Latest news with #Didier
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
HT Kick Off: June can be a tricky window
'The party is just getting started. Didier is going to find us in a strange state.' To everything the latest version of Ousmane Dembele is known for – a 33-goal season where he can basically play anywhere in an ever-dynamic Paris St-Germain (PSG) line-up – add a whacky, off-beat sense of humour. Of the kind Didier Deschamps may not dig. But seriously, here was a player celebrating his first Champions League medal, in the process possibly not noticing when Saturday bled into Sunday. Here was a team celebrating collectivism which took them to where they had wanted to be a billion euros ago. It deserved a party from which you wouldn't want to leave. Instead, Dembele and a host of PSG and Inter Milan players had to shrug it all off and report for international duty in less than 48 hours. Which meant Vitinha (180.2km) and Joao Neves (184.3km), who between them have covered the most distance of all players in the Champions League, and Nuno Mendes had to play in three days as Portugal beat Germany 2-1 in the National League semi-final. And Lee Kang-in got just a little more time to savour being only the second Asian to win a Champions League winner's medal. In all, 13 players from the rosters in Munich on Saturday were called for international duty. Of all the international windows, the one in June can be tricky for a national team coach. It was in this window in 2013 that Igor Stimac's Croatia lost to Scotland, triggering a string of poor results that led to his resignation. What makes the June dates difficult is that summer holidays beckon after a long, gruelling season but you have to lace up for a couple of more games. Games that can be the Nations League semi-final or a crucial World Cup qualifier. Games your future in the national team could hinge on. Ask Pedro Porro. It was a long time of Jesus Navas and Dani Carvajal doing their stuff before Porro could consolidate his position in Spain line-up. Not for him the chance to bask in the sweet aftertaste of helping Tottenham Hotspur win their first trophy in Europe after 1984. In the week of Porro lining up against France, his Spurs skipper Son Heung-min was trying to help South Korea. All the while not thinking about who will be managing their club next term. And as soon as the international engagements are done with, many of the world's elite will have to get ready for the hot American summer for the Club World Cup. Holidays? What's that. Manolo Marquez is grappling with a different kind of problem. The last time before the friendly against Thailand on Wednesday his players had a competitive game was over one month ago. Marquez can be happy India dominated most of the tie, that the debutants did okay but definitely not about such a poor xG. After a two-week break, India players had assembled for a preparatory camp in Kolkata before heading out to Thailand and from there to Kowloon City where they will play Hong Kong. Every team in this group are where they were in March so here's a chance for India to start afresh. Thailand's season ended on Saturday, Hong Kong's on May 25 and that could make the Asian Cup qualifier against India as one between teams in vastly different states of preparedness. I am not sure which is better. But given how listless India were against Bangladesh at home when because the season was on in full swing it should have been the opposite, I live in hope.
AU Financial Review
28-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
The Beach Hotel in Byron sells for $140m
Businessman Scott Didier has purchased The Beach Hotel in Byron Bay off market for $140 million from Redcape Hotel Group, marking the second-highest price paid in a pub trade on record. Didier, who is also chief executive of ASX-listed construction company Johns Lyng Group and a prolific philanthropist, and his family have bought the prominent hotel as a personal investment.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Time of India
Kim Kardashian robbery suspect bragged about theft in book "I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian"; says he 'regrets it'
At the Paris trial of 10 people accused of robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in 2016, a defendant who wrote a book about the jewellery heist Tuesday said he regretted participating while one of his co-accused vehemently denied any involvement. Yunice Abbas, 71, says he remained in a Paris hotel lobby on the lookout while two other suspects on the night of October 2-3, 2016 stormed into her room, tied her up and made away with around $10 million worth of her jewels. But Abbas has sought to capitalise on the crime by publishing his version of events in a 2021 book titled "I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian". A prosecutor held up a copy of the book in court, and the presiding judge asked the author why he had bragged about the theft. Sitting in the dock in a short-sleeved check shirt, Abbas shook his head vigorously from left to right. "It makes me very uneasy," said the short bald man, adding that he "totally regretted" taking part in the theft. Abbas has said he arrived at the scene of the robbery on a bicycle then left by the same means, dropping a bag of loot as he fled. He picked it up but missed a diamond necklace, the only item that police were able to retrieve from the holdup. Abbas told the hearing stealing from Kardashian was the one job "too many" that "opened his eyes" to his wrongdoing. The defendant, who now has Parkinson's disease, held his right hand over his left placed on his heart throughout the court session. He said it was to stop it from racing when he became anxious. The presiding judge on Tuesday reviewed the accused's criminal past. He listed, among others, a conviction for fake number plates for carrying out robberies, another