Pacific Asia
Yesterday
Millions celebrate Lunar New Year as Year of the Snake gets underway
Pacific Asia • 1:19 PM
1 min
Hundreds of millions of people in Asia and around the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year. In China, travel is expected to reach record highs. This New Year ushers in the Year of the Snake, as people bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon. Our Beiji
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With organic cotton, India bets on textile industry's green transition
Pacific Asia • 11:06 AM
1 min
India is the world's leading organic cotton producer, controlling 51 percent of global production. The country has set its sights on becoming a major player in the textile industry's green transition – a market that's projected to grow 10 percent by 2026
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'Very harrowing experiences': Deadly stampede at India's Kumbh Mela festival
Pacific Asia • 6:55 AM
1 min
FRANCE 24 New Delhi correspondent Priyata Brajabasi shares what we know so far about the deadly stampede at the Hindu Kumbh Mela mega-festival.
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Dozens of worshippers killed in stampede at world's largest religious festival in India
Pacific Asia • 1:21 AM
1 min
At least 30 people were killed and many more injured in a crush at a huge religious festival in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state on Wednesday, local police said. The stampede appears to have happened when people who were sleeping on the riverbank wer
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Tuesday, january 28, 2025
Hundreds of millions toast the Year of the Snake as Lunar New Year begins
Pacific Asia • 9:07 PM
1 min
Hundreds of millions gathered across Asia to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Wednesday, welcoming the Year of the Snake with firecrackers, incense, parades and feasts. The annual migration of millions of people returning home for the holiday in China is
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Japan tackles dementia crisis as super-ageing society sees cases soar
Pacific Asia • 4:10 PM
1 min
Japan is one of the fastest-ageing societies in the world, with almost a third of its population over 65 years old. As a result, the county is seeing more and more cases of dementia each year: almost 5 million people are now living with the condition. In
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Monday, january 27, 2025
Japan's Fuji TV bosses resign over sex assault scandal
Pacific Asia • 1:20 PM
1 min
The chairman and president of Japan's Fuji Television has resigned on January 26, weeks after a celebrity presenter was accused of sexual assault, causing a public relations storm and the mass exit of advertisers.
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Impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol indicted: what next?
Pacific Asia • 10:09 AM
1 min
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted for his martial law declaration that plunged the country into political turmoil, with prosecutors accusing him of being a "ringleader of insurrection". More information with FRANCE 24 regional c
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South Korean plane crash report says bird remains found in Jeju jet engines
Pacific Asia • 6:35 AM
1 min
A preliminary report on last month’s Jeju Air plane crash on Monday confirmed that birds struck the passenger jet's engines but cautioned that investigators were still probing the cause of the disaster that killed 179 passengers and crew.
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Friday, january 24, 2025
Thursday, january 23, 2025
'We still really need to investigate and learn from' local and global response to Covid-19 pandemic
Pacific Asia • 3:36 PM
1 min
On Jan 23, 2020, Wuhan sealed itself off, ushering in China's zero-Covid era of strict travel and health controls, foreshadowing a looming global pandemic. For a deeper perspective, five years on, FRANCE 24's Carys Garland welcomes Florence Débarre, Auth
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LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand register their marriages as law gives them equal status
Pacific Asia • 10:33 AM
1 min
Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand are expected to make their wedded status legal Thursday, the day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples. The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country i
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Nearly 2,000 couples wed as Thailand legalises same-sex marriage
Pacific Asia • 3:08 AM
1 min
Thailand's same-sex marriage law took effect Thursday, making it the largest Asian nation to recognise equal marriage rights, including for transgender individuals, and to extend adoption and inheritance rights to all married couples.
