Latest news with #JeffBezos
Times of Oman
19 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez marry in Venice
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos married Lauren Sanchez in a lavish ceremony on Friday in Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore island. Sanchez first stepped out from the luxury Aman hotel the couple were staying at, wearing a skirt suit, and Bezos followed some two hours later. Sanchez's wedding dress was still kept under wraps at the time she hopped onto a motorboat from her hotel, but she later revealed the dress on her newly branded Instagram page with the name: Lauren Sanchez Bezos. The former journalist reportedly has 27 outfits prepared for festivities over three days, with Dolce & Gabbana having been the fashion house behind her wedding gown. Bezos wore a black tuxedo and a bow tie over a white shirt, as the official photo Sanchez shared on her Instagram photo showed. Bill Gates, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey among some famous guests at wedding The interest around the power couple's wedding sent the media into a tizzy, with dozens of photographers having parked themselves in boats outside Aman, and other hotels where guests stayed. Papparazzi took photos of numerous VIP guests including Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Jordan's Queen Rania, US football player Tom Brady, singer Usher and Ivanka Trump — the daughter of US President Donald Trump. Protesters flag taxes, cost-of-living and a massive carbon footprint Venice is one of the most iconic cities in the world, but it is also among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change.
The Star
29 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
These are the celebs who are attending Jeff Bezos' Venice wedding
Jeff Bezos (left) and Lauren Sanchez leave a hotel for their pre-wedding reception, in Venice, Italy, Thursday, June 26, 2025. Photo: AP Oprah Winfrey arrived in Venice on Thursday, leading a star-studded guest list of celebrities descending on the lagoon city for the weekendwedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. Winfrey's private jet landed at Venice's Marco Polo airport. Former American footballer Tom Brady arrived soon thereafter. The bride and groom pulled into the Aman Hotel dock on the Grand Canal on Wednesday, traveling via water taxi with security boats in tow. A few hours later they slipped out of the hotel, with Sánchez wearing a sleek black and white striped, one-shoulder gown. Kim Kardashian. Photo: AFP The details of the nuptials have been a tightly kept secret, though the locations now appear to have firmed up as has the guest list. Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner and their three children arrived Wednesday. Other celebrities on the guest list, according to two people close to the wedding who spoke on condition of anonymity, because they weren't authorised to speak publicly, include: - Kim Kardashian - Mick Jagger - Leonardo DiCaprio - Orlando Bloom - Microsoft founder Bill Gates - Diane von Furstenberg and her husband Barry Diller - Katy Perry had originally been expected but the latest update had her as not attending. Orlando Bloom. Photo: AP The wedding has divided Venice, with some activists protesting it as an exploitation of the city by the billionaire Bezos while ordinary residents suffer from overtourism, high housing costs and the constant threat of climate-induced flooding. One group called Extinction Rebellion staged a small protest in St. Mark's Square on Thursday featuring a masked bride and groom and people holding posters decrying climate change and income inequalities. "The planet is burning but don't worry, here's the list of the 27 dresses of Lauren Sanchez,' read one, a reference to the bride's reported wedding weekend wardrobe. Protesters said that their plans to disrupt the arrivals of guests at one of the wedding venues forced organisers to move the event to the more secure Arsenale area beyond Venice's congested centre. Oprah Winfrey. Photo: Reuters The city administration has strongly defended the nuptials as keeping with Venice's tradition as an open city that has welcomed popes, emperors and ordinary visitors alike for centuries. "We will always respect the right to speak out, but we reject every form of intolerance and prejudice,' Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in Thursday's edition of Italian newspaper Il Foglio Quotidiano. "No one in Venice can claim the right of deciding who can enter, who can love, who can celebrate.' – AP
The National
32 minutes ago
- Business
- The National
Mhairi Black: MPs swayed by Keir Starmer's U-turn are not left wing
Events across the globe this week have served as a timely reminder that change is possible when people organise, even if it is bit by bit. At the time of writing, Keir Starmer had just announced a partial climbdown on his planned disability benefit cuts after an organised rebellion by numerous Labour MPs proved to be enough to potentially stop the legislation passing through Parliament. Originally, Starmer planned to change who would qualify for certain disability and sickness benefits, in the hopes of saving £5 billion a year by 2030. UK Prime Minister Keir StarmerIn a last-ditch attempt to halt any rebellion, Labour announced that current claimants will continue to receive the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. The planned changes will now only affect new claimants. This concession is a test for all rebelling Labour MPs because what Starmer is effectively saying is that even if you share the same disability as someone currently receiving PIP – and you experience all the same disadvantages and difficulties – because you made a claim after an arbitrary date, you will not receive any of the support your peers enjoy. Actually, 'enjoy' is too strong a word considering the maximum amount a person will receive via PIP is £187.45 per week. Anyone swayed by the argument, 'I won't take support away from existing disabled people but future disabled people are fair game,' cannot claim to be a left-wing MP. READ MORE: Labour's 'minor' climbdown will leave benefits system 'woefully inadequate' It is worth noting that Starmer has not made these (pathetic) concessions out of the goodness of his heart, or because he realises it is abhorrent to cut support for those with disabilities during a cost of living crisis – especially when there are billionaires who don't