staying

Nicole Brewer, 43, an English teacher, travel advisor, and writer who runs the website ILuv2GlobeTrot, initially considered the United Arab Emirates (UAE), namely Dubai, a popular tourist destination for Westerners

A US expat who relocated to Oman 12 years ago has revealed the astonishing amount she spends on her monthly expenses. When searching for a Middle Eastern country to call home, Nicole Brewer, 43, an English teacher, travel adviser, and writer who runs the website ILuv2GlobeTrot, initially considered the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai, a sought-after holiday spot for Westerners.

During her search, Nicole, an English lecturer at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, came across a job posting for Oman by chance and decided to “give it a go.” Situated in the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, oil-rich Oman is an Islamic country that shares borders with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the war-torn nation of Yemen to the southwest.

Oman also boasts a sweltering climate, with summer temperatures frequently soaring beyond 40°C. Nevertheless, Nicole feels “very relaxed” there and observed that she wouldn’t have remained in the Gulf nation for as long as she has if it were not for the “good life.”

Nicole, who hails from Detroit, now lives in the historic city of Nizwa in northern Oman and earns $44,000 per year (approximately £32,600).

However, there is another advantage to living there that may appeal to anyone facing high living costs.

She revealed to CNBC Make It‘s Millennial Money series on YouTube: “I am living in a fully furnished, two-bedroom, two-bath apartment, which costs around 250 Omani rials a month, so approximately 650 US dollars (about £480) per month in rent.

“All of my utilities are included, including water and electricity. They even provide internet. The only thing I pay for separately is my mobile phone bill. My biggest expenses are food and taxis because I actually… I don’t drive.”

Going into more detail in the video, entitled I Moved To Oman 12 Years Ago And I Am Never Going Back To The U.S., Nicole explained: “I spend roughly 25 to 30 Omani rials per week on groceries, which is equivalent to about 75 to 80 US dollars (around £55 to £60). I eat out about once a week, if that. So, including that, my monthly food costs come to roughly $400 (around £300).”

As an Islamic country, it’s crucial to understand that Oman’s rules and traditions are vastly different from those in the UK. The Foreign Office emphasises that travellers must show respect for its local faith, laws, customs, and practices.

For instance, holidaymakers and visitors are permitted to consume alcohol in licensed venues, but non-Muslim residents require a licence to drink at home; these permits are not available to non-residents.

Consuming alcohol in public is prohibited, vaping devices and e-cigarettes are banned, and people must dress modestly in public areas. Cross-dressing is illegal, as is cohabiting or sharing accommodation with someone of the opposite sex if unmarried or unrelated.

Drug offences, regardless of the substance, carry severe penalties, including the death penalty. Same-sex sexual activity is also illegal in the Gulf nation.

You can view more travel advice for Oman via the Foreign Office website.

In the past year, seven of the UK’s 10 busiest airports have increased the cost of dropping off a loved one before travel – to the point that London Luton is now more expensive than a stay at the Ritz

Drop-off charges at one major UK airport have risen so much it’s more expensive – minute by minute – seeing a loved one off than staying at the Ritz hotel in London.

Most of the UK’s busiest airports have upped the prices of their drop-off zones, commonly known as “kiss and fly” areas, where travellers can say a quick farewell to their loved ones before jetting off. In the past year, seven of the aviation hubs have either increased prices or reduced how long drivers can stay before higher fees are applicable.

Luton Airport currently has the highest per-minute cost the UK’s busiest airports – charging £5 for five minutes before the £1 a minute fare rolls in for a maximum of 20. These prices rose steeply following the renovation of Luton’s drop-off zone after it was torched in a fire in October 2023. Before the fire, it was £5 for 10 minutes followed by the £1-a-minute charge.

READ MORE: Kindle Scribe drops to lowest price we’ve seen for Prime Day

For a deluxe king room at Mayfair’s Ritz hotel, you’d pay £1,149 per night, which works out at around 91p a minute. The airport said the charge helps maintain the flow of passengers and traffic, claiming that the majority of visits are within five minutes. They signposted customers to the mid-stay car park, which is a ten-minute walk to the airport terminal.

