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/Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:15:23 GMTAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260329-north-korea-tests-high-thrust-engine-for-missile-capable-of-striking-us-mainland North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel engine for weapons and hailed it as a development to boost the country’s strategic military capability, state media reported Sunday. Analysts said the test signalled efforts to place multiple warheads on a single missile capable of reaching the United States mainland. 6c7521e8-2b2d-11f1-a923-454c06bc7824Sun, 29 Mar 2026 05:09:11 GMT© KCNA via KNS/AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/indonesia-begins-enforcing-social-media-ban-for-children-under-16s Indonesia began enforcing a social media ban for children under the age of 16 on Saturday, after a minister warned digital platforms there was "no room for compromise." he Southeast Asian nation announced the ban this month citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying and internet addiction, as concerns grow globally over the impact of social media on children's wellbeing. 890a0c54-2a99-11f1-bb9d-170d7cc87e21Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:35:54 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260328-what-taiwan-imprisonment-opposition-figure-ko-wen-je-means-political-landscape Taiwanese opposition figure Ko Wen-je was sentenced this week to 17 years in prison, ending his bid for the 2028 presidential election and removing a prominent centrist from the political stage. Analysts say the ruling could reshape the island’s political dynamics, with implications for both domestic alignments and cross-strait relations.  70c9584e-2a02-11f1-bbbd-059d315e3f8cSat, 28 Mar 2026 11:12:52 GMT© I-Hwa Cheng, AFPNatasha LIhttps://www.france24.com/en/video/20260327-belarusian-leader-gifts-gun-to-north-korea-s-kim-jong-un The Belarusian and North Korean leaders exchanged gifts as they met to sign a friendship treaty. Alexander #Lukashenko aims to strengthen ties with #Russia allies while normalizing his relationship with the #US. 006a69ee-29ee-11f1-bb4b-3fb35ff04c74Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:02:40 GMTFRANCE24Access Asiahttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/access-asia/20260327-pakistan-the-peacemaker-islamabad-steps-up-as-us-iran-mediator On this week's Access Asia we look at how Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator to end the war in Iran. The Atlantic Council's Michael Kugelman tells us the conflict spillover risks are particularly acute, adding that Pakistan badly wants to avoid getting dragged into the war. 6df735ba-29e3-11f1-808a-8beddc6fa391Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:22:25 GMTJoanna COCKERELLAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260326-france-is-more-and-more-keen-on-australia-critical-minerals-investment-minister-says France is "more and more keen" on investing in Australian critical minerals projects, Australia's Resources Minister Madeleine King said Thursday, as countries across the world race to secure access to rare earths and other much-needed minerals. Canberra is hunting for billions in foreign investment in mining and processing projects in the hope of reaping high rewards from critical minerals exports. 7a81e96e-28e0-11f1-b817-6fb26ac2bd4bThu, 26 Mar 2026 07:36:12 GMT© Melanie Burton, ReutersFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260325-lukashenko-greeted-by-kim-jong-un-on-first-visit-to-north-korea Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made his first visit to North Korea on Wednesday, where he and Kim Jong Un signed a "friendship and cooperation" treaty the next day. The trip highlights growing ties between the two Moscow-aligned nations, both of which have supported Russia’s war in Ukraine, even as human rights abuses and Western sanctions continue to mount. dc0d3a58-289f-11f1-84af-876a0b2cde55Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:10:47 GMT© Belarus' Presidential Press Service, APFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260325-india-s-historic-haveli-homes-caught-between-revival-and-ruin Once the grand residences of Mughal-era nobility, the Indian capital's haveli homes now stand at a fragile crossroads – a handful lovingly restored but many more sliding quietly into ruin. Across Old Delhi cracked facades, shuttered gateways and sagging balconies tell the story of a heritage under siege.  82793ec6-286b-11f1-ba1a-31c29e75594bWed, 25 Mar 2026 16:56:03 GMTFRANCE24https://www.france24.com/en/eu-and-australia-sign-free-trade-deal-and-boost-defence-cooperation The European Union and Australia struck a long-awaited free-trade deal on March 24. The two countries have also agreed to boost defence cooperation and access to crucial rare-earth minerals in the face of global uncertainty over trade. Speaking while visiting Australia, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was necessary at a time where tariffs and supplu chains are being weaponised. 17c1690c-2788-11f1-8cb7-3dc7f8f1e70cTue, 24 Mar 2026 14:08:22 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260324-afghanistan-taliban-government-releases-detained-us-national-dennis-coyle Afghanistan’s Taliban government said on Tuesday it had released American academic Dennis Coyle after more than a year in detention. Coyle was arrested in January 2025 on allegations he violated laws, although Afghan authorities never publicly stated what laws he was accused of violating.  