Paris

VLADIMIR Putin is known for keeping his personal and family life very private, but some details about the tyrant’s children have surfaced over the years.

Maria Vorontsova (née Putin, born April 28, 1985): His eldest, 39, leads government-funded programs personally overseen by Putin, which have received billions from the Kremlin for genetic research.

She is the first of two daughters of Putin and his ex-wife, Lyudmila Putina.

Maria is said to be an expert in rare genetic diseases in children, and also dwarfism, according to reports.

She was married to Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen.

In 2013, the couple were living in a penthouse in Voorschoten, the Netherlands, but the following year, Dutch residents called for her to be expelled following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 by pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine.

The pair are believed to have moved the Moscow the following year.

In March 2022, it was reported that the couple had split after the war in Ukraine crushed Maria’s dreams of opening a money-spinning clinic for wealthy foreigners in Russia

Katerina Tikhonova (née Putin, born August 31, 1986): Also daughter of Putin and Lyudmila, 38-year-old Katerina is a tech boss whose work supports the Russian government and defence industry.

She started as a “rock’n’roll” dancer before moving into the world of artificial intelligence.

In 2013, his daughter Katerina married Kirill Shamalov, whose father, Nikolai, is a longtime friend of the president.

Nikolai Shamalov is a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, described by US officials as the Russian elite’s personal bank.

They were married in a secret ceremony at the Igor ski resort just north of St Petersburg.

It was reported at the time that the pair rode into the ceremony on a sleigh pulled by three white horses.

All the guests invited were sworn to secrecy, and the Kremlin has never confirmed that the wedding took place.

“I have a private life in which I do not permit interference,” Putin once said. “It must be respected.”

The couple had corporate holdings worth around $2 billion, according to Reuters, mainly from their large stake in Sibur Holding, a major gas and petrochemical company Kirill bought from another long-time friend of Putin, Gennady Timchenko.

Kirill also bought off Timchenko’s luxury villa in the seaside resort of Biarritz, southern France, estimated to be worth some $3.7m.

In March 2022, the house was taken over by pro-Ukraine activists, in response to Russia’s brutal invasion.

But Katerina and Kirill divorced in January 2018, with Putin’s former son in law rumoured to have been romantically involved with London-based Russian socialite Zhanna Volkova.

After the split, Kirill was said to be forced to give up his stocks in Sibur, and he lost almost half his wealth.

Their divorce settlement hasn’t been disclosed but likely runs into the millions.

Despite that, Kirill is still worth an estimated $800 million.

Putin was reported to be “quietly grooming” Katerina to be his successor.

Vlad is also rumoured to have “hidden” children, though he has never confirmed these reports.

Elizaveta Rozova (aka Luiza Rozova): Elizaveta, also known as Luiza Rozova, 21, is the rumoured love child from Putin’s alleged affair with a former cleaner.

The daughter of Svetlana Krivonogikh, who later became a millionaire, is now a fashion designer and DJ.

She often shared details from her lavish life on Instagram, until suddenly taking down the page in the wake of the Ukraine war.

Speculation also surrounds his supposed secret family with Alina Kabaeva, a former rhythmic gymnast once known as “the most flexible woman in Russia”.

Officials have denied that he has kids with Alina, but it is reported that she is in hiding in Switzerland, avoiding any possible sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war.

A petition demanding she is thrown out by the Swiss authorities has garnered 75,000 signatures, demanding that “it’s time you reunite Eva Braun with her Führer”.

Alina retired from gymnastics and took a strange career turn to become a Russian MP.

The former athlete – dubbed “Russia’s First Mistress” – the Duma, the Russian parliament in 2007, representing her alleged lover’s United Russia party but left years later to pick up a lucrative job running a media company, despite having no previous experience.

In April, Alina’s name and picture was dramatically stripped from the website of the media empire she controlled.

NEW YORK — Edmund White, the groundbreaking man of letters who documented and imagined the gay revolution through journalism, essays, plays and such novels as “A Boy’s Own Story” and “The Beautiful Room Is Empty,” has died. He was 85.

White’s death was confirmed Wednesday by his agent, Bill Clegg.

Along with Larry Kramer, Armistead Maupin and others, White was among a generation of gay writers who in the 1970s became bards for a community no longer afraid to declare its existence. He was present at the Stonewall raids of 1969, when arrests at a club in New York’s Greenwich Village led to the birth of the modern gay movement and for decades was a participant and observer through the tragedy of AIDS, the advance of gay rights and culture and the recent backlash.

A resident of New York and Paris for much of his adult life, he was a novelist, journalist, biographer, playwright, activist, teacher and memoirist. “A Boy’s Own Story” was a bestseller and classic coming-of-age novel that demonstrated gay literature’s commercial appeal. He wrote a prizewinning biography of playwright Jean Genet, along with books on Marcel Proust and Arthur Rimbaud. He was a professor of creative writing at Princeton University, where colleagues included Toni Morrison and his close friend, Joyce Carol Oates.

“Among gay writers of his generation, Edmund White has emerged as the most versatile man of letters,” cultural critic Morris Dickstein wrote in the New York Times in 1995. “A cosmopolitan writer with a deep sense of tradition, he has bridged the gap between gay subcultures and a broader literary audience.”

White was born in Cincinnati in 1940, but at age 7 moved with his mother to the Chicago area after his parents divorced. His father was a civil engineer and his mother was a psychologist. Feeling trapped and at times suicidal, White sought escape through the stories of others, including Thomas Mann’s “Death in Venice” and a biography of dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.

“As a young teenager I looked desperately for things to read that might excite me or assure me I wasn’t the only one, that might confirm my identity I was unhappily piecing together,” he wrote in the 1991 essay “Out of the Closet, on to the Bookshelf.”

As he wrote in “A Boy’s Own Story,” he knew as a child that he was attracted to boys but for years was convinced he must change — out of a desire to please his father (whom he otherwise despised) and a wish to be “normal.” Even as he secretly wrote a “coming out” novel while a teenager, he insisted on seeing a therapist and begged to be sent to boarding school. One of the funniest and saddest episodes from “A Boy’s Own Story” told of a brief crush he had on a teenage girl, ended by a polite and devastating note of rejection.

