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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
UK billionaire declares ‘Britain has gone to hell,' lists $337m London estate on sale and moves to Dubai
The UK abolished the non-dom tax status in April, prompting a record number of billionaires, including Fredriksen, to leave/ image: Source: Jeff Gilbert/Alamy Stock Photo via Llyod's List TL;DR UK billionaire John Fredriksen is leaving Britain due to the Labour government's abolition of non-dom tax status. He's putting his £250 million Chelsea estate, The Old Rectory, up for sale. Fredriksen is relocating his business operations and residence to Dubai, UAE. His departure follows the closure of his London firm Seatankers and reflects rising billionaire exits triggered by UK tax reforms. A £13.7 Billion Departure: Why John Fredriksen Left London Behind The United Kingdom is losing millionaires and billionaires at a record pace, and now, one of its most high-profile residents has joined the exodus. J ohn Fredriksen, once the UK's ninth-richest man, has left London, shut down key business operations, and put his prized Chelsea mansion, The Old Rectory, up for sale for a staggering £250 million ($337 million). The trigger? A sweeping overhaul of Britain's tax policy targeting the global elite. In a blunt interview earlier this month with Norwegian business outlet E24 , Fredriksen did not mince words: 'Britain has gone to hell, like Norway,' he said. 'The entire Western world is on its way down.' Who Is John Fredriksen? At 81, John Fredriksen is one of the world's most influential shipping magnates. Born in Oslo and now a Cypriot national, he built his vast empire in oil tankers during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Over the decades, he expanded into offshore drilling, LNG shipping, dry bulk, gas, and aquaculture. Fredriksen first left Norway in 1978 over its aggressive tax regime and settled in the UK, where he was long seen as a quiet but formidable presence in London's business circles. In 2001, he purchased The Old Rectory , a 30,000-square-foot Georgian manor in Chelsea, for £37 million. The estate, which includes 10 bedrooms, a ballroom, and two acres of private gardens, has become one of the most valuable homes in Britain. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo He famously turned down a £100 million offer from Roman Abramovich in 2004. According to Forbes , Fredriksen was recently ranked the 136th-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $17.3 billion. Why He's Leaving: The End of the 'Non-Dom' Era Fredriksen's exit was set in motion earlier this year, when the UK's Labour government abolished the non-domicile (non-dom) tax status, a historic tax arrangement dating back to 1799. The policy had long allowed wealthy foreigners living in the UK to pay tax only on their British income, shielding offshore earnings. But in April 2025, under Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the non-dom policy was scrapped. Alongside that came other tax hikes: Higher National Insurance contributions for employers Tighter inheritance tax rules A 15% VAT on private school fees For global billionaires with complex financial footprints like Fredriksen, this marked a turning point. '[The UK is] starting to remind me more and more of Norway,' Fredriksen told E24. 'People should get up and work even more, and go to the office instead of having a home office.' Soon after, he closed the London headquarters of Seatankers Management, one of his private shipping firms. Reports in Forbes noted that more than a dozen domestic staff were let go from his Chelsea estate. The Mansion: Putting a £250 Million Landmark on the Market Fredriksen's property, The Old Rectory, is not just any home. Built in the 1720s, it once belonged to the rector of Chelsea parish church. After a full refurbishment in the 1990s, it was bought in 1995 by Greek shipping magnate Theodore Angelopoulos for £22 million. Fredriksen acquired it six years later for £37 million. Now, two decades on, it's being quietly shopped to ultra-wealthy buyers with an asking price of £250 million. If sold at that value, it would be one of the most expensive private residential sales in UK history. He's Not Alone: The Wealth Drain from the UK Fredriksen's move is not an isolated case. According to Henley & Partners, a global citizenship advisory firm: The UK lost 10,800 millionaires in 2024, a 157% rise from the year before. In 2025, it's projected to lose 