enFRANCE 24’s coverage of political, social and geostrategic issues across Asia and the Pacific, including those affecting China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, India, Pakistan and Australia.https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:40:18 GMTAccess Asiahttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/access-asia/20260918-ai-safety-no-china-will-not-hit-the-brakes A spate of warnings in recent days about the dangers of AI have sparked mixed reactions: from Donald Trump dismissing the fears as a hoax, to Beijing criticising calls for the US to block its advancement as fearmongering. As President Xi Jinping heads to Washington for talks, FRANCE 24's technology correspondent Peter O'Brien explains why the two superpowers are unlikely to forge binding agreements on AI regulation.  2e31701c-b296-11f1-9984-e9cb2938fd2eFri, 18 Sep 2026 15:40:13 GMTYuka ROYERhttps://www.france24.com/en/india-vows-to-protect-energy-security-after-new-us-tariffs-over-russian-oil India has warned Washington that new measures to levy tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil could impact bilateral ties, the South Asian nation's foreign ministry said on Thursday, hours after the U.S. made a ​new move to ‌punish such buyers. Earlier in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions and tariff bill intended ⁠to increase economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports. 34c0c9b0-b2c7-11f1-97f0-6169335f43d8Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:50:04 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260917-turkey-s-erdogan-to-run-in-early-2028-vote-sidestepping-constitutional-term-limit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to run in an early election in 2028 in order to circumvent the constitutional term limits he would face if he serves out his full current term, a top adviser said Thursday. Under Turkey's constitution, parliament can trigger early elections given the support of 360 lawmakers, meaning the ruling AKP and its nationalist ally MHP will need support of at least 34 more lawmakers.  61db83a0-b299-11f1-ac71-d3d2a32cd2e1Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:12:06 GMT© Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via APFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260916-hong-kong-unveils-first-five-year-plan-to-cement-position-as-global-financial-hub Hong ⁠Kong leader ​John Lee on Wednesday unveiled the city's first five-year plan to boost its global position as a financial hub. The plan serves as a social and economic roadmap detailing the city-state's strategic priorities, including an aim to expand technology ties with mainland China. 579e5e40-b18f-11f1-8ef2-9d69488b4342Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:54:19 GMT© Chan Long Heic, APFRANCE 24A proposhttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/a-propos/20260915-china-projecting-image-of-stabilising-force-in-world-politics-expert-says Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Rex Li, Professor of International Relations at King's College London, says that China "is trying to promote an alternative international security order and project itself as a stabilising force in world politics", adding that while Beijing "is increasingly willing to play a more significant part in ending the conflict in the Middle East, so far we haven't seen any concrete proposals coming from China". 64b3bf6c-b149-11f1-a62a-7373a9b92652Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:06:59 GMTMonte FRANCIShttps://www.france24.com/en/china-projecting-image-of-stabilising-force-in-world-politics-expert-says Speaking with FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Rex Li, Professor of International Relations at King's College London, says that China "is trying to promote an alternative international security order and project itself as a stabilising force in world politics", adding that while Beijing "is increasingly willing to play a more significant part in ending the conflict in the Middle East, so far we haven't seen any concrete proposals coming from China". bfd9f444-b147-11f1-8be9-458f0b1bbdc3Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:04:52 GMTFRANCE24Truth or Fakehttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/truth-or-fake/20260915-viral-putin-modi-and-xi-selfie-at-brics-summit-is-ai-generated A viral selfie allegedly showing leaders including, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra at the BRICS summit in New Delhi is AI-generated. A SynthID watermark shows it was created using OpenAI tools. Several leaders pictured, including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, did not attend. Another AI selfie features former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in 2024. Both images were widely shared online, including by official embassy accounts. Vedika Bahl fact-checks. 