“For the next few months I grieved,” White writes. “I would stay up all night crying and playing records and writing sonnets to Helen. What was I crying for?”

Through much of the 1960s, he was writing novels that were rejected or never finished. Late at night, he would head out to bars. A favorite stop was the Stonewall, where he would down vodka tonics and try to find the nerve to ask a man he had a crush on to dance. He was in the neighborhood on the night of June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall and “all hell broke loose.”

“Up until that moment we had all thought homosexuality was a medical term,” wrote White, who soon joined the protests. “Suddenly we saw that we could be a minority group — with rights, a culture, an agenda.”

White’s debut novel, the surreal and suggestive “Forgetting Elena,” was published in 1973. He collaborated with Charles Silverstein on “The Joy of Gay Sex,” a follow-up to the bestselling “The Joy of Sex” that was updated after the emergence of AIDS. In 1978, his first openly gay novel, “Nocturnes for the King of Naples,” was released and he followed with the nonfiction “States of Desire,” his attempt to show “the varieties of gay experience and also to suggest the enormous range of gay life to straight and gay people — to show that gays aren’t just hairdressers, they’re also petroleum engineers and ranchers and short-order cooks.”

His other works included “Skinned Alive: Stories” and the novel “A Previous Life,” in which he turns himself into a fictional character and imagines himself long forgotten after his death. In 2009, he published “City Boy,” a memoir of New York in the 1960s and ’70s in which he told of his friendships and rivalries and gave the real names of fictional characters from his earlier novels. Other recent books included the novels “Jack Holmes & His Friend” and the memoir “Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris.”

“From an early age I had the idea that writing was truth-telling,” he told the Guardian around the time “Jack Holmes” was released. “It’s on the record. Everybody can see it. Maybe it goes back to the sacred origins of literature — the holy book. There’s nothing holy about it for me, but it should be serious and it should be totally transparent.”

Italie writes for the Associated Press.

Already slated to be the first venue in the world to host events from three different Olympic Summer Games, the Coliseum will help break new ground for the Paralympics in 2028.

The iconic stadium is at the center of the first Paralympic Games in L.A. as it hosts the para track and field competition, LA28 announced Tuesday in an updated venue plan that placed 23 sports into their future Paralympic homes.

“This is a momentous occasion for the city of Los Angeles,” para swimmer and Inglewood native Jamal Hill said in an interview with The Times. “Being a native Los Angeleno, you always hear about this melting pot of Los Angeles and many times, that melting pot, the default is to really thinking like, ethnic or racial or even cultural based. … I think it’s really, really beautiful and inclusive now that that melting pot is really starting to cover ability.”

The venue plan approved by the International Paralympic Committee places the majority of the Paralympic events in L.A., with additional sites in Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia. With all competition venues within a 35-mile radius, competitors have the opportunity to be housed in one Paralympic village for the first time since Rio in 2016.

The unified Paralympic village on UCLA’s campus differs from Paris, which had a decentralized plan with Paralympians staying at satellite villages. The 2024 Games, which were the first post-pandemic Olympics and Paralympics, marked the first true Games experience for Hill, who won a bronze medal in the 50-meter freestyle in Tokyo.

An artist’s rendering of the swimming venue in Long Beach for the 2028 Paralympic Games.

(LA28)

After dozens of friends and family made the trip to Europe last year, Hill, who finished fifth in Paris, will be saving more seats for his hometown Games in 2028.

“We had 30 people that I know who are going to fly [to Paris],” Hill said. “There’s going to be like 300 people that I know at that swim venue.”

Para swimming will take place in the Long Beach Convention Center lot alongside para climbing, which will make its Paralympic debut in 2028. Long Beach will also host shooting para sport in the convention center, sitting volleyball in the Long Beach Arena and para canoe sprint and para rowing at Marine Stadium.

An artist’s rendering of the Galen Center hosting badminton during the 2028 Paralympic Games.

(LA28)

Long Beach, which also is hosting 11 Olympic sports, will use the Olympic beach volleyball venue at Alamitos Beach to stage blind football in the Paralympics in a dual-use venue that mirrors the setup in Paris under the Eiffel Tower.

The Coliseum, which will also host the Paralympic closing ceremony, anchors an Exposition Park sports zone that includes wheelchair rugby and para badminton at USC’s Galen Center.

In downtown L.A., the Convention Center will host boccia, para judo, para table tennis, para taekwondo and wheelchair fencing. Across the street, wheelchair basketball will take place in Crypto.com Arena while goalball will be in the Peacock Theater.

Venice Beach will have the starting lines for the para triathlon and para marathon.

An artist’s rendering of the Los Angeles Convention Center playing host to boccia competition at the 2028 Paralympic Games.

(LA28)

Carson will host para archery at the fields at Dignity Health Sports Park, wheelchair tennis at the tennis center and para cycling track in the Velodrome. Para equestrian will take place at Santa Anita Park.

“The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport, but brings it to the next level,” LA28 Chief Executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement.

Venues for para weightlifting, para cycling road and the course and finish line of the para marathon have yet to be announced. The 2028 Paralympics will run from Aug. 15-27, opening at SoFi Stadium. They follow the 2028 Olympics, which will run from July 14-30.

While the Olympics will be in L.A. for a third time, 2028 will mark the city’s first Paralympic Games. The international sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities is coming off record viewership numbers in Paris, where the overall live audience grew by 40% compared to Tokyo and by 117% compared to Rio, according to a Nielsen Sports study conducted on behalf of the IPC.

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1. An artist’s rendering of the Paralympic wheelchair tennis venue next to Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. 2. An artist’s rendering of wheelchair rugby at the Galen Center. 3. An artist’s rendering of the wheelchair basketball at Crypto.com Arena. 4. An artist’s rendering of the judo competition at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (LA28)

NBC reported a record 15.4 million total viewers across its TV and streaming platforms for the Paralympic Games, which followed a similar boost in interest to the Olympics last summer.

“The Olympics and the Paralympics are truly becoming this concurrent and congruent movement which reflects the times that we’re in,” Hill said. “People aren’t afraid anymore. They’re not ashamed of who they are. They’re not ashamed of their disability. They’re not afraid to speak out and be seen as different because it’s more accepted than ever for us to say, you know what, we’re all different.”

