Coco Gauff said she couldn’t “really get upset” with the climate protestors who caused a 45-minute delay in the middle of her US Open semifinal against Karolína Muchová on Thursday.

Gauff, who went on to win the match 6-4 7-5 and reach her second grand slam final, was leading at the start of the second set when the disruption took place.

In a statement, the US Open called it a “fan-related” incident on Arthur Ashe Stadium and said one attendee “affixed himself to the floor and due to the nature of this action, medical professionals, NYPD and security personnel were needed in order to resolve the issue and remove the fan from the stands.”

As the attendee – who was shouting about “environmental issues,” according to the ESPN broadcast – was removed, fans inside the stadium cheered.

Four protesters were involved, and three of them “were escorted out of the stadium without further incident,” according to a statement from the US Tennis Association.

“Throughout history, moments like this are definitely defining moments,” Gauff later told reporters. “I believe in climate change. I don’t really know exactly what they were protesting. I know it was about the environment. I 100% believe in that.

“I think there are things we can do better. I know the tournaments are doing things to do better for the environment. Would I prefer it not happening in my match? 100%, yeah. I’m not gonna sit here and lie. But it is what it is.”

Gauff and Muchová both left the court during the delay as the protestors were escorted out of the stadium.

Climate protestors also disrupted last year’s French Open and matches earlier this year at Wimbledon, where they sprinkled orange confetti and jigsaw puzzle pieces on the grass playing surface.

“I had a feeling it was going to happen this tournament,” said Gauff. “It happened in the French Open, it happened in Wimbledon. So, you know, following the trend, it was definitely going to happen here.

She added: “I wasn’t pissed at the protesters. I know the stadium was because it just interrupted entertainment. I always speak about preaching what you feel and what you believe in. It was done in a peaceful way, so I can’t get too mad at it.

“Obviously, I don’t want it to happen when I’m winning up 6-4 1-0 and I wanted the momentum to keep going. But hey, if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get their voices heard, I can’t really get upset at it.”

Gauff, the youngest woman to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams in 1999, will next face Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka as she bids to win her first grand slam title.

Russia as a country has no place at the 2024 Paris Olympics and no Russian flag should be used at next year’s Games, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Speaking to French sports newspaper l’Equipe, Macron added that discussions should be held about the participation of some Russian athletes who “may also be victims of this regime.”

“Obviously, there can’t be a Russian flag at the Paris Olympic Games. Because Russia as a country has no place [at the Games] when it has committed war crimes and deported children,” Macron said Wednesday.

“The real question that the Olympic world will have to decide is what place to give to these Russian athletes, who have sometimes prepared for a lifetime [for the Games], and may also be victims of this regime,” Macron added, acknowledging that Russian athletes may hold different views on the war.

Macron said that the “the Olympic world” had to hold discussions and that Ukraine must be part of that dialogue. Ultimately, he said, the decision would be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In March, the IOC announced a widely condemned recommended pathway to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

So far, no decision has been taken on Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation at the 2024 Olympics.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in post on Telegram in August that the country would be ready to boycott the Games if Russia and Belarus were allowed to complete.

“We are ready to boycott the Olympic Games in Paris if the Russian Federation and Belarus are allowed to participate in the competition,” Shmyhal said.

“We expect the IOC to make the right decision and resolutely remove the aggressor from the Olympics,” Shmyhal added.

Hurricane Lee has strengthened into a major Category 5 storm, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 160 mph as it spins over the Atlantic well east of the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 p.m. ET advisory Thursday.

Lee, which was a Category 1 storm earlier Thursday, has been intensifying with exceptional speed in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, doubling its wind speeds in the last 24 hours.

The hurricane was located about 700 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, the hurricane center said in the 11 p.m. advisory.

The storm will likely reach its peak intensity by this weekend and is still expected to be a dangerous hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic early next week, though it’s too soon to know whether this system will directly impact the US mainland.

Dangerous surf and rip currents will spread across the northern Caribbean on Friday and begin affecting the United States on Sunday, the center said.

There is increasing confidence that the center of Lee will pass to the north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend and into early next week. Tropical storm conditions, life-threatening surf and rip currents could occur on some of these islands over the weekend.

Also Thursday, a tropical depression in the eastern Atlantic strengthened into Tropical Storm Margot, just a few hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, the center said. Margot currently has winds of 40 mph and steady strengthening is expected – the center is forecasting Margot to become a hurricane over the weekend. The forecast track shows the storm turning to the north over the central Atlantic early next week, but it is not expected to threaten any land areas as of Thursday.

Computer model trends for Lee have shown the hurricane taking a turn to the north early next week. But exactly when that turn occurs and how far west Lee will manage to track by then will play a huge role in how close it gets to the US.

Here’s what will steer the storm and two potential scenarios meteorologists are watching for how the US threat could play out.

How close will Hurricane Lee get to the US?

Several steering factors at the surface and upper levels of the atmosphere will determine how close Lee will get to the East Coast.

An area of high pressure over the Atlantic, known as the Bermuda High, will have a major influence in how quickly Lee turns. The Bermuda High is expected to remain very strong into the weekend, which will keep Lee on its current west-northwestward track and slow it down a bit.

