Five Great Reads: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, a mysterious skyjacker, and Albania's Trump Island
Happy Saturday! The world felt like a scary place this week, but these five reads kept me going – as did the campaigners who forced Jeff Bezos to relocate his wedding in Venice. If only we got the inflatable crocodiles – but at least there was a Bezos lookalike confusing the crowds.
Continuing with the theme of the rich, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, have spent more than $1bn on an Albanian island – one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean.
Unlike in Venice, the Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama, has welcomed the purchase of Sazan Island, saying 'We need luxury tourism like a desert needs water.'
Albanians call Sazan Ishulli i Trumpëve – Trump Island. Until now mostly untrammelled by development, the island, which was once home to a military base, is on the verge of becoming a mecca for ultra-luxury tourism – once the unexploded ordnance has been removed.
Environmental concerns: Environmentalists such as Olsi Nika, a marine biologist and the director of the NGO EcoAlbania, are worried about the development. 'This area is in the Karaburun-Sazan maritime national park. It means the beaches and waters within 2km (1.25 miles) of the shore are protected. What will large public works, the building of docks, yacht traffic and sewage run-off do to the place?'
How long will it take to read: five minutes.
It's been hard to shake the image that the character Lena Dunham's landmark series, Girls, gave Allison Williams. In this interview, the actor reflects on privilege, growing up with a famous parent, and her role in sci-fi horror film M3gan.
What does she think of AI, tech and parenting? Williams recounts using ChatGPT to answer one of her three-year-old son's questions. 'Watching what happened to his face was like when Gemma sees her niece interacting with M3gan. Like, I have connected my kid to a drug, this is so immediately addictive and intoxicating,' she says. She quickly put her phone away and made a mental note to go to the library next time to get out a book. 'I can't justify it, logically,' she says. 'It just felt like an innate instinct.'
And her thoughts on Botox? She loves having it when she's not filming – 'because, you know, you need to make facial expressions when you're shooting'.
How long will it take to read: five minutes.
Further reading: if you want to be really terrified, read what Paula Cocozza learned recording thousands of hours of teenagers on their phones.
This year marks 80 years since the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 people.
Today, every one of the crew members who carried out the bombings is dead. One of the last writers to interview them reopens his files.
'Just in the last week, war has broken out in the Middle East over fears that Iran may be very close to having a bomb. In such times, perspective matters … History has lessons to teach us.'.
How long will it take to read: 11 minutes.
Further reading: one million and counting: Russian casualties hit milestone in Ukraine war.
Sign up to Five Great Reads
Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning
after newsletter promotion
On 24 November 1971, a man who called himself 'Dan Cooper' hijacked a plane for US$200,000. He then parachuted out in his suit and dress shoes, never to be seen again.
'It's like the best book I've ever read, but I'm missing the first and last chapters,' podcaster Darren Schaefer tells writer Daniel Lavelle, who both potentially suffer from the 'Cooper curse' (a term coined by author Geoffrey Gray about being totally obsessed with the case). I've personally still got whiplash from the opening of this story.
DB Cooper effect: the mind-boggling mystery has inspired news article after article, books, podcasts, movies, documentaries, even a DB Cooper-themed bar – and an annual convention held in Oregon.
How long will it take to read: five-and-a-half minutes.
Imagine performing at an theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, that was built between AD98-117 in 'Europe's longest continually inhabited city'. Or a former panopticon Lukiškės prison in Vilnius, Lithuania, or the Lycabettus hill theatre in Athens.
Laura Snapes takes us inside Australia's experimental rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's European residency tour, where the group of six don't rehearse and but do make time to be tourists in the cities they perform in.
Photography: Maclay Heriot captures it all on film.
Hot tip: throw on the band's existential new record in the background while reading.
How long will it take to read: five minutes.
Enjoying the Five Great Reads email? Then you'll love our weekly culture and lifestyle newsletter, Saved for Later. Sign up here to catch up on the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture, trends and tips for the weekend.
