The Dispatch

UK commits 20,000 military personnel for NATO exercise in Europe

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain will commit 20,000 military personnel to serve across Europe in a major NATO exercise in the first half of this year, as well as…

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Davos 2024: Ukraine to hold fourth peace formula talks on Sunday

Ukraine and Switzerland will host around 120 national security advisors on Sunday in the Swiss resort town of Davos, Switzerland's foreign affairs department said, the latest in a series of…

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London mayor says Brexit has cost UK over $178 bln so far

By David Milliken LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Britain's departure from the European Union has reduced the size of its economy by 6% so far - an annual cost of…

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Davos 2024: Extreme weather and misinformation top global risks

By Victoria Waldersee Jan 10 (Reuters) - Risk specialists see extreme weather and misinformation as most likely to trigger a global crisis in the next couple of years, a World…

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UPDATED-German railways grind to near halt in three-day train drivers strike

By Stephane Nitschke and Andreas Kranz COLOGNE, Germany, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people faced train cancellations across Germany from Wednesday, as a three-day nationwide rail strike…

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Germany will not oppose further Eurofighters for Saudi Arabia

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Germany is prepared to allow further deliveries of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. Berlin halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia…

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German train drivers to strike this week – GDL union

FRANKFURT, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Germany's GDL train drivers' union said on Sunday that it was calling on members to strike this week, an escalation of a wage dispute with…

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London underground strikes from Mon-Thurs suspended, union says

LONDON (Reuters) - Strikes planned by rail union RMT members working for London Underground from Monday to Thursday have been suspended after the union said it had made progress in…

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PM Sunak makes election appeal for Britain to ‘stick with’ his plan

Sunak says his plan will deliver 'long-term change' UK PM faces hurdles for polices from fractious party Starmer accuses Sunak of vanity By Elizabeth Piper LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) -…

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Switzerland expects high numbers of asylum seekers in 2024

Switzerland expects to see 30,000 asylum seekers this year, around the same number of people as in 2023. The number of asylum applications increased again last year. Although conclusive statistics…

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Tube strikes to affect commuters over several days

Tube strikes will affect commuters over several days from 7 January as London Underground workers walk out over pay. A strike by Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members is…

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British NHS asks patients to choose from 12 genders, 10 sexual preferences and 159 religions

NHS patients are being asked to choose from 159 religions, 12 genders and 10 sexual preferences before they attend hospital appointments. The questions are asked when patients register with an…

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Germany’s 2023 CO2 emissions fall to lowest in 70 years but drop not yet sustainable- study

By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN, (Reuters) - Germany's carbon dioxide emissions in 2023 fell to their lowest since the 1950s due to less coal-fired power and reduced output by energy-intensive industries,…

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UK’s Sunak: expect to hold election in second half of year

LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday he expected to call a national election in the second half of this year, all but ruling…

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British students find Erasmus replacement scheme inadequate

Students taking part in the government’s post-Brexit replacement for the EU’s Erasmus+ student exchange scheme were forced to drop out because places were confirmed too late, while others failed to…

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GCSE English will no longer be handwritten under exam board plans

GCSE English exams will no longer need to be handwritten under plans by one of the country’s largest assessment boards. From 2025, pupils taking both English Language and English Literature…

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Almost half of British teens feel addicted to social media

Almost half of British teenagers say they feel addicted to social media, according to findings that come amid mounting pressure for big tech companies to be held accountable for the…

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European NATO members strike deal to buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles

BRUSSELS, Jan 3 (Reuters) - NATO on Wednesday said its procurement arm would support a group of member countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, with a contract to…

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Majority of Britons say Brexit has completely failed for UK – poll

A clear majority of the British public now believes Brexit has been bad for the UK economy, has driven up prices in shops, and has hampered government attempts to control…

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One dead in Belgium as heavy rainfall hits the country; Sweden and Finland freezing in minus 40C