As the high pressure weakens next week it will allow Lee to start moving northward.

Once that turn to the north occurs, the position of the jet stream – strong upper-level winds that can change the direction of a hurricane’s path – will influence how closely Lee is steered to the US.

Scenario: Out to Sea

Lee could make a quick turn to the north early next week if high pressure weakens significantly.

If the jet stream sets up along the East Coast, it will act as a barrier that prevents Lee from approaching the coast. This scenario would keep Lee farther away from the US coast but could bring the storm closer to Bermuda.

Scenario: Close to East Coast

Lee could make a slower turn to the north because the high pressure remains robust, and the jet stream sets up farther inland over the Eastern US. This scenario would leave portions of the East Coast, mainly north of the Carolinas, vulnerable to a much closer approach from Lee.

All these factors have yet to come into focus, and the hurricane is still at least seven days from being a threat to the East Coast. Any potential US impact will become more clear as the Lee moves west in the coming days.

Hurricane Lee is expected to continue strengthening Friday after quickly morphing into a powerful Category 5 storm that is now packing destructive maximum sustained winds of 165 mph as it spins hundreds of miles east of the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. ET advisory.

The hurricane was located about 630 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, the hurricane center said Friday in the 5 a.m. update.

“Additional strengthening is forecast today. Fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next few days, but Lee is expected to remain a major hurricane through early next week,” forecasters wrote in the update.

Lee, which was a Category 1 storm Thursday, has been intensifying with exceptional speed in warm ocean waters, doubling its wind speeds in just a day.

The storm picked up 85 mph in a 24-hour period, which tied it with Hurricane Matthew for the third fastest rapid intensification in the Atlantic, according to NOAA research meteorologist John Kaplan. The monstrous hurricane struck Haiti in 2016, killing hundreds in the Caribbean nation while also wreaking havoc on parts of the US Southeast.

Rapid intensification happens when a storm’s winds strengthen quickly over a short amount of time, defined as a wind speed increase of at least 35 mph in 24 hours.

Lee will likely reach its peak intensity by this weekend and is still expected to be a dangerous hurricane over the southwestern Atlantic early next week, though it’s too soon to know whether this system will directly impact the US mainland.

Dangerous surf and rip currents will spread across the northern Caribbean on Friday and begin affecting the US on Sunday, the center said.

There is increasing confidence that the center of Lee will pass to the north of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend and into early next week. Tropical storm conditions, life-threatening surf and rip currents could occur on some of these islands over the weekend.

Computer model trends for Lee have shown the hurricane taking a turn to the north early next week. But exactly when that turn occurs and how far west Lee will manage to track by then will play a huge role in how close it gets to the US.

Here’s what will steer the storm and two potential scenarios meteorologists are watching for how the US threat could play out.

How close will Hurricane Lee get to the US?

Several steering factors at the surface and upper levels of the atmosphere will determine how close Lee will get to the East Coast.

An area of high pressure over the Atlantic, known as the Bermuda High, will have a major influence in how quickly Lee turns. The Bermuda High is expected to remain very strong into the weekend, which will keep Lee on its current west-northwestward track and slow it down a bit.

As the high pressure weakens next week it will allow Lee to start moving northward.

Once that turn to the north occurs, the position of the jet stream – strong upper-level winds that can change the direction of a hurricane’s path – will influence how closely Lee is steered to the US.

Scenario: Out to Sea

Lee could make a quick turn to the north early next week if high pressure weakens significantly.

If the jet stream sets up along the East Coast, it will act as a barrier that prevents Lee from approaching the coast. This scenario would keep Lee farther away from the US coast but could bring the storm closer to Bermuda.

Scenario: Close to East Coast

Lee could make a slower turn to the north because the high pressure remains robust, and the jet stream sets up farther inland over the Eastern US. This scenario would leave portions of the East Coast, mainly north of the Carolinas, vulnerable to a much closer approach from Lee.

All these factors have yet to come into focus, and the hurricane is still at least seven days from being a threat to the East Coast. Any potential US impact will become more clear as the Lee moves west in the coming days.

Several storms in open waters

As Lee churns in the Atlantic, another storm was named after intensifying in open ocean waters.

On Thursday, a tropical depression in the eastern Atlantic strengthened into Tropical Storm Margot, just a few hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, the center said.

Margot currently has winds of 40 mph and steady strengthening is expected – the center is forecasting Margot to become a hurricane by early next week. The forecast track shows the storm turning to the north over the central Atlantic then, but it is not expected to threaten any land areas.

In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Jova remains a formidable hurricane, albeit far from any possible shorelines, roughly 650 miles west-southwest from the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Now a Category 2 storm after reaching Category 5 strength earlier, Jova has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph as of Friday morning, and will continue to weaken as it moves over cooler water.

When Kolamba first opened in 2019, many diners who walked into the charming eatery in central London’s Soho district weren’t familiar with Sri Lankan cuisine.

They thought it was just like Indian food, says the restaurant’s co-founder, Aushi Meewella, who grew up in Sri Lanka.