16,500 millionaires, more than any other country globally. These individuals are expected to take £66 billion in investable wealth with them. According to The Telegraph, other billionaires who have already left, or are preparing to, include: Richard Gnodde , Goldman Sachs vice-chairman Lakshmi Mittal, steel magnate Ian and Richard Livingstone , property tycoons Christian Angermayer and Nassef Sawiris, owner of Aston Villa (The Telegraph, Forbes) According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Britain now has 156 billionaires, down from 165 in 2024, the sharpest drop in the list's 37-year history. Why the UAE? A New Magnet for Global Wealth Fredriksen's new base, the United Arab Emirates, is more than just a tax-friendly destination. It's now one of the world's fastest-growing wealth hubs. According to Henley & Partners: The UAE is set to receive 9,800 new millionaires in 2025, more than any country in the world. These new residents will bring in an estimated $63 billion in wealth. Over the last decade, the UAE has seen a 98% increase in its millionaire population. That growth is second only to Montenegro, whose millionaire population rose by 124%, followed by Malta (87%), the United States (87%), and China (74%). Why are so many choosing Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Zero income and capital gains taxes Stable political climate and pro-business regulation World-class infrastructure for aviation, banking, logistics, and technology Attractive Golden Visa programs and flexible residency schemes Strong networks for family offices, private equity, and shipping For billionaires like Fredriksen, Dubai offers a full-service platform to run a global enterprise with fewer political and regulatory hurdles. And socially, the city is now home to a thriving ecosystem of financiers, tech founders, luxury developers, and shipping magnates. Fredriksen, who is now spending most of his time in the UAE, is reportedly preparing to hand over greater control of his empire to his twin daughters, Cecilie and Kathrine Fredriksen, both of whom already serve on boards of several family companies. Whether this transition marks a new chapter for the Fredriksen empire or a broader rewriting of elite capital flows, one thing is clear: Dubai is rising, and London is watching. FAQs: Q. Why is John Fredriksen leaving the UK? Because of the end of non-dom tax status and new tax burdens introduced by the Labour government. Q. Where is he moving to? To Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where he plans to oversee his global business empire. Q. What's happening to his UK property? He's selling The Old Rectory in Chelsea for £250 million, one of Britain's most expensive homes. Q. Why did he choose Dubai? Dubai offers zero income tax, investor-friendly policies, and a fast-growing hub for global wealth and business.
National Geographic
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
The original sirens in mythology weren't the seductresses we know today
Sirens torment Ulysses with their enchanting song in Herbert James Draper's 1909 painting titled 'Ulysses and the Sirens.' Draper portrays the Sirens as sexualized mermaids, consistent with other Edwardian era depictions of the creatures. © Ferens Art Gallery / Bridgeman Images For thousands of years sirens have lured sailors, haunted coastlines—and shapeshifted through myth and media. Here's how they evolved to the seductive mermaids of our modern imagination. The Greek hero Odysseus famously faces many travails as he attempts to return home following the Trojan War, from giant cannibals to enigmatic enchantresses. But one challenge stands out as perhaps the most evocative, dangerous, and enduring of them all: the sirens, with their hypnotic and mesmerizing song, who call to passing sailors. To stop is certain death. They're powerful and mysterious figures and even now, of all the creatures from Greek myths, audiences simply can't get enough of them. Sirens have been a fixture of the Western imagination since the time of Homer and the composition of The Odyssey in the 8th century B.C. They appear in the works of ancient Roman writers like Pliny the Elder and Ovid, and one even appears in Dante's Divine Comedy. They fascinated painters of the 19th century and now lend their name to television shows and the "siren-core" fashion aesthetic touted by social media creators. (Dante's 'Inferno' is a journey to hell and back.) But these mythological creatures have shifted forms dramatically over