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Tuesday, january 21, 2025
In Muslim-majority Indonesia, island of Flores trains priests for rest of the world
Pacific Asia • 11:16 AM
1 min
In the Muslim-majority country of Indonesia, the island of Flores is something of an exception. Located in the south of the archipelago, its population is 70 percent Catholic and many young people hope to become men of the cloth. Every year, Flores train
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More than 70 dead, dozens injured in devastating fire at Turkish ski resort
Pacific Asia • 10:03 AM
1 min
A devastating fire killed at least 76 people as it tore through a 12-storey hotel at a popular ski resort in Turkey’s Koroglu mountains in the early hours of Tuesday. According to several media reports, some died while they were trying to escape the flam
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South Korea's suspended president makes first appearance at impeachment hearing
Pacific Asia • 2:45 AM
1 min
South Korea's suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December following his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, appeared at his impeachment hearing for the first time on Tuesday. Responding to the judges' questions, Yoon denied ha
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Monday, january 20, 2025
China executes man who drove car into crowd in deadliest attack in a decade
Pacific Asia • 9:29 AM
1 min
China on Monday executed a man who killed 35 people and injured dozens more when he drove his car into a crowd exercising outside a stadium in the southern city of Zhuhai in November, in what was the country's deadliest attack in a decade. A 21-year-old
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South Korea's impeached president spends first night in jail
Pacific Asia • 5:17 AM
1 min
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol spent his first night in jail as a criminal suspect Sunday, according to a prison officer. Yoon was arrested in a dawn raid last week after a weeks-long standoff and is facing insurrection charges over his
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Sunday, january 19, 2025
Saturday, january 18, 2025
Friday, january 17, 2025
In China, rare voices seek to break taboo over 'comfort women' raped by Japanese army
Pacific Asia • 6:49 PM
1 min
During World War II, the Japanese imperial authorities abducted, coerced, tricked and sometimes recruited hundreds of thousands of women from Japan's colonial empire to become sexual slaves for soldiers. Sometimes minors, these women were called "comfort
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Trump says US and China to 'solve many problems' after phone call with Xi
Pacific Asia • 3:29 PM
1 min
US President-elect Donald Trump said he had a "very good" discussion on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a number of issues, including trade, fentanyl and TikTok.
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Maha Kumbh Mela festival: India's soft power on display
Pacific Asia • 3:18 PM
1 min
The Maha Kumbh Mela has got underway in northern India, with organisers expecting over 400 million visitors throughout the festival. In this week's show, we speak to India's permanent representative to UNESCO, who discusses how the Hindu festival is bein
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Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in landmark graft case
Pacific Asia • 8:37 AM
1 min
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted in Islamabad on Friday in one of the country's largest-ever graft cases. Khan received 14 years in prison and Bibi was sentenced to seven for graft linked to their Al-Qad
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Russia and Iran deepen trade, military ties in 20-year 'strategic partnership'
Pacific Asia • 3:33 AM
1 min
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday signed a broad cooperation agreement strengthening the countries' ties as they grapple with stinging Western sanctions. But they stopped short of a mutual defence pa
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Thursday, january 16, 2025
Impeached South Korean President Yoon to avoid new questioning over martial law bid
Pacific Asia • 4:35 AM
1 min
Detained South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol would not take part in further questioning on Thursday, his lawyers said, sparking speculation about how cooperative the impeached president will be after weeks of evading arrest.
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'Almost inevitable' that South Korea's embattled president 'will be serving time in prison'
Pacific Asia • 1:34 AM
1 min
Impeached South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday over his failed martial law bid, ending a weeks-long standoff with authorities and becoming the first sitting president to be detained in the nation's history. For in-depth analysis an
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Wednesday, january 15, 2025
Rohingya refugees face deadly gang violence in Bangladesh camps
Pacific Asia • 1:21 PM
1 min
Since the early 2010s, over a million Rohingyas have found refuge in Bangladesh. A Muslim minority persecuted in their native Myanmar, the Rohingyas suffered the deadliest crackdown by the junta there back in 2017. The UN has described those abuses as ge
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South Korean investigators arrest impeached President Yoon
Pacific Asia • 3:42 AM
1 min
FRANCE 24 regional correspondent Yena Lee reports on the situation in South Korea, where Yoon Suk Yeol became the first sitting president in the country's history to be arrested on Wednesday after anti-corruption authorities stormed his presidential resi