Two were killed, nearly 200 injured and more than 500 arrested after riots erupted in Paris following Paris Saint-Germain’s first-ever Champions League win. Footage shows police firing tear gas on crowds as looting, fires and clashes engulfed the Champs-Élysées.

Published on 02/06/2025 – 19:11 GMT+2•Updated
19:13

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EU trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will meet his US counterpart Ambassador Jamieson Greer on Wednesday on the sidelines of an OECD meeting in Paris following a high-level gathering of EU and US experts in Washington on Tuesday against rising tensions over US customs duties.

The Commission is hoping to rekindle negotiation with the US a week after EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump spoke on the phone, despite Trump’s subsequent decision on 30 May to slap 50% tariffs on EU steel and aluminium.

“The EU in good faith paused its countermeasures on 14 April, to create space for continued negotiations, and following the call between president Ursula von der Leyen and president Donald Trump both sides agreed to accelerate the pace of talks,” Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Monday, acknowledging however that Trump’s last announcement on steel and aluminium undermined the Commission’s “ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution with the US”.

The Commission has suspended until 14 July a list of countermeasures targeting US products after Trump decided on a 90-Day pause in the trade dispute he launched against his partners across the globe. But the Commission could decide to move forward with those countermeasures, it said.

A second list of US product is also open to consultation from industry until 10 June, when EU member states will adopt them.

“If no mutually acceptable solution is reached, both the existing and the possible additional measures will automatically take effect on 14 July or earlier if circumstances require,“ Gill said.

Šefčovič has already travelled to Washington three times to meet with his US counterparts, but his efforts have so far failed to break the deadlock.

The US and the EU exchanged proposals to begin negotiations, but both sides have dismissed the other’s offers. It wasn’t until EU and US leaders spoke by phone that talks were able to move forward—until President Trump announced new tariffs on steel and aluminium at the end of last week, putting the negotiations at risk once again.

The US currently imposes 25% tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, 25% on cars and 10% on all EU imports. Several investigations in pharma, semiconductors or aircrafts could also lead to more US tariffs on EU goods.

June 1 (UPI) — At least two people have died, and hundreds were reported injured, in the chaotic aftermath of Paris Saint-Germain’s victory against Inter Milan at the Champions League final in Munich on Saturday.

The French Interior Ministry confirmed in an emailed statement to UPI that two people had died and 192 people were injured overnight Saturday. In total, 559 arrests were made, including 491 people in Paris.

The chaos also led to the injury of 22 police officers and seven firefighters, the Interior Ministry said. There were 692 fire incidents recorded, including some 264 burning cars.

PSG had defeated Inter Milan 5-0, marking the team’s first championship win and the first time a French team had won in more than three decades.

“All over France last night, numerous police and firefighters were injured as they intervened to restore public order and provide assistance during the Paris Saint-Germain victory celebrations,” French National Police spokesperson Agathe Foucault said in a statement.

“In Coutances, Manche, a police officer from the canine brigade was hit in the eye by a firework mortar. He is currently hospitalized in a serious condition. Thoughts and best wishes for a speedy recovery to all our colleagues.”

The deaths included a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed in the chest in the southern town of Dax and a 23-year-old man who was hit by a car while riding his scooter in central Paris, The New York Times reported.

Bruno Retailleau, the French interior minister, called rioters “barbarians” in comments to social media.

THIS is the awkward moment UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov refused to shake the hand of CBS Sports presenter Kate Abdo.

Abdo was working for the broadcaster alongside the terrible trio of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards for the Champions League final in Munich.

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The match ended in a record-breaking defeat as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.

The quartet was joined by special guests Khabib Nurmagomedov, and streamer IShowSpeed immediately after the final whistle.

Nurmagomedov embraced each member of the crew before Abdo, 43, held out her hand in a greeting.

However, the unbeaten UFC star declined the offer by holding his hand on his chest instead, with Abdo quickly reclining it and offering an apology as she welcomed him to the show.

The reason for this is due to the 36-year-old’s religious beliefs as a devout Sunni Muslim.

In Islam, it is a forbidden to touch a member of the opposite sex that they are not related to.

A similar incident occurred back in 2020 with fellow MMA fighter Cynthia Calvillo, who revealed that Nurmagomedov refused to directly train with her.

She explained to theScore: “It’s a little bit weird because of their religion… they won’t train with women.

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“(Khabib) is still showing technique and stuff like that. So I still get to watch it.

“But it doesn’t bother me … because they’re not really being directly rude to me.”

Fans on social media praised Abdo’s response to the awkward exchange with the Dagestani native.

One user said: “Mad respect to Kate for understanding afterwards and issuing an apology.”

Another said: “Massive respect to Kate for understanding Khabib’s decision and not making a fuss of it in front of other pundits.”

A third added: “Love how Khabib respectfully declined Kate’s handshake and she respected his approach. Love that from both of them.”

Once that hurdle was cleared, Abdo asked the retired UFC fighter who he was supporting tonight, revealing he was there in support of PSG – despite him previously describing himself as a Real Madrid fan.

In another crossover that nobody would have had on their Champions League bingo card, IShowSpeed was playfully confronted by Nurmagomedov about them possibly having a race or fight.

Carragher, who hilariously tried resorting to cheating when he lost a race against Speed – real name Darren Hawkins – asked Nurmagomedov: “Do you think you could beat Speed in a fight or a race?”

Nurmagomedov said he would be humble and conceded that Speed had the better of him in running, but declared he could easily outdo him in football IQ, before joking: “Don’t forget, between us there is nobody right now.”

Abdo then suggested that Richards, ever the brunt of a few jokes on the show, was the “arm wrestling champion” of CBS.

However, before the presenter – who married boxer Malik Scott last year – could finish her sentence, the ex-England international said: “No thank you.”

Before the match itself, Abdo was subbed out of presenting duties by colleague Anita Nneka Jones, joking she had “other friends waiting for me tonight”.

As Henry, Richards and Carragher groaned, Abdo pointed at Jones and added: “Look who’s coming!”

