lsi-dsp.co.uk

Author: business

  • Kim Kardashian jewelry heist trial kicks off after 2016 Paris robbery

    Kim Kardashian jewelry heist trial kicks off after 2016 Paris robbery

    Juliette Jabkhiro, Makini Brice, Richard Lough
     |  Reuters

    play

    PARIS − The trial over a 2016 heist that saw reality star Kim Kardashian robbed at gunpoint is kicking off.

    The accused, a group dubbed the “grandpa robbers,” are on trial for stealing jewelry worth millions of euros from Kardashian during Paris Fashion Week nearly a decade ago.

    Several of the accused were of or near retirement age at the time of the 2016 heist, which was considered, when it happened, to be the biggest robbery involving an individual in France for more than 20 years.

    Kardashian will travel to Paris in May to give evidence in the trial, starting April 28 and expected to run for almost a month, her lawyer previously confirmed.

    Yes, Kim Kardashian is rich. Money doesn’t protect her from robbery trauma, experts say

    The suspects, wearing ski masks and clothes with police markings, tied up the billionaire celebrity with zip ties and duct tape before making off with a $4 million engagement ring, given to her by then-husband Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), and other jewels, according to investigators.

    “They kept on saying ‘the ring, the ring’,” Kardashian told David Letterman in a 2020 interview, during which she fought back tears as she recalled her fears of being raped that night.

    “I kept looking at the concierge,” she continued, referring to the concierge of the exclusive building who had been forced at gunpoint to lead the gang to her apartment. “I was like, ‘Are we going to die? Just tell them I have children, I have babies … I have to get home.’”

    Concierge in Kim Kardashian robbery speaks out

    DNA traces found on plastic bands used to tie the wrists of Kardashian helped police make arrests the following January.

    In total, 10 people will be tried by the criminal court. Five of them face armed robbery and kidnapping charges. The others are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorised possession of a weapon.

    One of the accused, Yunice Abbas, 71, has admitted his participation in the robbery, writing a book about his role. Abbas, who had spent 20 years of his working life in jail, told French television channel TF1 the “big job was to be the last.”

    He said he had been told a big diamond was the target, but was not aware the “The Kardashians” star was the one wearing it.

    Chloe Arnoux, a lawyer representing Aomar Ait Khedache – nicknamed “Omar the Old” and accused of being the group’s ringleader, which he denies – said her client could end up spending the rest of his life in prison due to his age.

    She said in an interview with BFM TV that he had written to Kardashian to apologize, but his letter had been intercepted by officials.

    Contributing: Reuters

  • Garth Brooks joins Luke Combs for epic cameo

    Garth Brooks joins Luke Combs for epic cameo

    play

    What’s enough to knock the focus off Luke Combs during his headlining set at Stagecoach over the weekend?

    Try a surprise guest appearance by Garth Brooks to sing the country hit to end all country hits: “Friends in Low Places.” Yep, that’ll definitely do it!

    And so, it was that Combs put a most thunderous finishing touch on what will surely go down as one of the most epic headlining sets in recent Stagecoach history.

    Combs keyed up expectations as he told fans something special was on the way to help him close out an already-rousing festival set. Playing somewhat coy, he sang the first portion of “Friends in Low Places,” only for Brooks to quietly appear on stage and take over.

    Why did Luke Combs write ‘Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma’? See the lyrics, story behind the song

    The crowd, at first shocked, and then raucously delighted, seemed unable to believe their ears.

    What transpired over the next few minutes felt like a shot — or three — of pure Stagecoach adrenaline, stronger and more intoxicating than any of the varied liquors that had been guzzled all over the Empire Polo Club grounds over the previous 72 hours.

    The Garth Brooks news is a big disappointment − and an important reminder

    It felt like nearly everyone in the crowd was singing along as Brooks and Combs — both sporting big grins — drank in the moment, turning the vocal work over to the crowd for large portions of the song but interjecting just enough to remind us that we were witnessing country music lore in the making.

    Finally, Combs yelled, “It’s Garth Freaking Brooks, everybody!” We didn’t need the explanation, but the crowd, of course, roared anyway.

    It was Brooks himself who delivered what will probably be the most-remembered line of the night when he referred to Combs as a “future Hall of Famer.”

