The Dispatch

King Charles to appear on UK banknotes from June

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Banknotes featuring the portrait of King Charles will enter circulation in Britain from June 5, the Bank of England said on Wednesday, more than a…

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UPDATED: London’s BT Tower to become hotel

By Paul Sandle LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - London's iconic BT Tower is set to become a luxury hotel after the owner BT Group agreed to sell the 177-metre building…

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Lockbit cybercrime gang faces global takedown with indictments and arrests

An international law enforcement operation led by Britain's National Crime Agency and the FBI has arrested and indicted members of the Lockbit ransomware gang, in an unprecedented police operation that…

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UK’s Cameron vows to protect Falkland Islands

British foreign minister David Cameron vowed to help protect the Falkland Islands as long as they wanted to remain under British control despite attempts by Argentina's new leader to reopen…

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Lufthansa strike hits air travel for second time this month

Ground staff at German airline Lufthansa walked off the job at major airports on Tuesday in their second strike this month, raising pressure in wage talks due to continue on…

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UK nears agreement on cooperation with EU border force

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government will announce in the coming days an agreement for cooperation with the European Union's border protection agency, Frontex, in a further sign of thawing…

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Germany likely in recession, Bundesbank says

FRANKFURT, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Germany is likely in recession now as external demand is weak, consumers remain cautious and domestic investment is held back by high borrowing costs, the…

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Olaf Scholz ‘categorically against’ Ursula von der Leyen becoming NATO chief

Olaf Scholz blocked Ursula von der Leyen from becoming the new head of NATO because he believed she would be too tough on Russia, German media reported. The German chancellor,…

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Lioness and Windrush names added to London’s iconic Tube map

By Sachin Ravikumar London's famous Tube travel map will feature new names including "Lioness", "Windrush" and "Suffragette" in a multi-million pound rebranding of the Overground train network intended to make…

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Former German spy chief founds new right-wing party

By Thomas Escritt and Sarah Marsh A former German spy chief who was sacked after being accused of averting his eyes to the threat posed by the far-right founded a…

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Britain lets Ukrainian refugees stay for another 18 months

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Britain will give an additional 18-month extension for Ukrainian visa holders who are eligible to stay in the United Kingdom, the Home Office said on…

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Stop whining about Trump, Dutch prime minister tells Europeans

By John Irish MUNICH, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the frontrunner to be the next secretary-general of NATO, said on Saturday that Europe should stop…

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UN chief calls on tech firms to stop profiting from ‘toxic content’

MUNICH, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations on Friday called for technology firms to stop profiting from the proliferation of toxic content after accusing social media…

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Germany’s Scholz says confident of NATO future security guarantees

BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The NATO military alliance will continue to ensure its members security in the coming decades and everything must be done to keep it stable, German…

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German government approves military participation in EU Red Sea mission

BERLIN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The German government has approved the deployment of armed forces in a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from…

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Hamburg begins issuing Visa cash cards for refugees

Hamburg has become the first German state to introduce payment cards for asylum seekers. The cards will initially be issued to new arrivals in initial reception facilities, the city's social…

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Wars in Israel, Ukraine to dominate global security summit in Munich

By Sarah Marsh and Humeyra Pamuk Munich Security Conference runs Friday to Sunday Attendees to include Scholz, Harris, Blinken, Zelenskiy Comes as U.S. allies fret about possible Trump re-election Worries…

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UPDATED: Madeleine McCann suspect’s trial on separate charges suspended

By Oliver Denzer BRUNSWICK, Germany, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The trial of a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann on unrelated sexual abuse charges was suspended within…

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Britain’s Labour Party deals double blow to PM Sunak’s Conservatives

Double defeat piles pressure on Sunak Sunak says Britain needs to stick to his plan Starmer says Labour is winning over Conservatives By Elizabeth Piper LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) -…

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Ireland to give UNRWA 20 mln euros after key donors suspend aid