Carra shouted “Anita!” before screaming as footage showed Abdo’s pals David Beckham and Tom Cruise hanging out the Allianz Arena.

Abdo then waved as she walked off set, adding: “Bye, bye, bye.”

Richards asked “Is it a substitution then?” – with Abdo pausing.

The former Manchester City star then guffawed as Peter Schmeichel held the fourth official’s board to announce the substitution.

Richards turned to Jones and bellowed: “Finally some real funny in the studio.”

FORMER PSG star Kylian Mbappe has broken his silence after the Parisian giants made history in Munich.

Luis Enrique’s side thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday night to secure a first-ever Champions League crown.

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Mbappe spent six years with PSG as the club tried in vain to end its European hoodoo.

The 26-year-old was a beaten finalist in 2020 when Bayern Munich broke French hearts.

Mbappe left for Real Madrid last summer after his contract expired in Paris.

And he sent a gracious message to his former employers as they beat him to a maiden Champions League title.

Taking to Instagram, Mbappe told his 124 million followers: “The big day has finally arrived.

“Victory – and in style – for an entire club. Congratulations @psg.”

Mbappe’s exit from Paris was soured by a spat over unpaid wages.

The forward made a claim of £46.5million against his former club, believing he was owed a signing bonus, his final three months’ salary and an “ethical” payment.

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Enrique was asked about Mbappe following his team’s history-making win on Saturday.

The Spaniard replied: “We would have loved to have him, but his decision was different.”

He then added: “We’ve shown that we have stars at the service of the team, and not the other way around.”

The win was Enrique’s second Champions League triumph after leading Barcelona to glory 10 years ago.

He used the moment to pay tribute to youngest daughter Xana, who tragically died in 2019 at the age of nine from bone cancer.

Champions League final REACTION – PSG 5-0 Inter

Following his blockbuster move last summer, Mbappe has hit the ground running at the Bernabeu.

He scored 42 goals in 55 games across all competitions this term.

But Los Blancos went trophyless, missing out on LaLiga to rivals Barcelona and crashing out of the CL at the quarter final stage to Arsenal.

My two-day trip to Paris – the city of love – was an eye-opener to say the least and made me realise one huge plus to travelling so spontaneously

2025 is the year of spontaneity, at least for me. I told myself that I’d say ‘yes’ to doing things that I usually wouldn’t agree to do – no overthinking and simply just doing it. Six months into the year, I have zero regrets.

When the opportunity for a spontaneous weekend trip to Paris came up, of course, I said yes. For a little context, out of nowhere, my parents decided to go on a weekend jaunt to celebrate Mother’s Day. Paris is known to be ‘the city of love’, and it’s not too far from home, so I decided to join them for a literal 48-hour trip. Leaving on Saturday early in the morning, we drove from London to Paris – yes, drove – and came back on Sunday, just past midnight.

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. So, I thought, if I’m going to spend £100 on a night out, why not go abroad, instead? Plus, the weather in Paris was so much better and warmer than London, so that gave me the ultimate push.

READ MORE: ‘I ditched my phone for an 18-mile hike and learned one surprising thing about myself’

When it comes to holidays, it’s hard to see and do everything in one trip. On average, UK travellers spend over a week on their holidays abroad. Thankfully, I had already been to Paris, so there wasn’t anything in particular that I wanted to see. Just be there and enjoy the moment.

My really good friend joined us on the trip, and funny enough, she had also been to Paris, but didn’t get the chance to see the Eiffel Tower. I mean, who could miss the 1,083ft tall structure the city is so famous for? So, we made it our mission to visit it – and it was probably the thing we ended up seeing the most, if not the only tourist attraction we beelined.

We walked around the city, sat in coffee shops, did some shopping, and even bar-hopped during the night to make the most of the ‘happy hour’. And honestly, excluding the accommodation and the travel expenses, I don’t think I’ve spent more than £100 – which it got me thinking, why am I not doing this more often?

READ MORE: I’m Spanish living in the UK and these key differences blow my mind

We all know that things in 2025 have become much more expensive than they were 10, 20, and even 30 years ago. Going out during the weekend in London has become an occasional treat for many. Let’s be real – the price of drinks, public transport, club entries, taxis, cigarettes… You always end up spending outrageous amounts of money, so is it even worth it?

What a night out would cost you is a plane ticket to a European country, and the expenses are more likely to be less than London prices. Plus, if you want to go abroad without using your annual leave, weekends are the perfect time to do it.

In the end, it wasn’t just about saving a few extra pounds or going on a holiday. It was more about saying yes to things because some of the best memories come from impulsive decisions. Here’s to many more spontaneous last-minute trips that will cost me less than a London night out!

Thomas Hitzelsperger and Nicky Bandini praise the work-rate of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who acts as the “first line of defence” for Paris Saint-Germain as the French champions beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the UEFA Champions League final at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

MATCH REPORT: UEFA Champions League Final – PSG 5-0 Inter Milan

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MUNICH — Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League winner.

At long last the club that was transformed by Qatari billions and bought and sold a succession of the world’s greatest players in an extravagant bid to get to the top has its hands on the big one.

European club soccer’s grandest prize has a new home after PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Saturday’s final in Munich.

The trophy that not even Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappe could deliver to the French club was finally claimed by Luis Enrique, the Spanish coach who has overseen PSG’s shift from the era of galactico signings to one of genuine team-building.

Fitting then that Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old French forward emblematic of the club’s new generation, was the chief inspiration on a balmy night. He became the third teenager to score in a Champions League final, following Patrick Kluivert and Carlos Alberto.

Doué scored twice and set up another goal in little over an hour on the field before being substituted in the second half.

Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and substitute Senny Mayulu, the fourth teenager to ever score in a final added to Doue’s double as PSG recorded the biggest win in a final in the Champions League’s 69-year history.

Now PSG can truly sit alongside the royalty of European soccer. Not by virtue of turnover or merchandizing, but on the merits of its achievements on the field.

The Champions League is the ultimate barometer of the continent’s elite clubs and up until now PSG has been a flashy contender that always came up short.

That all changed at Allianz Arena, the home of Bayern Munich, one of the titans of Europe, and a fitting stage for PSG’s crowning moment. Not least because it was against Bayern that it lost its only other Champions League final in 2020, leaving Neymar in tears in an empty stadium in Lisbon where fans were locked out because of the pandemic.

