The Dispatch

Who is running for UK Conservative Party leadership?

Britain's opposition Conservatives have begun the process of choosing a new leader to replace former prime minister Rishi Sunak who led the party to a record defeat in a July…

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UPDATED: Britain undrer shock over fatal ‘ferocious’ knife attack in Southport

Two children were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed event in northwest England. A 17-year-old boy from Banks in Lancashire, born in Cardiff in Wales, has been arrested on…

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Britain is ‘broke and broken’, new government declares

Britain's government declared the country was "broke and broken" ahead of an assessment of the public finances on Monday which the newly-elected Labour Party will use to blame their predecessors…

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NATO finds gaping holes in Europe’s defences

The war in Ukraine and the looming U.S. presidential election dominated a NATO summit in Washington this month but, away from the public stage, the alliance's military planners have been…

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UPDATED: Arrests in Belgium over suspected terrorist plot

Police in Belgium arrested seven people today on suspicion they were preparing a “terrorist attack,” federal prosecutors say, adding that 14 raids were conducted nationwide. The house searches took place…

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Around 140 flights cancelled at Frankfurt airport after climate activists block runway

Frankfurt airport, Germany's busiest, has resumed operations after suspending flights on Thursday morning when several climate activists blocked runways by gluing themselves to the tarmac. Planes were able to take…

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Germany to hold general elections on Sept. 28 next year

Germany will hold the next general elections for its federal parliament on Sept. 28 next year, DPA newswire reported on Wednesday, saying this had been decided by the cabinet. The…

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Head of British Army warns UK must be ready for war in three years

Britain's army must be ready in three years to fight a war against an "axis of upheaval" of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, the force's new chief has warned.…

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UK Conservative Party to announce new leader on Nov. 2

Britain's Conservative Party said on Monday it will name its new leader on Nov. 2, following the party's worst-ever election performance this month that prompted former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak…

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Buckingham Palace opens room with famous balcony to visitors

Visitors to Buckingham Palace in London this summer will get to stand behind the famous balcony that the British royal family often poses on. For the first time, the palace…

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Population in England and Wales rises by most in 75 years

Record immigration caused the population of England and Wales to rise by 610,000 to 60.9 million in mid-2023, the largest annual increase in 75 years, official data showed this week.…

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UK’s Starmer uses European forum to press for EU reset, Ukraine support

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will use his role as host of a European forum on Thursday to press his desire to reset Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the European Union and…

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German leaders congratulate Angela Merkel on 70th birthday

German Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated her 70th birthday away from the public gaze and surrounded only by those closest to her on Wednesday. Merkel became chancellor in 2005, remaining in office for…

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King Charles sets out new Labour government’s priorities

Britain's King Charles set out Prime Minister Keir Starmer's legislative agenda on Wednesday, promising a government of service focused on reviving the economy and tackling issues from an acute housing…

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UK to boost armed forces given threat from ‘deadly quartet’

Britain said it would boost its "hollowed out" armed forces to make sure the country was prepared to face what the head of a defence review called a "deadly quartet,"…

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New British trade minister hopeful some EU barriers can be removed

Britain's new trade minister said he was optimistic some trade barriers with the European Union can be removed, but the mechanism to arbitrate any disputes would be subject to negotiation.…

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German Finance Minister calls for compliance with EU deficit rules

Every European Union member states should comply with fiscal rules, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in Brussels. "I expect every member state to be compliant with our fiscal rules,"…

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Faster UK economy gives growth gift to new government

Britain's economy grew more quickly than expected in May, providing momentum for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's new government but raising doubts about the possibility of a Bank of England interest…

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Major shift in UK listing regulations announced

Britain's financial services regulator Thursday set out final rules for the biggest shake-up in how companies list on the London Stock Exchange in three decades as it seeks to compete…

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Too few coins in circulation in Belgium

Too few coins are currently in circulation in Belgium and the finance ministry is calling on everyone to use their stock of coins. Many retailers often do not have enough…

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Swiss government adopts more EU sanctions against Russia

Switzerland has expanded its sanctions against Russia to include additional measures recently taken up by the European Union against Moscow over its ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the Swiss government said.…

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UK can improve ‘botched’ Brexit deal, says Starmer

Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised on Monday to secure an improved agreement with the European Union on post-Brexit trading rules and revamp the "botched deal" signed by former…

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2024 could be world’s hottest year as June breaks records

Last month was the hottest June on record, the EU's climate change monitoring service said on Monday, continuing a streak of exceptional temperatures that some scientists said puts 2024 on…

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Who is Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader vowing to shake up British politics?

Brexit kingpin Nigel Farage has finally won a seat in Britain's parliament at the eighth attempt and is as determined to be as much of a "bloody nuisance" there as…

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Labour’s election win brings power and pitfalls

With great majorities come great responsibilities. Keir Starmer returned the Labour Party to power in Thursday’s general election, as exit polls predicted it had won 410 of the 650 seats…

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European Leaders Praise Keir Starmer’s Historic UK Election Victory

Leaders across Europe on Friday reacted to the U.K.’s dramatic election, heaping praise on Labour leader and incoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. European Council President Charles Michel and Estonian…

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Sunak to resign as Tory leader

Rishi Sunak has confirmed he will resign as Conservative Party leader, after a wipeout result for the party in last night's general election. He said this will not be "immediately",…

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Former UK PM Liz Truss loses her seat at election

Former British prime minister Liz Truss, who became the country's shortest-serving leader ever when she sparked a bond market meltdown and a collapse in sterling, lost her parliamentary seat in…

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Liberal Democrats hail ‘exceptional’ election result

Sir Ed Davey has hailed the Liberal Democrats' "exceptional" results in the general election. When polls closed on Thursday night, the exit poll by Ipsos UK for Sky News, the…

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Nigel Farage’s Reform breaks through in UK election with first seat

Nigel Farage was elected to parliament on Friday, marking the emergence of his populists Reform UK as a new force in British politics squeezing the Conservative vote from the right…

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UPDATED: Starmer pledges to stabilise UK as Labour win huge majority

Keir Starmer vowed to rebuild Britain as its next prime minister after his Labour Party on Friday surged to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, ending 14 years of…

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UK election: Who are the team set to govern Britain if Labour wins?

