Pacific Asia
Friday, october 31, 2025
K-pop diplomacy goes full throttle as South Korea hosts APEC summit
Pacific Asia • 3:18 PM
1 min
Recently back from military service, BTS's leader RM made history by becoming the first K-pop idol to give a keynote address at an APEC CEO summit in South Korea, calling on global leaders to support culture and embrace diversity. Coming four years after
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UN accuses Iran of widespread arrests, abuses after 12-day war with Israel
Pacific Asia • 2:53 AM
1 min
United Nations fact finders on Thursday condemned Iran for intensifying repression since its 12-day war with Israel in June, reporting more than 21,000 arrests and widespread mistreatment of minorities and journalists.
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Thursday, october 30, 2025
Trump-Xi meeting brought back 'relative calm' on trade, expert says
Pacific Asia • 8:25 PM
1 min
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Rana Mitter, S.T. Lee Chair in US - Asia relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, says that the meeting between US president Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping has managed to restore 'a relative calm' in terms
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A truce on whose terms? Trump hails pause in trade war with China
Pacific Asia • 7:27 PM
1 min
After launching a trade war with China, Donald Trump is now declaring a deal is at hand for a one-year truce. With nothing yet signed, we ask about the South Korean sit-down between the US president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, promises of red
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Tariff cuts, soybeans, rare earths exports: Trade takeaways from Trump-Xi meeting
Pacific Asia • 4:56 PM
1 min
From the lowering of US tariffs on Chinese goods to an agreement by Beijing not to tighten restrictions on rare earths exports, the meeting between President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping Thursday was a "great success", the US leader said. While Ch
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Both US and China leaders get concessions to help domestic economy in deal
Pacific Asia • 3:58 PM
1 min
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their high-stakes meeting in South Korea with a trade-war truce. While there were no drastic changes in the relationship, the two sides did agree to a year-long extension of their cur
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"There are no winners" in the US-China deal
Pacific Asia • 3:57 PM
1 min
The US-China deal has prompted questions as to what each country has managed - or not - to get from the other, with the world's two biggest economy promising a year-long trade truce. But in truth "there are no winners" in the deal Peter Gries, Lee Kai Hu
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"Trump sees he is face-to-face with someone who will not budge" when it comes to Xi
Pacific Asia • 11:44 AM
1 min
With a US-China deal on the table after talks between Trump and Xi, the question is who had the upper-hand in the negotiations as the world's two largest economies talk trade. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle looks at what that deal tells us about the relationsh
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Deal could benefit Chinese economy by stabilising the global flow of trade
Pacific Asia • 11:04 AM
1 min
After Trump hailed an "amazing" meeting with XI Jinping, China confirms it found "consensus" with the US. The deal could lead to a year-long trade truce between the world's two largest economies. By bringing more stability into the global flow of trade,
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Donald Trump will be visiting China in April following talks with Xi Jinping
Pacific Asia • 10:38 AM
1 min
Speaking aboard Air Force One, US President Donald Trump said a deal had been reached with Xi Jinping. Trump is also set to visit China in April. It was the first time the two leaders were shaking hands again since 2019, with hopes it will ease tensions
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Donald Trump hails "amazing" meeting with Xi Jinping
Pacific Asia • 10:14 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump described his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on October 30, 2025, as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China by ten percentage points. He also said Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare eart
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Trump trims tariffs on China, strikes rare earths deal after talks with Xi
Pacific Asia • 3:32 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had agreed with President Xi Jinping to lower tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing resuming US soybean purchases and keeping rare earths exports flowing. The talks, their first face-to-face meeting since
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Wednesday, october 29, 2025
Trump approves South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarine
Pacific Asia • 11:03 PM
1 min
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has authorised South Korea to build its first nuclear-powered submarine, marking a major shift in the allies’ defence cooperation. The announcement came a day after the two countries reached a broad trade d
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'Xi Jinping sees Donald Trump as a gift that keeps on giving', expert says
Pacific Asia • 10:22 PM
1 min
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Robert Manning, Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Centre's Global Foresight Hub and China Program, says that Chinese leader Xi Jinping sees US President Donald Trump as "a gift that keeps on giving", as Trump's
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What is the US-South Korea deal looking like?
