The Dispatch

Friedrich Merz:CDU leader sets sights on becoming German chancellor

Squeezed out of top-level politics by his arch party rival Angela Merkel more than two decades ago, Friedrich Merz is on course to land his first ever government job: as…

Read More Here

Harrods apologises for sex abuse allegations against former owner Mohamed Al Fayed

High-end London department store Harrods has apologised over allegations its former owner, Egyptian billionaire businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, raped and sexually assaulted several female ex-employees. A BBC documentary and podcast…

Read More Here

Stabbing Incident in Rotterdam: One Dead, Investigation Underway

One person was killed and another seriously wounded in a stabbing incident late Thursday in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, police said. Police arrested a suspect who was also…

Read More Here

Keir Starmer Faces Scrutiny Over Record-High Freebies as Football Hospitality Sparks Concerns

Keir Starmer has accepted significantly more hospitality gifts than any other Member of Parliament since taking over as Labour leader, Sky News has revealed. Concerns are growing within government circles…

Read More Here

Netherlands seeks to opt out of EU migration rules

The Netherlands' right-wing government said on Wednesday it had asked the EU for an opt-out on migration rules so it can implement a clamp-down on unwanted arrivals. "I just informed…

Read More Here

Brexit deal impact in UK is worsening, warn economists

Brexit red tape on British businesses has caused goods trade between the UK and EU to slump and the problem is getting worse, a study has warned. Many smaller UK…

Read More Here

Hugely popular UK district plotting tourist tax

The Scottish Highlands could become the latest place in the UK to introduce a tourist tax. If implemented, it would allow hotels, B&Bs, campsites and holiday lets in the hugely…

Read More Here

German police investigate explosion in central Cologne

German police and prosecutors are investigating an explosion that occurred in central Cologne early Monday, a police spokesperson said, adding that there was no indication of a terrorist motive for…

Read More Here

UK PM Starmer pledges migration cooperation ahead of Italy talks

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised "a new era" in cross-border cooperation to tackle people smuggling gangs ahead of talks on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, part…

Read More Here

Germany’s tighter border controls take effect, irking neighbours

Germany reintroduced temporary controls on its western and northern borders on Monday as part of efforts to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime, the interior ministry said. The restrictions are…

Read More Here

German navy makes rare transit of sensitive Taiwan Strait

Two German navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Friday in the first such transit in two decades, demonstrating Berlin's resolve to stand with Western allies at a…

Read More Here

Extreme weather warnings in Germany, Poland, Austria; Czech Republic expecting heaviest rain in over 20 years

Large parts of central Europe are bracing for potential flooding this weekend with heavy rainfall expected across parts of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. Up to 400…

Read More Here

Belgium’s Charleroi airport flights cancelled for second day due to strike

All flights to and from Belgium's Charleroi airport, a major hub for budget airline Ryanair were cancelled on Friday for a second day as the airport's employees continued to strike.…

Read More Here

Stolen Banksy ‘Girl with Balloon’ painting found

One of British street artist Banksy's best-known paintings, "Girl with Balloon", has been found after its theft from a London gallery last week with two men charged, police said on…

Read More Here

EU Citizens Travelling to UK Will Have to Pay €11 Authorisation From April 2025

EU citizens travelling to the UK without a visa will soon have to pay a €11 fee and apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The UK introduced the ETA…

Read More Here

UK imposes sanctions on 10 ships in crackdown on Russia’s shadow oil fleet

The UK has taken new steps to clamp down on Russia’s shadow fleet exporting oil and funding Moscow’s war machine, with the Foreign Office announcing sanctions on 10 ships that…

Read More Here

Conservatives’ leadership race narrows to four hopefuls after Mel Stride eliminated

Four hopefuls were left in the race to become leader of the Conservatives on Tuesday after centrist former work and pensions minister Mel Stride was knocked out of a race…

Read More Here

Germany makes proposals to reduce number of asylum seekers

Germany's government presented a plan to implement more rigorously European rules on asylum that would see more people turned away at its borders, a day after it announced it would…

Read More Here

Germany tightens border controls in immigration clampdown

Germany will temporarily institute tighter controls at all of its land borders to reduce irregular migration and to improve security, Berlin said Monday. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced in…

