigator Michel Malecot. 'But they made some mistakes', he said, notably by leaving DNA that allowed investigators to identify them. 'Crying hysterically' Sixty-eight-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, known as 'Old Omar', has admitted to tying up Kardashian but denies being the mastermind behind the robbery. Another suspect in the dock, 71-year-old Yunice Abbas, later wrote a book about the heist. In it he describes how his bag became caught in the wheel of his escape vehicle, a bicycle, causing him to fall off and have to scramble to shove the loot back in the bag. Investigators said a man called Gary Madar, the brother of Kardashian's driver in Paris, tipped the suspects off that Kardashian was 'in French territory'. This allegation has been ridiculed by Madar's lawyer, who remarked that 350 million online followers were already aware of the star's whereabouts. The night of the robbery could have gone very differently had Kardashian joined her sister Kourtney and gone clubbing, an idea she entertained before deciding to stay in the hotel, the court heard last week. Her designated driver, Michael Madar -- whose company was billing the Kardashian/West couple up to 400,000 euros per year to provide security -- had been working non-stop for 21 hours and asked a colleague to replace him for the trip to the night club. The replacement, Mohammed Q., and a Kardashian bodyguard, Pascal D., rushed back to the hotel after Kardashian tried to call them and then failed to pick up her phone when they called back. 'I saw that the lift was on the first floor, where Kim was staying,' Pascal D. told the court. When he found her, Kardashian 'was in a terrible state. She was crying hysterically', he told the court. 'I asked what had happened, and she said she'd been robbed.' Kardashian, her lawyers said, 'is genuinely grateful' for the way the French authorities have handled the investigation, showing her 'the utmost respect and consideration'. The US celebrity, sometimes described as being 'famous for being famous', became well known in the early 2000s through TV reality shows, before launching fashion brands and appearing in a number of films. She is among the world's most followed people on Instagram and X. She has been named among the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, and among the most powerful women by Fortune magazine. The trial is set to close on May 23. - AFP
Malay Mail
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Kardashian ready to ‘confront' her Paris attackers in court, say lawyers
PARIS, May 5 — Kim Kardashian is ready to 'confront' her Paris attackers as the US celebrity prepares to testify in person next week at a trial over an armed robbery of her jewellery in 2016, her lawyers said today. 'She is committed to attending in person the trial and to confronting those who attacked her. She will do so with dignity and courage,' her French lawyers Leonor Hennerick and Jonathan Mattout told AFP. In late April, 10 suspects went on trial in Paris over the 2016 robbery of the US celebrity, which saw some US$10 million (RM42 million) worth of jewellery stolen from the reality TV star and influencer. On the night of October 2-3, 2016, Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive hotel in central Paris. She was threatened with a gun to the head and tied up with her mouth taped up. Kardashian, who has been keeping abreast of developments during the first week of the trial, is due to testify on May 13 in a court appearance certain to attract huge media attention. The lawyers, who are representing Kardashian alongside her American counsel Michael Rhodes, declined to comment on the content of her upcoming testimony. 'We want to give everyone the opportunity to hear her testimony in her own words so we won't be commenting on the substance of what she will say,' they said in a statement. During what the French press has dubbed the 'the heist of the century', masked men walked away from the Parisian hotel with millions of dollars worth of jewels in 2016, including a diamond ring gifted by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. The theft was the biggest against a private individual in France in the past 20 years. Those on trial are mainly men in their 60s and 70s with previous criminal records and underworld nicknames like 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes' that recall the old-school French bandits of 1960s and 1970s film noirs. Kardashian, her lawyers said, 'is genuinely grateful for the way in which the French authorities conducted the investigation that led to the discovery of the persons facing charges in this trial. 'Throughout the process, the utmost respect and consideration has been given for Ms. Kardashian,' they said. She 'will cooperate with the judicial process and answer all questions,' her lawyers added. The trial is due to last until May 23. — AFP
Al Arabiya
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Kim Kardashian ready to ‘confront' Paris attackers: Lawyers
Kim Kardashian is ready to 'confront' her Paris attackers as the US celebrity prepares to testify in person next week at a trial over an armed robbery of her jewelry in 2016, her lawyers said Monday. 'She is committed to attending in person the trial and to confronting those who attacked her. She will do so with dignity and courage,' her French lawyers Leonor Hennerick and Jonathan Mattout told AFP. In late April, 10 suspects went on trial in Paris over the 2016 robbery of the US celebrity, which saw some $10 million worth of jewelry stolen from the reality TV star and influencer. On the night of October 2-3, 2016, Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive hotel in central Paris. She was threatened with a gun to the head and tied up with her mouth taped up. Kardashian, who has been keeping abreast of developments during the first week of the trial, is due to testify on May 13 in a court appearance certain to attract huge media attention. The lawyers, who are representing Kardashian alongside her American counsel Michael Rhodes, declined to comment on the content of her upcoming testimony. 'We want to give everyone the opportunity to hear her testimony in her own words so we won't be commenting on the substance of what she will say,' they said in a statement. During what the French press has dubbed the 'the heist of the century', masked men walked away from the Parisian hotel with millions of dollars worth of jewels in 2016, including a diamond ring gifted by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West. The theft was the biggest against a private individual in France in the past 20 years. Those on trial are mainly men in their 60s and 70s with previous criminal records and underworld nicknames like 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes' that recall the old-school French bandits of 1960s and 1970s film noirs. Kardashian, her lawyers said, 'is genuinely grateful for the way in which the French authorities conducted the investigation that led to the discovery of the persons facing charges in this trial. 'Throughout the process, the utmost respect and consideration has been given for Ms. Kardashian,' they said. She 'will cooperate with the judicial process and answer all questions,' her lawyers added. The trial is due to last until May 23.
