Government considers sale of Brexit border checkpoint in Kent – reports

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New trade deal with EU could make 41 border control posts built after Brexit redundant

The UK government is reportedly considering selling a post-Brexit border check facility in Kent that could fall out of use as a result of this week’s trade pact with the EU.

The site, based in Sevington, Ashford, was erected in 2021 with capacity for 1,300 lorries that were expected to face extra checks on plants and animal goods, including dairy and meat, entering and leaving Britain after Brexit.

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Poland’s election will cement or ruin its standing in Europe – The Economist

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  1. Poland’s election will cement or ruin its standing in Europe  The Economist
  2. How Poland can keep its place at the heart of Europe  The Economist
  3. Liberal mayor and conservative historian headed to presidential runoff in Poland, exit poll suggests  AP News
  4. Race for Poland’s presidency blows wide open  politico.eu
  5. Poland, Romania and the nationalist populist challenge  Responsible Statecraft
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Romania’s top court rejects far-right candidate’s attempt to annul election

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George Simion, a pro-Trump ultranationalist, had alleged foreign interference in rerun vote won by Nicușor Dan

Romania’s top court has unanimously rejected an application by the defeated far-right candidate in Sunday’s presidential election rerun, George Simion, to annul the vote on the grounds of foreign interference.

“Following deliberations, the constitutional court unanimously rejected the request … as unfounded,” the court said in statement on Thursday, adding that its decision was final and it would publish its full reasoning at a later date.

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Trump Acknowledges Putin Not Ready to End Ukraine War – WSJ – The Moscow Times

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  1. Trump Acknowledges Putin Not Ready to End Ukraine War – WSJ  The Moscow Times
  2. Exclusive | European Officials Say Trump Tells Their Leaders Putin Isn’t Ready to End War  WSJ
  3. Trump’s New Position on the War in Ukraine: Not My Problem  The New York Times
  4. Donald Trump dashes any hope that he will get tough with Russia  The Economist
  5. Peace in Ukraine looks further away after Trump’s call with Putin  CNN
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Russia mocks Ukraine during direct talks, raising suspicion of bad faith – Al Jazeera

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  1. Russia mocks Ukraine during direct talks, raising suspicion of bad faith  Al Jazeera
  2. Russia and Ukraine Agree to Prisoner Swap in First Direct Talks in Years  The New York Times
  3. Who actually holds ‘the cards’ now in Ukraine? Zelensky.  The Hill
  4. Kremlin Sets Conditions for Putin-Zelenskiy Meeting: Interfax  Bloomberg.com
  5. Ukraine ramps up calls for ‘pressure’ on Russia as talks end with no ceasefire  CNN
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Russia Wants Sumy – Says ‘This Land Is Not Foreign to Us’ – Kyiv Post

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  1. Russia Wants Sumy – Says ‘This Land Is Not Foreign to Us’  Kyiv Post
  2. Putin Visits Kursk for First Time Since Russia Drove Out Ukrainian Forces  The New York Times
  3. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 21, 2025  Institute for the Study of War
  4. Putin visited the Kursk region for the first time since Russia said it expelled Ukrainian forces  ABC News
  5. Putin visited Russia's Kursk region for first time since Moscow said it drove out Ukrainian forces  AP News
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Alberta Separatism Push Roils Canada – The New York Times

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  1. Alberta Separatism Push Roils Canada  The New York Times
  2. Energy Threatens To Split Canada Apart  Forbes
  3. Chris Selley: Central Canadians are practically goading Alberta to consider separation  National Post
  4. Alberta anti-separatism group that includes former deputy premier wants to pose referendum question  Global News
  5. Premier Smith is misleading us towards a national disaster  Environmental Defence
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Hong Kong authorities trying to disrupt independent press with ‘strange’ tax audits

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Inland revenue targets eight outlets, union, 20 journalists and their families with supposed ‘random’ checks

Hong Kong authorities have targeted journalists and media outlets with what are supposed to be “random” tax audits, in a move the industry union says adds pressure to waning press freedoms.

The head of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Selina Cheng, detailed what she said were “strange” and “unreasonable” accusations by Hong Kong’s inland revenue department. Requests or audits were made against the association, at least eight independent media outlets, and at least 20 journalists and their family members, including Cheng and her parents, she said at a press conference on Wednesday.

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Littleproud says discussions about reuniting Coalition a ‘positive move’ – as it happened

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Liberals will attend a virtual party room meeting this afternoon after Ley and Littleproud attempt to broker agreement two days after dramatic split. Follow today’s news live

Minns says community ‘no doubt bracing’ for more bad news after flooding death

The NSW premier is “bracing for more tough news” following news of a death in the state’s inundated mid-north coast.

It’s devastating for that man and his family and his friends. [It’s] a tight-knit community on the mid-north coast, and to lose anyone in these natural disasters is obviously horrifying. So I’m very sorry for that man’s passing.

