Natalie Portman Takes to the Pitch

Two brothers, aged 12 and 13, have been charged with perpetrating a 10-month burglary spree, beginning last April, during which they hit several hotels here—Claridge’s, the Four Seasons, the Corinthia—as well as BBC Television in White City. They and their elderly accomplice (he’s 19) have denied the charges and were released on bail. The younger boys, who will be tried separately because of their age, are due back in youth court this coming week. (Also because of their age: with them in the dock was their mum.) The older defendant won’t be in court again until next month, but was advised by the magistrate, “Before that date, you really, really, really need to stay out of trouble, do you understand?”

Meanwhile, in France, seven equally larcenous young people, ranging in age from 13 to 21, have struck Lupin, the hit Netflix heist series. (Irony is not dead.) “The TV unit, along with the series’ principal actor, Omar Sy, were filming in the Pablo-Picasso district of the Parisian suburb of Nanterre on an afternoon in late February when they were attacked by about 20 hooded assailants,” reported The Guardian. “The robbers launched fireworks at the crew before making off with equipment worth about €300,000 [$330,000].… [They] are accused of armed robbery as part of an organised gang and receiving stolen goods.”