Pacific Asia
Today
Taiwan tries to curb deadly addiction to betel nut
Pacific Asia • 11:45 AM
1 min
It’s known as “Taiwan's chewing gum”. Betel, a nut as hated as it is loved, occupies a special place in the island's culture. This stimulant is consumed by hundreds of thousands of people, mainly from working-class backgrounds, and supports just as many
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Taiwan questions two in probe into Lebanon pager attack
Pacific Asia • 7:27 AM
1 min
Taiwan said on Friday that hundreds of pagers that exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday were not made in Taiwan after prosecutors prosecutors questioned two people associated with Gold Apollo, the Taiwanese company that produced the communication devices.
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Yesterday
China's 'full-time dads' challenge patriarchal norms
Pacific Asia • 4:03 PM
1 min
Cooking, cleaning, and caring for the kids during the day, Chen Hualiang takes on household tasks many Chinese fathers tend to leave to their wives, bucking a deep-rooted patriarchal tradition and even inspiring a hit TV show. The former project manager
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Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse
Pacific Asia • 1:36 PM
1 min
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.
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Wednesday, september 18, 2024
Man killed during French security forces operation in New Caledonia
Pacific Asia • 11:24 PM
1 min
A man was killed during a French security forces operation in New Caledonia overnight, raising the death toll to 12 after four months of unrest. Clashes continue in Saint Louis, a stronghold of the independence movement south of Noumea, as tensions persi
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Indian-administered Kashmir holds first local election after losing autonomy
Pacific Asia • 1:41 PM
1 min
Five years after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood, the northern Indian region voted Wednesday in its first local election in a decade. The disputed Kashmir Valley has experienced profound change
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Mumbai's dabbawalas, a centuries-old food delivery service for Indian workers
Pacific Asia • 10:59 AM
1 min
Food delivery services are now a $150 billion industry worldwide. The rise of user-friendly apps has led to these services becoming ubiquitous in many countries. But before Uber Eats or Deliveroo, there were dabbawalas. In the Indian city of Mumbai, they
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North Korea launches second set of short-range ballistic missiles in a week
Pacific Asia • 4:24 AM
1 min
North Korea continued a series of provocative maneuvers early Wednesday when, for the second time since Thursday, it fired a second round of short ballistic missiles – a move experts say could be linked to the isolated country's suspected illicit supplyi
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Monday, september 16, 2024
Two years after the death of Mahsa Amini, a ‘quiet revolution’ is still under way in Iran
Pacific Asia • 2:13 PM
1 min
The scale of the protest movement that erupted after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the brutal repression of those demonstrations have left an indelible mark on Iranian society. More and more women are flouting the veil requirement when out in public
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Beijing frees US pastor imprisoned in China for almost 20 years
Pacific Asia • 8:42 AM
1 min
David Lin, a US pastor jailed in China since 2006 on charges of contract fraud, has been released, the State Department said Sunday. Washington has for years urged Beijing to release Lin, who the US maintains was wrongfully detained.
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Shanghai hit by strongest typhoon in more than 70 years as Bebinca makes landfall
Pacific Asia • 2:33 AM
1 min
Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest storm to hit Shanghai in 70 years, made landfall on Monday, state media reported. Flights were canceled, highways closed, and coastal residents evacuated as the city grappled with strong winds and heavy rain. A red alert re
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Sunday, september 15, 2024
Two years after Mahsa Amini's death in Iran, protest movement endures harsh persecution
Pacific Asia • 2:15 AM
1 min
Two years have gone by since a massive protest movement erupted in Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini after she was detained for allegedly violating the dress code for women. Dozens of women prisoners went on hunger strike to mark the ann
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More than 226 die in Myanmar floods, landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi
Pacific Asia • 1:59 AM
1 min
At least 226 people have been killed in Myanmar in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, Asia's most powerful storm this year, state media reported on Monday. Remote areas reported increasing numbers of missing people, although information has been limited by downed
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Saturday, september 14, 2024
Southeast Asia ravaged by deadly floods, landslides after Typhoon Yagi
Pacific Asia • 3:26 PM
1 min
Hundreds of villagers in Myanmar waded or swam through chin-high waters, fleeing severe floods around the remote capital Naypyidaw on Friday, while Vietnam began clearing up after deadly Typhoon Yagi. People in parts of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanma
