Pacific Asia
Today
Putin seeks to 'give reassurances' in apology over Azerbaijan plane crash
Pacific Asia • 4:25 PM
1 min
Vladimir Putin admitted Saturday Russian air defence was working when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny before crashing, breaking the Kremlin's silence as speculation mounted Russia may have accidentally shot the plane. Despite not ta
Read the article
Putin apologises for 'tragic incident' following crash of Azerbaijani airliner
Pacific Asia • 4:15 PM
1 min
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Mosc
Read the article
Azerbaijani airliner crash may be result of weapon fire, transport minister says
Pacific Asia • 10:26 AM
1 min
Azerbaijan’s minister of digital development and transportation Rashan Nabiyev said Friday that the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed earlier this week may have been hit by a weapon while outside aviation experts blamed the crash on Russian air defense s
Read the article
Afghan Taliban forces hit 'several points' in Pakistan in response to air strikes, Kabul says
Pacific Asia • 10:01 AM
1 min
Afghanistan's Taliban has targeted a number of points in neighbouring Pakistan, Kabul's defence ministry said Saturday, in what seems to be a response to an aerial bombardment carried out by Pakistani aircraft on Afghan territory a few days ago.
Read the article
S. Korean prosecutors say Yoon authorised soldiers to shoot during botched martial law bid
Pacific Asia • 7:51 AM
1 min
South Korea's prosecutors are alleging that suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol authorised the military to shoot if needed to enter parliament during his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, according to a report shared with the media.
Read the article
France asks Indonesia to transfer death row prisoner Serge Atlaoui
Pacific Asia • 2:55 AM
1 min
France has requested that Indonesia transfer Serge Atlaoui, a 61-year-old French national on death row who has spent nearly 20 years behind bars in the Southeast Asian country on drug charges.
Read the article
Yesterday
Detention of Italian journalist in Iran's Evin prison 'unacceptable', says Italy
Pacific Asia • 6:10 PM
1 min
An Italian journalist has been held in Iran for more than a week, Italy's government said Friday, describing Cecilia Clara's detention as "unacceptable". Cecilia Sala, 29, who works for Il Foglio newspaper and podcast company Chora Media, is being held i
Read the article
Azerbaijan's flag carrier suspends flights to more Russian cities following crash that killed 38
Pacific Asia • 4:16 PM
1 min
Azerbaijan's flag carrier announced Friday that it will suspend flights to several Russian airports, citing potential flight safety risks after a crash of one of its planes that many experts blamed on Russian air defense fire. Analysis by former FRANCE 2
Read the article
Airline blames 'physical and technical interference' for Azerbaijani plane crash
Pacific Asia • 2:46 PM
1 min
Azerbaijan Airlines said Friday that the preliminary results of an investigation into the plane that crashed in Kazakhstan pointed to "physical and technical external interference", amid growing speculation it was hit by a Russian air defence system. Rus
Read the article
What to know about South Korean acting President Han's impeachment
Pacific Asia • 2:42 PM
1 min
The impeachment of South Korea's acting President Han Duck-soo Friday has plunged the country into further political turmoil, coming less than two weeks after lawmakers impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Details by Eliza Herbert.
Read the article
Ukraine says Russia 'must be held responsible' for Azerbaijan plane crash
Pacific Asia • 2:38 PM
1 min
Ukraine's presidency said Russia should be held accountable for the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane, after reports the jet was shot at by a Russian air defence missile. Story by Luke Shrago.
Read the article
India announces state funeral for former PM Manmohan Singh
Pacific Asia • 10:26 AM
1 min
India announced seven days of state mourning on Friday after the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, one of the architects of the country's economic liberalisation in the early 1990s. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in New Delhi, Sarah Jaco
Read the article
Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns
Pacific Asia • 10:22 AM
1 min
Aviation experts said that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Story by Luke Shrago.
Read the article
Two killed in wild weather on Sydney-Hobart yacht race
Pacific Asia • 9:48 AM
1 min
Two sailors have been killed in separate incidents in the treacherous Sydney to Hobart yacht race, officials said on Friday, as a string of yachts retired in powerful winds and high seas. Story by Liza Kaminov.
Read the article
South Korea acting president impeached, just two weeks after Yoon Suk Yeol
Pacific Asia • 9:39 AM
1 min
South Korean lawmakers impeached the acting president on Friday, as the country struggles to shake off political turmoil sparked by his predecessor's martial law declaration that shocked the world. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in China, Yena Lee.
Read the article
South Korean lawmakers vote to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo
Pacific Asia • 8:09 AM
1 min
A majority of South Korean lawmakers in the country's opposition-dominated parliament voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday. The country's new acting president, finance minister Choi Sang-mok, said that he would do all he could to end
Read the article
Thursday, december 26, 2024
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh dies aged 92
Pacific Asia • 8:37 PM
1 min
Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, whose economic reforms made his country a global powerhouse, has died at the age of 92.