3c38d978-b13a-11f1-9959-e14b589b7463Tue, 15 Sep 2026 19:49:22 GMTVedika BAHLAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260914-turkey-police-disperse-pro-lgbtq-protesters-with-tear-gas Turkish police fired tear gas at pro-LGBTQ demonstrators in the western city of Izmir on Monday, as activists protested a nationwide crackdown that saw dozens arrested over the weekend in a campaign authorities described as defending traditional family values. 87afc0c8-b073-11f1-a63d-8187002fc3b1Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:54:47 GMT© Murat Kocabas, AFPFRANCE 24Perspectivehttps://www.france24.com/en/what-makes-china-work-despite-the-pain-in-society-asks-analyst-dan-wang In this edition of Perspective, FRANCE 24’s Stuart Norval speaks to Dan Wang, a China expert whose book ‘Breakneck:  China’s Quest to Engineer the Future’ is a New York Times bestseller. It takes a close look at Chinese life and draws from Wang’s own ten years of living there. Wang says the China and the US are some of the most similar people in the world, as they are both hustlers and take shortcuts. 9b41e602-b023-11f1-ba20-f30fc234c655Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:30:45 GMTStuart NORVALFocushttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20260914-climate-catastrophe-leaves-nepal-mourning-while-the-search-for-the-missing-continues The himalayan flash flood that devastated northern Nepal on August 26 was an unprecedented disaster. The death toll continues to rise, with nearly 1,400 people now confirmed dead and 5,130 still missing, including around 600 foreign nationals from 35 countries.   dc556a7a-ae01-11f1-84db-3d527545dca5Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:43:12 GMTShahzaib WAHLAHhttps://www.france24.com/en/video/20260914-indonesia-rescuers-resume-search-for-129-missing-after-ferry-capsized Hundreds of Indonesian rescuers including the coast guard and the navy raced on Monday to board a passenger ship that capsized in the Java Sea over the weekend as they searched for 129 people still missing, officials said, with the confirmed death toll at six. 613bb892-b01a-11f1-9e2e-5717fae8172dMon, 14 Sep 2026 08:57:56 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260914-indonesia-intensifies-search-missing-after-ferry-capsizes-java-sea Indonesian rescue teams on Monday deployed specialised underwater teams and navy-operated underwater drones as the search for more than 120 people missing in the Virgo Transport 8 ferry capsizing intensified. 74701ad0-b000-11f1-89da-97819e5a8baaMon, 14 Sep 2026 06:14:26 GMT© Iman Satria, APFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260913-turkey-detains-dozens-in-raids-of-bars-homes-in-crackdown-on-lgbtq-community Turkish authorities on Sunday launched raids on gay bars, nightclubs, LGBTQ association offices and activists' homes in a sweeping crackdown in several cities as part of the government's "My Family is Safe" operations, Turkey's justice minister said. More than 60 people were arrested, according to the state news agency, in raids condemned by human rights groups. 13fdb5a4-afab-11f1-a334-833d43ba313fSun, 13 Sep 2026 19:41:12 GMT© AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/indonesia-second-ferry-disaster-in-five-days At least one person has died and more than 100 people remain missing after a ferry carrying 243 people sank in rough weather between the Indonesian islands of Java and Borneo. The disaster is the second major ferry accident in the region in five days, renewing concerns over safety standards, overcrowding and maintenance. e6e73e0c-af62-11f1-a370-6ba72121faf5Sun, 13 Sep 2026 13:17:21 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/brics-summit-what-came-out-of-the-new-delhi-meeting The BRICS summit in New Delhi ended with a joint declaration calling for greater Global South influence in global governance and urging restraint in the Middle East. The gathering also served as a platform for one-to-one diplomacy, with leaders holding a series of bilateral meetings aimed at easing regional tensions. FRANCE 24's Navodita Kumari has the details. 