A 59-year-old woman died in Belgium's East Flanders province on Tuesday after being hit by a blown-away fence during a period of heavy rainfall in the country, local governor Carina…

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Record-breaking doctors’ strike to pile pressure on health service in England

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Junior doctors in England will begin a six-day walkout on Wednesday, the longest strike in the state-run National Health Service's (NHS) 75-year history which is…

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Climate change: 2024 might offer room for optimism

We don’t want to give you the wrong idea: things are bad. Antarctic ice sheets are melting, the fossil fuel lobby was everywhere at the COP talks, and even solutions…

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German liberals narrowly vote to stay in Scholz’s fractious coalition

A slim majority of the members of Germany's Free Democrats have voted in a non-binding membership poll to stay in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious three-way governing coalition. The low-tax, business-minded…

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Flooded tunnel near London disrupts Eurostar train services

PARIS, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Flooding in a railway tunnel near London forced the cancellation of more than a dozen trains linking Britain with the European mainland early on Saturday,…

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Liz Truss rewards loyalists and Brexiteers in resignation honours list

Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, awarded some of the nation's highest honours to her political aides and allies during her brief spell in office in 2022…

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Increase in Dutch that want NY fireworks ban

Some 50 local authority areas in the Netherlands now back a national ban on fireworks, news agency ANP reported, after asking 200 councils about their views. In mid December, 30…

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‘Pints’ of wine to be sold in Britain for the first time

Britons will soon be able to buy a "pint" of wine, with a new 568ml bottle set to appear on supermarket shelves and in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Pint bottles…

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Self-driving cars could be on UK roads by 2026 -minister

LONDON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Self-driving cars could be on some British roads by 2026, the country's transport minister Mark Harper said on Wednesday. Cars with full self-driving technology are…

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No evidence of terrorist attacks in Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service has no indications of concrete plans for terrorist attacks in Switzerland. However, the FIS still considers the threat of terrorism in Switzerland to be heightened,…

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UPDATED: Veteran German politician Wolfgang Schaeuble dies at 81

BERLIN, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Wolfgang Schaeuble, who served as a member of the German parliament for over half a century, has died aged 81, ending one of Germany's longest…

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British drivers urged to check unused cars as animals cause record breakdowns

Breakdowns in the UK caused by animals getting inside vehicles have reached record levels, the RAC has said. The insurance company was called out to 303 incidents of damage caused by animals…

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King Charles’ Christmas Day message to feature living tree and Buckingham Palace backdrop

King Charles will deliver his second Christmas message on Monday from Buckingham Palace. In keeping with the King’s strong beliefs in sustainability, this year’s Christmas Day broadcast features a living…

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Lithuanian and German police break-up criminal group responsible for stealing luxury cars

Close cooperation between Lithuanian and German authorities, together with support from Europol and Eurojust, has led to the dismantling of an international criminal network of car thieves. The Criminal Investigation…

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Pantomime and carol singing proposed for Unesco cultural status

British Christmas traditions, such as pantomime, carol singing and wreath-making could receive protected status. It comes as the government confirms it will ratify the 2003 Unesco Convention for Safeguarding Intangible…

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Security hiked at Cologne cathedral for Christmas amid attack threat

BERLIN, (Reuters) - German police said they were heightening security at Cologne Cathedral following indications of an attack planned for New Year's Eve, a week after the interior minister warned…

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Irish consumers slightly less gloomy heading into Christmas

DUBLIN, (Reuters) - Irish consumer sentiment edged a touch higher for the third successive month in December, likely in response to falling energy prices and expectations of lower inflation and…

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Royal family persuaded Queen Elizabeth to spend her last days at Balmoral

The late Queen was persuaded to spend her final days at Balmoral as she and the Royal family made preparations for her death, it has emerged. Queen Elizabeth II had…

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UK and Switzerland strike ‘first of its kind’ financial services deal

The U.K. and Switzerland have signed a financial services deal described as the “first of its kind” by British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. The mutual recognition agreement will allow British firms…