for equipping cars with secret compartments to hide cannabis, and a third for armed robbery in which Abbas held a gun. - Not a 'thug' - One of his co-accused, Didier Dubreucq, similarly faced questions of his past convictions. Arriving in the afternoon after receiving chemotherapy -- having been diagnosed with cancer while in pretrial detention -- Didier assured the court he was physically and mentally capable of speaking. "Does it bother you if I say that back then you were a robber?" court president David De Pas asked, referring to Didier's convictions of armed robberies decades ago for which he already served a 23-year sentence. "I'm a good guy," the 69-year-old said, rejecting suggestions that he was a "thug". Since becoming a father at the age of 50, Didier said he put an end to the "big mistakes" he committed in the past and denied being involved in robbing Kardashian. Although in recent years he nicknamed her "Karda-bothersome, because unintentionally, she ruined my life", Didier acknowledged with a piercing gaze that matched his alias "Blue Eyes". - 'Easy shortcuts' - Earlier, Abbas explained his history, saying that he had "moments of weakness" when he needed money. "I fell back on things that I thought were easy shortcuts but only ended up complicating my life," he said. Between past convictions he worked as a car mechanic, working for others or re-opening a closed workshop. Abbas, like all other nine defendants, is not in custody. He said one of his neighbours had joked on Monday night, after he returned home from the first day of the trial, that the court had effectively already freed him. His lawyer asked him if he would however be prepared to be punished if found guilty. "You're never ready. But of course, there'll be a price to pay," he said. Kardashian, 44, is due to testify on May 13 in a highly anticipated appearance. Those on trial -- nine men and a woman -- are mainly men in their 60s and 70s with previous criminal records and underworld nicknames like "Old Omar" and "Blue Eyes". But the lawyer for one of the victims on Monday was eager to dispel the image of "kind old men" on trial for the robbery during Paris Fashion Week. Henri de Beauregard, who represents the night receptionist forced to accompany the robbers to Kardashian's room, said the public must not fall for the "myth of friendly, Robin Hood-style pensioners".
RNZ News
29-04-2025
- RNZ News
71-year-old Kardashian robbery suspect says heist was one 'too many'
By Marie Dhumieres , AFP Kim Kardashian. Photo: MICHAEL TRAN / AFP At the Paris trial of 10 people accused of robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in 2016 , a defendant who wrote a book about the jewellery heist Tuesday said he regretted participating while one of his co-accused vehemently denied any involvement. Yunice Abbas, 71, says he remained in a Paris hotel lobby on the lookout while two other suspects on the night of 2-3 October, 2016 stormed into her room, tied her up and made away with around US$10 million ($NZ16.8m) worth of her jewels. But Abbas has sought to capitalise on the crime by publishing his version of events in a 2021 book titled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian . A prosecutor held up a copy of the book in court, and the presiding judge asked the author why he had bragged about the theft. Sitting in the dock in a short-sleeved check shirt, Abbas shook his head vigorously from left to right. "It makes me very uneasy," said the short bald man, adding that he "totally regretted" taking part in the theft. Abbas has said he arrived at the scene of the robbery on a bicycle then left by the same means, dropping a bag of loot as he fled. He picked it up but missed a diamond necklace, the only item that police were able to retrieve from the holdup. Abbas told the hearing stealing from Kardashian was the one job "too many" that "opened his eyes" to his wrongdoing. The defendant, who now has Parkinson's disease, held his right hand over his left placed on his heart throughout the court session. He said it was to stop it from racing when he became anxious. The presiding judge on Tuesday reviewed the accused's criminal past. He listed, among others, a conviction for fake number plates for carrying out robberies, another for equipping cars with secret compartments to hide cannabis, and a third for armed robbery in which Abbas held a gun. Yunice Abbas, one of five men who robbed US media personality Kim Kardashian at her hotel in Paris in 2016, poses during a photo session for the release of his book in Paris on 28 January, 2021. Photo: AFP / Joel Saget One of his co-accused, Didier Dubreucq, similarly faced questions of his past convictions. Arriving in the afternoon after receiving chemotherapy - having been diagnosed with cancer while in pretrial detention - Didier assured the court he was physically and mentally capable of speaking. "Does it bother you if I say that back then you were a robber?" court president David De Pas asked, referring to Didier's convictions of armed robberies decades ago for which he already served a 23-year sentence. "I'm a good guy," the 69-year-old said, rejecting suggestions that he was a "thug". Since becoming a father at the age of 50, Didier said he put an end to the "big mistakes" he committed in the past and denied being involved in robbing Kardashian. Although in recent years he nicknamed her "Karda-bothersome, because unintentionally, she ruined my life", Didier acknowledged with a piercing gaze that matched his alias 'Blue Eyes'. Plaintiff Abderrahmane Ouatiki, (C) arrives with his lawyers Henri de Beauregard (L) and Mohand Ouidja (R) for the start of the trial for the 2016 robbery and kidnapping of US celebrity Kim Kardashian. Photo: BERTRAND GUAY / AFP Earlier, Abbas explained his history, saying that he had "moments of weakness" when he needed money. "I fell back on things that I