The Dispatch

Britain imposes asset freeze, travel ban on Angola’s Isabel dos Santos

Britain has imposed a travel ban and an asset freeze on Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos under its global anti-corruption sanctions regime, the British government said on Thursday. Dos Santos,…

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Key facts about John Prescott, Britain’s former deputy PM, dead at 86

Here are key facts about John Prescott, Britain's combative former deputy prime minister, who has died after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, his family said on Thursday: Prescott, 86, served…

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At least 20 people were arrested in major European people smuggling sting

In a significant blow to human trafficking networks, authorities across Europe conducted a coordinated operation targeting a Syrian-organised crime group involved in one of the continent’s largest people smuggling rings.…

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Former UK deputy PM Prescott dies

John Prescott, a former British deputy prime minister in Tony Blair's Labour government, has died, his family said on Thursday. Prescott, 86, died following a battle with Alzheimer's, his family…

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Dutch MPs aiming to ban all online gambling ads, stop credit card access

Efforts are underway in the Dutch parliament to tackle the growing online gambling problem in the Netherlands by introducing a total ban on advertising. The Socialist Party and ChristenUnie are…

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Masked men break into UK’s Windsor Castle estate

Two masked men broke into Britain's royal Windsor Castle estate last month and stole two vehicles from a barn, the Sun newspaper reported on Monday. King Charles and his wife…

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UK must rebuild post-Brexit relations with EU, says Bank boss

The UK needs to "rebuild relations" with the EU while respecting the 2016 Brexit vote, according to Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. In a speech at the Mansion House…

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Brussels police arrest 40 after violent protests against Belgian, French far right

Police arrested 40 people after protesters attempted to storm the Brussels headquarters of the far-right party Vlaams Belang following a book signing by French far-right leader Jordan Bardella. Authorities said…

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Germany’s Scholz calls for compromise as opposition leader lays out election bid

During the first Bundestag session since the collapse of Germany's ruling coalition last week, the leader of the largest opposition party, Friedrich Merz, outlined his vision for the country's future…

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UK outlines National Health Service overhaul after budget uplift

Britain set out plans to overhaul its National Health Service (NHS) on Wednesday, aiming for better value for money and improved productivity, as it seeks to ensure 23 billion pounds…

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Justin Welby resigns as Archbishop of Canterbury over child abuse scandal

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of Anglicans worldwide, resigned "in sorrow" on Tuesday, saying he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into allegations of abuse by…

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Netherlands to impose land border controls from Dec. 9

The Netherlands will impose controls on its land borders, all of which are with fellow countries in the EU's Schengen border-free zone, and some flights from within the Schengen zone…

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Understanding the Assisted Dying Bill in England and Wales

Proposals to give terminally ill people in England and Wales the right to choose to end their life have been discussed in Parliament for months. Now, the assisted dying bill…

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Germany’s SPD, Greens, conservatives propose Feb 23 for election

Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and conservatives have proposed Feb. 23 as a date for a new election, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The Rheinische Post newspaper first reported the date.…

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Germany may hold election sooner than planned, Scholz says

Olaf Scholz could hold a vote of confidence in his leadership that would pave the way for new elections sooner than planned, he said Sunday night following pressure from across…

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Swiss ‘burqa ban’ to take effect from 2025

A contentious Swiss prohibition on facial coverings in public spaces widely known as the "burqa ban" will take effect on Jan. 1, the government said his week. Narrowly passed in…

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German voters and opposition keep heat on Scholz for early election

Germany's main opposition leader Friedrich Merz criticised Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday as "irresponsible" for delaying early elections, as an opinion poll also showed voters in favour of an early…

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Britain’s Prince William: It’s been the hardest year of my life

Prince William said the past year had probably been the "hardest" of his life after a difficult period for Britain's royal family in which both his father King Charles and…

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UPDATED: Dutch police investigating possible hostage taking of Israelis

Amsterdam Police said on Friday that they were also investigating reports of a possible hostage situation and of missing persons following the attacks on fans of the Israeli soccer team,…

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German coalition collapses: What comes next?

Germany's coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours after…

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German President: I am prepared to call new elections

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday he was prepared to dissolve parliament and clear the way for new elections following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition, warning…

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Ireland set to hold general election on Nov. 29, PM says

Ireland plans to hold a general election on Nov. 29, Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday, as his centre-right coalition bids to capitalise on a popular budget and a…

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Germany faces snap election as Scholz’s coalition crumbles

Germany's ruling coalition collapsed on Wednesday as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a snap election, triggering political chaos in Europe's largest economy hours…

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Germany’s cabinet approves draft law on voluntary military service

Germany's cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law that would allow the army to gauge the readiness of the country's 18-year-olds to serve in the Bundeswehr as it looks to…

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Irish PM to call general election this week

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Tuesday that he plans to call a parliamentary election later this week, likely setting up a polling date for the end of the…

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Germany arrests eight suspected members of right-wing group plotting revolt

German police have arrested eight suspected members of a right-wing militant group driven by racist ideology and conspiracy theories who had been training in warfare for the downfall of the…

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Britain detects two more cases of new mpox variant

Britain has detected two more cases of the new mpox variant clade Ib in household contacts of the first case, the country's health security agency (UKHSA) said, bringing the total…

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Why is Germany’s coalition under strain and could it fall apart?

The parties in Germany's ruling coalition are under pressure to assert themselves after regional election defeats, dismal polling numbers and questions over whether they can form a joint response to…

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Who is Kemi Badenoch, the UK Conservatives’ new leader?

