What happened
The US and South Korea are shortening their annual joint military exercises, with this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield now due to finish on 21 August rather than 27 August. Seoul said Washington requested the change, while some field exercises will also be scaled back. The decision comes as Donald Trump has linked the curtailing of the drills to South Korea’s refusal to assist the US campaign against Iran.

Who said what
Trump said the exercises were expensive and sent an unnecessarily hostile message, while complaining that Seoul had declined to support the US in Iran. He also said he expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.

Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong said the shortening of the exercises did not alter their “aggressive essence”. She added that her brother still had “good memories and view of Trump”, but said Washington had not abandoned its hostile stance towards North Korea.

What next?
The “unprecedented curtailing shakes South Korea’s confidence in America’s commitment to come to its aid under a defence pact that is the foundation of their relationship”, said Tabby Wilson and Jake Kwon on the BBC.

A Trump-Kim meeting could potentially take place in China in November, although no details have been confirmed.

What happened
Australian player Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for cocaine. In a statement on Instagram, Kyrgios said he had “made a huge mistake”.

Who said what
Lamenting the potential end of his tennis career, he said: “I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me.” While it is not an excuse, he added that “letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face ... at times I’ve felt helpless and alone”.

But his career “may not have actually reached its conclusion just yet”, said The Independent’s Kieran Jackson. At age 31, he “just about has time on his side” and “for all his numerous outbursts, he still brings a certain charisma and eccentricity to tennis; one which can captivate a different kind of audience”.

What next?
Kyrgios could be banned for up to four years, but if he can prove that he took the drug outside of competition, the maximum suspension he would face is three months.

France has taken a major step towards cracking down on telemarketers with the passage of a new law. It may make the French people happy, but at least one country across the Mediterranean Sea is concerned about the move. Moroccans worry that the law, which bans unsolicited cold calls, could have a negative impact on its own job market.

The law means that French companies are no longer “allowed to advertise goods and services through such calls unless consumers previously gave their consent or if the calls are about a pre-existing contract”, said The New York Times. While many countries have attempted to enact no-contact lists for telemarketers, the law represents a much more proactive approach in France. Violators of the law will be subject to fines of up to £63,000.

Despite the joy in France, the feeling in Morocco is different. Given the nations’ close proximity, Morocco “represents a major market for telemarketing companies” contacting French customers, added the Times. Moroccan officials have “indicated that between 40,000 and 50,000 jobs could be at risk of disappearing” because of the new law, according to Moroccan newspaper Le Matin.

Moroccan authorities are currently “rolling out a plan to ease the impact of the French law and support the sector”, according to Hespress, one of the country’s local news outlets. The plan starts by “encouraging companies to expand into new markets in Europe, including Germany, Spain and Italy, as well as into Africa and Latin America”. Officials are also urging companies to “shift from traditional telemarketing to higher-value services, including technical support, digital logistics, consulting and market research”.