Pacific Asia • 4:25 PM
1 min
U.S. and South Korea have made progress on their fraught trade deal. On the final leg of President Donald Trump's tour of Asia, he met with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung. No agreement has officially been signed but Trump lauded the day as a
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WWI soldiers' messages found on Australian beach in a shored-up bottle
Pacific Asia • 3:08 PM
1 min
Messages in a bottle written by two Australian soldiers a few days into their voyage to the battlefields of France during World War I have been found more than a century later on Australia’s coast. One of the soldiers requested the bottle's finder delive
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A deal with the US is 'important for South Korea's economy and regional security'
Pacific Asia • 1:59 PM
1 min
South Korea says Donald Trump has proposed talks on South Korea’s wish to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Although both sides said progress has been made — Trump said things were “pretty much finalised” — no agreement has been signed yet. Henrietta L
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Donald Trump visits South Korea for summit ahead of US-Chinese talks
Pacific Asia • 10:45 AM
1 min
It's been a busy week for the US president. After signing deals with South-East Asian nations in Malaysia on October 26 and a rare earths and nuclear agreement with Japan's new Prime Minister on October 28, Trump arrived in South Korea for the Asia-Pacif
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Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to meet in South Korea amid trade war
Pacific Asia • 10:20 AM
1 min
US and Chinese negotiators have both confirmed a "framework" has been agreed leading up to Trump and Xi's first face-to-face meeting during the US president's second term. The October 29 meeting might yield a truce in the trade war between the world's to
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US, South Korea advance trade deal during Trump's visit to Seoul
Pacific Asia • 8:39 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he and his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung had “pretty much finalised” a trade deal that will see Washington steeply lower its tariffs on Seoul in return for a $350 billion investment in the US.
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Tuesday, october 28, 2025
North Korea fires cruise missiles ahead of Trump’s South Korea visit
Pacific Asia • 11:45 PM
1 min
North Korea launched a series of sea-to-surface cruise missiles into its western waters on Tuesday, state media said, in a show of force coinciding with US President Donald Trump’s trip to South Korea for a regional summit. The tests come as Pyongyang de
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US and Japan forge stronger alliances
Pacific Asia • 2:33 PM
1 min
US President Donald Trump is on a visit to Japan, where he met with newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, highlighting strengthened security and trade ties. He approved Japan's long-awaited missile order for F-35 fighter jets and praised Takaichi’
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Former Vietnamese imperial city of Hue flooded after record rainfall
Pacific Asia • 2:05 PM
1 min
The former imperial city of Hue found itself flooded after record rainfall in #Vietnam. Nearly two metres of water fell in just 24 hours - a record that had been standing since 1999. Scientists say human-driven #climatechange is making extreme weather ev
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'Every day the situation for Afghan women gets worse and worse,' campaigner says
Pacific Asia • 2:03 PM
1 min
A leading campaigner for women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan says the recent cutting off of the internet in the country led many women there to "completely" lose hope for the future. Mursal Sayas says that "every day" the situation for women gets "w
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Japanese new PM rolls out 'charm offensive' for Donald Trump
Pacific Asia • 11:59 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump is currently in Japan for a key visit as the country faces growing concerns over China's rise and North Korea's nuclear threats. Japan, heavily reliant on US security, is seeking to find a new balance between strengthening its a
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Donald Trump meets with newly elected Japanese PM Takaichi in Tokyo
Pacific Asia • 10:19 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump met with Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, during a visit to Tokyo. As part of the trip, they visited an American military base, marking the first time a Japanese prime minister has done so. This visit is a p
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Shinzo Abe murder trial opens with gunman pleading guilty to killing ex-Japanese PM
Pacific Asia • 6:45 AM
1 min
Three years after the assassination of Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe shocked the world, the murder trial opened Tuesday with the suspect pleading guilty. "Everything is true," Tetsuya Yamagami told a court in the western city of Nara, admittin
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Japanese governor calls for military help amid spike in bear attacks
Pacific Asia • 5:57 AM
1 min
The governor of the northern Japanese Akita prefecture on Tuesday appealed for military help to deal with a surge of bear attacks that have killed a record 10 people this year. The animals have been increasingly encroaching on towns due to a combination
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US, Japan sign rare earths deal as Takaichi hails ‘golden age’ in bilateral ties
Pacific Asia • 3:37 AM
1 min
Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, hailed US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, vowing a “golden age of ties” as they signed a deal to secure critical minerals. Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, praised Trump’s peacemaking and will nominate
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Monday, october 27, 2025
Trump lands in Japan to meet PM Sanae Takaichi as China trade truce hopes rise
Pacific Asia • 5:57 PM
1 min
US President Donald Trump is set to meet newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo. The visit is part of a five-day Asia trip which he hopes to cap with a trade war truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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More than two decades after independence, East Timor finally joins ASEAN
Pacific Asia • 1:05 PM
1 min
Twenty-three years after obtaining its independence, East Timor is starting a new chapter in its history. The small Southeast Asian country has just joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, the region's most influential bloc. The move
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Is the US-China trade war coming to an end?
