The Dispatch

Merkel says she is fit for work

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday she was fit to carry on as chancellor after a bout of shaking episodes, and that she hoped to enjoy life after serving…

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Dutch Supreme Court rules Netherlands partially responsible for Srebrenica deaths

The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Netherlands is partially responsible for the July 1995 deaths of 300 Muslims in Srebrenica. Relatives of the victims first sued the…

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Photo Story: The equestrian CHIO Aachen in Germany

Marcus Ehning of Germany on Funky Fred competes in the Nations' Cup team jumping event at the CHIO (Concours Hippique International Officiel) in Aachen, Germany. The CHIO Aachen is a popular…

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Arthur is Belgium’s most popular boy’s name

It’s an annual tradition that the Belgian statistics office releases the figures of the most popular given names in Belgium. Last year 565 boys were named Arthur. It’s the most…

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British MPs approve measure to block Parliament shutdown

British MPs have voted in favour of a measure that could block efforts by the next prime minister to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending Parliament. The Commons voted…

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Photo Story: Preparation for Oktoberfest 2019 in Munich

Craftsmen prepare for the upcoming Oktoberfest on the Theresienwiese fair ground in Munich, Germany. The famous traditional Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival that annually is visited by hundreds of…

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12 Israelis Arrested in Cyprus on Suspicion of Gang Raping U.K. Tourist

Twelve Israelis, some under 18, were arrested in Cyprus on suspicion that they raped a 19-year-old British tourist at a hotel in the resort town Ayia Napa. The woman, 19,…

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Photo Story: Preparations for Christopher Street Day 2019 in Frankfurt Main

Traffic lights feature illustrations of a homosexual couple in downtown Frankfurt Main, Germany. An annual gay pride parade will take place on 20 July 2019 in Frankfurt to commemorate Christopher…

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Irish Cabinet opposes EU time change plan

The Irish government will oppose an EU proposal that would end seasonal clock changes because it could result in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland being in different time…

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Young drivers could be banned from driving at night in the UK

Young drivers in England could be banned from driving at night under plans for a graduated licence system. The idea comes after figures showing that a fifth of young drivers…

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Ryanair’s British pilot union to vote on possible August strike

Ryanair's British pilot union is to ballot members on possible strike action in coming weeks in a dispute over working conditions, the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) announced on Wednesday.…

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Emergency in Mt Blanc Tunnel because of smoke

Some 67 people were evacuated from a coach in the Mt Blanc tunnel after it came to a halt because of a technical fault and started giving out smoke on…

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Photo Story: Chaos at Duesseldorf Airport

Hundreds of suitcases are left in the check-in area of the international airport in Duesseldorf, Germany, 17 July 2019. A technical malfunction in baggage handling meant numerous travellers had…

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Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars declared the most-played song of the 21st Century in the UK

Snow Patrol's ballad Chasing Cars has been named the most-played song of the 21st Century so far. The Northern Irish band released the track in June 2006 and it reached…

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British Public Health issues advice to people travelling to Egypt

The British Public Health England (PHE) is issuing advice to people travelling to Egypt after a number of people, including children, have returned with a serious illness caused by E.…

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EU braces for no-deal Brexit or another delay under Boris Johnson

The European Union is bracing for either a no-deal Brexit or another delay if Boris Johnson becomes Britain's prime minister next week with a pledge to renegotiate a deal the…

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CDU leader Kramp-Karrenbauer appointed German defence minister

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of the German Christian Democrats, has been named as the country’s new defence minister, just as the previous holder of the post Ursula von der Leyen was…

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Plans to increase the number of British female entrepreneurs have taken a leap forward

Plans to increase the number of British female entrepreneurs by half have taken a leap forward, with major banks and venture capital firms signalling their support. Royal Bank of Scotland,…

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Britain sending third warship to Gulf

The UK is sending another major warship to the Persian Gulf amid ongoing tensions with Iran. Frigate HMS Kent will travel to the region from mid-September to bolster the Royal…