While Sri Lanka is India’s little neighbor, with only 22 million people, its food and culture are quite different.

And now, a new generation of Sri Lankan chefs and entrepreneurs across the world is shining the spotlight on their native cuisine, while embracing the country’s diverse culinary heritage.

The tourism connection

The increased visibility of Sri Lankan cuisine has “been a long time coming,” Meewalla says. “But now, more and more Sri Lankans themselves are willing to take a chance on our own cuisine, open restaurants, and spread our cuisine to the world.”

Meewella credits tourism for the recent surge in interest and support for Sri Lankan food.

Although tourist arrivals were halted by a series of setbacks including a deadly bomb attack, the Covid-19 pandemic, and, more recently, the country’s worst-ever economic crisis, Sri Lanka is back on the tourism radar, already tracking over 800,000 visitors in 2023 as of the first week of August. As Meewella explains it: “People visit, discover our diverse island, and try our food, which they realize is also delicious.”

Chef Dhayanie Williams, a contestant on “MasterChef Australia 2019,” says the rise of social media in the last decade and programs like Masterchef have also helped professional and home chefs promote Sri Lankan food in the international market.

“We’ve seen many participants stick to their roots and create authentic Sri Lankan dishes on these programs,” says the chef, who is known for the Sri Lankan crab curry and chicken curry she cooked on the show.

“This continuous online exposure makes people try out Sri Lankan food in restaurants.”

Diverse influences

Today, more and more Sri Lankan chefs across the world are championing Sri Lankan food while defying common misconceptions about the cuisine.

“It has helped change the global perception that Sri Lankan food is different from Indian food, and it’s not only a lot of curries paired with rice,” Williams says.

For example, despite sharing a name, Sri Lankan roti are smaller, thicker “discs” made of freshly grated coconut and rice flour, unlike the large Indian rotis, which are made of wheat.

Rice, coconut milk, native fruits, vegetables and seafood act as the building blocks of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Meewella explains that it draws inspiration from diverse ethnic cultures and the influences of the Dutch and Portuguese, who once ruled Sri Lanka.

At Kolamba, mains include mutton poriyal, a common preparation in the Tamil-populated northern region of Sri Lanka in which the meat is dry-fried with onions, green chili and lime.

One popular dessert is watalappam, a coconut and palm jaggery custard prepared by Muslims to celebrate Eid.

Meewella points out that Sri Lankan cuisine is also heavily plant-based with many vegan options, which helps the cuisine stand out and resonate with global audiences. “This way of eating is not a fad for us,” she adds.

For centuries, Sri Lankans have made use of wild and organically-grown ingredients like jackfruit, water spinach and yams, blending them with spices and herbs, and frying and currying them to create dishes with unique flavors. Kolamba’s menu pays homage to these plant-based recipes with dishes like breadfruit curry cooked with coconut milk and raw green banana fried with grated coconut.

In Sri Lankan cooking, the white flesh of the coconut is grated and squeezed to prepare rich, creamy coconut milk, which thickens different vegetable and meat-based curries.

Fresh coconut milk is also added to a morning smoothie-like drink called kola kenda, made with herbs and rice. During celebratory events like the New Year or the first day of a job, Sri Lankans also cook coconut milk with rice to prepare a creamy breakfast called kiribath.

“When I hosted brunches at home, I didn’t expect there would be an appetite for dishes like kiribath, but people fell in love with the flavors of my childhood,” says Sam Fore, a Sri Lankan-American chef based in Lexington, Kentucky.

“Eventually, the demand got so great that I set up a tent behind a bar in town to start selling the food I was cooking.”

Within two years, Fore’s pop-up got nationwide attention for spotlighting simple recipes incorporating Sri Lankan elements. Now, Fore is ready to open her first restaurant in Lexington.

Spicy, sour, sweet

Although people assume that Sri Lankan food is spicy, it’s made up of many other spices and herbs besides chili. Coriander seeds, black pepper, mustard seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves, pandan leaves and lemongrass are all used to flavor and scent dishes.

Spices are also roasted and ground together to make different types of curry powder, an essential flavoring agent.

These varied flavors of Sri Lankan cuisine apply well to common culinary techniques, Fore says.

For instance, she prepares fried chicken, a dish Americans are familiar with, but infuses it with the spices of Sri Lankan chicken curry, grinding and combining them with buttermilk to carry the flavors.

“I don’t dumb the spices down in my dishes,” Fore says. “I try to honor the recipes passed down to me and introduce flavors to diners that appear unexpectedly, but in a way that makes them understand my point of view.”

Across the world, chefs like Fore aren’t shying away from using innovative approaches to introduce Sri Lankan cuisine.

At Nadodi, a Kuala Lumpur restaurant that serves elevated Sri Lankan and South Indian fare, Williams came across a dish called “Yesterday.” This dish was reminiscent of Sri Lankan diya bath or pazhaya soru kanji, a day-old rice soaked overnight in water and eaten with dried, cured chilies.

Nadodi serves it with fried dry fish and pickles, all layered in a mini clay pot. “The dish is authentic and awakens one’s memories through elevating flavors, and plating it in a sophisticated way,” Williams says.

