My holiday horizons have shrunk — but it's not the kids' fault
Lanzarote is cooler than you might think if you go to the right places, but I don't. Matthew Parris went there a long time ago and looked down into a cave of blind albino crabs, watching shafts of celestial sunlight illuminate their path without their knowing, prompting him to ponder his own Messiah complex.
I keep meaning to go and have
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
British teenager boards wrong flight at Menorca airport and ends up in Italy
A British teenager separated from his family at a busy Spanish airport on Monday boarded a flight to Italy instead of his return flight to London. The 15-year-old was supposed to fly with Tui from Menorca to Stansted, but disappeared in the island's Mahon airport. The boy's parents raised the alarm, and when police reviewed CCTV footage from the airport's departures area they discovered the boy had managed to board a flight to Milan Malpensa without a ticket. A National Police spokesperson in Mallorca said: 'Officers checked cameras in the departures area and saw the teenager had managed to get on to a flight to Milan. The airport had already activated its missing child alert system but it was deactivated after it was confirmed the lad was on his way to Italy.' The boy's mother was reported to have been reunited with him yesterday after catching a flight to Italy. During the flight, airline staff noticed a passenger without a ticket was onboard, according to reports. Easy Jet said the passenger was met by their team and the local authorities in Milan, and that they had arranged for a family member to meet him. The British family has not been identified. In a statement, an Easy Jet spokesperson said: 'We are investigating with the airport and our ground handling provider at Mahon how a young passenger was able to travel unaccompanied on the wrong flight to Milan this morning. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion 'The passenger was met by our team and the local authorities in Milan and we have provided travel arrangements for a family member to meet them that day. We remain in touch with the family to offer our support.'
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
British Airways owner IAG's shares have soared 130% in the past year - are they worth buying now?
International Airlines Group has been flying high so far in 2025, with shares and revenue rising together. Since the beginning of the year, the British Airways owner's shares have gained more than 25 per cent, having recovered swiftly from a Trump-tariff related downturn. Over the past 12 months, shares are up almost 130 per cent, and over the past five they have risen 200 per cent. And yet, look back further and the firm's share price resembles the familiar undulation of the Alps seen from 30,000 feet. That being the case, the drop in altitude seen at the beginning of Covid is something of a sheer cliff edge. Shares haven't quite recovered to the highs they were at immediately before global travel shut down almost overnight, and there are tentative rumblings of potential turbulence ahead. But performance is positive, and analysts say IAG shares remain undervalued by investors. Last week, the firm posted double-digit profit gains for the first half of the year, as it boosted capacity on flights to the US despite the threat of tariffs. IAG - formed in January 2011 after a merger agreement between BA and Iberia, the flag carriers of the UK and Spain respectively - reported revenue increased to €15.9billion in the first half of the year, increasing from €14.7billion a year ago. Pretax profit, meanwhile, rose to €1.7billion, from €1.0billion a year ago. In its first quarter results, IAG swung to a pretax profit of €239million, compared to a loss of €87million in the first quarter of 2024. Luis Gallego, chief executive of IAG said: 'Our strong performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the resilience of demand for travel and the success of our ongoing transformation, underpinned by the fundamental strengths of our group.' For the whole of 2024, the firm posted revenue of €32.1billion, increasing a healthy nine per cent from €29.5billion the year prior. This is expected to rise to €33.6billion for the current year, and to €34.8billion the year after. Pretax profit also rose by 16.6 per cent to €3.6billion, compared to €3.1billion in 2023. Loredana Muharremi, equity analyst at Morningstar, said: 'IAG's margin expansion was driven by a mix of both higher pricing power and cost efficiencies. 'The pricing environment remained favourable, especially in premium cabins, while structural cost efficiencies (fleet modernization, artificial intelligence-driven cost controls, and operational improvements) helped maintain high margins.' IAG's fortunes have changed The good times experienced by IAG in recent years have not always been so. Unsurprisingly, the onset of global lockdowns saw IAG suffer tremendously, and shares rapidly tumbled. Since then, IAG has come a long way in its recovery. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at IAG, said: 'They've nearly recovered all the lost territory. While many stocks are now trading significantly above pre-Covid levels, IAG's bounce back is better than it looks. He added: 'The number of shares in issue has increased by two-thirds since Covid as IAG had to go cap in hand to investors during the pandemic to avoid getting into financial trouble. That means any earnings now have to be split across a much larger pool of shares. 'Once you look at the headline earnings rather than the share price, you'll see the business has been making big strides.' Lale Akoner, global market analyst at Etoro, said: 'The sharp recovery reflects resilient earnings, strong transatlantic and Latin American demand, and a cleaner balance sheet. 'A temporary dip earlier this year driven by geopolitical concerns and oil price volatility, proved short-lived as investors refocused on solid fundamentals and strong cash generation. 'Operational performance continues to surprise to the upside, particularly in premium travel.' However, while the firm has been on the up more recently, this kind of volatility can play havoc with airline stocks. Akonder added: 'The outlook remains positive, but not risk-free.' Oil price fluctuations are a major headwind for airlines, with fuel being the primary operating expense for the sector. Big swings in prices can hit profitability, and can make it difficult for airlines to price tickets effectively. The firm said it expects to spend €7.1billion on fuel over the course of the whole of 2025. IAG hedges fuel price risk using derivative instruments, which allow them to reduce the negative impact of any fuel price spikes. Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, told This is Money: 'Fuel prices are likely to remain the biggest risk. 'This issue looks well hedged in the short term, but external shocks could send fuel prices higher again, which would likely weigh on profitability.' Meanwhile, US leisure travel has softened on the back of tariffs and Middle East capacity has been hit as a result of geopolitical tensions. Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, said last week: '"Tariffs" got three mentions in its update, but with new levies announced overnight they are likely to weigh on performance in the months to come.' Coatsworth said: 'Appetite has weakened for travel in and out of the US due to political tensions and tariff uncertainty, which presents near-term headwinds for British Airways. 'Planes are expensive, and profit can evaporate if cabins are half-full.' He added: 'Consumers are not making bookings until the last minute, which raises the risk of airlines fighting on price to ensure they get bums on seats.' Analysts overwhelmingly hold buy or strong buy recommendations for IAG, according to Stockopedia Should you buy IAG? The consensus is that IAG is one of the stronger players in the sector. Chiekrie said: 'Demand has been holding up well across the sector, and the outlook for air travel is positive. But it's a difficult industry to make money in, so stock-picking is especially important. 'We see IAG as a stand-out name in the space thanks to its strong market position, growth prospects and cheap valuation.' He added: 'Investors appear to be overlooking IAG, given that the airline industry has historically been a difficult place to make money. But IAG is a cut above most of the other network airlines.' Analysts largely hold IAG as a strong buy, with eight of 23 broker ratings analysed by Stockpedia recommending the stock, while a further five rated IAG as a buy. Beauchamp said: 'IAG is another one of those stories this year of staid FTSE 100 companies that have seen huge rebounds in the share price, up 130 per cent over the past year in this case. And like so many recently, the numbers appear good enough to justify the surge.' However, he added: 'a look at the chart shows that, once the shares cross 400p, the going gets much tougher.' With shares on the cusp of hitting 380p, IAG isn't far off this milestone. It remains to be seen if it can sustain a share price north of 400p. Yet this valuation still looks cheap, Chiekrie maintains. He said: 'Performance at British Airways is impressive, and the group has exposure to the booming Madrid-Latin America route through its second-largest airline, Iberia. 'A strong balance sheet and generous cash returns for shareholders make the current valuation look far too cheap, compared to both the long-run average and its peers.' Etoro's Akoner echoes this. She said: 'We think that investors are not fully pricing in the earnings potential from margin expansion and fleet upgrades. 'The industry is entering a steadier phase, less about rebound. Carriers with strong networks and financial flexibility are best placed to benefit.' 'While overall growth may be slower, the business model is more focused and capital-efficient than pre-Covid. Cost control is tighter, debt is down, and exposure to premium routes is paying off.' She added: 'The discount to pre-pandemic levels leaves room for a re-rating if execution holds and travel demand stays steady.'