Read More Here

UK’s Princess Kate says she is grateful after finishing chemotherapy

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, said on Monday she had finished her course of preventative chemotherapy for cancer, saying the treatment had given her a new perspective and made her…

Read More Here

UK flight chaos continues with dozens more cancellations at Gatwick and Heathrow

For the fourth consecutive day, thousands of UK-bound passengers faced flight cancellations due to a combination of bad weather and air traffic control staff shortages. Around 3,500 passengers scheduled on…

Read More Here

The age of the Sun depends on when you look at it

An international team of astronomers, led by a researcher from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), has shown that the Sun’s magnetic activity has a significant influence on its seismic characterisation,…

Read More Here

Far-right’s victory in German state of Thuringia election puts migrants on edge

Syrian doctor Humam Razok felt relief when he arrived in Germany nine years ago after fleeing Damascus, where he had been jailed twice for his political beliefs. But the far-right…

Read More Here

German police kill suspect in exchange of fire near Israeli consulate in Munich

German police shot dead a man in an exchange of fire near the Israeli consulate and a Nazi history museum in Munich on Thursday, state Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said.…

Read More Here

Germany’s migration commissioner proposes Rwanda migrant deportation plan

Germany's migration commissioner proposed deporting to Rwanda migrants who arrive illegally to the European Union through its borders with Belarus, as Berlin contemplates measures to restrict refugees arriving in the…

Read More Here

Grenfell victims say they’re still waiting for justice after damning report

Victims of the Grenfell Tower fire say they are still waiting for justice after a damning report blamed it on "dishonest" companies and a chain of failures by governments. A…

Read More Here

UK government promises new law in autumn to boost workers’ rights

Britain's Labour Party unveiled plans to implement the most comprehensive legislative agenda for a new government in decades. This includes new laws set to be introduced this autumn aimed at…

Read More Here

German far right hails ‘historic’ election victory in east

Germany's anti-immigration party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is celebrating a "historic success" after achieving a major victory in the eastern state of Thuringia. The AfD secured nearly a third of…

Read More Here

Germany tightens security, asylum policies after deadly festival stabbing

The German government unveiled a proposed package of stricter security and asylum measures in response to a deadly stabbing spree linked to the Islamic State, which has intensified far-right opposition…

Read More Here

IT problems paralyze Dutch coast guard, military, airport

A problem with IT networks in the Netherlands on Wednesday affected an Eindhoven Airport and several public services, including the coast guard and military police. "Due to problems with IT-networks…

Read More Here

Neighborhood noise might increase heart attack risk

Research from two studies in different European cities highlights that urban noise pollution has a significant negative impact on heart health, according to data presented at ESC Congress 2024, the…

Read More Here

UK to spend 10.5 million pounds to prepare ports for new EU border checks

Britain will spend 10.5 million pounds ($13.9 million) to help ports prepare for the European Union's post-Brexit security checks for UK nationals entering the bloc and reduce the risk of…

Read More Here

UK’s Starmer says things will get worse before they get better

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday it would take a long time to rebuild Britain and rid it of the rot he says took hold under the previous Conservative…

Read More Here

Germany to donate 100,000 mpox vaccine doses to combat outbreak in Africa

Germany will donate 100,000 mpox vaccine doses from its military stocks to help contain the outbreak on the African continent in the short term as well as provide help to…

Read More Here

Germany’s Scholz promises more deportations after weekend mass stabbing

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations on Monday during a visit to Solingen, where a deadly mass stabbing linked to Islamic State has emboldened the far-right opposition…

Read More Here

German stabbing suspect is 26-year-old Syrian man who admitted to the crime

The suspect in custody for a stabbing rampage in the western German city of Solingen that killed three people and injured eight is a 26-year-old Syrian man, authorities said early…

Read More Here

Germany’s Duden Dictionary adds 3,000 new words including OpenAI and Ghosting

Germany's Duden dictionary announced this week that it was introducing 3,000 new words into its latest edition, including TikTok and ChatGPT. Other tech terms like Hyperloop, OpenAI, and Ghosting were also…