DUBLIN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Ireland announced 20 million euros ($21.46 million) in support for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) on Thursday and urged countries that have suspended funding…

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Germany’s chamber of commerce warns of heaviest slump in 20 years

German Chambers of Commerce and Industry see GDP at -0.5% Majority of companies see government policy as business risk - survey Third of companies plan investments cuts in Germany By…

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UK economy falls into recession, adding to Sunak’s election challenge

By Suban Abdulla and Andy Bruce LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain's economy fell into a recession in the second half of 2023, a tough backdrop for Prime Minister Rishi…

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Japan unexpectedly slips into recession, Germany now world’s third-biggest economy

By Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto Japan's GDP shrinks for two straight quarters Frail consumption, capital spending point to challenging outlook Supply constraints may be delaying execution of spending plans…

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UK Labour Party’s lead falls to lowest since June 2023

Labour's lead over Britain's Conservatives has fallen 7 percentage points to its lowest since June 2023, a Savanta poll showed on Wednesday, after the opposition party scrapped a green spending…

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How Sinn Féin reinvented itself from IRA associations to realistic leftwing alternative

Addressing the newly restored Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill assured everyone that she would be working equally for “Catholics, Protestants and dissenters”. This iconic quote from…

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London’s mayor urges government to prevent Eurostar travel ‘chaos’

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on Britain's government to take steps to prevent "chaos" on the Eurostar rail link with France when the European Union…

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UK PM Sunak paid more than 500,000 pounds in tax last year

By Andrew Macaskill and Sachin Ravikumar LONDON, (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid 508,000 pounds ($641,000) in tax in the last financial year after income from his investments…

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Germany silent on Putin’s call to free Russian hitman

By Rene Wagner and Thomas Escritt Germany declined to be drawn on whether talks were underway on swapping a Russian state hitman serving a life sentence in a German prison…

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Prince Harry accepts substantial damages to settle Mirror Group case

Prince Harry has settled the remainder of his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers over phone-hacking and other unlawful acts after the publisher agreed to pay substantial damages and his legal…

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Swiss police kill axe-wielding hostage taker on train

Swiss authorities said a man armed with an axe and a knife held 15 hostages on a train for almost four hours, until police stormed the train and fatally wounded…

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Biden, Germany’s Scholz to discuss Ukraine and Israel in White House meeting

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will lend European support for U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to get more funding for Ukraine during a White House meeting on Friday that is also…

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Church of England: ‘Profound disagreement’ remains on homosexuality

The Church of England's governing body will debate adopting fresh commitments on homosexuality and same-sex couples when it meets later this month, it said on Friday, acknowledging that there remained…

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Barclays to adopt fresh curbs on oil and gas financing

Barclays, Britain's biggest lender to the oil and gas industry, told Reuters it will stop direct financing of new oil and gas fields and restrict lending more broadly to energy…

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Dutch coalition talks in disarray as junior partner steps away

Dutch government formation talks were thrown in disarray as centrist party NSC unexpectedly stepped away, complicating the task for far-right politician Geert Wilders to assemble a working coalition. NSC, an…

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Belgium advises face coverings amid flu surge

Belgian health authorities issued a "code orange" alert as the country faces a sharp rise in influenza cases, which means wearing face masks is now "strongly recommended" for vulnerable people.…

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Prince William back to work after Kate’s surgery and King Charles’ cancer

By Michael Holden LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William returns to public duty on Wednesday following his wife Kate's surgery and the revelation King Charles had cancer, with…

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King Charles seen in public and Harry flies in to see him after cancer diagnosis

By Michael Holden and Sarah Young King Charles smiled and waved to passers-by on Tuesday as he was seen in public for the first time since it was revealed he…

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Lufthansa strike hits air travel as German disruption mounts

BERLIN, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ground staff at German airline Lufthansa walked out at major airports on Wednesday, raising the pressure in wage talks and piling misery on travellers in…

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New Northern Ireland government calls for more money from London

