As the G20 summit in Beijing looms, the world’s great and upper-middleweight powers are primed for one of their best chances to flaunt, burnish and repair their global profiles. Canada has a steep hill to climb. [...] Trudeau has won the world over as few global leaders ever manage to.

The France-based leg of the yearlong South Korea-France cultural exchange project has drawn the curtains with a colorful flourish, celebratory of the 130th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties. As of the end of August, the events of the “Years 2015-2016 of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges” have hailed about 2.26 million visitors in France, which ran from September 2015.

American ambassadors abroad tend to be low-profile diplomats who host cocktail parties and try not to make waves in their host countries. Not here. Ambassador Rufus Gifford is an A-list celebrity — and even a reality TV star — in this nation of 5.7 million people. On the streets of the capital, the average person knows his name.

The famed American Museum of Natural History opens an exhibition this fall that its scientists say breaks new ground on multiple fronts. [...] In keeping with the newly relaxed relations between the United States and Cuba, scientists from both countries have broken through more than a half-century of restrictions in place since the Cold War.

The 2012 image of Britain’s new Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, waving the Union Jack while haplessly snagged on a zipline above London, seems an apt image for the situation he has inherited, and indeed played a major part in creating. [...] this piece is limited to considering the implications of “Boris Diplomacy” for British public diplomacy and soft power.

Marking half a century of strong diplomatic relations, the United States and Singapore on Wednesday (Aug 3) laid out an ambitious vision for future bilateral cooperation in a wide spectrum of areas across defence, cybersecurity, innovation, trade and people-to-people exchanges. [...] The joint statement is the most substantive outcome of Mr Lee’s official visit this week to the US to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Cuba International Network (CIN) recently became the first U.S. company authorized to set up shop in Cuba to provide equipment and personnel there to support the production of broadcasting, television, and filming of video content for consumption in the U.S. and international markets. This first-of-its-kind service brings vital film and broadcasting capability and services to Cuba with the same standards found in the U.S.