World's best airline named as Qantas climbs back from low point

Virgin Australia's new partner – and part owner – Qatar Airways has been named the world's best airline for 2025 at the annual World Airline Awards for the second consecutive year.
It's the ninth time the Middle Eastern carrier, which took a 25 per cent stake in Virgin earlier this year, has taken out the award.
Qatar Airways also won world's best business class at the awards. Singapore Airlines came second in the rankings, followed by Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific, Dubai's Emirates and Japan's All Nippon Airways.
Meanwhile, Qantas surged 10 places to be named the world's 14th best airline, up from its low point in 2024 where it fell to 24th place. It's still a far cry from its previous highs – the airline was rated in the top five as recently as 2022.
Its decline followed the early departure of long-term chief executive Alan Joyce in 2023 to make way for chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson and a series of scandals including illegally sacking staff, selling fares for flights that had already been cancelled and criticisms over the availability of rewards seats for Frequent Flyer members.
Virgin Australia also had better results this year, climbing from 43rd to 34th place. Jetstar, however, continued to slide, with its rating dropping from 75th last year to 88th in this year's top 100.
Qatar Airways win comes just after Virgin Australian relaunched long-haul international routes using 'wet leased' Qatar Airways planes and crew. The first Virgin Australia wet-least flight departed from Sydney to Doha on Thursday last week.
Qantas won eight awards at the event – announced on Tuesday at the Paris Air Show's Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Museum of Air and Space) – but all were regional awards for Australia/Pacific-based airlines. Its wins included best business class, best economy class, best premium economy, best catering in both business and economy, and best cabin crew.

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West Australian

3 hours ago

• West Australian

World's Best Hotels Guide: Familiar faces and fresh suggestions

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The parks, Moorish Castle and monuments of Sintra make the park at Monte de Lua one of the most historical and iconic places in Portugal. Pikaia Lodge, in the Galapagos Islands, was built using more sustainable methods and materials, and offers a high level of service. Arbatax Park Resort, Italy, was named best eco resort; Aristi Mountain Resort and Villas, Greece, as the top eco lodge; and the world's best green hotel award went to Gaia Hotel and Reserve, Costa Rica. Thanda Island, Tanzania, is the best exclusive private island. Just one kilometre long and 350 metres wide, there is just one private villa with five suites and two rustic Tanzanian bandas. It is in Tanzania's Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, surrounded by a coral reef. Another interesting name is Sixt. It won the luxury car rental category, and Sixt Ride was named the world's leading luxury chauffeur service. World's Leading Adult-Only Boutique Hotel Domes Noruz Mykonos, Greece Luxury adults-only lifestyle resort in the heart of the Island. World's Leading All-Suite Hotel THE VIEW Lugano, Switzerland On a hillside with panoramic views of Lake Lugano. World's Leading Adventure Hotel Pikaia Lodge, Ecuador Sustainable luxury eco lodge in the Galapagos Islands. World's Leading Boutique Beach Hotel The Postcard on the Arabian Sea, Maravanthe Beach, India On a secluded beachfront expect an entrancing atmosphere and its candlelit dinners. World's Leading Boutique Hotel Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, South Africa In the ritzy and relatively secure Sandhurst area of Johannesburg, a ritzy luxury hotel with landscape grounds to wander, and 33km from O.R. Tambo International Airport. World's Leading Boutique Hotel Brand Aman Resorts Swiss-based but founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988, Aman has 35 luxurious properties in 20 countries. 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World's Leading Luxury Villa Resort Sailrock Resort, Turks & Caicos Thirty-five private rooms with top-quality amenities, secluded beaches, infinity pools and prime dining. World's Leading New Boutique Hotel Casa Palacio Don Ramón, Spain In the Old Town district of Seville, Andalucia, the team at this super boutique hotel prides itself on personalisation and exclusivity. It's in an interesting colonial building, but with geothermal energy and energy efficiency, soundproofing and thermal insulation. World's Leading New Hotel Waldorf Astoria Doha West Bay, Qatar In the Diplomatic Area, think elegance and service. There are 283 Art Deco-inspired rooms and suites, and 50 apartments, and it also was recognised as 'Outstanding New Accommodation' by Qatar Tourism 2024. World's Leading Retreat Saccharum, Portugal In Calheta, on Madeira Island, Saccharum is both elegant and contemporary. On the North Atlantic Ocean coast, it is a short stroll to Calheta Beach. 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Mercury

4 hours ago

• Mercury

Barron Trump may have made millions from family's lucrative crypto firm: report

Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. Barron Trump, the youngest son of the 47th President, may have raked in millions of dollars from the sale of crypto tokens linked to the family's lucrative venture into digital tokens, according to a report. The 19-year-old New York University student could have picked up a cool $40 million (AU$61 million) — $25 million (AU$38 million) after taxes — from the sale of digital assets by World Liberty Financial, the Trump family firm launched nine months ago after Barron persuaded his dad about the benefits of crypto, Forbes reported. 'Barron knows so much about this,' commander-in-chief said during an interview in September after the launch. 'Barron's a young guy, but he knows it — he talks about his wallet. He's got four wallets or something, and I'm saying, 'What is a wallet?'' Barron Trump may have raked in millions. Picture: ANGELA WEISS / AFP. World Liberty has been a financial bonanza for the family. In March, World Liberty announced that it had sold $550 million (AU$850 million) worth of tokens. An Office of Government Ethics filing released by President Trump last week declared he had made $57 million (AU$88 million) from token sales. It also said that the real estate mogul held a 75 per cent stake in his umbrella company, DT Marks Defi LLC, with unnamed 'third parties' holding the other 25 per cent. Barron Trump is listed as a 'co-founder' of World Liberty Financial alongside the president, as well as Eric and Donald Trump Jr, the president's two eldest sons. Forbes, which provided no direct evidence for its claims of Barron Trump's massive digital windfall, suggested that he owned a 7.5 per cent stake in the Delaware-based umbrella firm. The stake would mirror what the NYU freshman holds in the Trump Organization's Washington, DC hotel, Forbes said. The 19-year-old New York University student could have picked up a cool US$40 million. Picture: Jim WATSON / AFP. Barron Trump's name does not appear in the company's solitary SEC filing from October 30 last year. Also listed as business partners in the venture are Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son, Zachary. An analysis by Bloomberg, the financial news outlet, estimates the president's net worth has doubled since the start of his 2024 campaign, standing at just over US$5.4 billion This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission Originally published as Barron Trump may have made millions from family's lucrative crypto firm: report