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Myanmar junta requests aid after deadly floods: 'They use aid for weapons'
Pacific Asia • 11:41 AM
1 min
Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war. The request, however, is unlikely to be sincere according to Dr
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Iran says research satellite successfully launched into orbit
Pacific Asia • 10:29 AM
1 min
Iran successfully launched its new research satellite Chamran-1 into orbit on Saturday, according to state media. Despite Tehran's insistence that its space activities are solely for peaceful and defence purposes, Western governments have repeatedly warn
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China accuses Germany of raising 'security risks' by sending military ships through Taiwan strait
Pacific Asia • 5:41 AM
1 min
China criticised Germany on Saturday for increasing security risks after two German naval vessels passed through the Taiwan Strait, a key waterway that Beijing claims as its territory. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius defended the move, stating th
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Friday, september 13, 2024
Comoros president wounded in a knife attack, the president's office says
Pacific Asia • 7:21 PM
1 min
Comoros President Azali Assoumani, 65, was "slightly wounded" in a knife attack on Friday while attending a funeral, the president's office said in a statement. “His injuries are not serious, and he has returned home," the statement added. Azali, a forme
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North Korea reveals images of uranium enrichment facility for the first time
Pacific Asia • 2:51 AM
1 min
North Korea released images of its uranium enrichment facility on Friday, showing leader Kim Jong Un touring the site. Kim called for an increase in centrifuges to boost the country's nuclear arsenal for "self-defence," state media reported.
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Musk slams Australia as ‘fascists’ over anti-misinformation bill aimed at social platforms
Pacific Asia • 12:43 AM
1 min
Elon Musk has slammed Australia as "fascists" in response to proposed laws aimed at fining social media platforms for failing to curb misinformation. The "combating misinformation" bill, introduced Thursday, grants authorities powers to fine tech giants
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Are relations between Dhaka and New Delhi starting to cool?
Pacific Asia • 12:10 AM
1 min
In this week's show: Bangladesh's International Crime Tribunal says it's begun the process to request the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India. While Dhaka and New Delhi enjoyed warm relations under Hasina's watch, we ask if rela
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Thursday, september 12, 2024
IS group claims deadly attack in central Afghanistan
Pacific Asia • 8:32 PM
1 min
An attack that killed at least 14 Shiite Muslims in central Afghanistan was claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State (IS) group, the group's Amaq media wing said in a statement. The regional chapter of IS group, a rival of the Taliban, has a his
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China will ‘crush hostile encroachment’ in South China Sea, senior military official says
Pacific Asia • 4:55 AM
1 min
A senior Chinese military official on Thursday said Beijing will “crush” any foreign incursion into the South China Sea, which it considers its territory despite an international court ruling the assertion has no legal basis. Chinese vessels have recentl
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Millions in Southeast Asia struggle with floods, power cuts as Typhoon Yagi death toll passes 250
Pacific Asia • 3:49 AM
1 min
Landslides and floods triggered by Typhoon Yagi have killed more than 250 people in Southeast Asia. The most powerful storm recorded in the region this year slammed Vietnam at the weekend, wreaking havoc on homes and factories and bringing heavy rainfall
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North Korea launches ballistic missiles off Korean peninsula, Seoul says
Pacific Asia • 3:44 AM
1 min
After months of trading provocations with South Korea and a recently renewed vow to keep growing its nuclear arsenal, North Korea sent its most aggressive message yet when it fired multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, as report
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Wednesday, september 11, 2024
Super Typhoon Yagi kills at least 197 in Vietnam, forces evacuations in Hanoi
Pacific Asia • 9:17 AM
1 min
Thousands of people living along the Red River in Vietnam's capital Hanoi were evacuated on Wednesday, as floods and landslides caused by Asia's most powerful storm this year killed at least 197 people in the country's north. Typhoon Yagi also wreaked ha
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New Silk Road: Laos border town of Boten becomes Chinese enclave
Pacific Asia • 8:24 AM
1 min
In April 2023, the Boten-Vientiane line in Laos welcomed its first passengers. This high-speed train, a symbol of Beijing’s New Silk Road initiative, connects the Laotian capital Vientiane to southern China in just a few hours. A vital commercial artery,
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Tuesday, september 10, 2024
Monday, september 9, 2024
More than 50 killed in Vietnam after Typhoon Yagi triggers floods, landslides
Pacific Asia • 2:56 PM
1 min