In Zagreb, Croatia, Brian Senaratne, co-founder of the city’s popular Sri Lankan restaurant Curry Bowl, shares similar values.

“We preserve original flavors, but keep it simple,” he says. “Usually, when we (Sri Lankans) go to a restaurant, we order several curries and rice separately, and share it with the entire group, but we noticed that European diners each order a dish. So having 10-15 curry dishes on the menu will only make it very complicated.”

Instead, Senaratne simplified this decision-making process for his diners, most of whom are European and haven’t previously had Sri Lankan food, by introducing curry-based bowls that also look appealing.

The theater of making some dishes also helps them stand out. Curry Bowl’s top seller is kotthu, a popular street food made by smashing roti with vegetables, eggs and meat on a metal grid with metal clamps, leading to a distinctive metal-on-metal sound.

“This was quite a show for the first-comers,” says Senaratne. “They hear the noise, come inside, and are completely amazed. We’ve had many people who try kotthu, hear about Sri Lanka from us and end up visiting Sri Lanka.”

As chefs and entrepreneurs across the world add their unique touches to native dishes, both Fore and Williams believe that interest in Sri Lankan food will continue to expand.

“As the cuisine grows, it’s going to take some creative applications of flavors like chili, lime and tamarind for a full crossover into the international palate,” Fore says. “It’s up to us as cooks to honor our roots while innovating for the future. I cannot wait for casual Sri Lankan food to become a nationwide craving across America.”

Travelers are running out of new places to discover, but there could be one treasure hidden in plain sight.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast stretches for more than a thousand miles, from the northern border with Jordan in the Gulf of Aqaba to Yemen in the far south.

Much of that, outside of big cities like Jeddah, is undeveloped coastline of turquoise water, offshore islands, pristine beaches and coral reefs.

Now, as part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy, reduce its reliance on oil revenue and implement social reform, a number of ultra-luxury schemes, touted by government-funded developers as the pinnacle of eco-consciousness, are under way on the Red Sea shores.

“This is really exciting to see this is opening up to the world,” says Firas Jundi, regional manager of the Middle East for PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

“I grew up in Saudi and started diving there in 1989, and then the north was only accessible via four-wheel drives.

“When you get to the shore you see it is pristine, untouched, with clear visibility, like a huge swimming pool full of fish.

“This has not been a diving destination so you can imagine how protected the coral is.”

Many shades of blue

The Red Sea region encompasses 28,000 square kilometers of coastline and 90 offshore islands some 300 miles north of Jeddah, and AMAALA, further north in the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve, are part of Saudi’s so-called giga projects.

They will feature boutique resorts offering a wealth of water sports and other activities including arts, culture and education based around the sea, the desert, the dunes and the mountains, say developers.

Both will be served by the forthcoming Red Sea International Airport which is scheduled to open to domestic flights in 2023.

“When I first came here and went out to the islands and saw about seven shades of blue, I thought, ‘how many shades of blue can you get in the sea?’” says Rosanna Chopra, the executive director of destination development for Red Sea Global, the umbrella development company for the projects, owned by Saudi’s government-controlled Public Investment Fund (PIF).

“Even now I think, ‘What on Earth is this glorious place and why has it been such a secret for so long?’

“The islands and the marine life and the dolphins, it’s just like some sort of fantastical world. You become really overwhelmed by the responsibility of trying to preserve it because there is a reason why it’s so stunning and so precious and so beautiful.

“We can’t rush this, we have to do it responsibly, we have to do it well.”

Jundi has dived up and down Saudi’s Red Sea coast and believes the potential for tourism is vast.

“When life stopped during Covid the coral [elsewhere] had a break and now I’ve started diving again I see a lot more marine life, bigger marine animals,” he said.

“That gives you an idea of what it could look like in a place that hasn’t been opened for any kind of activity.

“What’s exciting is they don’t want to rush. They don’t want to be another busy destination like Egypt.

“It’s not just diving, there are so many other nice things in Saudi Arabia that are full of historical sites and deserts. I feel diving is just one tip of the iceberg that Saudi is trying to promote.”

Hyper luxury

The Red Sea project, between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh, will develop 22 of the 90 islands, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy, says the developer.  By 2030 it is expected to comprise 50 hotels, 8,000 rooms and up to 1,000 residential properties.

“Regenerative” tourism is the buzzword with the projects aimed at travelling responsibly, preserving and enhancing the local community and environment, and offering transformative experiences for visitors, according to Chopra.

“I think luxury travel is being redefined,” says Chopra.

The sandy slivers of the Ummahat Islands will welcome the first of The Red Sea developments, opening in late 2023. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort will be a water sports hub designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma with accommodation in villas on land and over water.

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Ummahat, will have a dive center.

Shura Island will be a 30-minute drive from the airport connected by a 1.2-kilometer bridge, and will act as a hub island, featuring 11 low-rise resorts, designed to look like coral washed up on the beach.

There will be a golf course, a marina, shopping and dining.

Two inland resorts, Desert Rock and Southern. Dunes, will make the most of the coast’s natural landscape.