    It’s a title that Combs earned through a grueling 90-minute set in the California desert, leading the crowd through a commanding barrage of his biggest hits.

    Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ is topping charts thanks to Luke Combs: ‘Honored to be there’

    The country music star headlined Stagecoach just three years ago, but his set this time around was strikingly different. Many of his most beloved hits, featured heavily during the April 27 show, had not even been released at the time of that last show.

    It served as yet another sign that Combs’ career is as white-hot with success now as it was then.

    While Brooks stole the show, he wasn’t the only high-profile guest to join Combs on stage. Pop punk band Good Charlotte also made an appearance to sing their hit “The Anthem,” alongside Combs and Bailey Zimmerman — an up-and-comer who appeared at Stagecoach in 2024 and 2023 — came out to perform a new song called “Backup Plan.”

    Still, it was Comb’s voice that kept audiences captivating, his signature country croon ringing out over a rapt stadium.

    Watch Cleveland native Tracy Chapman perform ‘Fast Car’ with Luke Combs at the Grammys

    While there was no shortage of highlights, it was hard to beat the sheer power of his “Hurricane” performance, or the cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” − a sleeper hit for the country artist. Then again, I’ll also have a hard time getting over the hard-charging spectacle of “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma.”

    When he was finished wrapping up his own set, Combs hopped stages to lend his talents to the festival’s actual final act: the Backstreet Boys.

    Showing up to sing “I Want It That Way,” he helped give the classic 2000s hit a country twang.

    I have a feeling it won’t be the last time we see Combs show up to blow the doors off someone else’s set at Stagecoach.

    Someday, an elder Combs might even have to come back to crown the next “Luke Combs” just like Brooks did tonight.

    Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

  • Kehlani responds to Cornell cancellation, denies being antisemitic

    Kehlani responds to Cornell cancellation, denies being antisemitic

    play

    Kehlani is speaking out after her performance at Cornell University was canceled over what the school described as “hateful views.”

    The R&B star, 30, in an Instagram video on April 26 said “I am not antisemitic” in response to Cornell scrapping plans for her to headline its “Slope Day” year-end celebration.

    Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said he rescinded Kehlani’s invitation after hearing “grave concerns” that a performer “who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media” would be featured.

    In Kehlani’s video, the “After Hours” singer maintained “for the millionth time” that they are not “anti-Jew” but is instead “anti-genocide” and “anti the actions of the Israeli government.”

    USA TODAY has reached out to Cornell for comment.

    “I’m asked to clarify because this keeps coming up as a means to silence me, as a means to stop things that happen in my career, as a means to change the course of my life, and I just don’t believe that,” Kehlani said.

    Kehlani axed from Cornell performance over ‘hateful views,’ Gaza comments

    Kehlani has been a vocal supporter of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Grammy nominee appeared before a Palestinian flag in the 2024 video for their song “Next 2 U” and has expressed opposition to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and ongoing military campaign there.

    Kehlani denies allegation she is member of a ‘cult’ amid custody battle with ex

    The artist also once described Zionists, a term which can take on different meanings but which many view as supporters of a Jewish state, as “scum.”

    In the caption of the video, Kehlani said that in addition to the Cornell cancellation, “now there are attempts at other cancellations,” without providing details.

    “This is a played out game,” the singer wrote. “all this because we want people to stop dying.”

    Kehlani said she was filming the video while working on a new album and while in the presence “of my Jewish and Palestinian best friend and my Jewish engineer,” both of whom briefly appeared on camera in the background. But in the caption, she described this “friend flex” as “SATIRE & SARCASmmmmm.”

    Kehlani’s video received more than 200,000 likes on Instagram, including from Melissa Barrera, the actress who was fired from “Scream 7” over comments she made in support of Palestine that production company Spyglass alleged constituted “hate speech.”

    Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

  • Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' tour kicks offEntertainment

    Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' tour kicks offEntertainment

    Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour kicks offEntertainment

  • Drag queen Jiggly Caliente dies after leg amputationEntertainment

    Drag queen Jiggly Caliente dies after leg amputationEntertainment

    Drag queen Jiggly Caliente dies after leg amputationEntertainment

  • Scott Pelley of ’60 Minutes’ wades into resignation, Paramount drama

    Scott Pelley of ’60 Minutes’ wades into resignation, Paramount drama

    play

    Turmoil at “60 Minutes” spilled from behind the scenes to front of camera over the weekend. 

