The Dispatch

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

German government restricts migrant family reunification, path to citizenship

Germany's government approved measures to restrict family reunification for migrants and delay citizenship access on Wednesday, forging ahead with a major shift in migration policy under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.…

Read More Here

Germany shifts tone on Israel over ‘incomprehensible’ Gaza carnage

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered his strongest criticism yet of Israel’s massive airstrikes on Gaza, calling them "no longer justified" or "comprehensible" in the fight against Hamas. Speaking at a…

Read More Here

British man arrested after car drives into Liverpool fans at trophy parade, injuring dozens

A 53-year-old man has been arrested after a car struck multiple people in Liverpool city centre on Monday evening, shortly after celebrations for Liverpool Football Club’s Premier League title win.…

Read More Here

UK to roll out chemical castration for sex offenders

The British government will roll out the use of medication to suppress the sex drive of sex offenders, as part of a package of measures to reduce the risk of…

Read More Here

Citizens in the Netherlands Advised to Keep Cash Handy Amid Cyber Threat Concerns

The Netherlands' Central Bank (DNB) has advised citizens to keep enough cash on hand to last them three days in case of disaster or emergency, citing rising geopolitical tensions and…

Read More Here

German Chancellor Merz sees no sign war in Ukraine will end soon

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday dampened expectations of a quick end to the war in Ukraine. "There are currently no signs that this war will end quickly," Merz said…

Read More Here

People smuggler jailed in UK for arranging boats from Libya to Italy

An Egyptian national who helped smuggle thousands of migrants into Europe from north Africa was on Tuesday jailed for 25 years in a London court. Ahmed Ramadan Mohamad Ebid, 42,…

Read More Here

Countries adopt WHO pandemic agreement

Countries have adopted a new agreement Tuesday to protect the world from future pandemics at the World Health Organization’s annual assembly in Geneva. WHO member countries adopted the agreement by…

Read More Here

Germans narrowly back weekly working hours limit over daily cap

A narrow majority of German residents support replacing the current daily working hours limit with a weekly cap, according to a new YouGov survey. The poll, conducted for dpa, found…

Read More Here

Switzerland Proposes Immigration Control Measures Within EU Framework

The Swiss government said it wants the right to restrict free movement of people from the European Union if factors such as net immigration, commuter numbers or welfare dependency exceed…

Read More Here

Germany warns draft may return if troop numbers fall short

Germany may return to conscription if too few people volunteer for the military, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned Wednesday. Speaking in his first parliamentary address since the new government took…

Read More Here

Wrongfully Imprisoned for 38 Years: UK Man Cleared by DNA Breakthrough

A British man who spent 38 years in prison for a murder he always denied committing has been exonerated after new DNA evidence proved he was not the killer —…

Read More Here

UPDATED: UK police arrest man for arson after fire at PM Starmer’s house

British police said on Tuesday they had arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of arson after counter-terrorism officers launched an investigation into three fires, including one at Prime Minister Keir…

Read More Here

UK’s Starmer tightens migration rules

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new salvo of measures to toughen up Britain's migration system on Sunday, saying many immigrants would have to wait longer before getting the status…

Read More Here

Nigerians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans face UK student visa crackdown

Nigerians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans applying to work or study in the UK face Home Office restrictions over suspicions that they are most likely to overstay and claim asylum, Whitehall…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Germany’s Merz wins vote for chancellor after surviving historic defeat

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz has won a parliament vote to become Germany's next chancellor at the second attempt. Merz had initially fallen six votes short of the absolute majority…

Read More Here

UK may restrict students from countries most likely to claim asylum

The British government may restrict visa applications from students living in countries that are considered most likely to claim asylum in a move designed to bring down annual net migration,…

Read More Here

Farage’s Reform UK Party wins mayoral and parliamentary post in surge of support

Britain's right-wing Reform UK party won a vacant parliamentary seat, a mayoralty and a host of local council posts on Friday in early results from elections leader Nigel Farage said…

Read More Here

Harrods latest retailer to be hit by cyber attack

The luxury department store Harrods says it is the latest retailer to have been targeted by a cyber attack. The firm said it had "restricted internet access at our sites"…

Read More Here

Germany’s Merz to form government after SPD backs coalition deal with conservatives

Germany’s coalition government is set to take power after the Social Democrats (SPD) voted to join forces with the CDU/CSU conservatives, clearing the way for Friedrich Merz to become chancellor…

Read More Here

Reform UK’s Populist Surge Reshapes British Politics

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is rapidly transforming from a fringe movement into a formidable political force, challenging the UK's traditional two-party system. Originally established as the Brexit Party in…

Read More Here

Germany says it will step up military role in NATO amid increased uncertainty

NATO can count on Berlin to step up its contribution to the defence of Europe as the Atlantic alliance faces a future more uncertain than 70 years ago when Germany…

Read More Here

Merz Names New Foreign Minister

Johann Wadephul, a veteran conservative and defense policy expert, is set to become Germany’s next foreign minister at a crucial juncture in Europe’s relationship with traditional allies and adversaries. His…

Read More Here

UN warns of rise in vaccine-preventable diseases

The WHO, UNICEF and Gavi vaccine alliance this week warned that there has been a global uptick in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever. The…

Read More Here

Britain and New Zealand to step up military ties as leaders meet

In a move to strengthen defence and strategic collaboration, the United Kingdom and New Zealand announced deeper military ties during a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New…

