The Dispatch

Flemish Government Launches Major Push to Promote Dutch in Brussels

The Flemish government has approved a sweeping plan to strengthen the role of Dutch in Brussels, marking the most ambitious effort in years to bolster the language in Belgium’s officially…

Read More Here

Ten years on: Merkel reflects on 2015 refugee decision

It has been ten years since German Chancellor Angela Merkel made her famous "Wir schaffen das" ("We can do this") statement regarding her decision to accept hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany.…

Read More Here

Berlin courts tourists as Paris and Barcelona tire of the crowds

As many southern European cities grow tired of tourists, Berlin is pitching itself as an antidote to the crowds, blistering heatwaves and anti-tourism protests causing problems elsewhere. The German capital…

Read More Here

Closing Chapter: Final Queen Elizabeth II Coins Enter Circulation

The final batch of Queen Elizabeth II's £1 coins is entering circulation across the UK, the Royal Mint has announced. More than 23 million coins depicting the late monarch are…

Read More Here

EU citizens awaiting UK residency status have right to travel, Home Office told

EU citizens waiting for the Home Office to decide their pre-Brexit residency status should not be removed from the UK if they make a short return visit abroad for business,…

Read More Here

Germany Stresses Importance of Security Pledges to Ukraine, Rules Out Troop Presence

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that his country can play an important role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, but that Berlin likely doesn't have the capacity to send…

Read More Here

Geneva makes public transport temporarily free to combat pollution spike

Public transport will be temporarily free of charge in Geneva, in a first for Switzerland, as part of a series of measures aimed at tackling a spike in pollution in…

Read More Here

Air conditioner sales up as heat wave hits Germany

A heat wave that has gripped Europe for weeks has now arrived in Germany, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday and national weather service DWD…

Read More Here

UK homelessness minister resigns over rent hike claims

Britain's minister for homelessness resigned late on Thursday after claims that she evicted tenants from a property she owns and then increased the rent by hundreds of pounds. Rushanara Ali,…

Read More Here

Aberdeen to introduce 7% ‘tourist tax’ on visitors

Councillors have given the green light for the introduction of a 7% visitor levy for Aberdeen, Scotland. The "tourist tax" will not come into force until at least April 2027,…

Read More Here

Cosmetic Crackdown: New Licensing Rules for UK Botox Providers

The government has announced plans to crack down on dodgy cosmetic practitioners who it says are exploiting people and causing harm. Under the new proposals, only qualified health professionals will…

Read More Here

Switzerland facing 39% US tariff as president leaves Washington empty-handed

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter left Washington empty-handed on Wednesday after a hastily arranged trip to avert a crippling 39% tariff on the country's exports to the United States, its biggest…

Read More Here

UK to start implementing migrant returns deal with France

Britain said it will start work within days to implement a deal to return some migrants who arrive on small boats to France, a key part of its plans to…

Read More Here

BBC Uncovers Global Cat Torture Network With Links to China

A BBC investigation has uncovered a disturbing global network involved in the torture and killing of cats and kittens, with videos of the abuse being shared across international platforms —…

Read More Here

UK airports disrupted by radar fault in air traffic control system

A radar-related technical issue in Britain's air traffic control system disrupted flights for over four hours at major airports in London and elsewhere on Wednesday, though the issue was later…

Read More Here

UK to recognise Palestinian state unless Israel meets conditions

The UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza", Sir Keir Starmer has said. The PM said Israel…

Read More Here

Starmer tells Trump Gaza Is a “Catastrophe,” Urges More Aid

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told U.S. President Donald Trump that the situation in Gaza is an “absolute catastrophe” and that Britons are “revolted” by what they’re witnessing. The two…

Read More Here

France and Germany Push Forward on Fighter Jet Deal Amid Industry Disputes

France and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a joint effort to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2040, despite ongoing disagreements over industrial…

Read More Here

UK sanctions target people smugglers, small boat dealer in migrant crackdown

Britain announced sanctions on Wednesday on 24 people and one company it said were involved in people smuggling, as part of efforts to cut the number of migrants arriving on…

Read More Here

Russia says it is monitoring reported positioning of US nuclear weapons in UK

MOSCOW, July 22 (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday that it detected a rise in international tensions and was monitoring developments after Britain's Times and Telegraph newspapers reported that the…

Read More Here

UK launches review into raising state pension age

Britain on Monday said it would launch a review into raising the state pension age - a key factor for the public finances - at the same time as a…

Read More Here

People smugglers to have assets frozen and be banned from UK

People smugglers face having their assets frozen and being banned from entering the UK, the foreign secretary has announced. David Lammy said new powers under the Sanctions Act will allow…

Read More Here

People in Germany are driving more again

In a reversal of a trend, people in Germany are driving more again. According to data from the the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), personal cars registered in Germany covered 594…

Read More Here

UK Lowers Voting Age in Unprecedented Overhaul of Electoral System

The British government said on Thursday it planned to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections in a major overhaul of the country's democratic system.…

Read More Here

Drug ring taken down in joint sweep across Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK

On 15 July 2025, a coordinated Europol-supported operation involving authorities from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (UK) led to the arrest of seven suspects involved in the trafficking…

Read More Here

Babies made using three people’s DNA are born free of hereditary disease

Eight babies have been born in the UK using genetic material from three people to prevent devastating and often fatal conditions, doctors say. The method, pioneered by UK scientists, combines…

Read More Here

France and UK agree to joint migration deal

France and the United Kingdom on Thursday reached several deals on migration, nuclear cooperation and support for Ukraine, after a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron to London. The three-day…

Read More Here

Edinburgh lifts ban on liquids over 100ml

Edinburgh is the latest airport in the UK to lift the hand luggage ban on liquids over 100ml. Travellers will now be able to take two-litre containers through the security…