thought were easy shortcuts but only ended up complicating my life," he said. Between past convictions he worked as a car mechanic, working for others or re-opening a closed workshop. Abbas, like all other nine defendants, is not in custody. He said one of his neighbours had joked on Monday night, after he returned home from the first day of the trial, that the court had effectively already freed him. His lawyer asked him if he would however be prepared to be punished if found guilty. "You're never ready. But of course, there'll be a price to pay," he said. Kardashian, 44, is due to testify on 13 May in a highly anticipated appearance. Those on trial - nine men and a woman - are mainly men in their 60s and 70s with previous criminal records and underworld nicknames like 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes'. But the lawyer for one of the victims on Monday was eager to dispel the image of "kind old men" on trial for the robbery during Paris Fashion Week. Henri de Beauregard, who represents the night receptionist forced to accompany the robbers to Kardashian's room, said the public must not fall for the "myth of friendly, Robin Hood-style pensioners". - AFP
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Straits Times
Kim Kardashian robbery suspect says heist was one ‘too many'
After Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in 2016, defendant Yunice Abbas sought to capitalise on the crime by writing a book about it. PHOTOS: REUTERS, EPA-EFE PARIS - At the Paris trial of 10 people accused of robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in 2016, a defendant who wrote a book about the jewellery heist on April 29 said he regretted participating, while one of his co-accused vehemently denied any involvement. Yunice Abbas, 71, says he remained in a Paris hotel lobby on the lookout while two other suspects on the night of Oct 2-3, 2016, stormed into her room, tied her up and made away with around US$10 million (S$13.14 million) worth of her jewels. But Abbas has sought to capitalise on the crime by publishing his version of events in a 2021 book, entitled I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian. A prosecutor held up a copy of the book in court, and the presiding judge asked the author why he had bragged about the theft. Sitting in the dock in a short-sleeved check shirt, Abbas shook his head vigorously from left to right. 'It makes me very uneasy,' said the short bald man, adding that he 'totally regretted' taking part in the theft. Abbas has said he arrived at the scene of the robbery on a bicycle then left by the same means, dropping a bag of loot as he fled. He picked it up but missed a diamond necklace, the only item that police were able to retrieve from the holdup. Abbas told the hearing stealing from Kardashian was the one job 'too many' that 'opened his eyes' to his wrongdoing. The defendant, who now has Parkinson's disease, held his right hand over his left placed on his heart throughout the court session. He said it was to stop it from racing when he became anxious. The presiding judge on April 29 reviewed the accused's criminal past. He listed, among others, a conviction for fake number plates for carrying out robberies, another for equipping cars with secret compartments to hide cannabis, and a third for armed robbery in which Abbas held a gun. Not a 'thug' One of his co-accused, Didier Dubreucq, similarly faced questions of his past convictions. Arriving in the afternoon after receiving chemotherapy – having been diagnosed with cancer while in pre-trial detention – Didier assured the court he was physically and mentally capable of speaking. 'Does it bother you if I say that back then you were a robber?' court president David De Pas asked, referring to Didier's convictions of armed robberies decades ago for which he already served a 23-year sentence. 'I'm a good guy,' the 69-year-old said, rejecting suggestions that he was a 'thug'. Since becoming a father at the age of 50, Didier said he put an end to the 'big mistakes' he committed in the past and denied being involved in robbing Kardashian. Although in recent years he nicknamed her 'Karda-bothersome, because unintentionally, she ruined my life', Didier acknowledged with a piercing gaze that matched his alias 'Blue Eyes'. Defendants Marc Boyer (left) and Aomar Ait Khedache arriving at court on April 28. PHOTOS: EPA-EFE 'Easy shortcuts' Earlier, Abbas explained his history, saying that he had 'moments of weakness' when he needed money. 'I fell back on things that I thought were easy shortcuts but only ended up complicating my life,' he said. Between past convictions he worked as a car mechanic, working for others or re-opening a closed workshop. Abbas, like all other nine defendants, is not in custody. He said one of his neighbours had joked on the night of April 28, after he returned home from the first day of the trial, that the court had effectively already freed him. His lawyer asked him if he would however be prepared to be punished if found guilty. 'You're never ready. But of course, there'll be a price to pay,' he said. Defendant Gary Madar (centre) arriving for the opening day of the trial, on April 28. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Kardashian, 44, is due to testify on May 13 in a highly anticipated appearance. Those on trial – nine men and a woman – are mainly men in their 60s and 70s with previous criminal records and underworld nicknames like 'Old Omar' and 'Blue Eyes'. But the lawyer for one of the victims on April 28 was eager to dispel the image of 'kind old men' on trial for the robbery during Paris Fashion Week. Mr Henri de Beauregard, who represents the night receptionist forced to accompany the robbers to Kardashian's room, said the public must not fall for the 'myth of friendly, Robin Hood-style pensioners'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