Pacific Asia • 11:29 AM
1 min
The United States and China are moving toward a potential trade agreement, according to US President Donald Trump. Ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 in South Korea, Trump said the two countries are set to “come away wit
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Trump meets Japan’s new PM amid hopes of US–China trade peace
Pacific Asia • 10:13 AM
1 min
Asian markets rallied as President Donald Trump’s tour of the region fuelled hopes of a breakthrough in US–China trade talks. In Japan, Trump meets newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss investment and trade — a visit that could seal a fr
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Trade deal nearing between US and China
Pacific Asia • 10:00 AM
1 min
Asian stocks rallied Monday after a US-China trade breakthrough, with Washington dropping plans for new tariffs and Beijing pledging more soybean imports. The progress clears the way for Trump and Xi to finalise a deal, easing global tensions. FRANCE 24'
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Trump says he 'would love' to meet with North Korea's Kim during Asia trip
Pacific Asia • 7:44 AM
1 min
President Donald Trump said Monday he "would love" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his current Asia trip. The US president arrived in Japan on the latest leg of his five-day Asia trip, which he hopes to cap with an agreement on atrade war
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Sunday, october 26, 2025
Trump kicks off Asia tour with Xi meeting on the agenda
Pacific Asia • 3:33 PM
1 min
US President Donald Trump started his Asia tour in Malaysia Sunday by rewarding Cambodia and Thailand with trade deals after co-signing their ceasefire pact, and saying he was confident of a "great" trade deal at upcoming talks with China's Xi Jinping. T
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Trump attends Thailand–Cambodia ceasefire signing in Malaysia
Pacific Asia • 9:53 AM
1 min
Thailand and Cambodia signed an expanded ceasefire agreement on Sunday during a ceremony attended by US President Donald Trump, whose threats of economic pressure pushed the two nations to halt skirmishes along their disputed border earlier this year. “T
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Kurdish PKK says it is withdrawing all forces from Turkey to northern Iraq
Pacific Asia • 9:18 AM
1 min
The militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said on Sunday it was withdrawing all its forces from Turkey to northern Iraq and urged Ankara to take the necessary legal steps to protect the peace process. Its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in May for the gr
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Trump attends Thai-Cambodian ceasefire ceremony before ASEAN summit in Malaysia
Pacific Asia • 6:26 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump attended the signing ceremony of an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the first stop on his Asia tour which could include talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Saturday, october 25, 2025
Tensions simmer at Thailand-Cambodia border despite ceasefire
Pacific Asia • 9:40 AM
1 min
Tensions remain high between Thailand and Cambodia, which continue to dispute territories along their shared border. In Thailand, hundreds of Cambodian families living in the contested zones have been ordered to leave. The ceasefire agreed on 28 July has
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Trump heads to Asia for talks with China's Xi amid trade tensions
Pacific Asia • 12:01 AM
1 min
US President Donald Trump on Saturday headed for Asia and high-stakes trade talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, saying that he would also like to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his trip. FRANCE 24 speaks to Robert Manning, Distinguished F
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Friday, october 24, 2025
Trump heads to Asia on diplomatic tour and meeting with China's Xi Jinping
Pacific Asia • 8:33 PM
1 min
US President Donald Trump embarked on a tour of Asia on Friday aimed at easing trade tensions and mending frayed ties with China, beginning with a summit of Southeast Asian nations in Malaysia before heading to Japan to meet new Prime Minister Sanae Taka
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Trump corners Modi on trade
Pacific Asia • 3:17 PM
1 min
On the show this week, we explore where things stand between the US and India, as reports emerge that the two sides are nearing a trade agreement. We ask our expert whether trust can be restored with Washington, and examine what lies ahead for relations
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An impossible choice: The ordeal of Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Pacific Asia • 2:04 PM
1 min
Pakistan has become inhospitable for the 2.8 million Afghan refugees who have lived there for decades. In the name of fighting terrorism, Islamabad has been pursuing a policy of mass deportation, expelling more than 660,000 Afghan refugees since the begi
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Turkish court throws out case seeking to oust main opposition party leader Ozel
Pacific Asia • 9:25 AM
1 min
An Ankara court on Friday rejected a bid to oust Turkey’s main opposition leader, Ozgur Ozel, and annul his party’s 2023 congress. The courtroom broke into applause as the judge read out the ruling, saying accusations of vote buying “had no basis”.