    In a rare on-air rebuke April 27, longtime correspondent for the CBS newsmagazine Scott Pelley said the broadcaster’s parent company Paramount had become heavy-handed in its oversight. 

    His comments came in response to executive producer Bill Owens’ resignation from the show last week. Owens resigned after saying he had lost journalistic independence.

    “It was hard on him and hard on us,” Pelley said. “But he did it for us and you.

    “Stories we’ve pursued for 57 years are often controversial: lately, the Israel-Gaza war and the Trump administration. Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way,” he continued. 

    How ‘Marcel the Shell’ landed ’60 Minutes’ correspondent Lesley Stahl for the perfect cameo

    “But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” Pelley said. “None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”

    Announcing his resignation, Owens wrote in an internal memo seen by Reuters that it had “become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it” or “to make independent decisions,” and that after defending the show “from every angle, over time with everything I could,” he had elected to step down.

    We’ve got today’s trends: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Everyone’s Talking newsletter for all the buzz.

    USA TODAY has reached out to a rep for “60 Minutes” for comment.

    Pelley’s comments come as the Trump administration bears down on media outlets it views as biased or over-critical. Both as a candidate and now as president, Donald Trump has taken legal action against several of the major news networks, and his press office has shut out some legacy media outlets from access they previously enjoyed. 

    ‘This is my whole life’: Lesley Stahl on ’60 Minutes,’ longevity and her problem being called ‘tough’

    “No one here is happy about it,” Pelley continued of the changes at “60 Minutes.” “But in resigning, Bill proved one thing: He was the right person to lead ’60 Minutes’ all along.”

    Trump sued “60 Minutes” last year over claims the show favorably edited an interview with then-opposing political candidate Kamala Harris. The program later released the transcripts of the interview and the case entered mediation in April.

    CBS as a whole is also under investigation after Federal Communications Commission chief Brendan Carr reopened a previously closed probe into the network’s alleged “news distortion.”

    These disputes arrive against the backdrop of an attempted merger between Paramount, which owns CBS, and Skydance Media, a merger that Carr and the FCC have the power to block. 

    Contributing: Reuters

  • ‘Full House’ stars talk ‘gross’ John Stamos crush questions

    ‘Full House’ stars talk ‘gross’ John Stamos crush questions

    play

    Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber always thought of “Uncle Jesse” as just that.

    The former “Full House” child stars opened up about the awkward questions they were asked about costar John Stamos during a mini-episode of their “How Rude, Tanneritos!” podcast on April 25. In the episode, the two play “Would You Rather?” when the question arises of whether they would rather marry Joey Gladstone or Jess Katsopolis.

    Both eventually agree that Joey was the better choice due to Jesse’s “toxic male traits,” said Barber, and that Joey would be “somebody that makes me laugh,” said Sweetin. But the pair admitted the question was “weird” for them.

    John Stamos talks rocking through Beach Boys stage fails, showtime hair, Bob Saget lessons

    “I’m like, I don’t know that it’s because it’s like they’re family and it’s weird,” Sweetin, 43, said. “But I guess, if you had to pick based on temperament alone, we’re going with Gladstone.”

    Barber, 48, then brought up how uncomfortable it is to be asked about the actors in this way, after becoming so close on the 1990s sitcom.

    “When people ask us in media interviews, they’re like, ‘Did you ever have a crush on John Stamos?’ No, that is a gross question,” Barber said. “They’re like our older brothers, and we do not think of them that way.”

    “Not even older brothers, like they’re like my uncles,” said Sweetin, who played the two men’s niece Stephanie Tanner on the series.

    Rob Lowe calls out LA tour guide for confusing him with John Stamos

    “There’s nothing remotely attractive about this,” Barber, who played neighbor Kimmy Gibbler, added.

    “Full House” aired from 1987 to 1995, starring Stamos, 61, Sweetin, Barber, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen and the late Bob Saget. The cast has remained close, with Stamos telling USA TODAY in July that “Bob was the one who kept us all together, he was the glue. It still hurts. He was just plucked out of our lives.”

    Saget was found dead in a Florida hotel room on Jan. 9, 2022, and his cause of death was determined to be head trauma. Before his death, the cast – sans Oslen twins – reprised their roles on the sequel series “Fuller House,” from 2016 to 2020.