Opinion polls show Britain's opposition Labour Party is currently on course to take power from the governing Conservatives in an election on Thursday. Below are details on Labour leader Keir…

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Scholz promises Germany won’t be ‘party’ in Ukraine war

The German chancellor has given a personal guarantee that the country will not become directly involved in the Ukraine war. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday assured citizens that Germany…

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UK election: Ten seats to watch as the results come in

Opinion polls project Britain's Labour Party is on course to return to government with a large majority in Thursday's national election after 14 years in opposition. Polls close at 10…

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Labour predicted to rout Sunak’s Conservatives as Britain goes to polls

Britain looks set to elect Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as its next prime minister when voters go to the polls on Thursday, sweeping Rishi Sunak's Conservatives out of office…

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Elmo, AI Steve, and Other Unconventional Candidates in the British Election

When either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer take to the stage to hail victory in the British election on Friday, they will be joined at their moment of triumph by…

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Poll predicts record win for Labour Party at UK election

Britain's Labour Party is set to sweep to power with a record number of seats at Thursday's national election, a forecast by polling company Survation showed. Survation's central scenario showed…

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Dutch right-wing government installed as Wilders’ shadow looms large

Dutch anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders saw ministers from his party sworn in for the first time ever on Tuesday, as the Netherlands' new right-wing government was installed almost a year…

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Scholz takes German cabinet to Poland with defence high on agenda

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk meet in Warsaw on Tuesday, as nations with a difficult shared history seek to reinforce cooperation in the face of…

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Far-right Alternative for Germany reports surge in membership

Leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany reported a surge in membership and vowed to build on the party's success in the European Parliament election, as they target wins in…

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FT, Sunday Times back opposition Labour Party in UK election

Britain's Financial Times joined the Sunday Times in endorsing the opposition Labour Party on Sunday, both throwing their weight behind the party for the first time in almost two decades…

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Severe Flooding and Storms Claim Lives in France, Switzerland, and Italy

Ferocious storms and torrential rains that lashed France, Switzerland and Italy this weekend have left seven people dead, local authorities said. Three people in their 70s and 80s died in…

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Germany sees divorce rate drop to lowest since 1990

Fewer married couples were divorced last year than for any year since German reunification in 1990, Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced. The figures align with a longer-term trend that…

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Church of England faces threat of split over stance on gay couples

An alliance of church leaders threatened to split from the Church of England over plans to let gay couples hold standalone services in churches, saying it would be a departure…

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Support for Farage’s Reform UK party drops after Ukraine comments

Support for Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party has fallen ahead of a July 4 election, a poll showed, after he said the West had provoked Russian President Vladimir Putin's…

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Germany’s new citizenship reform comes into force

More people are set to become German citizens as the government's new citizenship reforms came into effect on Thursday, June 27, 2024. The liberalization means Germany will, for the first time, allow…

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German population grows less than expected

Population in Germany has grown between 2011 to 2022 but less than previously assumed, according to the census published by the German statistics office. It said that as of mid-May…

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Sunak and Starmer clash in testy final UK TV debate

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer went head-to-head over tax, immigration, gender and Brexit in their final debate before next Thursday’s general election. The Tory leader repeatedly accused Sir Keir…

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YouGov Poll: UK and France Lead European Pessimism

Britons are the most likely of seven European nations to say their country is in a sorry state, but the French are the most likely to think things will get…

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Former Swiss president Berset to lead Council of Europe

The Council of Europe elected Switzerland's former president Alain Berset as its next secretary general, it said Tuesday evening, delivering a blow to Belgian candidate and EU justice commissioner Didier…

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Britain’s Princess Anne recovering well in hospital

Britain's Princess Anne is recovering well in hospital, her husband said, after King Charles' younger sister suffered a head injury thought to have been caused by a horse. Anne, 73,…

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UK’s main parties ditch candidates over election betting probe

Britain's two main political parties each withdrew support for candidates who are being investigated over bets relating to the upcoming general election, as a scandal that had been limited to…

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Protecting 1.2% of Earth would prevent most extinctions

Setting aside an additional 1.2% of the world's land as nature preserves would prevent the majority of predicted plant and animal extinctions and cost about $263 billion, according to a…

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Main suspect in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance could be freed from jail in months

The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann could be freed from jail in a matter of months if a challenge by his lawyers is successful. The British girl…

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Princess Anne in hospital with minor injuries and concussion after incident

Princess Anne has sustained "minor injuries and a concussion" after an incident on Sunday evening, Buckingham Palace has said. The Palace said the princess is "recovering well". It is understood…

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UK’s Manchester Airport begins resuming operations after power outage

Britain's Manchester Airport was resuming operations and expected flights to restart on Sunday afternoon and evening, airport authorities said, after a power outage caused widespread disruption at Terminals 1 and…

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London tops Paris in battle of Stock Exchanges

According to Bloomberg data, the total value of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) reached $3.18 trillion on Monday, surpassing the $3.13 trillion total value of companies listed…

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