And check out the full list of our local and international newsletters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The best and worst dressed guests at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding
Billionaire tech mogul Jeff Bezos married Lauren Sanchez in Venice on Friday in a lavish $20million wedding with all of their celebrity friends in attendance. Their much-awaited nuptials have been dubbed the 'wedding of a century' by some, with the 61-year-old Amazon founder - who is one of the world's richest men - and his bride-to-be, 55, showing off a wide array of designer looks in preparation for the big day. They kicked off the weekend-long celebrations with a star-studded welcome dinner at the Campo Della Madonna dell'Orto. The award-winning journalist then made her first appearance of the day when she was spotted leaving the five star Aman Hotel in a ladylike white Dior puff sleeve suit that could hint at her wedding look, paired with a head scarf and oversized sunglasses. She also appeared to show off a brand new enormous diamond ring for the occasion. The celebrity couple have invited approximately 200 guests for the three-day celebration, including the Kardashians, Sydney Sweeney, and Leonardo DiCaprio. From royalty to reality stars, here's who tops the list of stylish wedding guests. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, 71, stunned in a pink off-the-shoulder gown, as she showed off her newly slender figure while leaving Gritti Palace for the evening festivities. Joshua Kushner's wife Karlie Kloss showed off her baby bump in an off-the-shoulder black gown and a choker. They're currently expecting their third child. He wasn't the only Kushner in attendance. Ivanka Trump stepped out with her husband Jared Kushner while wearing a stunning, heavily embellished pink strapless floral gown by Tony Ward, which also featured a thigh-baring slit. Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah looked stunning in an elegant wrap and gown in different shades of blue from Armani Prive as she left the St. Regis hotel. Kris Jenner looked glamorous in a black gown with billowing white sleeves and opted for a much younger hair style to complement the dress. Khloe Kardashian trailed behind her famous mother in a pink gown, which featured with off-the-shoulder feathered sleeves a plunging neckline. She accessorized the wedding look with a pair of black sunglasses and a dazzling diamond necklace, along with a slick-back bun. Shining: Ellie Goulding waved to fans as she boarded the water taxi in a brown sequined dress British singer Ellie Goulding also made an appearance outside the hotel wearing a dark brown sequined dress, as she waved to fans. She boarded the water taxi alongside model Brooks Nader, a close friend of the bride, who donned a draped pink strapless dress with a train. In line with the apparent theme of the evening, Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney wore pink as well. The strapless dress featured a ruched bodice, as she styled her signature blonde locks with beachy waves. But other guests at the nuptials got a definite thumbs down for their style. Kylie Jenner risked the worst kind of wedding faux pas in a tight, curve-hugging corset dress that looked way too close to white. Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian's look appeared misplaced as she wore a shiny black gown with laser-cut trimming on the sides of the bodice and underneath the chest. Kim paired it with a huge, teardrop diamond necklace and a pair of plain black shades. Fashion faux-pas: Kylie Jenner wore a tight, curve-hugging corset dress that looked way too close to white. It appeared to have frayed detailing on the chest and back, as well as two black bows on the straps. She completed the look with a pair of small black sunglasses and large stud earrings Kris Jenner looked a bit-over-the top as she strolled around Venice on Friday with daughter Khloe Kardashian, wearing a long-sleeve, leopard print frock in the summer heat. Jenner paired the dramatic dress with small, square black sunglasses and oversized, dangling bejeweled earrings, while her daughter kept it simple in a plain black dress and Chanel flip flops. Billionaire Bill Gates also looked out of place in the warm Venice weather as he donned an all-black outfit. Gates had on a pair of long black shorts, which he paired with a black polo t-shirt and navy blue polo cap. His partner, Paula Hurd, also opted for the dark color, wearing a sleeveless black tank dress which she matched with a seriously big diamond