  • Movies in theaters this summer: 15 must-see new releases

    Movies in theaters this summer: 15 must-see new releases

    play

    Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids.

    At movie theaters this summer, it’s going to be hard to tell which hero’s flying through the air. Might be Superman. Might be one of the Fantastic Four. Might be Tom Cruise, especially if said hero’s hanging off an airplane. Might be a Viking youngster and his dragon BFF. Or, heck, it might even be that furry rascal Stitch.

    “A little something for everybody” may seem cliché, but from huge franchises to prime-time A-listers, that’s what moviegoers will see in the films coming out between now and Labor Day. There’s a crop of scary movies, and the upcoming Stephen King adaptation isn’t one of them – instead it’s pretty darn feel-good. Brad Pitt is zooming around in a race car, a new karate kid makes his debut (with help from the old one), a bunch of rampaging dinosaurs return, and Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are acting freaky once more.

    Here’s an exclusive peek at new 15 movies you absolutely, positively must see this summer:

    ‘Lilo & Stitch’ (May 23)

    Whether animated or in “live action,” Experiment 626 – aka Stitch – is a lovably rambunctious rapscallion. Your favorite Elvis-loving fugitive alien is back on the big screen in the Disney redo, crashing down on our planet, befriending a lonely Hawaiian girl (newcomer Maia Kealoha) and becoming a part of her family.

    ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ (May 23)

    It’s not a real summer movie season until Tom Cruise is defying death for the cinematic experience. In the eighth (and what may be the last) “Mission,” his superspy Ethan Hunt teams with old friends and newer allies to keep a villainous AI and its human right-hand man (Esai Morales) from throwing the world into chaos.

    ‘Bring Her Back’ (May 30)

    Australian directors Danny and Michael Philippou, the brothers behind the 2022 summer horror hit “Talk to Me,” are back with a domestic creeper. Billy Barratt and Sora Wong star as a brother and sister who move in with their new foster mother (Sally Hawkins) and discover a terrifying ritual going on at her secluded home.

    ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ (May 30)

    The Miyagi-verse expands with the latest in the “Karate Kid” franchise. Sensei Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is approached by Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) to help train kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang). Relocated to New York City from China, the teen boy struggles to fit in and learns from both martial arts masters before a big tournament.

    ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ (May 30)

    Wes Anderson’s latest film casts Benicio Del Toro as a wealthy European who entrusts the family business to his estranged nun daughter (Mia Threapleton, Kate Winslet’s daughter). A new venture makes them the target of terrorists, assassins and other tycoons in a comedy co-starring Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Cera and Scarlett Johansson.

    ‘Ballerina’ (June 6)

    The “John Wick” franchise spinoff features Ana de Armas as Eve, an orphaned child trained by a criminal organization to be a dancer and a ruthless assassin. The rookie killer goes rogue when she finds a chance for vengeance, leading to a faceoff between her and the legendary Baba Yaga himself, Wick (Keanu Reeves).

    ‘The Life of Chuck’ (June 6)

    Based on the Stephen King novella, Mike Flanagan’s genre-bending character study about a seemingly ordinary accountant (Tom Hiddleston) involves a schoolteacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor), his nurse ex-wife (Karen Gillan), a lovable grandpa (Mark Hamill), multiple dance sequences, a haunted attic and the end of the world.

    ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (June 13)

    Dean DeBlois remakes his own 2010 animated fan favorite as a heartfelt live-action adventure. Gerard Butler returns as Viking king Stoick and Mason Thames plays his son, Hiccup, who struggles to fit in but finds newfound confidence and a place in the world when he befriends an injured Night Fury dragon named Toothless.

    ‘F1’ (June 27)

    In the racing drama directed by Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is a hired gun with a penchant for driving anything with four wheels. He’s recruited by old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) to join his underdog Formula 1 race team and tapped to mentor a rookie prodigy (Damson Idris).

    ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ (July 2)

    The latest franchise installment centers on a team including a covert agent (Scarlett Johansson) and an expert paleontologist (Jonathan Bailey) sent to the island site of the original Jurassic Park to extract dinosaur DNA for a miracle drug. There, they find a shipwrecked human family and a host of extremely dangerous mutated monsters.