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Scottish government declares emergency after 27% increase in drug related deaths

There were almost 1,200 drugs-related deaths in Scotland last year - the highest level since current records began, Sky News reports. Official statistics released on Tuesday reveal the drugs death rate…

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Photo Story: Preview of Bank of England’s new 50 GBP note

An undated handout photo made available by the British Bank of England on 15 July 2019 showing the new concept image design of the Bank of England's 50 GBP note…

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Theresa May calls Donald Trump ‘go back’ tweet ‘completely unacceptable’

Theresa May's spokesperson has called comments by Donald Trump about Democratic congresswomen from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds "completely unacceptable". The US president was criticised over a series of…

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Zurich Airport’s hub status is “at risk”

Zurich Airport risks losing its hub status if flight time restrictions are rolled out, warns the CEO of Lufthansa, the German parent company of Swiss International Air Lines. Carsten Spohr…

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Photo Story: Environmental protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London

Police officers walk stand in front of a blue boat belonging to Extinction Rebellion protesters outside the Royal Courts of Justice this morning where Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters have blocked…

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Photo Story: Pink in Berlin

US singer Pink performs in the Olympiastadium in Berlin, Germany on the evening of the 14 July 2019. The event is part of the artist's Beautiful Trauma World Tour. Photo:…

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Johnson and Hunt enter final stage of leadership race

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt will go head to head later as the race to succeed Theresa May enters its final stage. The two Tory leadership hopefuls will take part…

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Latvia warns that European leaders fail to grasp ‘hardening’ of UK view on Brexit

Edgars Rinkēvičs, Latvia's Foreign Minister has warned that a hard Brexit could be made more likely because European Union leaders have failed to grasp the hardening of opinion…

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British government to issue recommended hours of sleep

The British Department of Health will advise on how many hours people of different ages should be getting a night, according to a report in The Times. Recommendations will…

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New Northern Irish police chief warns of detrimental Brexit impact to peace

Northern Ireland’s new police chief warned that a hard Brexit could have a “detrimental” impact on two decades of peace in the British-run province and risk his officers becoming…

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Fresh crackdown in the UK in fight against dirty money

The British government is giving new impetus to the fight against money laundering. Through the Economic Crime Plan the British Government intends to draw together actions to overhaul the approach…

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Media Freedom Coalition launched to address attacks on journalists

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the launch of the new Media Freedom Coalition. Following their landmark Global Conference for Media Freedom, Foreign Secretary Jeremy…

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Germany calls for EU migrant redistribution ‘coalition’

Germany's foreign minister says willing EU countries should redistribute migrants saved in the Mediterranean Sea. Some EU countries have vehemently opposed any form of redistribution in recent years. Foreign Minister…

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Summer disruptions, including ‘shut down’ for Heathrow Airport expected if union proceeds with strike

A trade union has threatened to disrupt the summer holidays of millions of Britons with plans to “shut down” Heathrow. As many as 4,000 staff are planning to hold strikes…

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Second Chinese cybersecurity centre opens in Brussels

China’s ZTE is opening a cybersecurity centre in Brussels, four months after a similar move by Huawei. ZTE said in a press release that its “lab” will be installed…

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Dutch Justice Minister wants to reduce open air festivals to curb drug use

Dutch Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus has said that the government needs to ‘think critically’ about whether the Netherlands should continue to hold 1100 festivals a year, in order to…

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Johnson vows to stand up for Britain’s diplomats

Boris Johnson vowed to stand up for Britain’s diplomats around the world and take a robust approach toward U.S. President Donald Trump if he succeeds in becoming the next prime…

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UK Police arrest man on suspicion of the murder of pregnant woman and her unborn baby

Detectives investigating the murder of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby in Croydon, south London have arrested a third person. A 25-year-old man is now being questioned by officers…

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UK parliamentary staff face unwanted sexual advances