On this occasion, thousands of PSG supporters were there to revel in the moment, waving flags, lighting flares and drowning out their rivals from Inter, many of whose supporters left the stadium long before the final whistle.

They’d been partying in the streets of Munich throughout the day, but that was nothing compared to the scenes of joy when Marquinhos held the trophy aloft in front of teammates, with fireworks and golden confetti exploding behind them.

PSG truly delivered when it mattered after so many setbacks in this competition. If there were any nerves from Luis Enrique’s players it did not show as they dominated Inter from the start.

It took just 12 minutes for the French champion to go ahead with a move of speed and precision when Vitinha’s threaded pass into the box found the feet of Doué. The forward could have shot, but instead slid in Hakimi to tap into an open net.

Former Inter player Hakimi’s celebrations were muted but PSG’s fans erupted.

Eight minutes later and the lead was doubled — though this time it relied more on luck than precision as Doué’s shot from the right of the box deflected off Federico Dimarco and past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

He got his second in the 63rd, sliding the ball into the bottom corner when through on goal.

Kvaratskhelia added a fourth 10 minutes later and Mayulu then found the back of the net in the 86th, just two minutes after coming on to add his name to the list of teenage scorers in a final.

IT’S the most glamorous fixture on the football calendar – but the glitziest stars will be the ones cheering on from the sidelines.

As Paris Saint-Germain prepare to take on Inter this evening, the players’ stunning WAGs will be getting dressed up to the nines as their partners prepare for potential Champions League glory.

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While PSG’s roster has included superstars including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in recent years, this year’s team is full of young, hungry talents ready to make their own names on the world stage.

The likes of Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi will be testing themselves at the Allianz Arena in Munich against Inter‘s equally impressive side, which boasts stars including Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram.

But away from the pitch, which of these names are scoring in their love lives too?

From doctors to lawyers and even fellow players – as well as a dramatic cheating scandal – we reveal all about PSG and Inter’s top WAGs.

Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

Nitsa Tavadze and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Brainy Nitsa Tavadze, 23, wife of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 24, studied medicine while her relationship with the Georgian star blossomed.

In 2023, they tied the knot at the historic Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta, celebrating with Georgian traditions, attire, and customs. 

Although the couple were introduced by a mutual friend in 2021 sparks didn’t fly until a month later.

Due to Nitsa’s demanding studies, the pair would write to and call each other, and would meet up during their time off or when Kvaratskhelia was on an international break.

When Nitsa didn’t have lectures to attend, she would go to Naples and attend matches at his former team, Napoli.

They made their first appearance at a basketball game between Italy and Georgia and by 2022 they were official. Now, they share a son, Damian, one.

Océane Toussaint and Warren Zaire-Emery

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French goalie Océane Toussaint, 21, has been in a relationship with her fellow PSG star Warren Zaire-Emery, 19, since 2024.

They were first papped together at a Louis Vuitton event in January and later confirmed their relationship at a gala in May.

Océane was the first goalkeeper to win the Titi d’Or – a fan award for PSG’s most promising academy player – in 2023 and took to social media to share her success with fans.

She wrote: “Very proud to be the first Titi gold keeper, thank you again for all your messages.”

During their short time together so far, Océane and Warren have already jetted off for glamorous holidays and were seen visiting Zoomarine in the Algarve.

Madalena Aragão and João Neves 

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Portuguese television and film star Madalena Aragão, 19, has been in a relationship with João Neves, 20, since 2024.

Madalena made her acting debut in 2016 when she was just 10 years old in the soap opera Rainha das Flores.

The talented actress is also a popular blogger and creator of a YouTube channel, where she shares her thoughts on teenage life and growing up. 

Since embarking on her new relationship with João it’s been go go go. She even moved to Paris to be with him after his move from Benfica to the French giants.

The pair have also been quite active on social media, sharing several adorable pics together.

In response to one of Madalena’s recent Instagram posts, Portuguese actor and model Diogo Amaral replied: “My favourite couple.”

Carol Cabrino and Marquinhos

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Influencer Carol Cabrino, 32, carved out a successful singing career before her marriage to Brazilian centre back Marquinhos, 31.

After he proposed to her underneath the Eiffel Tower, the pair had a civil wedding in June 2016.

Together they share three children – Maria, eight, Enrico, six, and Martina, 3 – but tragically, Carol recently opened up about losing her fourth child after suffering a miscarriage.

Taking to Instagram to share the distressing news in March, she said: “I’m going to talk about something that is not very good.

“But I’ve accepted what happened to me and I’ve come to share it with you.

“I can’t get on with my life if I don’t come here and explain to you a little of the things that have been happening in my life for a while now.”

Alessia Elefante and Gianluigi Donnarumma

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Italian bombshell Alessia Elefante, 27, is the fiancée of Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, and the couple have been together for over seven years.

Alessia is an interior designer and mum to one-year-old Leo, whom she shares with Gianluigi. The Italian pro footballer proposed to her a month after their son was born.

They also share a dog named Coco that Alessia has referred to via her Instagram as her “favourite baby boy” and “a prince” – before her son was born, of course!

Alessia also stands 39cm shorter than her partner who reaches a whopping 6ft5inches.

Despite such a significant height difference, the couple seem super loved up and often share photos together on social media.

Another little known fact about Alessia is that she’s a twin. On May 27, 2024, she took to Instagram to share a birthday pic with her sister Daniela.

The caption wrote: “Since 1998. Love you.”

Shocked fans were quick to spot the similarities between the pair. One person wrote: “I thought there was a mirror in the 1st pic.”

Inter Milan

Agustina Gandolfo and Lautaro Martinez

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Model Agustina, 29, has two children with Inter’s star striker Lautaro, 27, Nina, four and Theo, two.

Agus has developed a career as a mumfluencer in recent years, with her candid posts about the realities of motherhood.

Alongside her personal updates, she has launched her own lifestyle brand, Coraje, as well as partnering with trendy fashion and fitness labels like Cloter Official and Tropical Sweat.

She met her Argentine husband around 2016 when he was playing for local club Racing, at a party hosted by fellow stars Mauro Icardi and Wanda Nara.