Sheybarah, 45 minutes by boat from the mainland, is being touted by developers as a hyper-luxury, self-sustaining resort featuring a string of over-water pods which architecture firm Killa Design says mirror the bubbles of a diver.

“I challenge anyone not to look at that water and ask the question, ‘how can I go into it, under it, over it?’ – they’re going to want to be a part of it,” says Chopra.

The development at AMAALA will begin with Triple Bay, a wellness “hub” and a center for watersports and other activities.

A marina will cater  to the international yachting set and a Marine Life Institute will be both a scientific research center and a tourist destination with 10 zones ranging from augmented reality experiences to underwater walkways, submersibles and night diving.

‘People will be astonished’

Triple Bay is expected to open in 2024 with a further offshore island and coastal development to come. When complete, AMAALA will offer more than 3,000 hotel rooms across 25 hotels and about 900 villas and apartments, all powered by what developers say is 100% renewable energy and operating with a zero-carbon footprint.

For both The Red Sea and AMAALA, seaplanes, boats and electric vehicles will transfer guests from the new airport to their resort, with luggage checked through to their destination.

“Our job is to open it up intelligently,” says Chopra. “It’s not just learning how to sail or kite surf or foil, but respect for the sea. Mother Nature is bigger than all of us and the more you respect her, the more you enjoy the playground that is the water.

“We want you to leave us having felt you’ve not only contributed to the regeneration of our coral reefs and planet but regenerated as a human and that’s a very difficult thing to manufacture or retrofit into another destination. Being able to explore this area under natural power is going to be a really overwhelming experience for people.”

Developers have put a cap of one million visitors a year at The Red Sea and 500,000 at Amaala, but the question is whether that cap will even be necessary. Given Saudi’s human rights record, will tourists even come?

“Absolutely, I do believe tourists will come,” says Jundi, who was born in Syria, but is based in the UAE.

“I travel to Saudi three times a year and you’ll start to feel the diversity that is happening with this new vision.”

Chopra added: “Like many countries that have had periods of time that have been troubling and confusing to other countries, we must all live in a world where people can evolve, and I can’t champion enough the youth of the kingdom.

“People will be astonished when they come. The hospitality of the Saudis will knock them sideways.”

Social media’s seemingly infinite stream of #expatlife content — from digital nomads in Estonia, new owners of old houses in Italy and retirees in Mexico — can sometimes paint the picture that everyone is ditching the United States for life in another country.

While it’s not quite a mass exodus, the number of Americans who live outside the US is not insignificant. About 9 million US citizens may live overseas, according to a 2020 State Department estimate. And about 15% of Americans polled by Gallup in 2022 said they wanted to leave the US permanently.

According to those who have done it, the often-gushy accounts of expats’ new lives overseas obscure an important part of the story: that, as enchanting and exciting as living abroad can be, making it happen requires vast amounts of perseverance, preparation and soul-searching.

The best way for potential emigrants to start the process, many recommend, is by asking some hard questions about why you want to leave the US. Are you looking for a better quality of life? Do you want to learn another language, or raise your kids multilingual? Or are you just craving a new adventure (which, according to research by The Washington Post, is the main reason Americans move abroad)?

“The big overarching thing is to know why you’re doing it,” says Doris Speer, president of the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, a Paris-based organization with members in 36 countries. Think beyond a career, too, Speer says: “It’s not just what do you want to do, but who do you want to be?”

A lawyer who grew up near Detroit and has lived and worked in Paris since 2004, Speer has watched dozens of Americans take the plunge, both as AARO president and in her personal life. The most successful (and least stressful) outcomes, she says, happen when people take an honest look at their motivation for leaving the US and their personal and professional goals with respect to life abroad – and choose a destination that syncs well with that vision.

“[You need to] do it for the right reasons, and pick the place that fits those reasons,” Speer says. “Don’t go with a romanticized notion of what the country is – you really need to do your research.”

That research can be overwhelming, of course. Entire books and magazines are dedicated to the subject and its various niches (like how to become a digital nomad or retire abroad, for example), not to mention countless blogs, podcasts and social media groups. But such resources also are a great jumping off point for what can be one of the most exciting – and life-changing – decisions one can make.

Earning a living

One of the first questions hopeful emigrants ask: How can I earn a living abroad? In most countries, the answer is nuanced but closely tied to the issue of obtaining a work permit or employment visa. Just researching this process provides a good indication of the dizzying amount of bureaucracy and paperwork (pro tip: the earlier you get started tracking down official documents like birth certificates, marriage licenses and secondary education degrees, the better).

And if it already sounds complicated, imagine actually navigating the process on the ground: visiting government offices in person, in an unfamiliar destination, and more than likely, in a language you don’t (yet) speak. Just like in the US, the tricky dance of obtaining official employment paperwork also tends to follow a maddening chicken-or-the-egg routine – a shared gripe among expats across the globe. “It’s circular: Often you need the papers to get the job, and you need the job to get the papers,” Speer says.

The work visa dilemma becomes significantly less complex if you’re being transferred by your current employer, which typically handles necessary paperwork and permits. Another option is being hired by a company that’s based in your new country (or has a presence there).