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‘Considerable’ chance for Trump-Kim meeting next week, South Korea says
Pacific Asia • 6:33 AM
1 min
There is a “considerable” chance that President Donald Trump will meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un next week during the US leader's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Seoul said on Friday.
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Thursday, october 23, 2025
Wednesday, october 22, 2025
Tuesday, october 21, 2025
Mountaineers turn to lesser-known Himalayan summits
Pacific Asia • 2:46 PM
1 min
Far from the overcrowded Himalayan summits, some mountaineers take on lesser-known, more remote parts of the mountain chain. To boost tourism in less-developed regions, the Nepalese government has waved climbing fees for 97 summits amid environmental con
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India’s Diwali causes thick smog in New Delhi
Pacific Asia • 2:10 PM
1 min
#NewDelhi chokes as #Diwali celebrations send pollution soaring–smog levels spike to dangerous highs, turning the city into a haze.
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Hazardous smog blankets New Delhi after Diwali fireworks
Pacific Asia • 9:56 AM
1 min
Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali on October 20, 2025, as the country marked the Hindu festival symbolising the victory of light over darkness. People ate festive meals, exchanged gifts and set off colourful fireworks across the country. But in a cou
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Japan gets its first female prime minister, ending three-month political vacuum
Pacific Asia • 8:50 AM
1 min
Japan's parliament has voted to elect the country's first woman prime minister. Ultraconservative San-eye Taka-ichi is among Japanese politicians who have stonewalled measures for women’s advancement. She supports the imperial family’s male-only successi
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Japan's hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi elected first female prime minister
Pacific Asia • 6:27 AM
1 min
Japan's parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister Tuesday, a day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner expected to pull her governing bloc further to the right.
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Monday, october 20, 2025
China's five-year plan may be less effective on demand than in the past, expert says
Pacific Asia • 9:17 PM
1 min
Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivered a speech on Monday on the opening day of a major meeting of the ruling Communist Party to approve a draft plan laying out its economic and social goals for the country over the next five years. Speaking on FRANCE 24, R
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China's five-year plan may be less effective on demand than in the past, expert says
Pacific Asia • 9:06 PM
1 min
Chinese leader Xi Jinping delivered a speech Monday on the opening day of a major meeting of the ruling Communist Party to approve a draft plan laying out its economic and social goals for the country over the next five years. Speaking on FRANCE 24, Rana
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Bollywood's longest-running film celebrates its 30th anniversary
Pacific Asia • 4:41 PM
1 min
After it first aired in October 1995, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' is still shown daily in a cinema in Mumbai thirty years later. Part of the appeal is the film's depiction of liberal second-generation Indians who defy their parents' conservative values
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✈️ A cargo aircraft skids off a Hong Kong runway into the sea, killing 2 airport workers
Pacific Asia • 4:27 PM
1 min
A cargo aircraft skidded off a Hong Kong runway and collided with a security patrol car before both fell into the sea early Monday, killing the two people in the car.
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Exploring India's spice route: A thousand-flavour journey through Kerala
Pacific Asia • 10:46 AM
1 min
The state of Kerala, in southern India, is home to the country's most famous spice route. From the hills where the spices are grown to the ports where they're shipped across the world, we take you on a journey through the colours, flavours and traditions
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Cargo plane veers off Hong Kong runway and into sea, killing two
Pacific Asia • 5:13 AM
1 min
At least two people have been killed after a cargo plane suddenly took an abrupt turn upon landing and veered off the runway and hit the car they were sitting in. The plane then skidded into the sea, dragging the car with it. Officials said the runway co
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Conservative Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan’s first female PM in coalition deal
Pacific Asia • 4:33 AM
1 min
Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi is set to become Japan’s first female prime minister after her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) struck a deal with its new coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP).
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