Read More Here

Britain intercepted Russian aircraft over Baltic Sea in recent days

Britain said two of its fighter jets had intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea close to NATO alliance airspace in separate incidents on Tuesday and Thursday. The Typhoon fighters…

Read More Here

Scientists find strongest evidence yet of life on an alien planet

Scientists have found new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life. A Cambridge team studying the atmosphere of a planet called K2-18b…

Read More Here

German doctor charged with murder of 15 patients

A German palliative care doctor has been charged with murdering 15 of his patients using a cocktail of lethal drugs. Prosecutors in Berlin have accused the 40-year-old of setting fire…

Read More Here

UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex

The United Kingdom's top court on Wednesday upheld an appeal by a campaign group on whether transgender women are legally women under equality legislation, ruling that the law referred to…

Read More Here

WHO says member states reach agreement to tackle future pandemics

Members of the World Health Organization reached an agreement to prepare the world for future pandemics after more than three years of negotiations, the organisation said early on Wednesday. The…

Read More Here

Poll reveals voters want Keir Starmer to focus on rebuilding trade ties with EU

A clear majority of UK voters want the government to concentrate on rebuilding trade ties with the EU over forging a new economic deal with the US, according to research…

Read More Here

New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path

The next German government consisting of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) will abolish a 3-year expedited path to citizenship…

Read More Here

Switzerland leans closer to Europe after Trump tariff blow

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to hit Switzerland with steeper tariffs than most of Europe was a major shock to the export-oriented country, pushing it towards the European Union as…

Read More Here

Germany is back, says Merz, after sealing government deal

Germany's conservatives under Friedrich Merz have reached a deal with the Social Democrats to govern Europe's biggest economy, five months after the previous government collapsed. Merz, 69, said their agreement…

Read More Here

Far-right Alternative for Germany leads opinion poll for first time

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Wednesday finished top of a German opinion poll for the first time, hours before the next governing coalition in Berlin was set to…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Germany temporarily halts resettlement of UN refugees

Germany has temporarily suspended any further admission of refugees via a UN resettlement programme, the dpa news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency…

Read More Here

Under President Trump’s leadership, NATO will be stronger: New U.S. permanent representative to NATO

NATO chief Mark Rutte and the new U.S. ambassador sought to reassure European allies on Thursday that Washington will remain committed to the Western military alliance despite harsh words from…

Read More Here

Global crackdown on Kidflix, a major child sexual exploitation platform with almost two million users

Kidflix, one of the largest paedophile platforms in the world, has been shut down in an international operation against child sexual exploitation. The investigation was supported by Europol and led…

Read More Here

Belgium bans display of tobacco products in shops

A new law implemented in Belgium on Tuesday prevents cigarettes or any tobacco products from being put on display in shops. Supermarkets and other shops bigger than 400 square meters…

Read More Here

Britain imposes new travel permit requirement on Europeans

European visitors to Britain will have to purchase an electronic permit in advance for trips from Wednesday, as the UK government follows other countries in seeking to strengthen immigration security…

Read More Here

King Charles experiences temporary side effects of cancer treatment

King Charles III spent a short period of time in hospital on Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects during cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said. The King returned to Clarence House,…

Read More Here

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Vatican visit postponed due to Pope’s health

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla's state visit to the Vatican has been postponed because of medical advice that suggested Pope Francis would benefit from an extended period of…

Read More Here

Mysterious Luminous Spiral Stuns Observers Across Europe

People across the UK and most of Europe have taken to social media after spotting a mysterious large, glowing spiral in the night sky on Monday. Stargazers across the UK,…

Read More Here

The Netherlands wants to double army personnel

All 18- to 27-year-olds in the Netherlands are to be asked to take part in a survey to assess their interest in working for the defence ministry, junior armed forces…

Read More Here

First case of bird flu in sheep found on UK farm

The first case of bird flu in sheep has been found in the UK, the nation's chief veterinary officer has confirmed. The exact location of the farm has not been…

Read More Here

Norway’s oil fund to invest in Covent Garden

In a strategic move reflecting strong confidence in the future of central London, Norges Bank Investment Management, which oversees Norway's sovereign wealth fund, has secured a £570 million deal to…

Read More Here

More than 1,000 flights disrupted at Heathrow airport after nearby fire

A fire at an electrical substation in London has triggered a power outage, forcing Heathrow Airport to shut down for an entire day. According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, at…

Read More Here

Putin would breach Ukraine deal if it is not defended, says PM

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would violate a peace deal with Ukraine if it is not properly enforced. His remarks came after…

Read More Here

Britain beefs up travel warnings over US border enforcement

Britain has in recent weeks revised its advice for citizens travelling to the United States to include a warning that anyone found breaking its entry rules could face arrest or…

Read More Here

Germany’s military faces severe staffing shortages and aging personnel

An official report on the state of the German military painted a grim picture this week, with a whopping 28% of positions among the lower enlisted ranks unfilled as of…

Read More Here

NHS England to be abolished, Keir Starmer announces

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced he will abolish NHS England as part of his plans to overhaul the public sector. NHS England leads the NHS in England - which means the…

Read More Here

Arrested captain of ship involved in North Sea crash is Russian national

The arrested captain of the Solong - the container ship involved in the crash in the North Sea - is a Russian national, the vessel's owner has said.The rest of…

Read More Here

‘Multiple explosions’ as tanker and ship crash in North Sea

All 37 crew have been accounted for after a tanker laden with jet fuel and a cargo ship burst into flames when they collided in the North Sea, an MP…

Read More Here