Dispatches Europe

Lifestyle & Culture

Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre: Where Paris lets its hair down

32

News & Buzz

Vietnam wants to be Southeast Asia’s medical tourism destination

38

Lifestyle & Culture

Sarah Nagaty: How post-pandemic expats cheapened social life in Lisbon while making it more expensive

51

News & Buzz

EBB: Two-year old AI chip startup Euclyd raises 200 million euro Series A

70

Featured News

GLOBAL DISPATCHES

Germany: The Left triumphs in Berlin as AfD surges in Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaGermany’s final state elections of the year have delivered a sharp political shake-up. The Left has won Berlin, while the AfD has come out on top in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the CDU suffering heavy losses in both elections.

Meet the Academics Trying to Stop You From Having Sex in RobotaxisPavlo Bazilinskyy still can’t believe he was on PornHub for work. He’s an assistant professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and has spent more than a decade researching AI-driven interactions between humans and robots. But he found himself typing “public transport” into the search bar of a very specific website’s “amateur section.”

Why the far right lost: 11 lessons for Europe from Sweden’s electionThe election delivered a rude shock to Sweden’s anti-immigration vanguard: A loss of vote share, support and influence for the first time since the SD was founded by neo-Nazis in the 1980s.

Italy to ban veils in schools, limit foreign students per class, Meloni saysThe integration of migrants, particularly those from Muslim-majority countries, remains contentious in Italian politics and society. Debates over religious symbols, cultural integration, citizenship rules and immigration policy frequently polarize public opinion.

Largest attack on Moscow sees Ukraine fire hundreds of drones, mayor saysUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Kyiv had hit a "key" Russian oil facility and a logistics site in the region with drones and missiles, representing "billions of dollars that sustain the war machine".

‘The rules have changed’: has Russia begun to order assassinations on US soil?“It looks like starting from today, the rules have changed in America,” Dobrokhotov, 43, said. “We will have to change how we behave there. Nowhere is safe.”

Oktoberfest opens as Munich mayor taps first beer kegThousands of visitors streamed onto Munich's Oktoberfest grounds as the world-famous beer festival got underway. Some spent the night outside the gates to secure coveted places in the festival tents.

BEST OF DISPATCHES

Sara Vordermeier: My real life lessons from renting in GermanyIt’s common knowledge among foreigners moving to Germany that if you find a good flat in a good neighbourhood at a good price, from a good landlord, you should be saying, “Yes, yes, 100 times yes!” – to almost anything that the rental contract throws at you.

Joanna Kalafatis: The best Greek islands for Digital NomadsAfter the implementation of Greece’s digital nomad visa in 2021, the sunny Mediterranean country has become an even more attractive hub for remote workers. More and more people are fulfilling their dream of setting up a relatively stress-free life on a Greek island. But not all islands are created equally, especially when it comes to year-round living, connectivity and expat life.

Cycling in the Netherlands: A practical guide for expatsEven in a busy city like Amsterdam, you can get pretty much anywhere in 10-25 minutes; you can leave whenever you want with no need to wait for public transport schedules; there are no extortionate parking fees to pay. Yes, the weather more than occasionally messes with the postcard image, but ultimately you get used to that. So, if you’re ready to embrace life on two wheels, here’re the basics you need to know.

Several awkward coffee dates and one happy ending: What dating in Spain taught a reserved British expatTo this rather reserved Brit who wasn’t used to the easy physicality of the Spanish, this came as something of a shock. Too much physical contact from someone who was, to me, still a stranger. It was an early lesson that everyday Spanish friendliness can feel surprisingly intimate to a Brit. She spoke English reasonably well, but the conversation went off the rails almost straight away. I opened with “qué tal?” (how are you?) and just got a one-word answer of “ok.”

Confused about Sweden’s new citizenship rules? Here’s what changedFor many expats living in Sweden, obtaining citizenship is a huge step in building a permanent life. But recent changes to the country’s citizenship laws effective 6 June have left many foreign residents wondering what the new rules mean for them. The good news is that not all of the proposed changes have taken effect yet. The bad news is that becoming a Swedish citizen is likely to become more challenging in the coming years. Here’s a breakdown of what has changed, and what’s still on the horizon.

Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre: Where Paris lets its hair down

Vietnam wants to be Southeast Asia’s medical tourism destination

Sarah Nagaty: How post-pandemic expats cheapened social life in Lisbon while making it more expensive

EBB: Two-year old AI chip startup Euclyd raises 200 million euro Series A

Featured News

Edinburgh Christmas Markets 2025: Your ultimate guide to this must-visit festive season destination

EBB for 2 December: Euclyd superstar founders promise to build a NVIDIA killer … in Eindhoven!

Lane Henry: What you need to know about Dutch health insurance in 2026

GLOBAL DISPATCHES

BEST OF DISPATCHES

Subscribe to our newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre: Where Paris lets its hair down

Vietnam wants to be Southeast Asia’s medical tourism destination

Sarah Nagaty: How post-pandemic expats cheapened social life in Lisbon while making it more expensive

EBB: Two-year old AI chip startup Euclyd raises 200 million euro Series A

Featured News

Edinburgh Christmas Markets 2025: Your ultimate guide to this must-visit festive season destination

EBB for 2 December: Euclyd superstar founders promise to build a NVIDIA killer … in Eindhoven!

Lane Henry: What you need to know about Dutch health insurance in 2026

GLOBAL DISPATCHES

MOST READ