pay the proper tax. He has suggested this concession in order to appear reasonable and lessen the embarrassment of potentially being defeated by his own MPs. People in power never concede or compromise unless they are put in a position where it is in their best interests to do so. But although we have yet to see how far they are willing to take it, Labour MPs have at this moment successfully banded together in numbers to resist the right-wing changes Starmer wants. Throughout history, it is only when people band together in numbers to defy authority that authority even thinks about changing. This week we saw billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos forced to relocate his wedding in Venice after protesters organised themselves to put pressure on him. A sign in St Mark's Square read: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax'. A banner opposing Jeff Bezos in St Mark's Square. Image: GreenpeaceTommaso Cacciari, from a group called No Space For Bezos, put it nicely saying: 'We're just citizens who started organising and we managed to move one of the most powerful people in the world – and all the billionaires – out of the city." In the US, we saw the New York mayoral Democratic primary won by unknown socialist Zohran Mamdani. As Donald Trump's fascism runs rampant, the very corporate Democrats have so far failed to provide any kind of leadership in challenging him and his minions. Mamdani's campaign showed the Democratic leadership how it is done. He campaigned unapologetically on a plan for free buses, free childcare, new affordable apartments and a higher minimum wage – all paid for by new taxes on the rich – and he won handsomely. The world over, we are seeing that people are growing impatient waiting for social justice. Impatient that their quality of life is rapidly deteriorating while the richest continue to grow their wealth and influence. READ MORE: Wind, words, and willpower: Inside a pivotal week on Skye's energy future The UK is no different. Child poverty is rising, as is poverty overall, and the gap between the richest and the poorest is widening. Yet political parties are too afraid to act on their promises of change. There is a depressing timidness from political leaders to challenge those hoarding obscene amounts of wealth. This has created a vacuum which the likes of Nigel Farage can seize on. Rather than have the masses come after his wealth, he seeks to redirect our attention and anger to trans people, to immigrants, to disabled people and those who are unemployed. Right-wing populism unironically claims to answer the very problems created by right-wing policies in the first place. Despite this, a YouGov poll predicted Reform UK would win the most seats in a General Election, of which three would be in Scotland. READ MORE: Rod Stewart comes out in support of Reform UK and Nigel Farage I am reminded of a fable I once read where in ancient times a suggestion was made that the lords (who held all power and wealth) should wear red, and the peasants should all wear white so it was easy to distinguish who was who. The plans fell through the moment someone pointed out that if the peasants all wore the same thing, they might well realise how many of them there were compared to the few lords hoarding power and wealth. Now more than ever we need progressives and political parties to get real about the threat that is spreading, and realise the power we hold when we band together to make a stand.
Sky News
32 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Why protesters have vowed to make Jeff Bezos's Venice wedding to Lauren Sanchez a 'nightmare'
Billionaire Jeff Bezos is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist, in a glitzy multi-day event in Venice. The couple have arrived in the city for three days of celebrations from Thursday to Saturday, which are estimated to cost up to €48m (£41m). The main wedding party had reportedly been due to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday, but will now be held at the Arsenale, out of the city centre, according to Reuters news agency. The guest list includes the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio, Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey and Mick Jagger, as well as pop star Katy Perry, who joined Ms Sanchez in the all-female celebrity crew that travelled to space in April. They and other celebrity guests are set to join the couple for parties on the Amazon owner's super yacht, worth about $500m (£371m), which will dock in the port of Venice for the wedding, Sky TG24 in Italy reports. But not everyone in the city is excited. Why are there protests? Protesters do not have an issue with the marriage itself but with what they say is the "privatisation" and "exploitation" of the city. "He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there," said Alice Bazzoli, an activist with No Space for Bezos. The group is a coalition of around a dozen Venetian organisations - including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups - and its name is a play on words also referring to the bride's recent space flight. Members of the group have told Sky News that the event will close parts of the city and make it difficult for locals to get around, as well as posing environmental concerns with the use of yachts in the canals. "This is not what Venice needs. This is not what a city that is already suffering from overtourism needs," Federica Toninelli, another activist associated with No Space for Bezos, said. The city has long struggled with high tourism numbers. Millions come to see the World Heritage Site for its medieval architecture, crammed into a picturesque canal network. However, this pushes up the cost of living for locals and tends to create only low-paid temporary employment. "It's going to bring money, yes, but we are not going to see any money," said Ms Toninelli. The protests are also linked to wider issues around affordable housing and a dwindling local population in Venice's historic centre. "Do we want our city even more invaded by tourists, by oligarchs, and people who buy and privatise the city, or do we want services, jobs, health services, schools, universities? Do we want to live in the city like normal people, or sell it to the best offer?" Ms Bazzoli added. Activists from global environmental lobby Greenpeace and the UK group Everyone Hates Elon have joined the protests, with their focus on some of the wider issues raised by