Read More Here

Belgian coalition talks collapse over budget dispute

Belgian politician Bart De Wever, appointed by King Philippe to lead coalition talks following the country's June election, resigned on Thursday, the palace said. "The King has accepted his resignation…

Read More Here

UPDATED: NATO air base in Germany remains at high alert

The NATO air base in the German town of Geilenkirchen remained at high alert on Friday, a spokesperson said, after the security level was raised overnight "based on intelligence information…

Read More Here

Neutral Swiss to join European cyber security group

Switzerland will join the European Cyber Security Organization (ECSO) to strengthen the neutral country's defences against hackers and online attacks, the government said on Wednesday. Through membership, the government will…

Read More Here

Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in US trial dies in UK road accident

Stephen Chamberlain, once Mike Lynch's co-defendant in the U.S. fraud trial over the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard, has died after a road accident, his lawyer said on Monday, days…

Read More Here

Mpox is not the new COVID, says WHO official

A World Health Organization official stressed on Tuesday that mpox, regardless of whether it is the new or old strain, is not the new COVID, as authorities know how to…

Read More Here

German warships await orders on crossing Taiwan Strait

Two German warships await orders from Berlin, their commander said, to determine whether next month they will be the first German naval vessels in decades to pass through the Taiwan…

Read More Here

Immigration biggest issue for Britons for first time since 2016, poll shows

Immigration tops the list of issues that Britons consider most important for the first time since 2016 - when Britain voted to leave the European Union - following riots this…

Read More Here

German military base sealed off due to suspected sabotage, security source says

A German military base next to Cologne airport has been sealed off and thousands of soldiers working there advised not to drink tap water as authorities investigate what may be…

Read More Here

German border controls set to stay until European asylum system takes effect

Border controls introduced by Germany could be extended beyond Dec. 15 if necessary as they have proved very successful in fighting smugglers and irregular migration, the German interior minister said.…

Read More Here

Brits would vote to rejoin EU in new referendum, poll finds

The British public would vote by a sizable margin to rejoin the European Union if a new referendum was held, according to a nationwide poll. The YouGov survey, carried out…

Read More Here

Taylor Swift’s London dates not impacted by Vienna events

British police said there was nothing to indicate that a planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna would have an impact on her shows at Wembley Stadium, London,…

Read More Here

Anti-racism protests sweep Britain after far-right riots

Thousands of police and anti-racism protesters gathered on streets across Britain on Wednesday to challenge expected far-right groups that failed to materialise following more than a week of violent racist…

Read More Here

British police brace for anti-Muslim riots and counter protests

British police braced for further anti-Muslim riots on Wednesday as far-right groups planned to target asylum centres and immigration law firms across the country, prompting anti-fascist protesters to organise counter…

Read More Here

UPDATED: German hotel partially collapses, kills two, traps others

A hotel in Germany's picturesque Moselle wine valley collapsed overnight, killing two people, local police said on Wednesday, as rescuers worked urgently to pluck the three remaining trapped guests from…

Read More Here

British water firms to be punished for years of sewage leaks

Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water face £168m fines by the industry regulator over historic sewage spills. The proposal will now go to public consultation and is part of…

Read More Here

New rioting across UK cities as arrests multiply

The wave of violent unrest and disorder across parts of the UK continued on Monday night as police came under attack in Belfast, Darlington and Plymouth. Six people were arrested…

Read More Here

Rioting sweeps British cities in wake of child murders

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday condemned what he described as "far-right thuggery" and said perpetrators would face the full force of the law after days of violent anti-immigration…

Read More Here

UK authorities shut down scammer platform behind global fraud

British authorities have shut down an online platform which allowed criminals to make fraudulent phone calls to steal money from hundreds of thousands of people globally, the National Crime Agency…

Read More Here

German airport pauses flights after climate activists breach field

Germany's Leipzig/Halle airport temporarily halted flights early on Thursday after climate activists breached the airfield as part of a disruptive protest campaign that has lawmakers calling for stricter punishment and…

Read More Here

UK PM to meet with police chiefs after second night of protests over Southport murders

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet senior police leaders on Thursday, his office said, after a second night of clashes between protesters and police prompted by the deaths of…

Read More Here