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South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol arrested
Pacific Asia • 1:25 AM
1 min
South Korean investigators announced on Wednesday that they had arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol over his attempt to impose martial law bid early last month after a second police raid on the heavily fortified presidential residence. They later said he ex
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Tuesday, january 14, 2025
Clashes as S. Korean investigators attempt to arrest President Yoon
Pacific Asia • 10:30 PM
1 min
South Korean investigators made a fresh attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over a failed martial law bid, but were involved in clashes after being blocked by his guards. Yoon has resisted arrest since a short-lived December
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Speculation over HMPV virus infects social media
Pacific Asia • 9:40 PM
1 min
The surge in cases of the flu-like HMPV virus in northern China has raised fears of another Covid-style pandemic. Users on social media are spreading alarmist claims such as fake lockdown announcements, states of emergency and mortality rates. We debunk
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Impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon begins
Pacific Asia • 5:35 AM
1 min
The impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began Tuesday, as the Constitutional Court reviews his failed attempt to enforce martial law. The session was adjourned minutes later after the suspended leader did not attend court. Under Sou
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North Korea fires several suspected short-range ballistic missiles
Pacific Asia • 2:47 AM
1 min
South Korea's military reported that North Korea test-fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan Tuesday morning. The launch came a day after Japan's foreign minister held talks in South Korea with top officials as Asian allies tr
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Pakistan's social media influencers seek to gain followers by owning big cats
Pacific Asia • 12:51 AM
1 min
In Pakistan, having a pet lion or tiger is becoming increasingly trendy. Rich businessmen, industrialists and landowners already have their own zoos. More recently, social media influencers have adopted the trend and are becoming known for owning these w
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Monday, january 13, 2025
India kicks off world's largest Hindu festival for 400 million pilgrims
Pacific Asia • 2:57 AM
1 min
The Kumbh Mela festival in India opened on Monday, with vast crowds of Hindu pilgrims participating in ritual baths at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. Organisers anticipate the world's largest human gathering, expecti
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Artificial intelligence, a tool or a threat for Japan's manga industry?
Pacific Asia • 12:33 AM
1 min
Japan's celebrated manga industry is facing a dilemma: how to use artificial intelligence? Some comic book artists believe the technology will make their labour-intensive job much easier, but others have launched plagiarism lawsuits, claiming their work
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Sunday, january 12, 2025
Saturday, january 11, 2025
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai returns to Pakistan for Muslim girls' education summit
Pacific Asia • 6:23 AM
1 min
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said she was "honoured” and “overwhelmed" as she arrived back in her native Pakistan Saturday to attend a summit on girls' education in the Muslim world. The summit was snubbed by Afghanistan, where girls are b
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Thousands of South Koreans protest in rival rallies as impeached Yoon faces new arrest attempt
Pacific Asia • 4:33 AM
1 min
Protesters from opposing political groups assembled in their thousands in the South Korean capital Saturday amid preparations for a second attempt by anti-corruption investigators to detain suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol.
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Friday, january 10, 2025
'Stop the steal': Understanding MAGA-style protests in South Korea
Pacific Asia • 3:26 PM
1 min
This week, as South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol remained holed up in his presidential compound, thousands of his supporters guarding the site against attempts to arrest him held up US flags and banners saying "Stop the Steal" in English. Th
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Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai attends girls' education summit in Pakistan
Pacific Asia • 7:33 AM
1 min
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai is attending a two-day summit focusing on girls' education in Muslim communities to be held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad this weekend. Neighbouring Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls a
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Thursday, january 9, 2025
Wednesday, january 8, 2025
Journalist Cecilia Sala en route to Italy after release from Tehran prison
Pacific Asia • 11:13 AM
1 min
A plane carrying journalist Cecilia Sala has left Tehran and will soon arrive back in Italy, Italian authorities announced on Wednesday. Sala had been held in the Iranian capital's notorious Evin prison since she was arrested on December 19.
