Overseas

• Taiwan's government agencies were targeted in an overseas cyberattack during July, as detected by national cybersecurity monitoring units. • Hackers employed a hybrid approach, combining conventional hacking methods with AI agents to probe systems and search for sensitive data. • The Ministry of Digital Affairs reported that the affected agencies have successfully "handled" the incident and mitigated the threat.

Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan will support Pauline Hanson’s migration bill despite vowing to fight her rightwing partyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition will back a plan by Pauline Hanson to prevent Australian citizens with links to overseas terrorist groups from returning home, significantly elevating One Nation’s policy prescriptions on matters of national security.Despite pledging to fight Hanson’s insurgent rightwing movement amid collapsing support for their own parties, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, and Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, both signalled support for One Nation’s bill to bar the return of foreign fighters ahead of its introduction to the Senate on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lack of funds left British museums unable pay eight-figure sum for collection, which went to Abu Dhabi institutionOne of the most important collections of UK Jurassic fossils ever compiled has been sold to a museum in Abu Dhabi, the Guardian can reveal, in what British experts have described as a loss for the nation.The collection, which was amassed by a private fossil collector, consisted of 318 specimens, including ichthyosaurs, fish and crustaceans among other creatures, some of which could be new species. Continue reading...

• Asian markets are experiencing cautious trading with the NZX opening lower, as investors await critical US initial claims and Friday's jobs data. • Market focus remains on earnings reports from Softbank and Swire, while the Yen's volatility and China's pursuit of taxes on overseas investments pressure insurers and financials. • In regional data, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained interest rates on Wednesday as expected, while the Philippines prepares to release June unemployment and industrial production figures.

Scheme brought in up to 500 foreign-trained doctors a year and was seen as example of British ‘soft power’The NHS has scrapped a longstanding scheme that let overseas doctors boost their skills in UK hospitals and was seen as an example of British “soft power”.Senior doctors have criticised NHS England’s decision to axe the Medical Training Initiative, under which 400 to 500 foreign-trained doctors were given placements in Britain every year. Continue reading...

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.