Northern Ireland's new power-sharing executive called on Britain on Monday to boost its offer to ease the region's strained budget beyond the 3.3 billion pounds included in a deal to…

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King Charles diagnosed with cancer

Britain's King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and the 75-year-old will postpone his public duties while he undergoes treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Monday. Charles, who became king in September 2022…

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Germany outlines plan to subsidise gas-to-hydrogen shift

Germany to tender up to 10 GW gas power plants New gas plants must switch to hydrogen by 2040 Berlin to agree new electricity market design this year Plants will…

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UK, Italy seek ‘innovative partnerships’ to deal with illegal migration

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed to keep working together to deal with illegal migration by developing "innovative partnerships" along migration routes, Sunak's office…

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Swiss hospitality school closes after measles outbreak

(Reuters) - Switzerland's famed hospitality management school, Ecole Hotelier de Lausanne (EHL), closed its campus in Lausanne on Saturday after cases of measles were discovered among students. "We have been…

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Northern Ireland appoints Irish nationalist as First Minister in historic shift

By Amanda Ferguson and Natalie Thomas Northern Ireland's parliament appointed an Irish nationalist as First Minister for the first time on Saturday, a historic milestone in a state established a…

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British submarine to test fire nuclear missile in the Atlantic

Britain will in the coming days test fire a nuclear missile for the first time in eight years. A warning was issued to shipping that a test would be carried…

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Northern Ireland to restore government after UK parliament approves deal

By Andrew Macaskill and Amanda Ferguson House of Commons backs deal without formal vote DUP requests sitting of Northern Ireland parliament Local government set to be elected on Saturday Region…

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Public transport across Germany disrupted as workers strike

BERLIN, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Bus and tram stations across Germany were at a standstill on Friday, disrupting millions of commuters and travellers, as 90,000 public transport workers were called…

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Germany could oppose EU supply chain law on child labour

By Markus Wacket and Holger Hansen A letter by two top German ministers on Thursday suggested the government would oppose a draft European law which would require large companies to…

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Second malaria vaccine highly protective, trial results show

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON, (Reuters) - A malaria vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India prevented around three-quarters of symptomatic malaria cases in young…

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Ban the AfD or fight it? Germany grapples over how to counter the far-right

By Andreas Rinke and Sarah Marsh Berlin frets about strength of AfD ahead of slew of elections Mainstream parties consider strategies to contain the AfD Aim to push AfD into…

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UK minister quits politics over death threats for pro-Israel views

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - British lawmaker Mike Freer, who represents an area in London with a large Jewish population, said he would be giving up his parliamentary seat at…

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UPDATED: Germany’s airport security staff to ground flights in nationwide protests

BERLIN, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Security staff at 11 German airports, including the global hub Frankfurt, walked off the job on Thursday to press for higher pay, grounding flights and…

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XL Bully: England bans unregistered dogs after attacks

By Farouq Suleiman and Hannah Ellison LONDON, (Reuters) - Owning an unregistered 'XL Bully' dog will become a criminal offence in England and Wales from Thursday under government plans to…

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German military headed for 56-bln-eur spending gap in 2028 – Spiegel

BERLIN, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The German military is looking at a 56 billion-euro ($61 billion) deficit in 2028, once its special fund for defence spending is exhausted, according to…

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Berlin airport says no departures on Thursday due to strike

Berlin Brandenburg airport said there would be no departures for passengers on Thursday due to strikes announced by public sector union Verdi. Security staff plan to stage strikes at airports…

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UK says no post-Brexit checks on EU fruit, vegetables until Oct at earliest

By James Davey UK's new post-Brexit border rules start Jan. 31 Last week Defra reclassified some fruit and vegetables to 'medium risk' 'Easement' means reclassified items still treated as 'low…

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German police seizes $2.17 billion in bitcoin in ‘most extensive’ action ever

German police have confiscated 50,000 bitcoin worth $2.17 billion in the country's 'most extensive' cryptocurrency seizure ever, it said in a statement. "This is the most extensive seizure of bitcoins…

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