the centuries, transforming with the times to reflect society's complicated and ever-changing relationship with desire. In modern popular culture, sirens are alluring creatures of the sea, most commonly women, often sporting shimmering mermaid tails. But their ancient Greek roots weren't fishlike at all; instead, they were bird-bodied creatures associated with death. Here's how sirens have evolved over time, and why their song stays so loud in popular culture. A attic terracotta status from Greece 300 BCE shows Sirens in their original, bird-woman form. Photograph by Peter Horree, Alamy Stock Photo This artwork titled 'A Siren and a Centaur' shows how classical mythology and artistic imagination have blended together to reshape Sirens iconography. The piece portrays a bird-like siren (left) and centaur (right) in an imaginative and dynamic scene. Photograph by ART Collection, Alamy Stock Photo Homer's Odyssey is the sirens' earliest appearance. Thought to have been composed sometime in the 8th century B.C., the poem follows the winding path of the hero Odysseus as he returns home to Ithaca and his long-suffering wife from the Trojan War. Along the way, he faces Greek gods, marvels, and monsters, including the sirens. The sorceress Circe warns him about the creatures, telling him that they 'bewitch all passersby. If anyone goes near them in ignorance, and listens to their voices, that man will never travel to his home.' Odysseus plugs his men's ears with wax, so they won't be lured—but he leaves his own ears free and commands his men to bind him to the ship's mast, so he's able to hear their promises as they tempt him with the prospect of knowledge and tales of heroic deeds. (The Odyssey offers monsters and magic—and also a real look into the ancient world.) But the Odyssey is far from the only story featuring the sirens. They also appear in the Argonautica, a 3rd century B.C. epic poem following Jason and the Argonauts in their search for the Golden Fleece, where sirens are described as daughters of the river god Achelous and the muse Terpsichore. The musician Orpheus snatches up his lyre to drown out their song—but not before one member of the crew throws himself in the ocean. Tradition has it that the names of those sirens were Parthenop, Ligeia and Leucosia. Perhaps the siren's most important distinguishing feature—and the one that remains to this day—is their voice. 'It's a hypnotic voice, it lures people, makes them forget everything, in a lot of cases makes them fall asleep,' says Marie-Claire Beaulieu, associate professor of classical studies at Tufts University. 'Essentially, people become so hypnotized that they forget everything.' What do sirens symbolize in Greek culture? 'When the ancients say sirens, they mean a bird-bodied woman,' says Beaulieu. Closely associated with death, sirens' bird legs and wings show that they're liminal creatures who dwell betwixt and between. Their connection with the sea, which the ancient Greeks considered profoundly dangerous, and their wings, situate them somewhere between earth and air. Sirens were a fixture of ancient Greek funerary art, such as stele, a type of grave marker. For example, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts holds a funerary plaque from the 7th century B.C. depicting a mourning scene, in which two women flank a funeral couch that holds a corpse. Crouched underneath is a siren. Some sources, including Euripides' 5th century B.C. play Helen and Ovid's 8th century A.D. poem Metamorphoses, associate the sirens with Persephone, the goddess of spring carried off by Hades, god of the underworld, to become his queen. Some stories say they were given wings to seek Persephone. According to Beaulieu, som e sources, including the Argonautica , show sirens as the daughters of one of the Muses. 'Except that in a way, they're the Muses of death, instead of the Muses of life, because they lure people to death with this singing,' says Beaulieu. This mural from the 14th century shows a Siren playing music. During this period, the enchantresses were depicted as both bird-women and mermaids. Photograph by Heritage Image Partnership Ltd, Alamy Stock Photo How the iconography of sirens has evolved Sirens retained their bird bodies into the time of the Roman Empire and well beyond; Pliny the Elder includes them in the 'Fabulous Birds' section of his Natural History, written around A.D. 77, claiming they lull men to sleep with their song and then tear them to pieces. (Though he's a skeptic that they exist.) But over the course of the Middle Ages, the siren transformed. More and more they began exhibiting fishtails, not bird bodies. The two types coexisted from the 12th through 14th centuries at least, Beaulieu explains, but eventually the mermaid-like creature emerged as dominant. That shift is probably thanks in part to the strong Greek and Roman tradition of unrelated sea gods like Triton, as well as the sirens' association with water. But it's also thanks in no small part to the influence of Celtic folklore traditions. 