b756c00e-2781-11f1-b38e-275dbee7d026Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:22:19 GMT© Wakil Kohsar, AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260324-eu-signs-trade-deal-with-australia-as-it-looks-for-new-partners-amid-tension-with-us-1 The European Union and Australia struck a long-awaited free-trade deal on March 24, while also agreeing to boost defence cooperation and access to crucial rare-earth minerals in the face of global uncertainty over trade. It's the latest Brussels has agreed to, to diversify trade. But the deal was slammed by EU farmers, who have called 'unacceptable'. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating has more from Brussels. aa317114-2766-11f1-818c-b3039e50fa84Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:32:44 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260323-north-korea-kim-jong-un-nuclear-armed-status-irreversible North Korea will never relinquish its status as a nuclear-armed state, state media reported leader Kim Jong-un as saying on Tuesday. Speaking after his reappointment to head the State Affairs Commission, Kim called the policy "irreversible" and vowed to intensify efforts against what he described as "hostile forces". adf9953e-270b-11f1-bdda-e540d00bed4fMon, 23 Mar 2026 23:08:05 GMT© STR / KCNA VIA KNS/AFPFRANCE 24Access Asiahttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/access-asia/20260320-japan-s-pm-walks-tightrope-in-high-stakes-washington-visit Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi travelled to Washington hoping to strengthen ties with the United States. The visit turned into a delicate balancing act amid US President Donald Trump's growing pressure on allies to help the US in the Iran war. Yuka Royer discusses the visit with James Schoff, Senior Director at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA. 37d4fce2-2461-11f1-8b15-cb17e0923708Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:27:05 GMTYuka ROYERAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260320-supreme-leader-says-iran-dealt-enemies-dizzying-blow Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday said Iran had struck a “dizzying blow” in its war with Israel and the United States in a written message marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, even as blasts rocked the capital Tehran. Israel accused the Islamic republic of targeting Jerusalem’s holiest sites after suspected Iranian missile debris landed just inside the Old City.  54c5f826-2423-11f1-a33b-c114c2cac133Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:09:18 GMT© - / AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260319-mumbai-celebrates-local-new-year #Mumbai rang with drums as it celebrated the #GudiPadwa festival, which marks the start of the new year in #Marathi culture and the arrival of spring. "Gudi" references the flag of Lord Brahma, creator of the universe according to Hindus, and "Padwa" means the first day of the lunar phase. fd84efa6-23b2-11f1-9e97-17d83d6345e8Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:45:08 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260318-iran-women-s-football-team-return-home-after-asylum-tussle ⁠The Iranian women's ​football team crossed the Turkish border into Iran on Wednesday to complete a fraught ​return journey from Australia, after five members withdrew asylum claims they had lodged there. 0c04252e-22c8-11f1-9181-c909df3f1d76Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:43:20 GMT© Ali Ihsan Ozturk, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260318-pakistan-announces-temporary-eid-pause-in-conflict-with-afghanistan Pakistan on Wednesday announced a "temporary pause" in hostilities with Afghanistan ahead of the Eid al-Fitr feast marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The decision was made at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, said a senior Pakistani official. It came hours before Afghans held a mass funeral in Kabul for the victims of a Pakistani strike on a drug treatment centre. 43b4e604-22b7-11f1-9808-2d165f236ab1Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:43:12 GMT© Wakil Kohsar, AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/video/20260317-kyrgyzstan-white-yak-herders-hope-for-recognition-amid-agricultural-revival High up in the mountains of #Kyrgyzstan, a white yak has been bred over three generations of #herders. The family hopes to patent its breed as yaks are being presented by the #government as a sustainable solution for the agricultural nation in the face of #climate change. 4c2f3514-220d-11f1-b66a-dfb48b5171b7Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:26:32 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260317-like-doomsday-pakistan-air-strike-kills-at-least-400-in-kabul-drug-rehab-centre-taliban-says A Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul killed at least 400 people and wounded more than 250 on Monday night, the Taliban government said Tuesday. Islamabad last month launched a military operation against Afghanistan last month, accusing the government of sheltering extremist groups. 