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Lauren Sanchez struggles to keep her footing during double dinner date with husband Jeff Bezos as pair are joined by Leonardo DiCaprio and Vittoria amid $485m superyacht holiday
was determined not to let the terrain dictate her style choices as she appeared to struggle to keep her footing on the rocky shore of Ibiza on Sunday night. The former journalist, 55, and her husband Jeff Bezos, who married in a lavish wedding in June, were seen disembarking from their $485 million superyacht in Spain. However despite the uneven terrain, Lauren didn't forgo her stiletto heels as she clung to Jeff's hand. Joined by Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, Lauren oozed style in a cream summer mini dress which she paired with the nude heels. She accessorised the look with a matching cream bag and dark shades as she made it onto land. Meanwhile her husband, 61, kept it simple in a white polo shirt, grey trousers and white trainers, slightly more apt for the rocky shore. Yet DiCaprio's girlfriend also joined Lauren in her choice of heels as she was seen teetering in a black pair of kitten heels. The Italian model, 27, kept it simple in a black vest top and low waisted black skirt with mesh detailing. Pairing the look with a small black bag, she held hands with the Hollywood actor, 50, also wore all black. Leonardo appeared to wish to keep a low profile as he concealed his face with a black facemask and baseball cap. The foursome were also joined by the former editor-in-chief at British Vogue, Edward Enninful. The gang made their way for their Italian-influenced, contemporary Mediterranean stylish dinner at Amalur Ibiza. Jeff and Lauren were previously seen welcoming Leo and Vittoria aboard their superyacht, Koru, earlier in the day on Sunday. The pair know their way around the ship, having previously joined the couple and bevy of stars for a trip last summer in Sardinia. Jeff was seen waving as he walked along the shore The group came to shore in a smaller boat after departing their yacht This time, however, the quartet were living it up in Ibiza. They were casually clad for the day at sea, with Leonardo sporting a plain white T-shirt and shorts, as well as his trademark baseball cap and shades. Vittoria's model figure was on display in a blue strapless top that she paired with black yoga pants. Meanwhile Jeff and Lauren opted for clashing prints, with Lauren layering a printed kimono over a bikini while Jeff wore tropical swimming trunks with a navy T-shirt. The double date comes just weeks after the Amazon founder and presenter tied the knot in Venice - with the ceremony attracting criticism for its extravagance. Leonardo and Vittoria were among the VIP guests in attendance, which also included Sydney Sweeney, Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom. Yet Leonardo faced a backlash, with the Hollywood star - who is known for his environmental advocacy - branded a 'hypocrite' for flying to Venice for the ceremony. The Titanic star has previously been open about his activism and a few months earlier in March, he slammed the Albanese government for giving the green light to a mine expansion in Western Australia. Yet DiCaprio's girlfriend also joined Lauren in her choice of heels as she was seen teetering in a black pair of kitten heels The Italian model, 27, kept it simple in a black vest top and low waisted black skirt with mesh detailing The star wore her long brunette locks loose over her shoulders Yet social media users called out DiCaprio for flying to the wedding and slammed him for supporting Jeff amid Amazon's substantial carbon footprint. According to The Guardian, over 90 jets flew into the airport in the romantic city as celebrities attended the nuptials. It is not known if Leonardo took a private jet to the ceremony. Jeff and Lauren's wedding reportedly cost some $40million - which also faced protests in the city of Venice. Now Lauren wears a $5million diamond wedding ring that has fans as well as jewelers in an uproar. One of their A-list wedding guests recently revealed what their lavish nuptials were really like as they disclosed that none of the Bezos couple's 200 guests were told to sign non-disclosure agreements. Sara Foster, the daughter of composer David Foster, shared details about the glamorous Venetian wedding on Thursday's episode of her The World's First Podcast. While talking to her sister Erin, she surprisingly revealed: 'No one signed NDAs. No NDAs.' Jeff and Lauren's wedding reportedly cost some $40million - which also faced protests in the city of Venice The pair looked the epitome of glamour Lauren wowed in the dress which clung to her incredible figure Lauren put on a very busty display in the plunging dress Edward was seen relaxing next to Leo The group chatted together ahead of the dinner date She also said that the ceremony was 'very intimate' when asked to dish on the 'wedding of the century.' 'There's nothing. It's so interesting how the optics were this over-the-top, you know, protestors... It's just not, it's not what it was. It actually felt very intimate.' She also revealed that there were 'definitely a lot of people that were not photographed' but chose to keep mum on the identities of the low-key attendees. 'I can't. I mean, that's, like, so lame. I'm not gonna do that. But it's very interesting how many people went un-photographed. It was definitely a very interesting set-up.' The wedding festivities spanned three days, with the event kicking off with a foam party on their boa t. The couple partied off the island of Cres in Croatia in a final pitstop before arriving in Italy for their long-awaited wedding. Jeff's superyacht is named the Koru, which translates to 'new beginnings' in Maori, according to The Independent. The Amazon founder initially commissioned the construction of the vessel for $485million in 2018, and it took almost five years to build. The Koru has three decks and is 250-feet tall, marking the world's tallest sailing yacht. The double date comes just weeks after Jeff, 61, and Lauren, 55, tied the knot in Venice — with the ceremony attracting criticism for its extravagance Boat International reported in April 2023 that it has a trio of masts that measure at a distance eclipsing 230 feet. It measures at a width of 416 feet, only one of four yachts globally that eclipses the length of 328 feet. The vessel was made by the Dutch company Oceano. The boat was the topic of controversy in February 2022 when Oceano asked Rotterdam to take apart a bridge that is more than 100 years old, the Koningshaven Bridge, to accommodate the masts of the Koru. Amid local protests, Oceanco made alternate plans to install the masts.