'The blending is a super interesting syncretism of cultures,' says Beaulieu, pointing to 14th century tradition about St. Brendan the Navigator, an early Irish Christian whose journeys parallel those of Odysseus. Naturally, he encounters a siren on his odyssey—only this one is wholly recognizable to modern audiences as a mermaid. How Christianity has shaped Greek mythology As the physical appearance of the sirens began to shift, so did their symbolic meaning. The sirens of ancient Greece were considered beautiful—but they tempted Odysseus with songs of glory, not simply sex. Ancient Greeks were more concerned with power dynamics, so a man having sex with a subordinate woman wasn't a problem. 'You get into trouble when you have a goddess having sex with a mortal, for instance,' explains Beaulieu. "That's part of what would have given the sirens their menace." But medieval Christianity saw sex and sirens differently. They became symbols of temptation itself, a way to talk about the lures of worldly pleasures and the deceptive, corrupting pull of sin. Hence the appearance of a siren in Dante's 14th century Divine Comedy. The very same creature who tempted Odysseus comes to Dante in a dream and identifies herself as 'the pleasing siren, who in midsea leads mariners astray.' In the end, his guide and companion through the underworld (the epic poet Virgil) grabs her, tears her clothing, and exposes the 'stench' of her belly showing the medieval siren is sexually alluring but repulsive. Those medieval temptresses are unmistakably the roots of modern sirens, with their dangerously attractive songs. The association between sirens, mermaids, and temptation only grew tighter in the 19th century, when painters returned again and again to creamy-skinned, bare-breasted sirens with lavish hair. There is no better example than John William Waterhouse's turn-of-the-century painting The Siren, where a lovely young woman gazes down at a stricken, shipwrecked young sailor who looks both terrified and enthralled. The sirens of modern-day popular culture Millennia later, the sirens continue to resonate. They're even inspiration for a fashion aesthetic: sirencore, a beachy and romantic look with just a little hint of menace. Modern creatives, meanwhile, are still turning to the sirens as a source of inspiration and a rich symbol for exploring power, gender, and knowledge. Netflix's new release Sirens, which adapts Molly Smith Metzler's 2011 play Elemeno Pea and stars Julianne Moore, explicitly grapples with the mythological figure. Director Nicole Kassell told The Hollywood Reporter, 'I love the idea of analyzing the idea of what a siren is, and who says what a siren is—the sailor. It's very fun to get to go back and consider it from a female lens.' Black sirens navigate the challenges of modern-day sexism and racism in Bethany C. Morrow's 2020 A Song Below Water; a Puerto Rican immigrant falls in love with a merman on turn-of-the-century Coney Island in Venessa Vida Kelley's 2025 When The Tides Held The Moon. For many writers, sirens are an opportunity to turn old tales and stereotypes on their head, using characters who've long been reviled and distrusted for their controversial power. The Sirens by Emilia Hart is one such modern-day retelling, which weaves between the modern day, and the 19th century transportation of Irish women convicts to Australia. 'I thought this mythological creature was the perfect way to give my female characters some power back into this historical narrative,' she explains. 'I wanted to make this general comment on how we think about women and how we have this idea of women as being temptresses, and we demonize them and we overly sexualize them, as a way of trying to explain or perhaps diminish their power,' she says. In the hands of modern-day writers, the sea can become a place of transformation, freedom, and potential. And sirens can be restored to a place of power and wisdom—and, yes, a bit of danger too.