Dozens of people have been killed in northern Vietnam after Asia's most powerful storm this year triggered floods and landslides on its way west. Typhoon Yagi cut power to millions of homes and companies, with factories across the country's northeast rep
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Pope Francis speaks out against ‘every kind of abuse’ of children in East Timor visit
Pacific Asia • 4:03 AM
1 min
Pope Francis spoke out against child sexual abuse during his visit to East Timor on Monday, indirectly acknowledging a long-running abuse scandal involving independence hero Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo. Thousands of devotees journeyed from remote areas an
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Sunday, september 8, 2024
Saturday, september 7, 2024
Friday, september 6, 2024
Fugitive former mayor and alleged China spy deported back to Philippines
Pacific Asia • 1:55 PM
1 min
It's a story that has gripped the Philippines for months. Alice Guo, the fugitive former mayor of the city of Bamban, has been deported back home after being caught in Indonesia. She faces accusations ranging from shady business dealings involving illega
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India’s media wars: Press freedom in crisis
Pacific Asia • 9:10 AM
1 min
Press freedom is in crisis in the "world's largest democracy" with attacks against journalists, concentration of media ownership, pro-government bias and expulsions of foreign reporters. Since India's Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi came t
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Super Typhoon Yagi slams into southern China after deadly pass through Philippines
Pacific Asia • 6:10 AM
1 min
Super Typhoon Yagi on Friday made landfall in southern China, barrelling into the Hainan and Guangdong provinces. The storm is the biggest to hit Asia in more than a decade and has led to hundreds of thousands of evacuations and schools and businesses to
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Tuesday, september 3, 2024
NATO member Turkey says 'process is under way' to join BRICS nations
Pacific Asia • 4:30 PM
1 min
Turkey has submitted a request to join the BRICS group of major emerging market nations, the spokesman of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party said Tuesday.
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Oppression of Afghan women: 'The world seems to be responding with a shrug,' HRW says
Pacific Asia • 11:12 AM
1 min
Human rights groups are reacting with fury after a further curtailing of women’s rights in Afghanistan. New laws brought in last month impose severe new restrictions on women that oblige them to not only cover their faces, but also forbid them from raisi
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Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia for first stop on 12-day Asia-Pacific tour
Pacific Asia • 4:59 AM
1 min
Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday for a three-day visit to the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country in which he is expected to emphasise inter-religious ties.
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Monday, september 2, 2024
Saturday, august 31, 2024
Friday, august 30, 2024
The battle for freedom: Addressing the plight of Afghan and Iranian women
Pacific Asia • 2:54 PM
1 min
In this special edition to mark the beginning of a new season, we're focusing on the plight of Afghan and Iranian women. It's been three years since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and thus erasing women from all forms of public life. It's al
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Weakening typhoon churns through Japan, leaving at least five dead
Pacific Asia • 1:34 AM
1 min
Typhoon Shanshan, which has weakened to a severe tropical storm, continued to dump heavy rain on Japan, where it has killed at least five people and injured dozens since making landfall on Thursday. One of the strongest typhoons to hit the country in dec
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Taliban seek to further erase Afghan women from society: Singing, raised voices now banned
Pacific Asia • 12:45 AM
1 min
It's been three years since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. Their policies have rolled back women’s rights. Newly enforced laws require women to veil their faces in public. They are also now prohibited from singing or raising their voices. A
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Thursday, august 29, 2024
US national security adviser meets Xi, top Chinese military brass in Beijing
Pacific Asia • 5:48 AM
1 min
On the last day of his visit to China, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping after a a rare meeting with top Chinese military official Zhang Youxia. Sullivan’s high-level meetings underscored
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Hong Kong journalists found guilty of sedition in landmark case
Pacific Asia • 12:25 AM
1 min
Human rights groups have condemned a Hong Kong court ruling on Thursday, which found two former chief editors of the shuttered news outlet Stand News guilty of sedition. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam were the first journalists to be convicted of seditio
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Wednesday, august 28, 2024
Powerful Typhoon Shanshan makes landfall in southern Japan
Pacific Asia • 11:59 PM
1 min
Injuries were reported in Japan on Thursday after a powerful typhoon made landfall, bringing strong winds and the risk of floods and landslides. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its rare "special warning" for the most violent storms.
