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SCMP

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Trump says he plans to meet Kim Jong-un this year, citing good relationship

US President Donald Trump said that he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, despite Pyongyang denying that the two leaders were in direct communication.
Read the full story here.
2. China seeks public tips on procurement violations in PLA Rocket Force probe

China has called for public reports of suspected procurement corruption in the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, as an anti-corruption campaign continues involving the country’s strategic missile branch.
Read the full story here.
3. Trump’s new US mail voting rules take effect as states fear midterm disruption

New US restrictions on mailed ballots took effect in August, leaving state and local election officials racing to comply – or persuade a federal judge to intervene – weeks before millions of ballots were due to be sent to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Read the full story here.
4. US sets up task force to combat birth tourism, revokes more than 600 visas

The Trump administration announced the establishment of a task force to end birth tourism in the latest push to curtail the practice after the Supreme Court recently rejected Trump’s attempt to restrict constitutional birthright citizenship.
Read the full story here.
5. TikTok, ByteDance agree to US$400 million settlement with US government

TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance agreed to pay US$400 million to settle a US Justice Department lawsuit accusing the video-sharing app of violating children’s online privacy laws, resolving a major federal case as the platform’s American operations remained under intense political scrutiny.
Read the full story here.
6. Canada hits US goods with tariffs of up to 50% as trade war escalates

Canada announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 per cent on US$19.94 billion of American goods, escalating its trade confrontation with Washington days after negotiations collapsed and the Trump administration imposed sweeping new duties on Canadian products.
Read the full story here.
7. US tech giants invited to discuss AI security tests at White House

Technology giants Meta and Anthropic were invited to the White House to discuss a voluntary framework under which America’s leading artificial intelligence developers could give the government early access to their most advanced models for testing their hacking capabilities.
Read the full story here.


Who is Frank Adams, WNBA star Sophie Cunningham’s rumoured new beau?

China’s collection of stock stamp duty jumps more than 80% as AI frenzy boosts trading

Philippine tribe vows to stand ground against US-led Pax Silica: ‘listen to us’

As the US weighs restrictions on cloud computing, how will China’s AI sector adapt?

United States

Trump’s North Korea hope, US revokes visas, China’s rocket force: 7 global relations reads

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force formation attends a military parade in Beijing in September 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Photo: Getty Images/TNS

Photo: Xinhua

Photo: Reuters

Photo: AP

Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

Why US may be open to affordable Chinese cars; BYD’s in-vehicle karaoke: 7 EV reads

Cars for export including BYD, Cherry and SAIC models, are seen at the Shanghai port on August 7, 2026. Photo: CN-STR/AFP

A staff member cleans a Model Y inside a Tesla store at a shopping centre in Beijing on May 12. Photo: Reuters

A BYD vehicle fitted with a Stingray karaoke system. Photo: BYD USA

Xiaomi unveiled the SkyNomad in July. Photo: AFP

CATL’s subsidiary Autoflight, a drone maker, launched a waterborne vertiport to support the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector in November. Photo: Handout

US visa interviews on hold; China slams fresh sanctions over Iran: SCMP’s 7 highlights

What does the pause on US green card and visa interviews mean for applicants worldwide? Photo: Getty Images


The landslide struck Gyirong county on Wednesday morning, causing major casualties and leaving a number of people missing, according to state media. Photo: Handout

The team will explore sites such as the Sacred City of Caral in the Supe Valley. Photo: Shutterstock

Viral footage shows an older woman shoving a girl and then slapping her, causing the child to fall to the ground. Photo: Threads/one_mushroooom

Scotland’s jewellery allure, Hong Kong food’s gourmet moment: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Rings from Scottish fine jewellery gallery Aetla, which opened in Edinburgh in 2020 and promotes contemporary jewellery made by independent jewellers. Photo: Aetla


A model wears a look by Gong Pan Pan. Photo: Gong Pan Pan

Paul Goodson, a geography teacher and runner, poses for a photo at the Central harbourfront. Photo: Karma Lo

The large living area of this Repulse Bay flat was sectioned into two zones: one anchored by the sofa for convivial relaxation, the other for dining, connected by a custom-made shelving unit running the length of the side wall. Photo: Eugene Chan

‘Smart’ diabetes probiotic; Chinese missile AI with 90% accuracy: 7 science highlights

To create a “smart” probiotic that manages diabetes, Chinese scientists implanted a protein that acts like a glucose detector and the gene that encodes GLP-1 into bacteria. Photo: Handout

The data set included three categories of airborne targets, including two types of aircraft mimicking the F-22 and F-35. Photo: US Department of Defence

Electrochemist Liu Jiawei has moved from Singapore to Hong Kong to start her own laboratory. Photo: Handout

First-person view kamikaze drones would feature heavily in China’s military defence in the event of a sudden war. Photo: Getty Images

News

China

Diplomacy

Asia

East Asia

From plans that could upend the US elections to Canada tariffs, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in August 2026


From plans that could upend the US elections to Canada tariffs, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in August 2026.


Trump’s North Korea hope, US revokes visas, China’s rocket force: 7 global relations reads

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From plans that could upend the US elections to Canada tariffs, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in August 2026

1. Trump says he plans to meet Kim Jong-un this year, citing good relationship

2. China seeks public tips on procurement violations in PLA Rocket Force probe

From plans that could upend the US elections to Canada tariffs, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in August 2026