necklace. However, not everyone went for dark colors as they shopped and strolled ahead of the big day. Vittoria Ceretti, Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend, looked straight out of an early 2000's magazine as she wore a vintage Betsey Johnson white dress with large gray and red floral motifs on it while out and about. She tied things together with a pair of lace-up white ballet flats and a small gray over-the-shoulder purse. No crown: Singer Jewel Kilcher looked like she was in a prom dress as she was on her way to the wedding of the year, wearing a short red dress with a floral detail in the front and a long train in the back. She carried a silver Louis Vuitton bag worth over $3,000 So 2000 and late: Vittoria Ceretti, Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend, looked straight out of an early 2000's magazine as she wore a white dress with large gray and red floral motifs on it
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
‘Some dude Katy Perry met': The baffling rise of Orlando Bloom
Among the many eye-popping sights this week in Venice, where billionaire Jeff Bezos tied the knot with Lauren Sanchez amid a storm of local protest (and an actual thunderstorm which sent A-list guests running for cover), perhaps one of the most baffling is the presence of erstwhile actor Orlando Bloom, who has reportedly called off his romance with singer Katy Perry. Bloom, 48, shot to fame in the early 2000s in two massive franchises, The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, but his career has since flatlined. He has become more famous in recent years for his relationship with Perry – and for weird viral moments like paddleboarding naked – than for his actual performances. Now it seems he has a new headline-grabbing partnership: a bromance with Amazon founder Bezos. On Thursday, Bloom arrived solo in Venice for the first day of Bezos's lavish £36 million, three-day wedding celebrations. He first enjoyed an al-fresco lunch at the swanky Gritti Palace hotel with music executive Scooter Braun and NFL star Tom Brady. Perry had previously taken sides in Braun's row with Taylor Swift. In 2019, after Braun bought the rights to Swift's masters, Perry wrote on social media: 'I stand with Taylor. Stay strong my friend.' Bloom also shared air kisses with fellow wedding guests Kim and Khloe Kardashian. He has a history with Kim too: in 2024 he was spotted seemingly checking out her bottom at a charity dinner in New York. Perry responded to the viral photo of Bloom apparently gawking on a radio show a few days later, jokingly saying 'I approve'. But she might not find his current antics quite so amusing. A source told TMZ that Bloom was planning to be 'the life of the party' as a single man at the Bezos-Sanchez bash, and we're already seeing signs of that. When the heavens opened at a party at the Madonna dell Orto cloisters and guests – including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio – were forced to flee, Bloom was spotted with a mystery brunette in a striking pale-green mini dress, wrapping his arm around her as they cosied up in a water taxi. (Tabloid reports have identified her as Perry's stylist and friend Jamie Mizrahi.) Perhaps he's taking inspiration from DiCaprio, who attended the wedding with yet another young model (Vittoria Ceretti, 27), and is forming his own post-split Venetian 'pussy posse' (as DiCaprio and his friends became known in their 1990s pomp). The wedding trip is presumably a professional obligation for Bloom. His new release is Amazon Prime Video's mediocre action comedy Deep Cover, about three improv wannabes recruited by police to infiltrate the criminal underworld. Bloom plays an oddball, deeply irritating method performer who thinks he deserves meaty roles, but whose only steady work is Pizza Knight commercials. 'You're from the Cotswolds, you're not Al Pacino,' his agent grumbles. As a spot of meta-commentary on Bloom and his roller-coaster run, it's pretty apt. The actor was born in Canterbury and named after a 16 th -century English composer, Orlando Gibbons. He got his break aged 20 playing a rent boy in 1997 movie Wilde, starring Stephen Fry as the playwright. He then took a swerve into mega-budget fantasy with the Lord of the Rings films in 2001, starring as the elf Legolas. That catapulted him to Hollywood stardom and instant heartthrob status – although in very specific, slightly kinky terms. Essentially, fans went giddy at the sight of Bloom as an androgynous folkloric being with a lust-worthy bow and arrow and long, flowing flaxen hair – a