21143122-af52-11f1-b2e8-892c781611bdSun, 13 Sep 2026 09:27:16 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260913-second-life-nepal-hydropower-tunnel-survivor-recalls-ordeal Nepali hydropower worker Sanjay Sah survived in total darkness inside a tunnel flooded by the deadly flash flood that struck the China-Nepal border on August 26, drinking muddy water and praying that rescuers would find him. The survivor, who was rescued on September 4, recalls the 10 days he spent stranded. 004d6efe-af2a-11f1-bc02-2d0ec09addbfSun, 13 Sep 2026 04:17:14 GMT© Deepesh Deo Joshi, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260912-brics-summit-set-to-be-dominated-by-wars-in-ukraine-and-iran BRICS leaders meeting in New Delhi on Saturday unanimously adopted a joint declaration expressing "deep concern" over the war in the Middle East and urging maximum restraint. The statement was seen as indirect criticism of US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.  9ab4972a-ae75-11f1-b021-616a589aab18Sat, 12 Sep 2026 06:51:43 GMT© Kristina Solovyova via ReutersFRANCE 24The Observershttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-observers/20260911-hate-speech-rohingya-refugees-rise-malaysia Hostile social media content, disinformation campaigns, and a petition calling for their expulsion: in Malaysia, a wave of hate speech has been targeting Rohingya refugees, a Muslim minority driven out of Myanmar. The rising hostility has already led to the eviction of more than 100 people from a village and forced the temporary closure of schools serving refugee children. 775b02f2-ad38-11f1-8f3b-e32b0cda81f5Fri, 11 Sep 2026 14:34:53 GMTThe FRANCE 24 ObserversReportershttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/reporters/20260911-nepal-rescue-efforts-continue-in-the-aftermath-of-a-flash-flooding-disaster Two weeks after the devastating flash floods, the number of dead and missing continues to rise. At Kathmandu’s public hospital, as well as outside the military base in Bidur, hundreds of photographs of missing people have been put up. Hundreds of families come forward, hoping for news – good or bad – of one or more loved ones. A race against time is underway: helping survivors, finding those still alive and identifying the victims. Rescue teams have been carrying out repeated helicopter flights, as air access is now the only way to reach remote areas cut off from the rest of the world. Civil society has also mobilised, particularly Nepal’s Generation Z. From Kathmandu to Betrawati, FRANCE 24's reporters Alban Alvarez and Fantine Dantzer accompanied a humanitarian convoy along one of the country’s most treacherous roads. cdd519d4-adc3-11f1-8bfe-bd17830f66bcFri, 11 Sep 2026 09:41:40 GMTAlban ALVAREZAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260911-putin-xi-india-brics-summit-ukraine-middle-east-wars Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a two-day BRICS summit expected to focus on wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and economic challenges. Putin and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian are due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while China’s Xi Jinping is also expected to hold talks. d205e28a-ad83-11f1-a855-07ef7956a524Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:08:34 GMT© Sajjad Hussain, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260911-hong-kong-court-sentences-tiananmen-vigil-activists-to-between-5-and-7-years-in-jail Three activists who had held annual vigils commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown were sentenced to between five and seven years in prison Friday for calling for an "end to one-party dictatorship". Prosecutors had argued that China's constitution enshrines the primacy of the Communist Party. 0042bb60-ad83-11f1-8e0c-07ef7956a524Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:49:17 GMT© Isaac Lawrence, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260910-north-korea-succession-in-question-as-seoul-spy-agency-unveils-potential-new-heir A South Korean spy agency on Thursday revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could have a child born before his chosen successor, daughter Kim Ju Ae, which raises questions about succession. Information about the Kim dynasty is scarce and often difficult to verify.  01a4f374-acf7-11f1-9153-bfbc394ea958Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:07:10 GMT© Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260910-at-least-five-killed-87-missing-after-ferry-fire-in-philippines At least five people died and dozens were unaccounted for Thursday after a ferry caught fire off the Philippine island province of Palawan, with 43 passengers and crew rescued so far. Coast guard teams continued search and rescue operations as officials worked to establish what happened. 