24 h. ago Are rents affordable in Amsterdam? Not if you are a newcomer | Amber Howard

The city was once the pinnacle of inclusivity, with working- and middle-class people alike living in social housing – then the private landlords arrivedIn this series, writers discuss the causes of – and solutions to – the housing crisis in key European citiesWhen I moved to Amsterdam, I felt incredibly lucky to find an illegal six-month sublet 15 minutes by bike from the centre, secured through a friend of a friend. The cost was €1,000 a month – a bargain by market standards but still well over double what my downstairs neighbour, Henrika, paid under the lifelong social housing contract she had obtained four decades earlier.In the intervening years, Amsterdam had shifted from a pinnacle of inclusivity and progressive housing politics to one of Europe’s most unaffordable markets. In the last year, Dutch house prices have surged by more than 10%, homelessness has risen by more than 20%, and rents in the private rental sector have climbed by more than 7%.Amber Howard is a researcher i...

Events

43 h. ago ‘I’ve been incredibly lucky. I have heavy imposter syndrome’: Djo on viral fame, bad reviews, and life after Stranger Things

Actor and musician Joe Keery made his name on the Netflix hit as lovable jock Steve Harrington, but he never stopped making music. He discusses anxiety, his earnest new record and why he and his castmates are ‘bonded for life’“It was a crazy situation – this song that I wrote was being linked to the head of the Catholic church!” Joe Keery sounds incredulous as he recalls his latest viral moment. The track in question was End of Beginning, the wistful indie anthem from his 2022 album Decide. It first became an online hit last year, taking on a new life soundtracking TikTok users’ videos of their home towns. As it happens, the home town – or university town, in Keery’s case – that he sings about in the song is Chicago. Fast forward to this May, when Illinois native Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new pope. The song began to do the rounds all over, with fans overlaying the lyrics (“And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it!”) over videos of the new pontiff.It was just the lates...

Politics

43 h. ago ‘I’ve been incredibly lucky. I have heavy impostor syndrome’: Djo on viral fame, bad reviews, and life after Stranger Things

Actor and musician Joe Keery made his name on the Netflix hit as lovable jock Steve Harrington, but he never stopped making music. He discusses anxiety, his earnest new record and why he and his castmates are ‘bonded for life’“It was a crazy situation – this song that I wrote was being linked to the head of the Catholic church!” Joe Keery sounds incredulous as he recalls his latest viral moment. The track in question was End of Beginning, the wistful indie anthem from his 2022 album Decide. It first became an online hit last year, taking on a new life soundtracking TikTok users’ videos of their home towns. As it happens, the home town – or university town, in Keery’s case – that he sings about in the song is Chicago. Fast forward to this May, when Illinois native Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new pope. The song began to do the rounds all over, with fans overlaying the lyrics (“And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it!”) over videos of the new pontiff.It was just the lates...

Politics

65 h. ago I never take selfies or look in the mirror. This is what happened when I was finally forced to look at my face. It's an issue every woman comes up against: LIZ JONES

'You no longer look like that.' It's always the bad review you hold on to. Never the compliments. I decided to contact David 1.0 for two reasons. Firstly, he knew me before I became a deck chair...

Politics

66 h. ago Where is the 'Hot Felon' now? How Jeremy Meeks turned his life around after THAT viral mug shot as he retreats from the public eye after ruling the runways at Fashion Week

The sudden fame that came following the viral mugshot changed Jeremy's life, as he went on to secure a modelling contract and star in multiple films.

Politics

8 d. ago It's the number one attraction in the world but dissatisfied customers share hilarious and scathing reviews

The Empire State Building stands tall as one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Most of the time guests are thrilled with the experience but there's the odd few with different opinions.

Economics

1 week ago Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie review – the joy of the hatchet job

Is giving an artist a one-star review an act of abuse? An influential theatre critic finds out in this smart story of #MeToo-era revengeWhen Jesus is pressed to condemn the woman taken in adultery, he says, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” No one does, and a lesson in critical generosity is learned. Judge not, that ye be not judged.Is giving an artist a one-star review an act of abuse – casting the first stone? Is it worse when the reviewer is male and the artist female? That’s the starting point of this entertaining and very timely debut novel from Charlotte Runcie, an arts journalist who, as a young intern, was lambasted on stage by a successful standup to whom she’d given a bad review.There was an interactive customer feedback device propped up on the bar. Tell us what you think of our service, it said, and underneath there were two buttons you could press: an angry red face or a smiling green one. Excellent or worthless, nothing in...

Society

2 w. ago Kara Tointon pays tribute to her fiancé Marius Jensen on Father's Day after undergoing a double mastectomy

The former EastEnders actress, 41, who recently revealed that she's undergone a double mastectomy, said her children were 'incredibly lucky.'

Politics

3 w. ago 'Entitled friend blocked me online after I didn't help her move home'

Moving home can be an incredibly stressful experience but, if you're lucky, friends and family are on hand to help. One man had a "brilliant" response to an old friend's "entitled" moving request

Politics

3 w. ago Tourists warning as popular holiday bar 'charges 100 Euro for a beer'

DK Oyster in Mykonos has become notorious for bad reviews over the past few years, with recent customers claiming that they were charged 100 euro for a single beer

Events

3 w. ago A spying mother, awkward allergies and a 'great' night that ended with a kiss... so why did she give him such a bad score? Read our most bizarre Blind Date EVER

Every week, FEMAIL asks two singletons to report back from their blind date. This week it's Annika, 26, and Sebastian, 33, but will romance be on the cards for these two hopefuls?

Events

4 w. ago Kate Middleton's incredible response to pal who told her she's lucky to have Prince William

When one a friend of the Princess of Wales told her that she was lucky to have Prince William, she seemingly had a seriously confident five-word comeback, that put the pal in their place

Politics