National Geographic
2 days ago
- National Geographic
The little-known Sicilian town that feeds the world's almond craze
Avola, set in the heart of Sicily's Ionian coast, might be unknown to many at first glance. But behind its humble name lies the beating heart of a successful business, where the almonds produced are considered among the finest in the world. With its strategic position, overlooking the Gulf of Noto, it has a rich history intertwined with the art of the almond cultivation (from Italian 'mandorla') that has been shaped by the influence of Phoenician and biblical symbolism, creating a one-of-a-kind cultural and gastronomic legacy. 'Centuries of tradition and hard-work, passed down from generation to generation, are rooted in Avola's fertile lands' says Salvatore Rizzo, a third-generation farmer raised in the town. 'The quality of these almonds is the result of intensive irrigation techniques first introduced by the Arabs, that helped turn this nut into a cornerstone of the Italian patisserie'. Avola's history Avola, commonly known as the hexagonal city, preserves a deep identity typical of a true Mediterranean melting pot. The town was once seen as a golden land for its position along the Sicilian coastline, which inevitably attracted Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines, each of whom left an indelible mark. With an earthquake in 1693, much of this legacy was shaken, making Avola a living mosaic of Sicily's layered past. The method of growing almonds from Avola's almond trees—also known as mandorlo—follows the rhythms of nature. Photograph by Adam Eastland, Alamy Stock Photo (Top) (Left) and Photograph by siculodoc, Getty Images (Bottom) (Right) Today, the past can be seen through its still-standing Baroque places of worship, historical buildings, old recipes, and stunning landscapes. 'I've always been drawn by Avola's quiet resilience, seen through the eyes of locals. It feels like being suspended between past and future," says Rizzo. 'On a normal day, you'll spot kids enjoying almond biscuits and elders pouring soap mixture into molds, still making scibina by hand." Over the centuries, there's still a creativity that doesn't come prepackaged and it's rare in nearby bigger cities. (10 must-do experiences in Sicily) The almond-growing process The method of growing almonds from Avola's almond trees—also known as mandorlo—follows the rhythms of nature. Trees are carefully planted by hand, spaced far apart to allow their root systems to stretch deep into the volcanic soil. A testament to meticulous selection can be seen in the harvesting process, done by hand, aided by gently shaking off the branches to loosen the ripe Pizzuta almonds. Today, farmers manage the work without any artificial tools, unlike in ancient times when irrigation was essential. Much of Avola's almonds are used to make traditional Sicilian sweets, from marzipan and rich cassata to sugared almonds. Beyond the kitchen, they are used by the cosmetic industry, where their oils and creams are renowned for their soothing properties. An operator carefully inspects the Avola almonds, discarding broken or damaged ones to ensure only the finest proceed to the peeling stage. Photograph by Francesco Vigliotti (Ancient ruins, city tours and cannoli on a family tour of western Sicily) 'The almond tree of Avola is still nurtured thanks to methods that have nothing to do with modern agriculture and is probably one of the first introduced crops by conquerors of the Sicilian coast' says Rizzo. "Avola's porous soil lives in symbiosis with Southern Italy's dry summers and mild winters, which create great conditions for the healthy blooming of its prized almonds.' One of the oldest and most renowned almond producers in Avola is Nastasi Mandorle, a family-run business with two locations in town, just a few miles from Syracuse. The company's roots date back to 1898, when entrepreneur Lorenzo Nastasi, together with his two sisters, began cultivating almonds in the surrounding countryside. Nastasi practices a dry-farming approach, which relies entirely on natural rainfall and the nutrient-rich soil of Avola. Given the particular terrain and the summer blossoming, almonds are harvested from July to September, carefully hulled and sun-dried for three days, in order to preserve their sweet oils and woody hull, also named mallo. Where to try it Nastasi: A trusted name in the almond business, Nastasi's factory is a stop you can't miss if you're a food enthusiast. The well-stocked store offers a wide range of products, from silvered and whole-peeled almonds to fragrant almond pastes, pistachios, and hazelnuts. A visit to this place guarantees a full immersion in Avola's almond history. Various stages in the traditional processing of the Avola almond, a jewel of Sicilian agriculture. Photograph by Francesco Vigliotti Nama : Nama is a family-run business founded