Overseas

Exclusive: Experts say policy could also cause shortages of school teachers and drive some universities to bankruptcyReform UK’s plan to make employers pay an annual levy for overseas staff would harm the NHS and social care, cause a shortage of schoolteachers, and could push some universities into bankruptcy, experts have warned.Nigel Farage’s party has pledged a “migrant worker surcharge”, which would involve a higher rate of employer national insurance as well as a separate annual charge. It would apply to any employees without a UK passport, including EU nationals with settled status, with the exception of Irish passport holders. Continue reading...

• Major European stock indices, including Frankfurt’s DAX, London’s FTSE 100, and Paris’s CAC 40, posted solid gains during recent trading. • The growth was primarily driven by resilient corporate earnings outlooks, strong performance in technology-heavy sub-indices, and steady domestic consumer demand. • These gains signal market confidence in the industrial sector despite ongoing economic volatility.

Albanese’s comments come as One Nation leader nears end of UK tour. Follow today’s news liveAlbanese helps launch major air combat exerciseAnthony Albanese has announced the official opening of Exercise Pitch Black 2026, Australia’s premier international air combat exercise, happening in Darwin.Australia is strongest when we work closely with our partners.Exercise Pitch Black strengthens those partnerships and demonstrates Australia’s commitment to working closely across our region to support peace, stability and security.When I have the opportunity to represent Australia overseas, I talk Australia up.I don’t talk Australia down. I go as someone who’s proud to represent our nation and proud to talk about what we are as a nation. There’s nowhere you’d rather be than Australia, and I think that it is up to our representatives, no matter where they stand in the parliament, when they’re overseas, to talk Australia up, not talk Australia down. Continue reading...

Calls grow for global regulation as rising numbers of westerners use surrogates in countries with different lawsWhy Mexico is at the heart of ethical debate over global surrogacyWhy one couple are pinning their surrogacy hopes on MexicoThe rise in the use of surrogates abroad is leaving more babies at risk of becoming stateless, experts have said, amid growing calls for urgent global regulation of the practice.The warning follows the suspension of a 15-year effort by The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) to establish a global surrogacy convention, which was paused due to divisions among member states. Continue reading...

Alistair Burt will bring diplomatic clout to complex cases involving human rights violations and arbitrary detentionThe Foreign Office has appointed a special envoy for British citizens detained overseas, a new role to deal with “complex consular cases” such as that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian dual national who was imprisoned in Tehran for six years.Alistair Burt, the former Conservative Middle East minister, has taken on the role, fulfilling a pledge by David Lammy when he was shadow foreign secretary. Continue reading...

Victoria police say they have arrested ‘high-ranking’ man from syndicate accused of orchestrating arson attacksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice have arrested a man they say orchestrated a wave of Melbourne arson attacks, marking a major development in the city’s escalating hospitality wars.A 20-year-old was arrested in the city’s north-west on Tuesday. Continue reading...

• The second Music Awards Japan (MAJ) ceremony was recently held, bringing together A-list musicians to recognize their achievements and elevate their international profiles. • The event serves as a strategic platform to promote Japanese pop and broader Asian musical talent to global audiences. • This initiative matters as it seeks to increase the overseas reach and commercial viability of the region's music industry.

• Beijing is considering implementing restrictions to curb overseas access to China's most advanced artificial intelligence models. • The move follows public concerns voiced by state media and Zhou Hongyi, the founder of cybersecurity firm 360 Security Technology. • This shift highlights a strategic push for China to develop its own independent "Mythos" and technological ecosystem to reduce external dependencies.

• The Chinese government is reportedly considering restrictions on overseas access to advanced AI models developed by domestic tech giants like Alibaba and ByteDance. • This move treats frontier AI software as a critical national asset, echoing concerns from state media and cybersecurity expert Zhou Hongyi regarding the need for a domestic "Mythos." • Such curbs could disrupt global tech markets by increasing costs and limiting the availability of high-performance AI tools outside of China.

• Beijing is considering new restrictions to curb overseas access to China's most advanced AI models, according to internal sources. • The move follows a series of steps by the Chinese government to treat cutting-edge AI as a critical national asset that requires strict domestic controls. • These efforts align with concerns from state media and Zhou Hongyi, founder of cybersecurity firm 360, who advocates for China to develop its own "Mythos."

• Beijing is reportedly considering new restrictions to curb overseas access to China's most advanced artificial intelligence models. • The move aims to tighten control over how domestic AI technology is utilized and distributed globally. • These limitations could disrupt international AI markets and significantly increase operational costs for businesses relying on Chinese models.

• Beijing is considering new restrictions to curb overseas access to China's most advanced artificial intelligence models. • The move treats high-end AI as a strategic national asset, reflecting a broader effort to ensure homegrown technology remains within the country. • These discussions align with public concerns from state media and Zhou Hongyi, founder of cybersecurity firm 360, who advocates for China to develop its own "Mythos."

• Chinese authorities have spent the past month holding discussions with the nation's largest technology companies regarding restrictions on overseas access to advanced AI models. • The proposed curbs would target both currently available and unreleased AI models to prevent foreign entities from utilizing China's most sophisticated technology. • This move highlights the growing tension between global AI competition and national security concerns as China seeks to protect its proprietary technological advancements.

Couple ‘devastated’ after DNA tests for children’s British citizenship showed no biological connection to themA British-based couple who had twins through an overseas surrogacy agency later discovered they had no biological connection to the children after the agency mistakenly used donor sperm.The couple, referred to as PP and QQ in court documents, were “devastated” after making the discovery via DNA tests while applying for British citizenship for the children. Continue reading...

