The Dispatch

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 —…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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 —…

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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…

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