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‘Refugees in our own village’: India's desert herders pay price for green energy drive
Pacific Asia • 3:13 PM
1 min
The deserts of India’s western Rajasthan state have become home to one of the country's largest onshore wind farms as the country scrambles to boost renewables and stem the impact of climate change. But local livestock herders say the wind turbines are p
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Japan issues evacuation, emergency warnings as Typhoon Shanshan approaches
Pacific Asia • 4:51 AM
1 min
Japan on Wednesday was braced for its strongest typhoon of the year as Typhoon Shanshan approached the southern island of Kyushu. Tens of thousands of island residents have been told to evacuate the area and transportation services were suspended as auth
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Pacific Island leaders endorse contentious regional policing plan
Pacific Asia • 3:19 AM
1 min
Australia announced on Wednesday that Pacific Island leaders at a Tonga summit endorsed a regional policing plan to curb China's influence. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the agreement to establish up to four police training centres and a mult
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Tuesday, august 27, 2024
US national security adviser arrives in Beijing for 'substantive' talks with China's top diplomat
Pacific Asia • 2:45 PM
1 min
Top officials from China and the US said they were hoping for productive talks as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan arrived in Beijing to meet with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi. A senior US official said that the talks would include discussi
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China's New Silk Road: Beijing increases its influence in Nepal
Pacific Asia • 8:48 AM
1 min
From infrastructure to tourism, China is strengthening its control over its smaller neighbour Nepal. Beijing has been increasing its investment in trade, tourism and reconstruction since Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake. It is also sending teachers to
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Monday, august 26, 2024
Pacific sea levels are rising faster than global average, says WMO
Pacific Asia • 10:50 PM
1 min
Sea levels in the Pacific Ocean are rising more rapidly than the global average, endangering low-lying island nations, a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report revealed on Tuesday. While global sea levels have increased by an average of 3.4 milli
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Separatist militants kill dozens in 'coordinated' attacks across Pakistan's Baluchistan province
Pacific Asia • 6:53 AM
1 min
Gunmen killed at least 39 people in multiple attacks in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province on Monday, police said. The figure includes at least 23 people who were killed after gunmen forced them off buses and vehicles in Pakistan’s Musakhail district, in on
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Saturday, august 24, 2024
Friday, august 23, 2024
Five years without daylight: Hasina's 'enforced disappearance' of Bangladesh dissidents
Pacific Asia • 5:51 PM
1 min
Bangadesh's interim government has vowed to investigate the cases of hundreds of dissidents abducted by security forces under the regime of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina. FRANCE 24's special correspondents in Bangladesh Navodita Kumari, Léa Delfolie, a
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In historic visit to Ukraine, Indian PM Modi seeks to advocate for peace
Pacific Asia • 4:34 AM
1 min
In hopes of acting as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to Ukraine, becoming the first Indian premier to do so, to discuss pathways for "dialogue and diplomacy" between the two warring nations, at
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Bangladesh ex-PM Hasina has diplomatic passport revoked after fleeing to India
Pacific Asia • 1:08 AM
1 min
Bangladesh’s interim government on Thursday revoked the diplomatic passports of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ministers as the United Nations weighs launching an investigation into possible human rights violations during recent protests
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Five years without daylight: Bangladesh’s forced disappearances
Pacific Asia • 12:43 AM
1 min
In Bangladesh, over 600 people including political opponents, lawyers and journalists have been abducted by the regime since 2009, according to Human Rights Watch. But since the fall of longtime leader Sheikh Hasina earlier this month, their families hav
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Wednesday, august 21, 2024
Australia approves plans for 'largest' solar farm in the world
Pacific Asia • 5:06 PM
1 min
The Australian government approved on Wednesday an ambitious plan for a massive solar farm intended to power millions of homes domestically and supply electricity to Singapore. The project now depends on sign-offs from Singapore's energy market authority
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The ugly legacy of tourism in Bali: thousands of tons of plastic waste wash up on beaches
Pacific Asia • 11:19 AM
1 min
Bali’s beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. In 2023, more than 5 million people descended on this Indonesia resort. But behind the picture-perfect image is an ugly legacy of overtourism – a yearly haul of 300,000 tons of plastic waste. Repo
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