That’s the route taken by Lauren Gumport, who after visiting Tel Aviv in 2014, had her heart set on one day living there. Gumport, who was at the time living and working in New York, was determined to find a job before her move – despite several naysayers, she says.

“Everybody told me that I would never get a job in advance until I was actually there, feet on the ground, and I didn’t like that everybody said that,” says Gumport, who moved to Tel Aviv in 2015 and is now vice president of communications at Faye, an Israel-based provider of travel insurance. “And so I would stay up every single night connecting with people on LinkedIn, interviewing, sending in my CVs, and eventually I got two job offers.”

But even if, like Gumport’s new employer, your company handles the necessary paperwork, there are other important factors to be aware of during the job-seeking process, experts advise.

“If you have a professional degree, especially if a job offer is dependent on this, make sure that your qualifications are recognized in the country you’re moving to,” says Karoli Hindriks, co-founder and CEO of Jobbatical, an Estonia-based technology platform that specializes in employee relocation. “Often, qualifications aren’t viewed equally by all countries, so you may find that you have to bring additional qualifications or certifications to the table in order to be granted entry into a new country.”

Taxes, taxes, taxes

Moving out of the US means you can bid good riddance to the annual agony of doing your taxes, right? Wrong: The long arm of the IRS stretches far across oceans and borders.

As long as you’re a US citizen, you’re tax liable, which means you’ll have to file US taxes every year — along with taxes in your new country of residence (double the fun!). Alas, moving abroad means taxes become even more complicated – get ready to be closely acquainted with terms like FBAR and FEIE (IRS reports you may need to file).

An important early question to ask is whether the country you want to move to has a double taxation treaty with the US, says Alex Ingrim, a licensed financial advisor with global wealth management firm Chase Buchanan. Such agreements essentially allow for offsets of certain taxes between countries, such as income tax, meaning that you won’t have to pay twice.

Not surprisingly, taxes are a complex issue that can cause major problems (and incur costly fines) if not handled properly – which is why it’s advisable to hand the task over to a qualified expert if you can afford it. “In most countries you have to get a tax lawyer who gives you a strategy and understands how the local tax system interacts with the American tax system and the double taxation agreements,” says Ingrim, a US citizen who lives in Florence, Italy, with his family.

Another important aspect to research: whether you can take advantage of certain tax treatments foreigners are eligible for. For example, in the Netherlands, highly skilled workers can apply for what’s known as the 30% ruling, a tax advantage in which they’re granted a tax-free 30% allowance of their gross salary for five years.

Overall, it’s critical to have a solid understanding of how your employment or revenue stream plays into the tax system of your new country.

“It’s all about taking a step back and looking at your personal situation and analyzing, ‘okay, where does my income come from? Am I retiring, is it going to be Social Security? Am I working? Is there a special tax treatment for my situation?’, and coming to terms with what your net income is going to be at the end of the day,” Ingrim says.

He adds that self-employment is another consideration to keep in mind regarding taxes, especially in Europe, where Social Security taxes are much higher than in the US. “If you’re self-employed or you run your own business, you also have to understand what your Social Security liability is,” he says. “Those rates are really high as well. You’re running at 25% in a lot of countries.”

Digital nomads and Golden Visas

For entrepreneurial types seeking an established avenue to living and working abroad, digital nomad status seems to be following in the footsteps of yesteryear’s TEFL (teach English as a foreign language) certificate.

Indeed, thanks to the recent explosion of remote work opportunities, and as some countries aim to boost their economies via latte-sipping, laptop-toting workers, more countries have rolled out digital nomad visas. The specifics vary based on factors like income and duration, but some of the most popular programs are in Portugal, Croatia and Bali, according to Nomad List, a crowd-sourced site that ranks destinations based on criteria including cost of living, healthcare and internet speed.

While digital nomad visas may be an appealing option, those interested in pursuing one should also try to play out a longer-term view regarding their plans, Ingrim advises. “That, to me, is the most important thing to understand when applying for a digital nomad visa – just [consider] ‘What is my path forward here if I like it?’, and just to have that in the back of your mind and understand what your options might be,” he says.

Like digital nomad visas, Ingrim says his company has seen growing recent interest among Americans around the topic of Golden Visas, which generally refer to a type of visa offered by several countries in Europe that’s dependent on a certain investment level. Those, too, should be carefully considered, he advises.

“The one thing that I always say to clients is, ‘Have you looked at the other options?’, because there are so many ways to move to Portugal, there are several ways to move to Spain or Italy or Greece,” Ingrim says. “ So it’s a very nuanced topic, and obviously I’m not an immigration lawyer, but we get the question a lot. And I quite often push back on why someone’s going that route.”

Do a test run

You’ve presumably visited the country you’re looking to move to at least once – and if not, it’s time for a deep dive. Relocation experts recommend scheduling an extended visit – ideally, at least a few weeks, all the way up to a few months, depending on the time frame you’re allowed as a tourist or non-resident – in order to really settle in and get a true feel for daily life beyond tourist track hotspots.

Ande Wanderer, a writer and consultant who moved from Atlanta, Georgia, to Buenos Aires in 2003, calls this step “deliberate immersion,” which can result in uncovering “indispensable insights” about your potential new home.