Bezos's critics around the world, such as purported tax breaks for him and fellow billionaires. Mr Bezos has been contacted for comment. What have protesters done so far - and what else are they planning? Members of No Space for Bezos unfurled a massive banner on 12 June from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica with Bezos's name crossed out. Then on Monday activists from Greenpeace and Everyone Hates Elon unveiled a huge banner in St Mark's Square with an image of Mr Bezos laughing and the caption: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax." It appeared to be a nod to Amazon's ongoing tax disputes with European governments. The local activists planned a more organised protest for Saturday, where they were aiming to stop guests from arriving at a party by blocking the canals with boats and their bodies. But the plans have been altered since the party was reportedly moved to Arsenale, a 14th-century complex surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when bridges are raised. Instead of the blockade there will be a march, with protesters pledging to make the event a "nightmare" for Mr Bezos and his guests. What has the response been to the protests? The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has said he is "honoured" that the city is hosting the event, adding: "Once again Venice proves to be a world stage." "Those 20 people who are putting up posters are clearly capitalising on [Bezos's] image," he went on. The city of Venice has previously denied that the event would disrupt locals, saying water taxi services would run normally and that only 200 guests had been invited. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding in numbers €48m price tag The wedding and its parts are expected to cost an eye-watering €40-48m (£34-£41m), Luca Zaia, the president of Venice's local government, said on Tuesday. This includes sizeable charity donations from the Amazon founder, including €1m (£850k) to Corila, a consortium that studies Venice's lagoon ecosystem, local media has reported. 90 private jets The first private jets began landing at Venice airport on Tuesday and there will be around 90 in total, Mr Zaia said. They won't all be arriving in Venice though, as some will land at the nearby Treviso and Verona airports. 250 guests Five of the city's most luxurious hotels have been booked out to host an estimated 200-250 guests. These include the celeb favourite Cipriani, where George and Amal Clooney married in 2014. 30 water taxis Attendees of course won't be hopping on public water buses to get around the city's many islands. The wedding's organisers have booked at least 30 water taxis for them to use instead. "Venice is used to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts," a statement said, citing G20 and G7 summits, the Architecture and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events. It added that the city has previous experience of hosting big events successfully. A Venetian environmental research association, Corila, issued a statement saying Bezos's Earth Fund was supporting its work with an "important donation". What other events has the cited hosted? George and Amal Clooney famously got married there in 2014. The actor arrived at his ceremony at the Aman Grande Canal Hotel on a boat, alongside guests including Matt Damon and model Cindy Crawford. The city also hosted world leaders for the 2021 G20 summit, as well as its annual Venice Film Festival. How does Venice place limits on tourists? Venice has been struggling with the impacts of overtourism. There were about 50,000 people living in the historic city centre in 2023 - and about 4.9 million tourist arrivals - according to the data gathering website Statista. In 2024, it became the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists, with officials carrying out random checks to make sure people beyond entry points have a QR code. As it stands, those visiting between April and July for a day trip pay a standard fee of €5, unless they have booked less than four days before their visit, in which case they must pay double. The city has also put in place a size limit of 25 people for tourist groups to reduce crowds. Where else have there been tourist protests? Venice isn't the only European city where locals are frustrated with tourist numbers. Protesters in Barcelona sprayed tourists with water guns as part of demonstrations recently over the number of visitors.
Sky News
32 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Lauren Sanchez shares picture with Jeff Bezos as they tie the knot in star-studded ceremony in Venice
Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez have tied the knot in a lavish and star-studded wedding in Venice, Italy. The couple exchanged their vows on Friday, on the small island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark's Square, in front of VIP guests including the Kardashians, Orlando Bloom and Oprah Winfrey. Sanchez, 55, posted a picture of herself on Instagram where she beamed in a white gown as she walked arm in arm with Bezos. She captioned it with the date of the nuptials, namely 27 June 2025, followed by a heart emoji. She also posted pictures of her in the classic mermaid-line gown, which featured Dolce & Gabbana's signature Italian lace. A traditional tulle-and-lace veil completed her look. "Not just a gown, a piece of poetry," she wrote on Instagram on the second day of the couple's three-day celebrations. Among the celebrities who were pictured on the wedding day were Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner, Italian supermodel Vittoria Ceretti, Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Khloe and Kim Kardashian. Bill Gates, Usher and Tom Brady were also pictured. Some 200-250 A-list guests from showbusiness, politics and finance are expected to attend the events, with the wedding and its parts estimated to cost €40m-€48m (£34m-£41m). Bezos, his now-wife and their famous guests have taken over numerous locations in the city, with the couple staying in the luxury Aman hotel, where rooms go for at least €4,000 per night. While the couple and their A-list guests were all smiles, some in Venice are not happy about the wedding - with protesters seeing it as an example of the city being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. An activist climbed one of the poles in the main St Mark's Square on Thursday, unfurling a banner which said: "The 1% ruins the world."