Read More Here

Former British PM Rishi Sunak takes job at Goldman Sachs

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has joined Goldman Sachs as a senior advisor. Sunak, who resigned as PM in July 2024, will work part-time advising the bank's clients with his…

Read More Here

Germany outlines emergency draft plans

A bill to be put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius would allow the Cabinet, with parliamentary agreement, to call up conscripts if a situation arises that requires a rapid…

Read More Here

Norman Tebbit, key Thatcher ally, dies aged 94

Norman Tebbit, who served as a cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government, has died aged 94. Throughout the 1980s he worked as the chairman of the Conservative Party and led…

Read More Here

Merz supports not flying rainbow flag on German parliament during Pride

Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz has supported a move not to fly the rainbow flag — a symbol of the LGBTQI+ community — on the Reichstag building in Berlin during Pride celebrations.…

Read More Here

Spain and England record hottest June ever

Spain and England have recorded their hottest June ever, as scorching temperatures continue to grip Europe. Spain's weather service Aemet said the "extremely hot" June - with an average temperature…

Read More Here

Syrian juvenile charged with Taylor Swift concert plot

Germany has charged a Syrian juvenile with supporting a foreign terrorist organization for helping to plan a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last year, the prosecutor…

Read More Here

Germany to stop funding migrant rescue ships in Mediterranean

Germany is cutting financial support for charities that rescue migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean, saying it will redirect resources to addressing conditions in source countries that spur…

Read More Here

UK to purchase fighter jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons

The British government said on Tuesday that it would purchase a dozen F-35A fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons in what it described as the biggest expansion of…

Read More Here

Trump casts doubt on Article 5 commitment

On his way to a summit of NATO leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump undermined the alliance's core collective defense promise — injecting tension into a gathering designed to keep him…

Read More Here

NATO summit opens in The Hague

Member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are holding a summit in The Hague, starting Tuesday. NATO members are expected to approve a boost in defense spending. Leaders,…

Read More Here

Germany to hire 11,000 more military personnel this year

The German government will provide funds for an extra 11,000 military personnel by the end of the year, an increase of around 4%, tabloid Bild reported, citing government sources. The…

Read More Here

NATO allies agree to 5 percent defense spending goal

NATO members agreed on Sunday to a big increase in their defence spending target to 5% of gross domestic product, as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump, but Spain said…

Read More Here

Belgium announces border checks in migration clampdown

Belgium will introduce border checks on people coming into the country to clamp down on illegal migration, the government said, in another limit on free movement across Europe's Schengen zone.…

Read More Here

Pro-Palestinian activists damage planes at UK military base

Pro-Palestinian activists in Britain broke into a Royal Air Force base in central England on Friday where they damaged and sprayed red paint over two military aircraft used for refuelling…

Read More Here

UK parliament votes to decriminalise abortion, repeal Victorian-era law

British MPs have overwhelmingly backed a landmark change to abortion legislation, voting to end the prosecution of women in England and Wales for ending their own pregnancies. This significant move…

Read More Here

Dutch government says children should not have access to TikTok, Instagram before 15

The Dutch government has issued new guidelines advising that children under 15 should not use social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While it supports allowing those over 13 to…

Read More Here

London’s Oxford Street to go traffic-free in shopping area makeover

London's Oxford Street, one of Britain's busiest and most famous shopping districts, will be pedestrianised, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said on Tuesday, in a move designed to smarten up…

Read More Here

Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency

MI6 will be led by a woman for the first time in the foreign intelligence service's 116-year history. Blaise Metreweli, who joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, will become…

Read More Here

Northern Ireland hit by third night of violence

Violence erupted in different parts of Northern Ireland for the third successive night on Wednesday, with masked youths starting a fire in a leisure centre but unrest in the primary…

Read More Here

British Foreign Secretary in Gibraltar negotiations over post-Brexit deal with Spain

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy was in Gibraltar ahead of a potential post-Brexit deal with Spain. Ever since the UK left the EU, the situation in the British Overseas Territory…

Read More Here

Netherlands to hold election on October 29

The Netherlands will hold a general election on October 29 following the collapse of the government earlier this week, Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing the country's caretaker government.

Read More Here

Germany will need thousands more troops under new NATO targets, says defence minister

Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, will require an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 additional troops to meet NATO's updated defense requirements amid the growing threat from Russia, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said…

Read More Here

Germany to Make It Easier to Declare Countries Safe in Curbs on Asylum

The German government plans to make it easier to declare certain countries of origin safe under a push to reduce the number of asylum seekers, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said…

Read More Here

What will happen next in Dutch government crisis?

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders triggered a government collapse in the Netherlands on Tuesday by pulling his nationalist PVV party out of the right-wing government coalition, which prompted the cabinet…

Read More Here

Britain unveils radical defence overhaul to meet new threats

A “new era” for UK defence is needed, Defence Secretary John Healey has said, as he outlined plans to boost our military capabilities and pledged to make the British Army…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Dutch far-right leader Wilders quits coalition, toppling government

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders' PVV party left the governing coalition on Tuesday, in a move that is set to topple the right wing government and will likely lead to…

Read More Here

Russia may attack Nato in next four years, German defence chief warns

Members of the Western alliance Nato need to prepare for a possible attack from Russia within the next four years, according to Germany's chief of defence. General Carsten Breuer told…

Read More Here

Germany steps up to replace ‘unreliable’ US as guarantor of European security

By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham Two statements from world leaders this week bear closer examination. On May 27, the US president Donald Trump took to…

Read More Here

Trump spurs questions about safety of Germany’s gold in New York

The safety of Germany's gold reserves held overseas and in New York in particular, until recently mainly a talking point for the country's far-right party and gold bugs, is becoming…

Read More Here