“While preliminary information can be gleaned from online platforms like blogs and social media, there’s no substitute for immersing oneself in the culture,” Wanderer says. “This includes getting a handle on visa prerequisites, the real cost of living, evaluating healthcare and housing options, and beginning to understand linguistic and cultural intricacies.”

In addition to helping establish that to-do list, a scouting trip also offers an authentic-as-possible test run of what life might feel like in your potential new country.

Speer recalls a friend who, on a month-and-a-half reconnaissance visit to Mexico, realized that she needed a “livelier” place for her full-time home.

“It was the smartest thing, because at the end of the six weeks, she said, ‘no, this is not the city for me,’” Speer says. “‘Mexico is the place, but this is not the city for me’.”

Finally, according to Wanderer, an extended trip ahead of moving also “can help counter one of the most common pitfalls: harboring overly idealistic notions of life beyond US borders.”

Figuring out your finances

If you know where you’ll likely be living and have a rough idea of what you might be earning abroad, it’s a smart idea to start generating a rough estimate of your cost of living. You’ll also need to have a basic idea of your major expenses, including rent and groceries (another benefit of doing a scouting trip).

Healthcare and childcare are other important expenses to figure in. However, many emigrants from the US find that even with higher taxes in their new country, much lower healthcare and childcare costs are a huge benefit of living abroad.

Gumport, for example, pays for the highest plan available for her insurance – which she says costs about 5.7% of what she’d pay if she lived in the US. And in some European countries like Germany, childcare is heavily subsidized by the government – a huge bonus for parents.

If you’re considering retiring abroad, many websites, including International Living, offer calculation tools to figure out how much you need, while some financial advisors offer a free initial consultation. These experts can also provide insight on how to handle your US retirement accounts and other financial assets.

And while some places allow foreigners to live off income sources solely from other countries, Speer reminds potential US emigrants that currencies fluctuate, and the dollar may not always be strong, so it’s wise to plan your finances accordingly, especially if you’re living solely off savings.

Other intangibles

One of the most impactful aspects of moving abroad is a potential language barrier. For anyone considering moving to a country where English isn’t widely spoken, Speer “really highly recommend[s]” having a basic grasp of the official language, and if not, being honest with yourself about whether you’ll actually make the effort to learn it.

“And if you are never going to be able to speak another language, then focus on countries where Anglophones can get by very easily,” she says. “[Many] countries are more or less good at that, but do not think that everybody speaks English. Because even if they do, you’re gonna get paperwork [in that official language].”

Another important factor that, amid the anticipation of a possible move, is sometimes easy to gloss over is the weather in your new destination.

For Gumport, it was a huge priority: In addition to finding a job, Israel’s abundant sunshine was the other main driver for relocating to Tel Aviv. She now lives very close to the beach and loves daily walks with her dog in “summer weather [that] lasts through November.”

“When I was thinking about moving, I was considering Dublin, where I studied abroad in university, or Tel Aviv. And mainly because of the weather I landed on Tel Aviv. It’s huge when it comes to the quality of life.”

Indeed, a better quality of life is a huge driver for many people considering a move out of the US. Speer says that although the prospect of uprooting your life can seem daunting, it’s also entirely doable for anyone with the right mindset – and a sense of adventure. And whether you decide to stay for a year or forever, taking the leap of faith will almost always pay off somehow, she says.

“It’s enriching, it opens your mind, it opens your perspective, it permits you to live a fuller life and to have different and varied experiences that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t moved abroad,” she says. “I would not be who I am today if I didn’t move overseas.”

A new draft law that would enshrine harsh punishments for women and girls who fail to wear a hijab in Iran could amount to “gender apartheid,” UN experts said in a statement on Friday.

“The draft law could be described as a form of gender apartheid, as authorities appear to be governing through systemic discrimination with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission,” the experts said.

The proposed legislation, which is currently under review by the Iranian parliament, would establish harsh penalties for women who refuse to wear the veil – including long jail sentences.

The 70-article draft law also proposes stiff new penalties for celebrities and businesses who flout the rules and the use of artificial intelligence to identify women in breach of the dress code.

The UN experts argue that both the new law and existing restrictions “are inherently discriminatory and may amount to gender persecution.”

The UN’s panel of experts includes several special rapporteurs, and a working group focused on discrimination against women and girls.

“The weaponisation of ‘public morals’ to deny women and girls their freedom of expression is deeply disempowering and will entrench and expand gender discrimination and marginalisation, with wider negative consequences for children and society as a whole,” the experts said.

The draft law came under review by Iranian authorities just weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of the mass protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after being stopped by Iran’s morality police in Tehran.

The 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman died last September after being detained by the regime’s infamous morality police and taken to a “re-education center,” allegedly for not abiding by the country’s conservative dress code.

“After months of nationwide protests over the death of Jina Mahsa Amini and against restrictive veiling laws, the authorities have introduced a tiered system of punishments targeting women and girls,” the UN experts said.

According to the UN, the legislation was submitted to parliament by the government and the judiciary on May 21. After making several amendments that increased the severity of punishment, on August 13, parliament voted in favor of allowing a parliamentary committee to review it without public debate, the UN said.