cross between a mystical fairy-tale prince and a shampoo ad. He was the ultimate unattainable pretty boy, albeit one with pointy ears. (A friend who worked in teen magazines at this time recalls being inundated with letters specifying that they publish more posters of Legolas – not of Orlando Bloom himself.) However, that's not exactly a sustainable image for a long career. Nor did Pirates of the Caribbean, his swashbuckling Disney stint beginning in 2003, demonstrate much range. In fact, Bloom, playing the whiny blacksmith Will Turner, was easily the weakest of the cast, acted off the screen by Johnny Depp 's preening pirate and Keira Knightley's feisty heroine. Bloom's 2006 appearance in TV comedy Extras really summed it up. This 'Bloom' was desperately insecure, working overtime to seduce extra Maggie and making snide, but clearly jealous, comments about Depp such as 'Ooh, look at me, I make art-house movies'. Significantly Maggie, who was once a superfan, later took down her Bloom poster. Bloom wasn't faring much better in real life, with critics unconvinced by his performances in films such as 2005's Kingdom of Heaven (playing another blacksmith, who joins the Crusade), and box office flops like Elizabethtown (2005), Sympathy for Delicious (2010), The Good Doctor (2011), Unlocked (2017) and The Outpost (2019), as he made abortive attempts to diversify into thrillers, dramas and war movies. Predictably, he retreated to his fantasy safe place by reprising his Lord of the Rings role in the Hobbit films in 2013-14, and is eager to appear in 2027's next entry in the franchise. Bloom said earlier this month that he'd like to see Legolas 'the same age as he was' in the original trilogy, 'lithe and breezy and warrior-like, so AI would have to come into play'. It's a fairly depressing acceptance that he's never really progressed beyond that early-years hit. His popularity with Britons in particular took a nosedive in 2021 when he revealed his very Hollywood life in an interview with The Sunday Times. Unfortunate LA-isms included: 'I chant for 20 minutes every day, religiously. I've had a Buddhist practice since I was 16, so that's infiltrated my whole being. I'll read a bit of Buddhism and then I'll type it up and add it to my [Instagram] Stories.' He also talked about his diet, including mixing green powders with brain octane oil, waxed lyrical about the 'methodical nature of creating' when building Lego cars, and slipped in a plug for his exclusive deal with Amazon, which he'd signed in 2019, and which was probably the origin of his current closeness with Bezos. In 2014 he drew the wrath of the Beliebers (and pained everyone else) by engaging in excruciating fisticuffs with pop star Justin Bieber. Bloom walked up to Bieber and punched him outside restaurant Cipriani in Ibiza, and the scuffling pair then had to be separated by their respective entourages. One source claimed that Bloom was enraged by a lewd comment Bieber made about Bloom's ex-wife, Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr, who had reportedly been on a date with Bieber in 2012. It probably doesn't help his appeal that he's also indulged in some strange vanity projects, like 2024 TV documentary series Orlando Bloom: To the Edge. 'I felt about as close to death as I could possibly get,' he boasts in the cringe-inducing trailer, in which he shows off muscles and a man-bun and adopts a mockney tough guy accent, trying to rebrand himself as a death-defying extreme-sports bro – Canterbury's answer to Tom Cruise. Alas, Bloom jumping out of a plane only cemented the image of a career in freefall. Bloom also made an unfortunate appearance in RJ Cutler's Billie Eilish documentary in 2021. Eilish meets him and Perry at Coachella and completely fails to recognise him. Her brother Finneas later tells her 'he played Will Turner in f---ing Pirates of the Caribbean ', and Eilish, after Googling pictures of Bloom, says 'I thought that was just some dude Katy Perry met'. Then comes a second even more excruciating meeting, during which Bloom (who is a Buddhist) gives Eilish a lingering hug and says: 'This is the universe hugging you. I'm giving you so much love and light right now.' He probably wasn't aiming to change his public reputation from bland to downright bizarre. That brings us to the on-off romance with Perry. The pair began dating in 2016 after a meet-cute following the Golden Globe Awards: they were both grabbing burgers at In-N-Out. Bloom went viral during a couple's trip to Sardinia, when they were photographed on a paddleboard – Perry wore a bikini, he was stark naked. Needless to say that has haunted Bloom ever since. 