They were initially pals but later fell in love. They had their first child, a daughter named Nina, in 2021 and had a son in 2023.

The pair had a lavish wedding in Villa d’Este on Lake Como Italy in 2023 with 120 guests.

Agus has three tattoos: one of birds flying on her upper back, a heart on her arm and a quote on her ribs.

She also made headlines in 2021 after claiming a Milan restaurant had handed her a menu that didn’t have any prices on during a romantic meal out with her man.

She claimed on her Instagram story that the practice is sexist – because it assumes the man is going to pay for the meal, not the woman.

Kleofina Pnishi and Benjamin Pavard 

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Kosovo-born actress and model Kleofina, 30, was elected Miss Provence 2017 and ran in the Miss France competition the following year.

But life hasn’t always been easy. When she was just five years old, her family fled their homeland due to the war and arrived in France in 1999.

She graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication of Aix-Marseille, before meeting Benjamin Pavard, 29, with the pair getting engaged in July last year.

Benjamin got down on one knee on the coast of Saranda, Albania, in a beautiful, romantic proposal made special with flowers and candles. 

Federica Schievenin and Nicolò Barella 

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Stunning sports scientist Federica Schievenin, 35, met childhood sweetheart Nicolò, 28, over a decade ago.

Like her beau, she has had a passion for sports since a young age thanks to thanks to her dad, who was into motocross.

She earned a PT CFT3 certification from the International Sports Scientists Association in 2019 and is now said to be studying nutraceuticals and naturopathy.

The pair tied the knot in 2018 and are now parents to four children: daughters Rebecca, eight, Lavinia, five, Matilde, four and a baby son, Romeo.

Federica keeps her children’s faces hidden on social media, usually with an emoji.

Claudia Scarpari and Francesco Acerbi 

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Claudia Scarpari, 38, is the wife of defender Francesco Acerbi, 37, who she met in early 2020.

Speaking of their early romance, the glamorous lawyer said she found it “enchanting” to watch him play, but admitted she didn’t follow football before they met. 

However, since falling in love with the defender, Claudia has revealed she had never missed a match, and will always be cheering on her partner.  

Claudia already has a daughter and a son from a previous relationship, and has had more children with Francesco.  

Their daughters are named Vittoria, four and Nala, two.

On top of being a supportive WAG, Claudia is a successful lawyer and has spoken of the similarities between the couple’s careers, explaining they are both “defending and protecting what we believe in”.

The couple married in early 2025 in Cassina Rizzardi, Italy.

Sinem Gündoğdu and Hakan Çalhanoğlu

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Hakan Çalhanoğlu, 31, and Sinem, 30, grew up together in Turkey before tying the knot in 2017, but their relationship has not always been plain sailing. 

In 2018, the midfielder sensationally announced the decision to divorce his wife after a “very serious and unforgivable situation occurred”.

Sinem’s response was speedy, and came with another bombshell, as she announced: “I never cheated on you. By the way, I’m pregnant.”

Fortunately, the couple appear to have resolved their issues and now seem better than ever. 

Together they have three children: Liya, six, born in 2019, Ayaz, four, born in 2021 and Asil Can, two, born in 2023.

Will it be Paris St-Germain or Inter Milan?

Only one team can walk away with the Champions League trophy on 31 May in Munich.

Both have entertained us with thrilling matches, spectacular goals and brilliant drama.

But who among the two teams has scored the most goals across this European campaign? Registered the most assists? Put in the most tackles?

Test your knowledge with our head-to-head quiz!

Activists in Paris dyed a fountain red to symbolise what they called “the bloodbath” taking place in Gaza. The protesters said a lack of political will to confront Israel’s actions in Gaza was increasingly being seen as “a form of complicity” with genocide.

Farmers demonstrate against changes to legislation that would ease restrictions on pesticide and water use in farming.

French farmers have disrupted highway traffic around Paris and rallied in front of parliament to protest against amendments filed by opposition lawmakers to a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on farming.

Members of France’s leading farming union, the FNSEA, parked about 10 tractors outside the National Assembly on Monday to put pressure on MPs, who began debating the legislation in the afternoon.

The legislation, tabled by far-right MP Laurent Duplomb, proposes simplifying approvals for breeding facilities, loosening restrictions around water use to promote irrigation reservoirs and reauthorising a banned neonicotinoid pesticide used in sugar beet cultivation that environmentalists say is harmful to bees.

The proposed law is part of a wider trend in numerous European Union states to unwind environmental legislation as farmers grapple with rising costs and households struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

More than 150 farmers from the Ile-de-France, Grand Est and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur regions gathered peacefully in front of the National Assembly, drinking coffee and eating croissants, after blocking the main roads around the capital.

“This bill to lift the constraints on the farming profession is very important to us,” FNSEA Secretary-General Herve Lapie told the AFP news agency.

“What we are asking for is simply to be able to work in a European environment: a single market, a single set of rules. We’ve been fighting for this for 20 years. For once, there’s a bill along these lines. … We don’t have the patience to wait any longer.”

The FNSEA and its allies say the neonicotinoid pesticide acetamiprid, which has been prohibited in France since 2018 due to environmental and health concerns, should be authorised in France like it is across the EU because it is less toxic to wildlife than other neonicotinoids and stops crops from being ravaged by pests.

Environmental campaigners and some unions representing small-scale and organic farmers say the bill benefits the large-scale agriculture industry at the expense of independent operators.

President Emmanuel Macron’s opponents on the political left have proposed multiple amendments that the protesting farmers said threatened the bill.

“We’re asking the lawmakers, our lawmakers, to be serious and vote for it as it stands,” Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from the Yvelines department outside Paris, told The Associated Press news agency, criticising politicians from the Greens and left-wing France Unbowed (LFI).

Ecologists party MP Delphine Batho said the text of the bill is “Trump-inspired” while LFI MP Aurelie Trouve wrote in an article for the French daily Le Monde that it signified “a political capitulation, one that marks an ecological junction”.

FNSEA chief Arnaud Rousseau said protests would continue until Wednesday with farmers from the Centre-Val de Loire and Hauts-de-France regions expected to join their colleagues.