People working for lawmakers in Britain’s lower house of parliament face an unacceptable risk of sexual harassment and bullying, which has been hidden because staff fear reprisals, according to a…

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Microsoft opens first retail store in Europe

Microsoft’s Flagship Store in London opened today, with crowds expected to flock to Oxford Circus to get their hands on the company’s latest technology and experiences. This is Microsoft’s…

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Rotterdam favourite to stage next year’s Eurovision

Five Dutch cities have applied to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands following Duncan Laurence’s victory with Arcade in May. The cities are Rotterdam, Utrecht, Maastricht, Arnhem…

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UK and Switzerland boost collaboration on security and migration

The UK and Switzerland have signed an agreement committing to continue their work in tackling cross-border crime and terrorism after Brexit. Home Secretary Sajid Javid signed a Memorandum of Understanding…

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Fears of further British diplomatic leaks

The head of the UK's diplomatic service has said he fears more leaks could follow that which led to the UK's ambassador to the US resigning. Sir Simon McDonald told…

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UK commits £18m to protecting journalists in danger zones

Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt announced that the UK will commit £18m to improve media freedom across the world. The new Global Media Defence Fund – to be administered by UNESCO…

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ISIS still a serious threat

Islamic State poses a challenge to all countries in the world, while rival terrorist group al Qaeda is resurgent and could be plotting attacks in Europe, the UK's security minister…

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Man arrested after scaling Buckingham Palace gates

A man has been arrested after climbing over Buckingham Palace's front gates in the middle of the night. The 22-year-old was held on suspicion of trespass at around 02:00 BST…

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Iranian boats ‘harass’ British tanker in the Gulf

Five boats believed to belong to Iranian Revolutionary Guards approached a British oil tanker in the Gulf and asked it to stop in Iranian waters close by, but withdrew…

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Met Police Commissioner confirms ‘initial’ talks on diplomatic documents leak

Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick has told the House of Commons' home affairs committee she finds the leak of diplomatic memos a "deeply worrying situation". She told MPs: "As somebody…

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Unknown British soldiers killed during WW2 are honoured as they are laid to rest

Two unknown British soldiers have finally been laid to rest after they lost their lives during World War 2. The 2 men were buried last week during a moving…

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All top UK accountants fail audit quality test

All of Britain’s leading accounting firms have failed to hit quality targets set by their regulator for auditing company books for the second year in a row, with Grant Thornton…

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Angela Merkel suffers third shaking bout in less than a month

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been seen shaking in public for the third time in less than a month. Merkel's body shook as she stood outside with Finnish PM Antti…

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British Ambassador to the US resigns

Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as the UK's ambassador to the US amid a row over leaked memos that were critical of Donald Trump. Sir Kim said the furore over…

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Rouhani warns the UK…it will face ‘consequences’

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday Britain would face “consequences” over the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker and said Iran’s increase in uranium enrichment was for peaceful aims.…

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SPD insists German coalition Government won’t split over Ursula von der Leyen nomination

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition will not collapse over European Union leaders’ choice of Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen to head the European Commission, Katarina Barley, who led the German…

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Concern as Sting calls off second gig due to health reasons

British singer Sting cancelled a concert for the second time in three days, telling fans due to see him in Munich, Germany on Wednesday evening that he was "still under…

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Photo Story: Harvest Time

A combine harvester works a filed as white storks stand on a harvested part of a barley field near Worms, Germany. Photo: EPA-EFE/RONALD WITTEK

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RT and Sputnik denied press passes for inaugural UK global media freedom conference

Russian state-funded news outlets RT and Sputnik have been denied press passes for the inaugural global media freedom conference to be held in London this week. The Foreign Office, which…

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Explosives found in house as Tour de France started in the Belgian capital

Police discovered explosives in a house in the Brussels borough of Anderlecht as the Tour de France started in the Belgian capital this weekend. They say that at the minute…

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