The Dispatch

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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UK’s Starmer tightens migration rules

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a new salvo of measures to toughen up Britain's migration system on Sunday, saying many immigrants would have to wait longer before getting the status…

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Nigerians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans face UK student visa crackdown

Nigerians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans applying to work or study in the UK face Home Office restrictions over suspicions that they are most likely to overstay and claim asylum, Whitehall…

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UPDATED: Germany’s Merz wins vote for chancellor after surviving historic defeat

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz has won a parliament vote to become Germany's next chancellor at the second attempt. Merz had initially fallen six votes short of the absolute majority…

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UK may restrict students from countries most likely to claim asylum

The British government may restrict visa applications from students living in countries that are considered most likely to claim asylum in a move designed to bring down annual net migration,…

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Farage’s Reform UK Party wins mayoral and parliamentary post in surge of support

Britain's right-wing Reform UK party won a vacant parliamentary seat, a mayoralty and a host of local council posts on Friday in early results from elections leader Nigel Farage said…

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Harrods latest retailer to be hit by cyber attack

The luxury department store Harrods says it is the latest retailer to have been targeted by a cyber attack. The firm said it had "restricted internet access at our sites"…

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Germany’s Merz to form government after SPD backs coalition deal with conservatives

Germany’s coalition government is set to take power after the Social Democrats (SPD) voted to join forces with the CDU/CSU conservatives, clearing the way for Friedrich Merz to become chancellor…

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Reform UK’s Populist Surge Reshapes British Politics

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is rapidly transforming from a fringe movement into a formidable political force, challenging the UK's traditional two-party system. Originally established as the Brexit Party in…

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Germany says it will step up military role in NATO amid increased uncertainty

NATO can count on Berlin to step up its contribution to the defence of Europe as the Atlantic alliance faces a future more uncertain than 70 years ago when Germany…

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Merz Names New Foreign Minister

Johann Wadephul, a veteran conservative and defense policy expert, is set to become Germany’s next foreign minister at a crucial juncture in Europe’s relationship with traditional allies and adversaries. His…

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UN warns of rise in vaccine-preventable diseases

The WHO, UNICEF and Gavi vaccine alliance this week warned that there has been a global uptick in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever. The…

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Britain and New Zealand to step up military ties as leaders meet

In a move to strengthen defence and strategic collaboration, the United Kingdom and New Zealand announced deeper military ties during a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New…

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Britain intercepted Russian aircraft over Baltic Sea in recent days

Britain said two of its fighter jets had intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea close to NATO alliance airspace in separate incidents on Tuesday and Thursday. The Typhoon fighters…

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Scientists find strongest evidence yet of life on an alien planet

Scientists have found new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life. A Cambridge team studying the atmosphere of a planet called K2-18b…

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German doctor charged with murder of 15 patients

A German palliative care doctor has been charged with murdering 15 of his patients using a cocktail of lethal drugs. Prosecutors in Berlin have accused the 40-year-old of setting fire…

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UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex

The United Kingdom's top court on Wednesday upheld an appeal by a campaign group on whether transgender women are legally women under equality legislation, ruling that the law referred to…

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WHO says member states reach agreement to tackle future pandemics

Members of the World Health Organization reached an agreement to prepare the world for future pandemics after more than three years of negotiations, the organisation said early on Wednesday. The…

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Poll reveals voters want Keir Starmer to focus on rebuilding trade ties with EU

A clear majority of UK voters want the government to concentrate on rebuilding trade ties with the EU over forging a new economic deal with the US, according to research…

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New German coalition to abolish 3-year citizenship path

The next German government consisting of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) will abolish a 3-year expedited path to citizenship…

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Switzerland leans closer to Europe after Trump tariff blow

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to hit Switzerland with steeper tariffs than most of Europe was a major shock to the export-oriented country, pushing it towards the European Union as…

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Germany is back, says Merz, after sealing government deal

Germany's conservatives under Friedrich Merz have reached a deal with the Social Democrats to govern Europe's biggest economy, five months after the previous government collapsed. Merz, 69, said their agreement…

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Far-right Alternative for Germany leads opinion poll for first time

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Wednesday finished top of a German opinion poll for the first time, hours before the next governing coalition in Berlin was set to…

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UPDATED: Germany temporarily halts resettlement of UN refugees

Germany has temporarily suspended any further admission of refugees via a UN resettlement programme, the dpa news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency…

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Under President Trump’s leadership, NATO will be stronger: New U.S. permanent representative to NATO

NATO chief Mark Rutte and the new U.S. ambassador sought to reassure European allies on Thursday that Washington will remain committed to the Western military alliance despite harsh words from…

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Global crackdown on Kidflix, a major child sexual exploitation platform with almost two million users

Kidflix, one of the largest paedophile platforms in the world, has been shut down in an international operation against child sexual exploitation. The investigation was supported by Europol and led…

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Belgium bans display of tobacco products in shops

A new law implemented in Belgium on Tuesday prevents cigarettes or any tobacco products from being put on display in shops. Supermarkets and other shops bigger than 400 square meters…

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