Tag: News Story

STORY

The new Reform UK leader of Bradford Council has promised to look beyond the city centre when considering future investment. Councillor Stephen Place made the comments in his first address to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Business Board.

The remarks follow Reform UK’s takeover of Bradford Council and reflect the party’s attempt to show it will deliver for communities outside the traditional centre of regeneration spending. Place argued that voters in other parts of the district expected visible investment and attention from the new administration.

The comments are likely to shape early scrutiny of the new council leadership, particularly in areas that feel they have previously been overlooked. Bradford’s new administration now faces the task of turning broad political promises into specific budgets, projects and decisions.

STORY

City Hall has overturned Barnet Council’s refusal of two major housing schemes totalling more than 1,700 homes. The Mayor of London used call-in powers after the council had rejected proposals at the Great North Leisure Park and near High Barnet tube station car park.

Deputy Mayor Jules Pipe approved the developments after City Hall said it intended to be more interventionist where rejected applications could help deliver more homes. The Great North Leisure Park plan includes tower blocks of up to 25 storeys and 1,485 homes, including 341 affordable homes.

Barnet Council had objected to the scale and density of the scheme and raised concerns about character and planning obligations. Local critics argued that the development was too dense, while the developer said the brownfield site was suitable for new housing.

STORY

Hungary’s Government is preparing to submit anti-corruption legislation to parliament as part of efforts to unlock suspended European Union funding. Reuters reported that Transport and Investment Minister David Vitezy said the bill would be tabled next week and would address EU rule of law criteria.

The proposed reforms are expected to strengthen Hungary’s Integrity Authority and increase transparency around public officials’ asset declarations. Omissions from declarations could be punishable by up to two years in prison under the proposed legislation.

The move follows Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s pro-EU shift after Hungary’s April election. The Government says the reforms could release up to €10 billion in EU funds for transport, renewable energy, small business support and housing, while also helping to protect access to recovery and cohesion funding before deadlines expire.

STORY

The European Union and South Korea will hold their 11th bilateral summit in Brussels on 10 June. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (in photo) will represent the EU, while President Lee Jae Myung will represent the Republic of Korea.

The summit is expected to review progress since the previous EU-South Korea summit in Seoul in 2023. Leaders will discuss trade, investment, defence and security, digital technology, energy, research and wider geopolitical developments.

The EU described South Korea as an important strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific and globally. Trade in goods between the EU and South Korea exceeded €124 billion in 2025, with the relationship underpinned by the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement and a wider strategic partnership framework.

STORY

European leaders have used a summit with Western Balkans countries in Tivat, Montenegro, to underline their support for EU enlargement. European Council President Antonio Costa said the summit had demonstrated renewed momentum, including work on Montenegro’s accession treaty and progress in Albania’s accession process.

Costa said Montenegro could become the 28th EU member state by 2028, while Albania had moved into the next phase of its accession process. He also said the EU was unlocking the process for opening the first enlargement cluster for Ukraine and Moldova, presenting this as evidence that reforms and engagement with civil society could accelerate accession.

The summit came amid wider pressure for the EU to make enlargement faster and more credible. EU leaders and western Balkan counterparts discussed gradual integration and closer alignment before full membership, while the accession process remains dependent on reforms, good neighbourly relations and unanimity among existing member states.

STORY

The European Union and UK car industries are pressing the European Commission for a further delay to electric vehicle tariffs due to take effect under the Brexit trade agreement at the start of 2027. The issue centres on rules of origin, which determine whether vehicles qualify for tariff-free trade between the UK and the EU.

Under the current timetable, vehicles will need to meet tougher local content thresholds, including requirements on battery packs and battery cells. Industry representatives have warned that European battery supply chains have not developed quickly enough to meet those thresholds, with one estimate suggesting that just under 20% of batteries will be made in the EU by 2027.

The dispute has direct political and economic importance for both sides of the Channel. The European Commission has said discussions can take place within the framework of ongoing EU-UK negotiations, while car manufacturers argue that tariffs would be self-defeating at a time when Governments are seeking to increase electric vehicle take-up and protect domestic manufacturing.

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The European Union has urged Israel and Lebanon to use the latest ceasefire agreement as an opportunity to end the conflict and achieve lasting peace and security. The statement was issued by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on 6 June, following the agreement brokered by the United States.

The EU said all military action should cease immediately, called for Hezbollah to withdraw from the South Litani Sector and urged Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory. Brussels also said it was ready to support implementation of an agreement between the two countries and repeated its backing for Lebanon’s Government.

The statement also linked the diplomatic process to the EU’s wider support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, after the Council adopted a €100 million European Peace Facility assistance measure on 4 June. The EU said the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 remained essential and condemned attacks on UNIFIL personnel, including the killing of another peacekeeper on 4 June.

STORY

The Council has authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia on extending the EU’s Roam Like at Home scheme to the Western Balkans. The decision would eventually allow travellers to use calls, texts and mobile data without extra roaming charges under the same conditions as at home.

The current roaming area covers the European Union, the European Economic Area countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, as well as Moldova and Ukraine. Extending the scheme to the Western Balkans is being presented by the Council as a practical sign of the region’s closer integration with the EU.

The Commission will now negotiate sectoral agreements with each of the six partners. Before any market opening takes place, each country will need to align with EU roaming rules and be assessed as meeting the necessary conditions, with the agreements tied to existing stabilisation and association arrangements.

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The Council of the European Union has approved a framework to implement the EU drugs strategy and endorsed a new EU action plan against drug trafficking. The decision was taken at the Justice and Home Affairs Council and is intended to strengthen the EU response to organised crime, drug use and the wider security risks linked to trafficking.

The action plan will run from 2026 to 2030 and will focus on practical action by member states, EU agencies and international partners. It includes a stronger follow the money approach, work through the European Ports Alliance and an expanded maritime role through the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre for Narcotics.

The Council said the measures would also improve cooperation with postal and parcel companies, technology firms, customs authorities, police and judicial bodies. EU leaders are expected to discuss the challenge of drug use and trafficking at the European Council meeting on 18 and 19 June, the first time the issue has been placed before leaders in this way.

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The UK has used an OSCE statement to reject Russian claims about civilian casualties caused by Ukraine. Deputy Ambassador James Ford said Russia lacked credibility given its continuing aggression and the civilian harm caused by its own actions.

The statement said Russia had criticised other states for not responding to its accusations, but argued that Moscow’s invasion remained the cause of the conflict and the associated civilian suffering. The UK also pointed to wider support for Ukraine and accountability for abuses.

The intervention forms part of the Government’s continuing diplomatic response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It comes as foreign policy, defence spending and the credibility of international institutions remain central to Westminster’s security debate.