'Are we going to talk about my penis?' he sighed in a 2017 Elle interview. They split in 2017, with Perry later explaining on the Call Her Daddy podcast that they weren't really 'in it from day one'. She added: 'He was in a way, because he had just done a huge time of celibacy, and he had set intentions' – a quote that raises far more questions than it answers. But the pair got back together the following year, and announced their engagement in 2019. Perry gave birth to their daughter Daisy Dove in 2020. However, the couple apparently hit a rough patch in the past few months. Bloom's pal Bezos may actually have contributed to their split: the actor was reportedly mortified by her soundly mocked Blue Origin space flight in April alongside Bezos's fiancée Sanchez. An inside source suggested that Bloom warned her about a possible backlash and later told her that the whole thing looked ridiculous. There were also apparent tensions following Perry's album 143 tanking; reportedly, he had voiced his concerns about that as well. Bloom was allegedly annoyed that Perry then used him to drum up publicity, sharing a risqué story on Call Her Daddy in 2024 – Perry said that if the kitchen was clean, Bloom had 'better be ready to get [his] d--- sucked' – and posting videos on her Instagram of a topless Bloom jogging. Now Perry is on tour in Australia, so apparently too busy to attend Bezos's wedding (though ticket sales haven't exactly been in high demand). That leaves Bloom in the spotlight as he contemplates his next chapter, which might feature another comeback: he has a Werner Herzog film on the horizon, the gloriously titled Bucking Fasterds. For now, it looks like the sexy elf is back on the market – and raising a glass to Mr Amazon.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Kim, Khloe, and Kendall leave Bezos wedding in Venice water taxis as bride's gift for guests is revealed
Kim and Khloe Kardashian joined their sister Kendall Jenner in making a speedy getaway from Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos's lavish wedding reception on Friday as the bride's gift for her guests was revealed. The bleary-eyed sisters, true to form, posed for the cameras as the boat set sail - throwing up peace signs and making duck faces at the awaiting lenses. A little while later, their sister Kendall Jenner made her own escape, weaving through the city's canals and posing against the breathtaking backdrop of Italy 's finest architecture. The festivities came to a close in the early hours of Saturday as A-listers slipped away from the glittering celebration under the cover of darkness and through narrow Venetian canals. Described as the 'wedding of the century,' the 61-year-old Amazon founder and 55-year-old former journalist exchanged vows in front of almost 200 VIP guests on San Giorgio Maggiore island on Friday. Following the ultra-exclusive ceremony, the billionaire couple threw a star-studded reception attended by high-profile guests, including the Kardashian sisters, Oprah Winfrey, Ivanka Trump, Usher, and Orlando Bloom. The extravagant affair - reportedly costing $20million and drawing ire from locals - was capped off with an eyebrow-raising gift from the bride. While Bezos chose stylish ViBi Venezia blue velvet slippers for the gentleman guests, Sanchez gave the ladies black open-toe slippers from Amazon - seizing the opportunity to promote her billionaire husband's e-commerce empire. 'Wedding of the century': The 61-year-old Amazon founder and 55-year-old former journalist exchanged vows in front of almost 200 VIP guests on San Giorgio Maggiore island on Friday Hats on: There were more celebrities than anyone had predicted, from Leonardo DiCaprio and Oprah to the Kardashians and Sydney Sweeney Ready to go: Lauren began the day with printed headscarf, a pair of classic black Celine sunglasses, along with a black crocodile-print purse Wow factor: According to stylist Lisa Talbot, Lauren was 'radiating timeless elegance' with her look Cute: Khloe Kardashian took to Instagram on Saturday to share images of her in a pink dress with a feather coat - her outfit to the wedding The wedding, held two years after Bezos proposed to Sanchez aboard his $500million superyacht, was described as 'extremely intimate' with a strict no-phone policy - around 70 of the 200 guests were family members. The only images that emerged of the nuptials came via Sanchez's official Instagram account - and photos of guests leaving the night-time celebrations were scarce.