It tells The Times: “With a £5 fee, the barrierless system keeps passengers and the traffic flowing, with the average time spent in the area well within five minutes. For those with more time, drivers have a range of free and paid-for drop off, pick up and parking options to choose from.”

According to the RAC, these kiss and fly charges are “bordering on the ridiculous”. Rod Dennis from the RAC said: “Drivers will be understandably aghast at the prospect of paying as much as £7 for what amounts to nothing more than opening the boot so a friend or relative can collect their luggage and catch their flight.

“The problem is a lack of practical — and affordable — alternatives for getting to many airports. Faced with the choice of a double-decker bus with lots of luggage, or forking out for a taxi, it’s easy to see why people feel they have no option other than to drive.”

Many of the major airports ask drivers to pay before or after they arrive and late payment charges are issued if a payment isn’t made within 24 hours or by midnight the following day.

Graham Conway from Select Car Leasing, based in Reading, said: “Failingto pay for drop-off parking or exceeding your time limit can really hit you in the wallet. It’s all too easy to forget to log on and to then remember with a sense of dread when it’s too late.”

A DAREDEVIL TT rider cheated death after slamming into a jumbo-sized seagull at 150mph – and somehow stayed in the saddle.

Mark Parrett, 55, was tearing through the famous Isle of Man course when the feathered missile hit him head on.

2

The 3kg bird busted his lower arm, snapping one bone in two, and dislocating his wrist.

Mark, a TT veteran with 98 starts under his belt, miraculously managed to stay in control of his powerful BMW superbike.

The speedster, from Midhurst, West Sussex, was airlifted to hospital after the smash earlier this month.

He told The Sun: “It’s a bit of a miracle I stayed upright.

“It was a huge seagull – they’re all massive on the Isle of Man – and it just shot up out of nowhere.

“I was doing 140 or 150mph so there was no way of avoiding it. I had to just grin and bear it.

“It felt like being hit by a cannonball. If it had hit me in the chest or the helmet, I’d be history.

“I was lucky that I didn’t come off the bike.”

Pictures posted on social media show his racing leathers drenched in bird guts.

Mark, a self-employed electrician by day who now faces surgery to plate and pin the break, later joked: “Parrett one. Seagull nil.

“It does go to show Parrett’s are birds of prey after all.”

He added: “I’ve had enough laps around that place to know the worst thing you can do is panic.

“It’s the nature of the circuit – you can hit all sorts of things.”

Mark is aiming to return to the Isle of Man next year for his 100th start.

He added: “I’m getting too old to be doing this, but it’s like an addiction. I will be back there next year, whatever happens.”

A post on the Facebook page of Mark Parrott Racing read: “A local seagull lay in wait for ‘The Parrett’ on the approach to the 33rd milestone and hit Mark on the left arm.

“He soon realised that it was rather serious when he tried to pull in the clutch and his left hand wasn’t working.”

2

They have warned that your accommodation may no longer be suitable

The Foreign Office has updated its Greece travel advice page. On June 6, and still current today, the Government issued an alert under its safety and security page.

In one of the first updates, it warns people that where they plan to stay may not be suitable. In addition, it also warns that your insurance may not be good enough, urging people to double-check what their cover includes.

Here is what you need to know.

Staying overnight in Greece?

If you are set to stay in Greece overnight – regardless of how long – you need to ensure you are allowed to stay where you are planning on sleeping. This comes as Greece has implemented regulations which bans people from camping in tents and parking trailers, semi-trailers, camper vans, and motorhomes near archaeological sites, on seashores and beaches, at the edges of public forests, and in other public spaces. The Foreign Office UK urges people that in order to avoid fines, you should only stay at licensed campsites.

Doing any activities on holiday?