548ee8f8-21cc-11f1-90f5-172c39ddbbfbTue, 17 Mar 2026 07:42:18 GMT© Wakil Kohsar, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260316-afghanistan-accuses-pakistan-of-killing-at-least-four-civilians-in-kabul-strike The Taliban government in Afghanistan on Monday accused Pakistan’s military of targeting a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul in airstrikes that they say killed 200 people and wounded several others. Pakistan rejected the accusation, saying it had targeted "military installations". e2204e60-2171-11f1-9b06-191fdbe52645Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:06:16 GMT© Stringer, AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/sri-lanka-and-thailand-bring-in-fuel-rationing-measures-amidst-middle-east-war As oil prices continue to rise and supply is disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East, the Sri Lankan government has announced fuel-rationing measures, effective immediately. Thailand has seen a rush to the pumps causing shortages, as people try to fuel up before price control measures expire. e1fdfc08-2143-11f1-bfd3-3546d956b366Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:49:35 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260316-china-urges-us-correct-erroneous-ways-trade-probes-paris-talks Beijing said on Monday it had “lodged representations” with Washington and urged the United States to “correct its erroneous ways” after new US trade probes launched last week. China’s commerce ministry called on Washington to meet Beijing halfway and resolve disputes through dialogue, as negotiators from both countries meet in Paris. 871c9834-20db-11f1-a58f-771b5f6b0176Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:22:23 GMT© Patrick T. Fallon, AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/why-north-korea-just-fired-rockets-during-us-south-korea-military-drills North Korea launched multiple rockets toward a target 360 km away while Kim Jong Un observed with his daughter. The test coincides with joint US–South Korea military exercises and rising concerns about regional security. Story by Camille Corcoran. 5b357eb8-2061-11f1-bd1f-abe782642ea6Sun, 15 Mar 2026 11:36:22 GMTFRANCE24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260314-north-korea-tests-nuclear-capable-rocket-launchers-amid-us-south-korea-military-drills North Korea on Sunday tested nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers that Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un said should make the country's enemies feel a sense of "uneasiness". The tests came one day after South Korea detected 10 ballistic missiles launched from North Korea.  12c2cb4c-1ff6-11f1-90cf-6da244346a36Sat, 14 Mar 2026 22:35:15 GMT© Stringer, KCNA via KNS, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260313-cooking-gas-crisis-india-restaurants-war-iran Restaurants in India are suffering the consequences of disruptions to supplies of cooking gas caused by the war in the Middle East. Two restaurant owners describe the mounting challenges of operating under the crisis and the measures they’re taking to adapt. 8e1aa824-1eba-11f1-8956-3b9ef482090cFri, 13 Mar 2026 16:33:00 GMT© Image shared with our team by chef Liju NinanThe FRANCE 24 ObserversRevisitedhttps://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/revisited/20260313-south-korea-the-forgotten-jeju-uprising-and-massacre Nearly 80 years ago, a brutal crackdown on Jeju Island in southern Korea claimed tens of thousands of lives. In the aftermath of World War II, the Korean peninsula was drawn into the Cold War and divided in two: a Soviet-backed regime in the North, and a US-supported nationalist government in the South. On Jeju, some residents resisted this division, and the South Korean government soon branded the island a communist stronghold. 6907d89a-1e01-11f1-9e17-b78861710c2eFri, 13 Mar 2026 10:08:02 GMTMélodie SFORZAAsia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260313-pakistan-airstrikes-kabul-afghanistan-four-killed Afghan authorities said Friday that Pakistani air strikes hit Kabul and border provinces overnight, killing six people in the capital. A Pakistani security official confirmed the operation, saying it targeted the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad has stepped up strikes in Afghanistan amid rising militant attacks, a claim Kabul’s Taliban government denies. 8f0a77a8-1e8f-11f1-aa4e-79fc30941a45Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:55:25 GMT© Maaz Awan, APFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260312-train-connecting-china-and-north-korea-arrives-in-pyongyang-after-6-year-hiatus A passenger that departed from Dandong in China arrived in North Korea's capital Pyongyang on Thursday evening, state media said, after a six-year hiatus following strict border closures enforced in 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the isolated nuclear state. ebb15f32-1dfc-11f1-a116-6f99a309dc48Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:19:13 GMT© Adek Berry, AFPFRANCE 24Asia / Pacifichttps://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260312-china-s-new-ethnic-unity-law-could-target-minorities-say-rights-groups China approved a new "ethnic unity" law on Thursday, which formalises policies to promote Mandarin as the "national common language" in education, official business and public places. China's government has been accused for decades of pursuing policies to force assimilation across the vast country into the Han majority, and rights groups believe the new law could further marginalise minority groups.  e077e416-1dd8-11f1-b764-2b763ea14d6fThu, 12 Mar 2026 06:01:13 GMT© Pedro Pardo, AFPFRANCE 24https://www.france24.com/en/six-members-of-iranian-women-s-football-team-granted-asylum-in-australia The Iranian women’s soccer team left Australia without six squad members after frantic final efforts inside the terminal by Australian officials, who sought to ensure the women understood they were being offered asylum. Initially offered to seven, one of the players changed her mind in a last-minute decision after speaking to other squad members. a397cc6c-1d4e-11f1-9905-fd3b7697ec2aWed, 11 Mar 2026 13:35:14 GMTFRANCE24