A self-proclaimed straight speaker, Kemi Badenoch will bring a combative right-wing tone to the role of leader of Britain's Conservative Party, vowing a return to "authentic conservatism" to rebuild a…

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Kemi Badenoch becomes first Black woman to lead UK Conservatives

Kemi Badenoch became the Conservatives' new leader and the first Black woman to a head a major British political party on Saturday, after winning a leadership contest on a promise…

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Over 400 alleged victims of ex-Harrods boss Al Fayed come forward

More than 400 alleged victims have so far contacted the legal team working on a case against the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, who has been accused of sexual…

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Manhunt under way in Berlin after bag of explosives left at train station

German police are searching for a man who abandoned a bag of explosives at a Berlin train station and ran away after being stopped by federal officers, according to police.…

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Key measures in UK Labour Party’s first budget in nearly 15 years

British finance minister Rachel Reeves presented her first budget statement to parliament on Wednesday, unveiling the biggest tax rises since 1993 and changes to the government's fiscal rules to increase…

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Britain identifies its first case of new mpox variant

Britain has detected its first case of new mpox variant clade Ib, the country's health security agency (UKHSA) said, adding that the risk to the population remained low.The clade Ib…

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UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves raises taxes by most since 1993 in first Labour budget

Britain's new finance minister Rachel Reeves announced the biggest tax increases in three decades in her first budget on Wednesday, saying she had to repair the country's broken public services…

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More than 1 in 3 tree species worldwide at risk of extinction

Just over one in three of the world’s tree species are now at risk of extinction, according to the latest update of IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. For the…

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Volkswagen labour chief sounds alarm on mass layoffs, three German plant closures

Volkswagen plans to shut at least three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and shrink its remaining plants in Europe's biggest economy as it plots a…

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Germany’s Scholz pledges to boost investment, attract more skilled workers

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised this week to boost investment, attract skilled workers and cut red tape to revive growth in Europe's biggest economy, which is on track to contract…

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Netherlands eyes border controls as part of migration clampdown

The Netherlands looks set to introduce border controls as part of a raft of measures aimed at limiting immigration, Dutch broadcaster RTL reported, citing government sources. The border controls would…

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Britain and Germany to bolster defence cooperation with new agreement

Britain and Germany will sign a defence agreement on Wednesday, the first of its kind between Europe's two biggest spenders on defence, which includes a commitment to develop new deep-strike…

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Germany identifies its first case of new mpox variant

The first case of the new mpox variant has been detected in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health said on Tuesday, adding that it viewed the risk…

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Belgium’s Charleroi airport cancels all departures for Tuesday

Brussels South Charleroi Airport canceled all flights departing on Tuesday due to a strike by security staff, the airport announced. “All arrivals at Charleroi airport will be maintained,” the airport…

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Germany arrests Libyan suspected of planning terror attack on Israeli embassy

Germany arrested a Libyan citizen suspected of plotting an attack against Israel’s embassy in Berlin, the federal prosecutor’s office said. The authorities identified the man only as Omar A. and…

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The UK’s budget – it’s all about the ‘working people’

Speculation is swirling about what new British finance minister Rachel Reeves might announce in her first tax and spending plan this month, but one thing she seems certain to say…

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MI5 Warns of ISIS and Al Qaeda’s Threats

ISIS and al Qaeda present a “resurgent” threat to the United Kingdom, the head of the country’s domestic security service warned in a rare public intervention earlier this month, as…

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Neutral Switzerland signs declaration to join European Sky Shield initiative

Switzerland has signed up to the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), the government said, a project which seeks to build a unified air and missile defence system across Europe. The…

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Sinn Féin in Crisis: Leadership Challenges Amid Scandals

Sinn Féin, Ireland's leading opposition party, has entered a political tailspin amid a series of scandals that could derail its long-standing ambition to form the next government in Dublin. In…

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Joe Biden visits Germany with US elections looming

US President Joe Biden has arrived in Germany ahead of talks with European leaders about support for Ukraine's war against Russia and the Middle East conflict. Air Force One landed…

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Netherlands explores plan to send rejected African asylum seekers to Uganda

The conservative Dutch government is weighing a plan to send rejected African asylum seekers to Uganda, the country's trade and development minister said late on Wednesday. Reinette Klever unveiled the…

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Ireland ready to go it alone and restrict trade ties with Israel

Ireland won’t wait for the rest of Europe to restrict trade with Israel over the occupation of the Palestinian territories and expects to receive legal advice next week on whether…

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Tube strikes next month

London Underground workers, including drivers, are walking out next month in a row over pay. Finn Brennan, Aslef's full-time organiser on London Underground, said managers had refused to discuss any…

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Germany investigates fires caused by incendiary devices in parcels

Germany is investigating several fires caused by incendiary devices hidden inside parcels at a warehouse in Leipzig earlier this year, the country's prosecutor general said on Tuesday. German authorities warned…

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Relaxation of Apostrophe Rules in German Sparks Debate Over English Influence

Recent changes to the rules governing apostrophe use in the German language have sparked a heated debate, irritating grammar purists and raising concerns about the creeping influence of English. The…

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UK economy returns to growth in boost to Labour before budget

The UK economy returned to growth in August, offering a boost to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the autumn budget. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), GDP increased…

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Another 65 women allege abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed

Another 65 women have come forward to the BBC with allegations of abuse by Mohamed Al Fayed, with claims dating back to 1977. Following the airing of the BBC documentary…

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Prosecutors to appeal after Madeleine McCann suspect acquitted in separate rape trial

The main suspect in the disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann is likely to be released from prison next year after he was found not guilty of all charges…

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Geopolitical strife could cost global economy $14.5 trln over 5 years -Lloyd’s of London

The global economy could face losses of $14.5 trillion over a five-year period from a hypothetical geopolitical conflict which hits supply chains, insurance market Lloyd's of London said. The economic…

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