Protests are also expected in Brussels next week, targeting the EU’s environmental regulations and green policies.

Farmers across France and Europe won concessions last year after railing against cheap foreign competition and what they say are unnecessary regulations.

MOLLY-MAE Hague is celebrating turning 26 in serious style – by jetting off to Disneyland Paris in a private plane.

The former Love Island star is pulling out all the stops for her big day, whisking herself away for a magical trip full of fairy-tale fun and first-class luxury.

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Molly-Mae gave fans a glimpse into the lavish getaway – complete with champagne on board and a Mickey Mouse cake.

Wearing Minnie Mouse ears and a designer outfit, the star looked every inch the birthday princess as she soaked up the magic of Disney in VIP style.

The influencer shared snaps of the her and her daughter Bambi posing in the park, calling the trip “the most perfect birthday eve.”

It comes just days after she was rushed to hospital after returning from a Dubai holiday with Tommy Fury.

In a YouTube video, Molly-Mae described the ordeal as a “weird bad dream”  and how it was completely out of character for her to speak about it so candidly.

She also told how it came just hours after she’d been pictured rowing with fiancé Tommy, 26.

The former PrettyLittleThing creative director explained that after arriving back in the UK, she had very little movement for two days – first due to the long-haul flight, then sitting through a seven-hour hair appointment.

Along with dehydration and stress from travelling with her daughter Bambi, two, this led to severe pain in her left leg.

Molly-Mae said at the time: “Basically yesterday I thought I had a blood clot and half of today I thought I had a blood clot in my leg.

“Obviously flying home from Dubai I was on the plane for like nearly eight hours… I didn’t drink like hardly any water. You know when you’re in mum mode and you’re just not really thinking like you’re trying to tame your child.”

She began to panic after feeling excruciating pain in the back of her knee that moved into her calf and foot.

After turning to ChatGPT to query the symptoms only made her more anxious, she then phoned 111.

From there, Molly-Mae was then told by a doctor to go straight to A&E.

She continued: “I was in so much pain, like it was in the back of my knee, so so strong. Like it didn’t feel like a dead leg, it was like a sharp stabbing pain…

Molly-Mae Hague – Five Ways She Spends Her Wealth

MOLLY-MAE Hague has raked in a whopping £48K a week. Yet what five things has the mum of one spent out on?

“Then it’s moving down into my calf, into my ankle, into my foot, like my whole calf is just in so much pain.”

The reality star described the hospital as “absolutely packed” and “such a sad environment”, saying she waited four hours before being told it would be another hour for a blood test – and then three more hours to get results.

Despite being advised by staff to stay, Molly decided to leave, worried about getting home in time to look after Bambi.

She said: “I need to leave. Like I can’t stay here any longer… We had like nothing with us this morning.”

Molly-Mae admitted upon waking up the the next day, the pain had mostly subsided, and she tried to carry on as normal – until she was hit with a wave of dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath later that afternoon.

She described: “I had this awful awful like dizzy spell where the room was spinning. I thought I was going to vomit… I had this really really funny time where I was like I couldn’t breathe properly… almost like a bit of a panic attack but like it was just horrible.”

The star went back to hospital and underwent a full round of tests, where, thankfully, everything came back clear.

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka dropped only one game as she beat Kamilla Rakhimova to get her French Open campaign under way in emphatic style.

Sabalenka needed just one hour to beat Russian opponent Rakhimova 6-1 6-0 in Paris.

The Belarusian ramped up her performance as the match went on, winning nine games in a row to close out the match.

Opening up the first day’s play on Court Philippe Chatrier, Sabalenka served up five aces, hit 30 winners and broke her opponent’s serve five times on her way to a comfortable victory under the roof.

A three-time Grand Slam singles champion, Sabalenka has never reached the final of the French Open before – her best performance a semi-final run in 2023.

But on this evidence, the 27-year-old is justifying her tag as one of the tournament favourites.

She could face Chinese eighth seed Zheng Qinwen – who she beat in the 2024 Australian Open final – in the quarters and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semis.

Before that, Sabalenka will play Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann or Italian qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini for a spot in the last 32.

May 23 (UPI) — A six-person jury and three judges in Paris convicted eight people in the armed robbery against Kim Kardashian 8 1/2 years ago, but they won’t serve any more jail time.

Two others were acquitted in the trial that began April 28. Another person charged in the case had died and a 12th one was too ill to be tried.

The 44-year-old reality TV star and entrepreneur was gagged, bound with zip ties and robbed at gunpoint of jewelry worth several million dollars on Oct. 3, 2016. At the time, she had rented a luxury residence during Paris Fashion Week.

The 12 men and women were arrested in January 2017.

Seven men and one woman were found guilty on charges ranging from direct involvement in the robbery to lesser complicity in it.

They were sentenced to three to eight years in prison. Counting time served and with sentences mostly or entirely suspended, none will return to jail.

A ninth defendant was found guilty of illegally acquiring and possessing firearms but the panel cleared him of involvement in the robbery. A 10th defendant was acquitted.

“The sentences are fairly lenient,” David De Pas, the presiding judge, said in the ruling.

He cited the advanced age and health issues of many of the defendants as mitigating factors.

But he added: “You did harm.”

Kardashian won’t appeal, according to her lawyer, Leonor Hennerick, outside the courtroom.

“Kim Kardashian is aware of the decision and is satisfied,” Hennerick told reporters. “Justice has been served and she can now move on. She will continue with her rehabilitation project.”

The main suspects were dubbed the “grandpa robbers” in their 60s and 70s. Only two acknowledged their involvement.

The prosecution said they were “seasoned robbers” with extensive criminal records who had carefully prepared their heist. The lawyers also said they showed no empathy for Kardashian or for the night watchman, who was ordered to lead the robbers to her apartment.

They conducted one of the most daring celebrity heists in France’s recent history.

During testimony last month, Kardashian said she feared for her life during the robbery by five masked men.

“I absolutely thought that I was going to die,” Kardashian said in her May 13 testimony. “I kept telling them that I have babies, and that I needed to go home to my babies.”

She said two men entered her room dressed as police officers.