by the Tiralongos. If you are looking for a sweet snack, head here. This centuries-old factory welcomes its visitors with a curated selection of Avola's finest nuts, including fresh almonds, organic products (creams, almond oil), and nut pestos, all made with devotion to the land. Pippo Si Pappa Bar : This lovely cafe is famous for its silky and fresh almond granita (rated the best in town), warmed brioche, local ricotta, and artisanal ice-cream. Where to stay Avola offers countless charming accommodations for a relaxing stay. Morfeo Charming Rooms & Relax is the best option to quickly reach the city center, and it features a private pool, a spacious garden, and suites with private balconies. Le Torrette Rooms and Apartments is a cozy bed-and-breakfast with its own restaurant and a bicycle rental service, which is a perfect way to explore the coast. When to go Avola is an urban jewel year-long, but it's best enjoyed in summer (July-September), when you can sunbathe on beaches with crystal-clear waters and witness the almond harvest. October is a good compromise for those who are more inclined toward tasting tours. The temperature is pleasantly breezy, and never too hot. Getting there Avola is easy to reach from major Italian metropolises. Flights from Catania Fontanarossa (CTA) or Comiso Airport operate all year-long. Alternatively, you can take a high-speed train to Catania (Italo or Frecciarossa), followed by a bus to Avola that takes about 1.5 hours. (How chocolate went from rough to refined in one Sicilian town) Maria Salvati is an Italian freelance journalist and copywriter. Born and raised in Rome, she writes about lifestyle, politics, and travel with a focus on Italy's culture. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Thrillist, and Fodor's. Follow her on Instagram @mariasalvati2
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Second Test at the magnificent MCG looms for the Lions
IT DOESN'T TAKE long in Melbourne to get a reminder of how far down the food chain rugby union is in these parts. A run out to the Melbourne Sports Precinct brings you to a point where all you can see in every direction is sports stadiums and training facilities There's the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground [MCG] looming up into view. Referred to simply as 'The G' by locals, it's one of the biggest stadiums in the world. It has hosted two Cricket World Cup finals, an Olympic Games, and is the spiritual home of the Australian Football League [AFL]. The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, is home to 10 of the 18 AFL clubs. So there is a constant schedule of Aussie rules games at the imposing MCG, with the remainder taking place across town at the 53,000-capacity Marvel Stadium, where the Lions play their final midweek game tomorrow. On Thursday night, Hawthorn take on Carlton at the MCG, then on Friday night it's Essendon versus the Western Bulldogs at the Marvel. On Sunday, the MCG hosts Richmond against AFL leaders Collingwood, while Marvel is the venue for St Kilda against Melbourne FC. In between on Saturday, there is the Lions' second Test against the Wallabies. The G is home to the Melbourne Stars, who play in Australia's professional Twenty20 cricket competition called the Big Bash League, while the Melbourne Renegades play over in Marvel Stadium. Advertisement An aerial view of the Melbourne Sports Precinct. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo This week, Andy Farrell's men are training at Xavier College out in the eastern suburb of Kew. The grounds of the private school are stunning and the sporting facilities are obviously state-of-the-art. One member of staff at Xavier College who had the physique of a Lions player was bemused today when asked if he plays rugby union. He, like most people around here, is an Aussie Rules man. Xavier College is a major production line for the AFL. Rugby barely registers. One of the lads on the security team said the AFL organisation are 'a bunch of w***ers' who don't put enough money back into the grassroots, but the sport is booming. Back in the Sports Precinct, you glance around at the Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and Show Court Arena, the venues where Melbourne hosts the Australian Open tennis tournament. The John Caine Arena is also home to both of Melbourne's professional basketball sides, the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United. Basketball is a huge participation sport in Victoria. And they even squeeze Melbourne's two professional netball clubs, the Vixen and the Mavericks, into the same John Caine Arena. Netball is huge among female athletes all over Australia. Just across the road is AFL club Collingwood's vast training facility, with an outdoor oval alongside it. On the other side of that oval is AAMI Park, which was home to the rugby union's Melbourne Rebels until they shut down last year. The Melbourne Storm, a highly successful rugby league franchise in the NRL, play at AAMI Park, as do two of the city's three professional A-League soccer teams, Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory. And don't forget that only a few kilometres away is the Albert Park Circuit, home of the annual Australian Grand Prix in Formula One. The G holds 100,000 people. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Swimming is popular here too, there's hockey, and the evidence of the past couple of days suggests the people of Melbourne enjoy their running. So you can see why the Rebels struggled to get a long-term foothold in this sports-crazy city. This is another level of competition for eyeballs and hard-earned dollars. Rugby union isn't near the top of the agenda here. When we happened upon a steak restaurant last night and ducked in for a meal, there was a big group of Wallabies players already getting stuck into their food. The staff could see they were big lads but didn't know who they were, although they did confirm that most ordered two mains. And yet, the MCG will welcome a gigantic rugby union crowd on Saturday night for the Lions' Test against the Wallabies. It's expected that there will be more than 90,000 people at The G and though that may be short of the 100,000 capacity, it is still a remarkable number. The record for a Lions game is 95,000 in Johannesburg, South Africa back in 1955 so to even come close to that would be astonishing, all the more so given how much the Wallabies have struggled in recent years. Some will paint it as a negative if the MCG doesn't sell out, but such a big crowd would prove just how big a draw the Lions remain, especially in a country with as many expats as Australia. With many of those Lions fans off touring elsewhere in Australia for the early part of this week, the second Wallabies Test might not impact much on Melbourne life until they roll into town. That won't stop the earlier-arriving media from discovering the city's many cracking restaurants and bars, as well as taking in some of the feast of sport this place can offer. By Saturday night, the place will be rocking with rugby union supporters. And then by the following afternoon, life will have moved swiftly back onto the AFL.
The Journal
2 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Ryanair boss confirms staff are paid commission to nail people on oversized cabin bags
RYANAIR CEO MICHAEL O'Leary has confirmed many people's suspicions – that staff at the airline are paid commission on each bag they charge the oversized fee on. The standard fee is usually between €70 and €75. Ryanair says that it charges a fee of €13 per kilo on excess baggage, including checked baggage. Speaking this morning on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, O'Leary said that Ryanair staff are paid €1.50 per bag, and that they are thinking about increasing the commission rate in a bid to tackle what he called a 'scourge' of passengers arriving with oversized baggage. Asked about proposed EU rules that would allow passengers on flights to bring a 7kg bag and small personal bag free of charge, O'Leary cast doubt on whether the regulations would pass into law. 'On our aircraft, we're flying largely full flights, about half the passengers can bring two bags, or the other half can only bring one bag, because that's all that fits in the plane,' he said. 'In fact, we're already struggling with that amount of baggage, and that's one of the reasons we are so aggressive about eliminating the scourge of passengers with excess baggage. 'One of the things that irritates our passengers most is the one or two people who show but a rogue fact, claiming that it fits in the sizer. If it doesn't fit in the sizer, it's not getting on.' Advertisement He said that the airline's passengers will be paying excess baggage fees if they don't comply with the size and weight restrictions, and that Ryanair 'is happy' to incentivise its staff with a share of the fees. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The airline today announced its net profit more than doubled in its first quarter thanks to higher air fares. Profit after tax soared to €820m in the three months to the end of June from €360m in the same period a year earlier. Passenger traffic rose four% to almost 58 million and average air fares increased by 21%. Revenue grew 20% to €4.34 billion. O'Leary noted that passenger growth will be constrained over the full year due to 'heavily delayed Boeing deliveries.'. Ryanair 'cautiously expects to recover almost all of last year's seven percent full-year fare decline, which should lead to reasonable net profit growth' in the full year, he added. However, he warned that the outlook remains 'heavily exposed' to risks including tariff wars, macroeconomic shocks and conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