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Yoon supporters gather in South Korea as impeached president faces new arrest warrant
Pacific Asia • 7:21 AM
1 min
Supporters of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol gathered outside his house in Seoul on Wednesday as Yoon continued to resist efforts to arrest him. The Constitutional Court has slated January 14 for the start of Yoon’s impeachment trial ove
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Tuesday, january 7, 2025
Indonesia welcomes new BRICS membership as bloc expands
Pacific Asia • 7:20 AM
1 min
Indonesia on Tuesday welcomed the news of it becoming a formal member of BRICS, which was announced by Brazil on Monday. Founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS currently count ten countries including South Africa, Iran and the United Arab Emir
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Scores killed in powerful earthquake in Tibet
Pacific Asia • 3:30 AM
1 min
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet in southwestern China on Tuesday morning, killing 126 people and destroying many buildings, according to state media. While earthquakes are common in the region, Tuesday's quake was the most powerful recorded withi
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South Korean investigators secure new arrest warrant for President Yoon
Pacific Asia • 12:22 AM
1 min
A South Korean court has approved a new arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon suk Yeol after he resisted an attempt by police last week. Anti-graft investigators are seeking to detain Yoon over his botched bid to impose martial law on the country e
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In carbon-negative Bhutan, glaciers are threatened by climate change
Pacific Asia • 12:06 AM
1 min
The South Asian kingdom of Bhutan has become a champion of environmental protection. Its forests are protected by the constitution, environment classes are taught in school and its electricity is 100 percent hydroelectric. All of this has contributed to
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Monday, january 6, 2025
The rise of stand-up comedy in India: Fresh talent steps up to the mic
Pacific Asia • 10:32 AM
1 min
From performing at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall to conquering the Edinburgh Fringe, Indian stand-up comedians have made it big globally. Last year, Vir Das became the first Indian comedian to host the International Emmy Awards. But in India, where t
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Deadline for arrest of suspended South Korean president enters final day
Pacific Asia • 1:27 AM
1 min
South Korean authorities face a deadline to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, as their warrant expires Monday. Yoon, accused of a martial law mishap, remains barricaded with loyal guards. Despite previous failed attempts and a looming threat of s
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Sunday, january 5, 2025
Saturday, january 4, 2025
Thousands protest after failed attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon
Pacific Asia • 2:31 PM
1 min
Thousands of rival South Korean protesters rallied in the capital Saturday, a day after a failed attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing a short-lived martial law decree that led to his impeachment.
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Investigators seek clues to fatal South Korea plane crash in cockpit transcript
Pacific Asia • 7:31 AM
1 min
South Korean investigators said Saturday that they will soon have a complete transcript from the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage of the Jeju Air Boeing flight that crashed last Sunday. The recording may hold clues to what caused Jeju A
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Impeached South Korean President Yoon is resisting arrest. What happens now?
Pacific Asia • 4:39 AM
1 min
South Korea's political leadership was in uncharted territory on Saturday after President Yoon Suk Yeol resisted arrest over his failed martial law decree, days before the warrant for him expires on January 6. Attempts to arrest him at his residence were
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Friday, january 3, 2025
Bhopal gas tragedy, 40 years on: Indian authorities finish moving toxic waste from site
Pacific Asia • 3:02 PM
1 min
Forty years and one month after a deadly gas leak at a pesticide plant killed thousands in Bhopal, India, authorities say the last remaining toxic waste has been removed from the site. Activists say not enough measures are being taken to protect the envi
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South Korea starts lifting scorched fuselage of crashed Jeju Air plane
Pacific Asia • 5:57 AM
1 min
Investigators hope to find more human remains as they began lifting the wreckage of the crashed Jeju Air jet Friday, five days after Flight 2216 from Thailand to South Korea broke up in a fiery ball of flames, killing 179 people.
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S. Korean investigators halt bid to arrest impeached president after dramatic standoff
Pacific Asia • 12:48 AM
1 min
South Korean investigators on Friday called off the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid, after an ongoing standoff with the presidential security service at Yoon's residence made the operation "effectively impossib
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Thursday, january 2, 2025
South Korea's impeached president Yoon defies arrest over failed martial law bid
Pacific Asia • 5:12 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol continued on Thursday to resist arrest inside his residence for a third day following his impeachment over a failed martial law bid on December 3. Facing possible arrest, imprisonment, or the death penalty, Yoon remai
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Last year was China’s hottest on record, weather agency says
Pacific Asia • 3:21 AM
1 min
China's average national temperature for 2024 was 1.03 degrees higher than average, making it "the warmest year since the start of full records in 1961", China Meteorological Administration said Wednesday night. The world's largest greenhouse gas emitter
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