The Australian

5 hours ago

• The Australian

NRL's Pacific plan to pummel AFL in broadcast bonanza

ARL Commission boss Peter V'landys says rugby league's next TV rights deal could span up to 10 years, revealing a Pacific goldmine that will deliver broadcast billions to the NRL. V'landys plans to kick off broadcast negotiations in July after the State of Origin decider and the ARLC chairman says the inclusion of Papua New Guinea will help the code clinch the richest TV rights deal in rugby league history. V'landys will arrive in PNG this Tuesday to ramp-up the NRL's reconnaissance for the 19th team in 2028 and the next step is thrashing out a Pacific-infused broadcast deal that can blow their AFL rivals out of the water. A third network has contacted the ARL Commission to formally express interest. Up to five or six bidders are tipped to enter negotiations as current rights holders Fox and Channel 9 face billion-dollar competition for the most watched code in Australian sport. The NRL's last five-year TV rights deal was worth around $2 billion, including media rights in New Zealand, but V'landys has revealed the sport's next broadcast arrangement may be brokered for a longer term. The NRL's current TV rights deal ends in 2027. The next cycle was tipped to run from 2028-32, but V'landys says he wants to formalise rugby league's new broadcast deal by season's end in a package that could deliver a decade of certainty. That scenario would see the NRL smash their current broadcast haul with a potential fiscal TV rights bonanza of between $3 to $4 billion. 'It could be longer than five years, absolutely,' V'landys said. Asked if the next TV rights deal could be seven to 10 years in duration, he said: 'Yes, it could be. 'We're having some off-the-record talks at the moment, but we plan to start very soon and it will certainly heat up in the next couple of months. 'I definitely want it finalised this year. 'Hopefully that's the case and it's certainly our ambition to do it. 'We want certainty and we know our clubs want certainty. 'Players also want certainty, because if you do a three-or-four year deal or even longer, you know what your revenues are. 'We haven't got to that level of detail yet, but this will be a record deal. 'We have a much more valuable product now, much more valuable.' There are several variables that give V'landys confidence of broking the most lucrative broadcast deal in the code's 117-year history. One factor is the emergence of new media streaming giants, with global tentacles, such as Netflix, Amazon and Paramount. DAZN completed a $3.4 billion purchase of Foxtel in April and V'landys confirmed the world's leading sports entertainment platform will be a major player in upcoming TV rights negotiations. 'Of course they'll be keen,' he said. 'We're the number one sport in Australia. Why wouldn't they be keen? 'I can confirm we've had genuine interest. We are confident there are several parties in the marketplace and I'm confident there will be more to come when we begin talks. 'We will get a lot more dollars now than we have ever gotten because of the hard work done by the players, the clubs and the NRL.' Another significant factor is the expansion drive that will trigger the admission of the Perth Bears to the NRL in 2027 before Papua New Guinea's entry in 2028. V'landys says PNG will not only represent a fresh spectator market, but open a broadcasting gateway that could see the Pacific eventually usurp Australia as the NRL's most lucrative TV rights powerhouse. The NRL is exploring a cut-price Pacific subscription service to monetise the NRL's 19th team and the 10 million-plus Papua New Guinea fans who will back the franchise with unmatched tribalism. 'Papua New Guinea could end up, in 10 or 15 years, to be worth more in broadcast revenue than Australia,' he said. 'With PNG coming in, that is a massive arm that we have never tapped into, not to mention Perth. 'We're the most-watched sport in Australia, so we now should attract substantial offers. 'Our data shows 1.8 million people streamed the Papua New Guinea game against Australia's Prime Ministers XIII, which was an extraordinary number. 'By having a cheap subscription to watch (PNG and NRL games), we could attract millions of new subscribers in the Pacific. 'We're very mindful of pricepoint. We don't want to make it too expensive for rugby league fans to watch and support the game. 'We definitely want to get the most revenue, but at the same time, we don't want to make it unaffordable for our wonderful fans. 'The game has never been in a better place. 'This has been a planned strategy - and it will pay off big time.' Peter Badel Chief Rugby League Writer Peter Badel is a six-time award winning journalist who began as a sports reporter in 1998. A best-selling author, 'Bomber' has covered five Australian cricket tours and has specialised in rugby league for more than two decades. NRL Selwyn Cobbo flew to Sydney for preliminary talks earlier this month in the strongest sign yet that the powerhouse back is on the verge of quitting the Broncos. See which clubs are interested. NRL The might of New Zealand Rugby wants what the NRL has, with Warriors boss Cameron George approached to jump codes to become their next CEO, reveals David Riccio.