“We urge authorities to reconsider the compulsory hijab legislation in compliance with international human rights law, and to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights for all women and girls in Iran,” the UN experts said.

The new bill would reclassify failure to wear the hijab as a more severe offense, punishable by a five-to-10-year prison sentence as well as a higher fine of up to 360 million Iranian rials ($8,508). Previously, those who breached the dress code faced between 10 days to two months in prison, or a fine between 50,000 to 500,000 Iranian rials, what is today between $1.18 to $11.82.

Another section states that Iranian police must “create and strengthen AI systems to identify perpetrators of illegal behavior using tools such as fixed and mobile cameras.”

Business owners who do not enforce the hijab requirement will face steeper fines, potentially amounting to three months’ of their business profit, and face bans on leaving the country or participating in public or cyberactivity for up to two years.

Celebrities may face a fine of up to a tenth of their wealth, exclusion from employment or professional activities for a specified period of time, as well as a ban on international travel and social media, if they fail to comply.

Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? It’s the debate that has kept soccer fans entertained for over a decade. While some are content to appreciate both players, others sit very firmly on one side or the other of the debate.

But according to Ronaldo himself, the “rivalry” between the pair has disappeared since they swapped European clubs for pastures new – Ronaldo moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and Messi to Inter Miami in the US.

“I don’t see things that way, the rivalry is gone. It was good, the fans liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don’t have to hate Messi. They’re both very good, they changed football history,” the 38-year-old Ronaldo told reporters while preparing to play in European Championship qualifiers with Portugal.

Ronaldo and Messi spent the height of their careers playing in Spain for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, which helped to heighten the rivalry between the players – and their fans.

While playing in Spain, the pair dominated the sport.

Messi ended his time with the Blaugrana with an impressive four Champions League titles, but Ronaldo left Spanish football having won five, including an unprecedented three in a row with Los Blancos from 2016 to 2018. Messi also added 10 LaLiga titles and Ronaldo won two.

In terms of individual honors, the pair won 12 of the 13 Ballon d’Or awards handed out between 2008 and 2021 – Ronaldo winning five and Messi winning seven, respectively.

Throughout their time in Spain, the pair also broke goalscoring record after goalscoring record. Messi ended his Barça career with a staggering 672 goals in 778 games while Ronaldo scored an astonishing 450 in 438 games for Real Madrid.

“We are respected throughout the world, it’s the most important,” Ronaldo said. “He is following his path, I am following mine. He’s done well, from what I’ve seen. We carry on, the legacy continues, the rivalry – I don’t see it that way.”

He added: “I have said, we shared the stage for 15 years and we ended up, I wouldn’t say friends, but we are colleagues and we respect each other.”

‘I was a pioneer’

With many players securing big-money moves to soccer clubs in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo spoke about the criticism that has been leveled against the Saudi Pro League (SPL).

“It’s normal to criticize, which league is not criticized? Where aren’t there any problems or controversy?” he queried.

Ronaldo also credited himself with growing the league and attracting other star players to join.

“I knew, and I keep saying, everyone thought I was crazy … The crazy is not so crazy anymore,” he said. “It’s become normal to play in the Arab league.”

Since Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia, Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané and Marcelo Brozović have been among the star names to move to the SPL.

“As an Al-Nassr player, I knew this was going to happen, it is a privilege to change the culture of a country and football, having big names makes me proud. I was a pioneer, and I am proud of that,” Ronaldo outlined.

“What I want is to continue to grow always, may it become world class.”

Carl Nassib, the first out gay NFL player, is retiring from the league after seven seasons.

Nassib made the “bittersweet” announcement on social media on Wednesday.

“This is a bittersweet moment for me but after seven seasons and just over 100 NFL games I am officially retiring from football to focus on my company Rayze,” Nassib wrote on Instagram.

“It really feels like just yesterday starting out as a walk-on at Penn State. Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined. I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had.”

In June 2021, the defensive lineman with the Las Vegas Raiders became the first active NFL player in league history to announce that he is gay. Nassib said he agonized over the decision to make known he was gay for 15 years, adding that he was a private person and wasn’t seeking publicity.

Three months later, Nassib became the first out gay NFL footballer to play in a regular season game – a thrilling 33-27 victory against the Baltimore Ravens in which he had a decisive strip sack on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in overtime.

“It was always my dream to play in the NFL, even as a walk-on, and I really feel like the luckiest guy on the planet,” he added.

The 30-year-old said he looks forward to working with the NFL on diversity, equity and inclusion matters.

“I think that I can provide a very rare and specific view of how life is for an out gay player, and I think that there are some amazing opportunities that I can also learn,” Nassib told People.

Nassib continued: “Maintaining that relationship shows that the NFL is continuing to support me. They’ve supported me so much over the last two years, and I really couldn’t have done it without that support.”

The seven-year veteran was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He played for the Browns from 2016 to 2017, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, 2019 and again in 2022 and the Raiders from 2020-2021.

Nassib recorded 25.5 sacks, 187 tackles, 59 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and one interception in his career, according to the NFL.