    ‘Superman’ (July 11)

    James Gunn’s rebooted DC superhero universe begins in earnest with his hope-filled take on the Man of Steel. David Corenswet is the new man in Superman’s cape and (and Clark Kent’s glasses) in a movie also featuring journalist Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), supervillain Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and rambunctious superdog Krypto.

    ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (July 18)

    In the “requel” to the 1990s slasher franchise, a new crop of youngsters have covered up something bad they’ve done – in this case, a fatal car accident – and are being hunted by the deadly Hook Man. Fortunately, they get expert help from a pair of folks who have been there before: original stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

    ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ (July 25)

    Set in a retrofuturistic 1960s America, the latest Marvel adventure stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as astronauts bombarded by cosmic rays in space who have returned home as national heroes with superpowers. They’ll need those powers to stave off the imminent arrival of planet-eating bad guy Galactus.

    ‘The Naked Gun’ (Aug. 1)

    Liam Neeson trades steely stares for belly laughs in the cop spoof reboot as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. The son of original “Gun” star Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character is the new man in charge of Police Squad tasked with saving the world, dressing up as a schoolgirl and diving into puns, gags and buffoonery alongside Pamela Anderson.

    ‘Freakier Friday’ (Aug. 8)

    Body-swapping shenanigans are afoot again in the Disney sequel. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Tess Coleman and Lindsay Lohan plays grown-up Anna, whose impending nuptials spark another fantastical incident also involving Anna’s kid, Harper (Julia Butters), and her soon-to-be stepdaughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons).

  • Summer's must-see films, including 'Superman' and 'Freakier Friday'Entertain This!

    Summer's must-see films, including 'Superman' and 'Freakier Friday'Entertain This!

    Summer’s must-see films, including ‘Superman’ and ‘Freakier Friday’Entertain This!

  • What to know about merch

    What to know about merch

    play

    • Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter Tour” kicks off at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28.
    • Fans from around the world arrived days early in anticipation, eager to experience the opening night.
    • The tour, supporting her Grammy-winning album “Cowboy Carter,” includes 32 stadium shows across the U.S. and Europe.
    • The album and tour have resonated with fans, fostering a sense of community and cultural connection.

    It’s tiime!

    Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will finally debut her “Cowboy Carter” tour, and fans from all over the world have been arriving in Los Angeles days early in preparation for the moment she steps a foot onto the stage.

    The 35-time Grammy winning singer is set to launch her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour at SoFi Stadium on April 28 at 7 p.m. PT.

    A day before the opening how, Beyoncé’s official “Cowboy Carter” merch truck arrived outside the stadium to prepping to welcome an influx of fans when it officially opens Monday afternoon. However, some fans eagerly visited SoFi and passed the merch truck in anticipation of the goodies inside.

    “We just came out here to see the merch truck and feel the vibes before tomorrow’s show,” says Cory Hall, who stopped by SoFi with his friend. “We’re super excited to see the queen slay.”

    Hall’s friend traveled from Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston to witness the opening show. They are both aiming to arrive at the crack of dawn on Monday to secure a good place in line for the show.

    Other fans who travelled from places like Japan, Sweden and Brazil also made their way to the SoFi Stadium grounds a day before the show.

    “I came all the way from Brazil just to see Beyoncé,” says Alessandro Marques. “I’m actually going to two nights in London, but I was like I have to see the opening night first, so I came for the first concert.”

    As fans know, Beyoncé first announced her eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” during a surprise Super Bowl commercial in 2024 when she released singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She later revealed she would launch a nine-city tour the night before the Grammy Awards, where she took home best country album and album of the year.

    Beyoncé’s Los Angeles concert will be the first of 32 stadium shows across the U.S. and Europe. Since the initial announcement, Beyoncé has added a handful of concerts including final shows in Las Vegas. She’s also set to make history with her scheduled tour dates. The nine-city tour will wrap on July 26.

    And it’s clear it’s not just about music but culture and community as well.

    “I really connected to to Cowboy Carter. I have a lot of family from the South so it really resonated with me,” says Davion Cook, who will be attending four shows in Los Angeles. “I’m looking forward to everything. It starts really before the show. … I love the camaraderie and the family feeling of it all the most.”

    SoFi stadium doors open at 5 p.m. PT.

    Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.