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Europe-wide police operation against criminal network behind shock calls terrifying elderly across Europe

In a coordinated action which ran between 27 November and 8 December, law enforcement and judicial authorities from five countries joined forces to take down a criminal network suspected of…

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Belgian PM sees China as ‘hostile’ country after espionage allegations

Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo on Wednesday described China as a "sometimes very hostile" country, following allegations that Beijing had recruited a member of the Belgian far-right party Vlaams…

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Swiss capital Bern considers legal cocaine project

By John Revill Switzerland's capital is examining a pilot scheme to allow the sale of cocaine for recreational use - a radical approach to the war on drugs that is…

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Angola’s Isabel dos Santos loses fight against freezing order over assets

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos on Wednesday lost her fight against an application to freeze up to 580 million pounds ($735 million) of her assets…

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German firms’ China worries pushing up costs, Bundesbank finds

Years of effort by German companies to diversify their supply chains is pushing up costs and further increases are still in the pipeline, especially for firms with ties to China,…

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Unionists do not expect Northern Ireland deal by Christmas – spokesperson

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party does not expect to reach a deal with London to secure its return to the power-sharing government by Christmas, a spokesperson for the region's largest…

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Muhammed and Lily top popular UK baby names chart

For the boys, Muhammed remains a consistent favourite amongst parents, and shows no signs of falling from first place position. Non-movers Noah, Theo, Leo and Oliver also refused to budge,…

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Europe must rearm as new threats loom, German minister says

BERLIN, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Europe must race to ensure it can better defend itself as new military threats could emerge by the end of the decade even as the…

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Foreign multinationals in Ireland shed jobs for first time since 2009

Employment at foreign multinational companies in Ireland fell by 0.3% in the year to end-October in the first annual decline since 2009 as tech layoffs offset jobs growth in every…

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Germany lifts government borrowing ban for 2023 amid budget chaos

The lower house of Germany's parliament approved on Friday the 2023 supplementary budget, with the suspension of a self-imposed cap on borrowing after a constitutional court ruling last month tore…

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UK Prime Minister Sunak’s favourability hits all-time low – YouGov

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is the most unpopular he has been since moving into Downing Street with his net favourability rating slipping by 10…

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Netherlands raises terrorism threat level to ‘substantial’

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - The likelihood of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands has increased in recent months, its anti-terrorism agency said as it raised its threat level for the first…

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UPDATED: German government to keep debt brake in 2024 budget

Coalition agrees budget after month of tense talks Details unknown, government to deliver statements at noon Deal should improve business sentiment in Europe's top economy By Maria Martinez and Andreas…

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UK’s Sunak sees off revolt to win vote on Rwanda migrant plan

By Andrew Macaskill, Michael Holden and Alistair Smout British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak avoided defeat in parliament on Tuesday on an emergency bill to revive his plan to send asylum…

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UK lenders face smaller impact from Basel rules than rivals, BoE says

The Bank of England said on Tuesday that implementing the final leg of the global Basel bank rules will increase capital requirements at UK banks by 3%, far less than…

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Whooping cough cases increasing in the UK

You may have read recent alarming reports of a cough that “lasts 100 days” is “quickly spreading across the UK” and can “fracture ribs”. If you didn’t look beyond the…

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Gunman kills two in Swiss alpine town, police launch manhunt

SION, Switzerland, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Police launched a manhunt after a shooter killed two people and wounded a third in the Swiss Alpine town of Sion early on Monday.…

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UK PM Sunak battles to unite divided party in pivotal week

Government faces parliament battle over Rwanda plan Policy threatens to splinter party in Brexit-style divide Prime minister to defend reputation at COVID-19 inquiry By Andrew MacAskill LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters)…

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UK creates unit to clamp down on companies evading Russian sanctions

LONDON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The British government said on Monday it was creating an enforcement unit to increase its power to crack down on companies evading Russian sanctions. The…

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