Urging people to be cautious, under their hiking and exploring nature sub-section, they warn: “Take extra care when planning a hike or walk, especially during higher temperatures than you are used to. Trails often lack shade and the quality of route markings can vary.”

Ensure that you:

• plan your route beforehand, and consider your limitations in distance and difficulty
• check weather forecasts and avoid hiking during the peak hours of sun; pack a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water
• wear appropriate footwear for uneven terrain and consider taking a map, GPS and a fully charged phone
• avoid hiking alone if you can, and always tell someone where you are going and the route you will take

They also urge that you never “light fires”. This is because not only is it “dangerous”, they also note it is “illegal due to the high risk of wildfires.”

UK Foreign Office urges people to do this when taking out travel insurance

If you have yet to take out travel insurance, you will need to ensure you are covered for a few things. The Foreign Office urges people to look out for coverage that includes “mountain rescue service and helicopter evacuation.” Remember, if an accident happens or if you become lost, call 112 for the emergency services.

Elon Musk has claimed a turnaround in Tesla sales after a slump even as Starlink, the internet service provider that he owns, is growing.

Elon Musk has said he is committed to staying on as Tesla’s CEO for at least another five years, weeks after the electric vehicle maker’s chair dismissed reports that the board had approached executive search firms about finding his successor.

Having reasonable control of Tesla was the most important factor in staying on as head of the company, Musk said on Tuesday at an economic forum in Qatar.

“Yes, no doubt about that at all,” Musk said in response to a question on whether he planned to stick around as Tesla CEO.

Earlier this month, Tesla chair Robyn Denholm denied a Wall Street Journal report that said board members had reached out to several executive search firms to find a replacement for Musk.

Musk, who spoke by video at the event in Qatar, said that Tesla had already turned around sales and demand was strong in regions apart from Europe, where the company has faced protests over his political views.

Tesla sales have also slumped in the United States, where there was a nine percent drop in the first three months of 2025, according to the research firm Cox Automotive. That was largely driven by Musk’s political involvement, including leading the US Department of Government Efficiency, which made significant cuts across the federal workforce. As a result, protests ensued and boycotts of Musk-connected businesses unfolded.

Tesla reported a 13 percent drop in first-quarter deliveries. The Tesla chief has said there has been a turnaround.

“We’re now back over a trillion dollars in market cap, so clearly, the market is aware of the situation, so it’s already turned around,” Musk said.

Tesla currently has a market capitalization of $1.08 trillion.

Musk also referred to Chancellor Kathaleen St Jude McCormick, a Delaware judge who stopped a $56bn pay package for Musk, as an “activist who is cosplaying a judge in a Halloween costume”.

Yet he acknowledged his Tesla pay was a part of his consideration about staying with the carmaker, though he also wanted “sufficient voting control” so he “cannot be ousted by activist investors”.

“It’s not a money thing, it’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company, especially if we’re building millions, potentially billions of humanoid robots,” he added.

This comes as the billionaire said he will spend “a lot less” in political contributions, after pumping $270m into Donald Trump’s successful 2024 US presidential bid.

“In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Musk said, adding that he does not “currently see a reason” to do more.

As of 11am Eastern time (15:00 GMT) Tesla’s stock was up 1.13 percent higher than when the market opened. The stock is down 15 percent for the year.

Starlink grows

Musk also weighed in on the future of the internet service provider Starlink, which he operates. He said that the company might go public at some point in the future, but that there was no rush.

Starlink has expanded rapidly worldwide to operate in more than 70 countries, with a strong focus on further growth in emerging markets such as India.

South Africa’s government plans to offer a workaround of local Black ownership laws to allow Starlink to operate in the country, according to the news agency Bloomberg, which cited three people familiar with the discussions.

The offer would come at a “last-minute” meeting planned for Tuesday night between South African officials and Musk or his representatives, Bloomberg said. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and a delegation of government officials arrived in Washington on Monday in a bid to reset strained ties with the US.