• SBS drama "Manager Kim," starring So Ji-sub, has achieved rapid success both in South Korea and globally. • The series surpassed the 20% viewership mark within four episodes, reaching national ratings of 21.6% and a peak instantaneous rating of 25.1%. • Internationally, the show ranked number one in 20 countries as of July 4, according to FlixPatrol data, maintaining top-two positions across major Asian markets including Japan and Vietnam.

The programme, aimed at keeping 1m girls in school across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, withdrawn after aid cutsA leading higher education programme, aimed at keeping 1 million girls in school across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, has been axed by the British government just two years after it was announced.The scheme, Strengthening higher education for female empowerment (SHEFE), which was unveiled with some fanfare two years ago by the outgoing Conservative government, had a £45m budget to increase access to higher education for 1 million students worldwide. It has now had its tender withdrawn, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. Continue reading...

Reports of ‘stampede’ for stays near water amid concerns over cancelled flights, higher air fares and EU border delaysSummer bookings at Britain’s hotels and holiday parks have jumped, compared with last year, as fears about flight cancellations and long delays at EU borders have prompted many UK holidaymakers to stay closer to home this year.There has been a surge in last-minute bookings for UK holidays amid warnings that airlines will have to raise their fares because of higher jet fuel bills that have resulted from the war in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Indian prime minister has a habit of collecting awards on his travels, some as their first and only recipientAs Narendra Modi touched down in Seychelles over the weekend, the archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean swiftly bestowed one of its “highest” honours upon the Indian prime minister.Modi beamed as he accepted the Guardian of the Blue Horizon award from Patrick Herminie, the Seychelles president, complete with a trophy and certificate. Continue reading...

• Overseas cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance, are offering high-leverage trading products based on the KOSPI index with multipliers reaching up to 150x. • These synthetic assets, such as KORU, allow traders to speculate on Korean stock markets without using traditional domestic brokerage accounts. • Financial authorities are alarmed by the lack of investor protection and the potential for significant capital outflow from the domestic financial system.

Christopher Harborne, who also gave Nigel Farage £5m ‘gift’, reported to have registered to vote in HampshireChristopher Harborne, the Thailand-based crypto investor who has given millions of pounds to Reform UK, would be unlikely to get around a planned cap on overseas political donations even if he has registered to vote in the UK, it is understood.Harborne, who also gave Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, £5m as a “gift”, has registered to vote in Hampshire, the Times reported, with a spokesperson for the billionaire quoted in the paper saying that he had decided to become a “registered voter in the UK”. Continue reading...

• India is proposing the introduction of a "sports passport" to allow overseas athletes to represent the country in international competitions. • The initiative aims to recruit high-performing athletes from the diaspora or abroad to strengthen India's competitive edge in global sports. • This move matters as it could significantly boost India's medal counts and overall performance in major events like the Olympics.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show migration growth is above pre-pandemic levels but tracking steadily downGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNet overseas migration added 301,000 people to Australia’s population last year, the lowest increase since mid-2022 but still above the pre-pandemic pace.The new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics come amid an increasingly fraught political debate around immigration, following Pauline Hanson’s declaration that our society should be “monocultural”. Continue reading...

• Europe is facing a systemic crisis as businesses increasingly relocate overseas, a trend the article attributes to the U.S. intentionally fostering an energy crisis by disconnecting the continent from Russian resources. • The economic instability is driven by high energy costs and a loss of competitiveness, leading to a "business flight" that threatens the region's industrial base. • In response, a group of nations including Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark are proposing new strategic partnerships with a dozen non-EU countries.

• The Suriya-starrer film *Karuppu* has earned Rs. 238 crore worldwide after its second weekend, with overseas collections surpassing USD 7 million. • While the Middle East market saw a significant 90% drop, the film maintained strong performance in Singapore and Malaysia, with the latter recording one of its best second weekends ever. • The movie is currently on track to surpass the Rs. 300 crore milestone before the end of its theatrical run.

• Chinese firms completed offshore mergers and acquisitions worth nearly $10 billion in the first quarter of 2026, marking a five-year high despite ongoing regulatory barriers. • Transactions targeted key sectors including resources, consumer goods, and manufacturing, as companies seek growth opportunities abroad. • The surge underscores China's push for global expansion amid domestic economic pressures and trade tensions.

Exclusive: Taskforce to mull options to cut level to 150,000-200,000, higher than One Nation’s hard 130,000 cap and Howard-era’s 100,000 targetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition is planing to cut Australia’s annual net overseas immigration levels to 150,000-200,000, according to a confidential policy roadmap that reveals Angus Taylor is preparing to fight a possible early election.An internal document circulated to senior Coalition MPs details the key policies the opposition wants to build its election platform on, as it rebuilds from its catastrophic 2025 loss. Continue reading...

UK was close behind, exporting 675,000 tonnes, with much of the waste sent to Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia Germany was the world’s largest exporter of plastic waste in 2025 and sent more than 810,000 tonnes abroad, according to analysis of trade data carried out for the Guardian.The UK followed close behind, according to the analysis by Watershed Investigations and the Basel Action Network. It exported more 675,000 tonnes, its highest level in eight years and enough to fill about 127,000 shipping containers. Continue reading...

Former SAS soldier charged with five counts of war crime murder to learn whether he will be be released from Silverwater prisonFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBen Roberts-Smith was planning to move overseas – and had not told authorities investigating him – when he was arrested at Sydney airport last week, at Sydney court has heard.Roberts-Smith made a bail application before Judge Greg Grogin in Downing Centre local court Friday morning. Continue reading...