60942422-acb6-11f1-ab5e-9924198a0345Thu, 10 Sep 2026 01:24:32 GMT© AFPFRANCE 24Focushttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20260909-the-world-s-third-global-aerospace-market-india-s-civil-aviation-sector-takes-off The aviation sector is one of the India's strongest-performing industries. More than 70 airports have been built over the past decade, and the country counts over 400 million air passengers annually. In just ten years, India has become the world's third-largest aviation market, behind China and the United States. 754eda76-ab9c-11f1-b892-d5d37e7d97b0Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:34:24 GMTAlban ALVAREZhttps://www.france24.com/en/video/20260908-spoiler-alert-ai-in-cinema-just-a-tool-won-t-replace-actors-and-human-beings-1 Eve Irvine is pleased to welcome film producer Lahoucine Grimich. He challenges the prevailing narrative that cinema is an industry in existential crisis. While acknowledging that viewing habits have dramatically shifted since the pandemic, he argues that streaming platforms, public support and theatrical exhibition are not competing forces. As demonstrated in the French model, they form parts of an interconnected financing ecosystem in which cinema can adapt without ever abandoning the big screen. He frames filmmaking as a form of cultural sovereignty: societies need films not simply as entertainment, but to recognise themselves and to create what he calls “new imaginaries.” 37cce99c-ab86-11f1-9bb5-637ae701f8efTue, 08 Sep 2026 14:11:18 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260908-nepal-rescuers-race-to-free-dozens-trapped-in-hydropower-tunnels Authorities in Nepal on Tuesday said that rescuers are focusing on three hydropower project tunnels where they believe dozens of workers could be trapped. The announcement came two weeks after ​a devastating ‌flood killed that hundreds and left thousands missing in the Himalayan country and in ⁠neighbouring China's Tibet region. c4cbfcc0-ab4f-11f1-b918-29caed3e7682Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:51:29 GMT© Pedro Pardo, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260906-six-airports-in-indonesia-suspend-operations-after-volcanic-eruption Eight airports in Indonesia, including Jakarta's main international airport, suspended operations Sunday after the erupting Anak Krakatoa volcano spewed clouds of ash across the archipelago. Geologists said that the latest series of eruptions does not have the potential to trigger a tsunami at this time. 7ac58c12-a9c0-11f1-8628-b7773d79cef0Sun, 06 Sep 2026 06:59:17 GMT© Ronald Siagian, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260905-i-dont-know-if-im-dreaming-rebuilding-lives-after-nepal-devastating-floods With thousands of people driven from their homes by a massive flash flood that swept entire villages away, FRANCE 24 visits a school in Nepal's remote Rasuwa district that has been converted to a temporary shelter for the dispossessed.  61d66626-a90d-11f1-9655-456b2dea8570Sat, 05 Sep 2026 10:16:34 GMT© FRANCE 24 screen captureShahzaib WAHLAHAccess Asiahttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/access-asia/20260904-rebuilding-after-nepal-flash-floods-expert-says-risk-management-is-key-in-himalayas Following devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet, Access Asia takes a closer look at the fragile state of the Himalayan mountains. Dr Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an expert on the environment and risk management in the Himalayas, explains why it's so difficult to detect glacier movements in advance and says that the tragedy could serve as an opportunity to improve the way nations develop infrastructure in the resource-rich region.  9710a5ce-a85c-11f1-994b-6be82c255321Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:34:07 GMTYuka ROYERhttps://www.france24.com/en/video/20260904-nepal-floods-two-workers-pulled-alive-from-tunnel-after-nine-days Nepal's emergency crews have pulled two workers out of a hydropower tunnel where they had been trapped for nine days. The rescue comes more than a week after flash flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border killed more than 1,200 people. Both men have injuries to their hands and legs and have been airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment. c8ee8822-a85c-11f1-b433-ef8cb436237bFri, 04 Sep 2026 13:54:33 GMTFRANCE24