Most of her stolen jewelry was not recovered, including a $4 million diamond engagement ring from her then-husband Kanye West. Kardashian told the court the insurance payout for the jewelry was about $6 million.

The DNA of Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, was found at the scene but he denied accusations that he masterminded the robbery by recruiting accomplices, giving orders and arranging to sell the stolen diamonds in Belgium.

Yunice Abbas, 72, who acted as a lookout, wrote a book about the heist. Abbas’ hands shook from Parkinson‘s disease when he spoke in court

“I forgive you for what had taken place,” Kardashian tearfully told Khedache in court after he apologized to her. “But it doesn’t change the emotion, and the feelings, and the trauma, and the ways that my life is forever changed.”

Defendant Didier Dubreucq, 69, was absent from court several times to undergo chemotherapy for cancer.

Trial featured emotional testimony from Kardashian, who said the robbery was traumatising but forgave ringleader.

A Paris court has found eight men guilty of involvement in a 2016 armed robbery of the US celebrity Kim Kardashian, who described the incident as “the most terrifying experience of my life”.

Seven of the convicted received prison sentences of between three and eight years, some of which were suspended, and another received a fine.

The court did not order any additional time behind bars for the accused, with Chief Judge David De Pas saying that the defendants’ ages – six are in their 60s and 70s – and their health issues weighed on the court’s decision to impose sentences that he said “aren’t very severe”.

“The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family,” Kardashian, who was not present for the verdict, said in a statement on Friday.

“While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice and promoting a fair legal system.”

De Pas told the convicted men that they had “caused fear” during the October 2, 2016, robbery of millions of dollars worth of jewels from the Kardashians in their hotel room during the Paris Fashion Week. During the theft, Kardashian was tied up and said she feared for her life.

Aomar Ait Khedache, the 69-year-old ringleader of the gang dubbed by the French press as the “grandpa robbers”, used a cane to walk into the courthouse.

Khedache was given a sentence of eight years in prison, five of which were suspended. Three others were given seven years with five suspended. Three more received prison sentences ranging from three to five years, mostly or completely suspended, and an eighth person was found guilty on a weapons charge and fined. Due to time served in jail, none of the accused will return to detention.

Two of the 10 defendants were acquitted.

The trial was heard by a three-judge panel and six jurors, before whom Kardashian testified last week.

During an emotional testimony, Kardashian recounted the harrowing experience of the robbery and the fear she felt being at the mercy of a group of armed men. During the theft, she was thrown onto a bed, tied up and had a gun pressed to her.

“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.”

Kardashian is known for her interest in law and obtained her law degree in the United States earlier this week. She has also been an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform.

Earlier in the trial, a letter written by Khedache expressing remorse for his actions was read to Kardashian, who said that she appreciated the letter and forgave him, even if nothing could change the “trauma and the fact that my life was forever changed”.

Kedache again asked for “a thousand pardons” via a written note on Friday, with the other defendants also using their final remarks before the court to say that they were sorry for their actions.

PARIS — A Paris court on Friday found the ringleader and seven other people guilty of the robbery of Kim Kardashian at her residence in the French capital in 2016. But none of them will face prison time.

The court acquitted two of the 10 defendants. The sentences read out by the court president ranged from prison terms to fines.

Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, the ringleader, got the stiffest sentence, eight years imprisonment but five of those are suspended. Three others who were accused of the most serious charges got seven years, five of them suspended.

With time already served in pretrial detention, none of those found guilty will go to prison. The trial was heard by a three-judge panel and six jurors.

The chief judge, David De Pas, said the ages of the defendants — the oldest is 79 and some others are in their 60s and 70s — weighed on the court’s decision not to impose harsher sentences that would have sent them to jail. He said the nine years between the robbery and the trial was also taken into account in the sentencing.

Still, he said that Kardashian had been traumatized by the robbery in her hotel.

“You caused harm,” he said. “You caused fear.”

Kardashian, who wasn’t present for the verdict, issued a statement after the ruling was announced.

“I am deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice in this case,” she said. “The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family. While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice, and promoting a fair legal system.”

Khedache arrived at court walking with a stick, his face hidden from cameras. His DNA, found on the bands used to bind Kardashian, was a key breakthrough that helped crack open the case.

Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. A diamond-encrusted cross, dropped during the escape, was the only piece of jewelry ever recovered.

The crime took place on the night of Oct. 2, 2016, during Paris Fashion Week. The robbers, dressed as police, forced their way into the glamorous Hôtel de Pourtalès, bound Kardashian with zip ties and escaped with her jewelry — a theft that would force celebrities to rethink how they live and protect themselves.

The accused became known in France as “les papys braqueurs,” or the grandpa robbers. Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. But prosecutors warned observers not to be fooled.

The defendants faced charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association.

Forgiveness

Khedache had said he was only a foot soldier. He blamed a mysterious “X” or “Ben” — someone prosecutors say never existed.

His lawyer pleaded for clemency, pointing to one of the trial’s most visceral moments — Kardashian’s earlier courtroom encounter with the man accused of orchestrating her ordeal. Though she wasn’t present Friday, her words — and the memory of that moment — still echoed.

“She looked at him when she came, she listened to the letter he had written to her, and then she forgave him,” lawyer Frank Berton told the Associated Press.

Kardashian, typically shielded by security and spectacle, had locked eyes with Khedache as the letter was read aloud.

“I do appreciate the letter, I forgive you,” she said. “But it doesn’t change the feelings and the trauma and the fact that my life was forever changed.” A tabloid crime had become something raw and human.

Khedache on Friday asked for “a thousand pardons,” communicated via a written note in court. Other defendants also used their final words to express remorse.

Paris was once a sanctuary for Kardashian

Kardashian’s testimony earlier this month 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 the robbery.

“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 hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot.

She said that Paris had once been her sanctuary — a city she would wander at 3 a.m., window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered.

Privacy became luxury

The robbery echoed far beyond the City of Light. It forced a recalibration of celebrity behavior in the age of Instagram. 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.”

Afterward, she stopped posting her location in real time. She stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury.

Even by the standards of France’s famously deliberate legal system, the case took years to reach trial.

Leicester and Adamson write for the Associated Press. Catherine Gaschka contributed to this report.