We should be bracing for more tough news over the next 24 hours. We’re very grateful we got enormous amount of expertise, emergency service personnel and thousands of volunteers who are on site, but when you have major natural disasters, obviously, you get terrible news as a result, and that community no doubt will be bracing in the next 24 hours.

I’m sorry about that. That would be incredibly anxious period, waiting that period of time for a rescue.

I can assure the public that we have got a massive emergency service contingent on the Mid North Coast. There’s 2,500 emergency service workers including 2,200 SES volunteers and professionals that are on site. Over 500 vehicles and boasts, 13 helicopters, hundreds of drones, so this is a major operation.

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Romania’s Constitutional Court rejects George Simion’s request to annul presidential election – Romania Insider

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  1. Romania’s Constitutional Court rejects George Simion’s request to annul presidential election  Romania Insider
  2. Romania's new pro-European president puts it back on a Western course, but fault lines remain  AP News
  3. Musk and Sacks question Romanian election, at odds with U.S. diplomat  NBC News
  4. MAGA misses the mark in Romania  The Economist
  5. Romania’s Postponed Reckoning  Foreign Affairs
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Which countries trade the most with Israel and what do they buy and sell? – Al Jazeera

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  1. Which countries trade the most with Israel and what do they buy and sell?  Al Jazeera
  2. US envoy blasts France's and UK's 'hypocrisy' for demand Israel end war: 'They need to remember their history'  The Times of Israel
  3. Britain, France and Canada Condemn Israel’s Expansion of Gaza War  The New York Times
  4. U.K. suspends free trade talks with Israel and announces sanctions  NPR
  5. Netanyahu Gave Up on the Hostages and Lost the World's Support  Haaretz
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The Ross and Rachel of Australian politics are still on a break – but the Coalition will probably give things another go

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The Liberals and Nationals are likely to get back together – not because the bickering exes are a perfect match, but because there’s too much to lose in the divorce

Take the Taylor Swift songs off your Spotify queue, put the ice-cream back in the freezer and hold fire on the angry diary entries: the Liberals and Nationals might not be breaking up after all.

The extraordinary conscious uncoupling of the Liberals and Nationals – their plans to go their separate ways and work on themselves – lasted exactly 48 hours and 30 minutes: the time between 11.45am on Tuesday, when David Littleproud said he needed time to think, and 12.15pm on Thursday, when he told a hastily convened press conference that he was willing to give things another go.

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Cauchi at ‘significant’ risk of relapsing into psychosis when discharged into doctor’s care, Bondi Junction inquest hears

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Joel Cauchi suffered deterioration in ‘performance IQ’ and some cognitive functions leading up to attack, expert tells Sydney coroner’s court

Joel Cauchi’s psychiatrist of eight years discharged him into the care of his doctor at a time when he was at “significant risk” of relapsing into psychosis, an expert has said amid a probe into the mental health and care of Cauchi.

On Thursday, the coronial inquest examining the fatal stabbing of six people by Cauchi at Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024 heard from a panel of psychiatrists who provided expert opinions on Cauchi’s treatment.

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‘Sick of this’: Erin Patterson told friends she wanted ‘nothing to do’ with in-laws, mushroom lunch trial hears

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Victorian supreme court shown Facebook messages in which murder accused vents frustration at estranged husband’s parents

Erin Patterson told a Facebook group chat “this family I swear to fucking god” and said she wanted “nothing to do” with her parents-in-law, according to messages shown in a Victorian court.

Messages written by the user Erin ErinErin, which the court has previously heard was one of three Facebook names used by Patterson, also included saying she was ““sick of this shit” and “fuck em” about the parents of her estranged husband, Simon.

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EU eyes action over Hungary’s planned Russian-style law – DW

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  1. EU eyes action over Hungary's planned Russian-style law  DW
  2. European editors sign petition opposing Hungary's move against foreign-funded groups  Reuters
  3. Hungary considering law to ban groups seen as threat to national sovereignty  The Guardian
  4. EU Parliament to stage urgent debate on Hungary's 'spring clean' law  Euronews.com
  5. EU urged to act over Hungary’s plans to ‘effectively outlaw free press’  The Guardian
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No place to hide from any China-Taiwan conflict, investors say – Reuters

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  1. No place to hide from any China-Taiwan conflict, investors say  Reuters
  2. The Taiwan Tightrope: Deterrence Is a Balancing Act, and America Is Starting to Slip  Foreign Affairs
  3. House Select Committee Warns: "The Window to Deter War with China is Closing Fast"  Select Committee on the CCP | (.gov)
  4. Is defending Taiwan a vital U.S. interest? Experts offer differing views  PBS
  5. Chinese exercises around Taiwan invasion 'rehearsals': U.S. commander  Focus Taiwan
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