Read the article
Pakistan military court sentences 60 pro-Imran Khan protesters to prison terms
Pacific Asia • 1:56 PM
1 min
Pakistan's military courts have convicted 60 people involved in demonstrations in support of former prime minister Imran Khan, authorities said Thursday. The unrest followed the ex-premier's arrest on corruption charges that supporters say are politicall
Read the article
Azerbaijan mourns 38 killed in plane crash as investigation gets underway
Pacific Asia • 11:05 AM
1 min
Azerbaijan on Thursday observed a day of mourning for the victims of a plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people and injured 29 survivors as an investigation got underway. Azerbaijan Airlines initially said a flock of birds might have caused the cr
Read the article
South Korea's opposition moves to impeach acting President Han
Pacific Asia • 6:25 AM
1 min
South Korea's main opposition party said it introduced a bill to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo on Thursday and would hold a vote on Friday, a move that could deepen the country's constitutional crisis triggered by a short-lived martial law.
Read the article
Ceremonies across Asia mark 20 years since catastrophic tsunami that killed 220,000
Pacific Asia • 3:56 AM
1 min
Tearful mourners gathered Thursday across Asia to commemorate the more than 220,000 lives lost in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The disaster devastated coastlines from Indonesia to Somalia and left lasting scars on affected communities.
Read the article
Wednesday, december 25, 2024
Afghan Taliban vow to retaliate after Pakistani air strikes kill at least 46
Pacific Asia • 9:35 AM
1 min
At least 46 people have died in a Pakistani bombardment of Afghanistan's Paktika province, the Afghan Taliban government said Wednesday, promising to retaliate. A senior Pakistani security official said the air strikes targeted "terrorist hideouts" acros
Read the article
Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan kills 38, with 29 survivors
Pacific Asia • 7:56 AM
1 min
An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet with 67 people on board crashed near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan on Wednesday, local authorities said, adding that at least 29 survivors had been rescued.
Read the article
Monday, december 23, 2024
Friday, december 20, 2024
Indian Ocean tsunami, 20 years on: Trauma still haunts survivors
Pacific Asia • 3:27 PM
1 min
Nations around the Indian Ocean are preparing to mark 20 years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami wiped entire villages off the map and killed around 230,000 people. Even though early warning systems and preventive measures have been put in place
Read the article
Indonesia: Twenty years after tsunami, Aceh province ruled by Sharia law
Pacific Asia • 2:25 PM
1 min
Twenty years after the devastating tsunami that hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the province of Aceh has returned to peace after a civil war and is now living under Koranic law. Our correspondent reports.
Read the article
Malaysia to resume search for missing Flight MH370 plane – a decade after it vanished
Pacific Asia • 8:29 AM
1 min
Malaysia's government said Friday it had agreed to a proposal to launch a new search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared 10 years ago in one of the most mysterious disasters in aviation history.
Read the article
Tuesday, december 17, 2024
'It's not acceptable when half the population is silenced': CEO of Afghan media group Moby
Pacific Asia • 4:05 PM
1 min
FRANCE 24 spoke to Saad Mohseni, co-founder and CEO of Moby, Afghanistan's largest media group. His new book "Radio Free Afghanistan" chronicles the ups and downs of building a media conglomerate in the country. Mohseni lamented the fact that since the r
Read the article
Denmark will not extradite anti-whaling activist Watson to Japan
Pacific Asia • 11:38 AM
1 min
Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson was freed from prison in Denmark on Tuesday, his lawyer told AFP, and he will not be extradited to Japan. Watson was detained on a 2012 Japanese arrest warrant, which accuses him of causing damage to a whaling ship in th
Read the article
Powerful earthquake hits Pacific island of Vanuatu, bodies seen in street
Pacific Asia • 5:13 AM
1 min
A devastating 7.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday struck off the coast of Vanuatu's main island, Efate, severely damaging Port Vila and crushing the ground floor of a building containing US and French embassies. Casualties and extensive destruction were
Read the article
India: Forty years on, Bhopal disaster still plagues local residents
Pacific Asia • 12:44 AM
1 min
Forty years after India's Bhopal disaster, local residents are still suffering from its aftermath. The gas explosion at a chemical plant caused toxic waste to contaminate the water in nearby areas, causing locals to develop numerous health issues. Today,
Read the article
Monday, december 16, 2024
South Korea court begins review of Yoon impeachment
Pacific Asia • 1:57 PM
1 min
South Korea's Constitutional Court on Monday (December 16) began reviewing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his Dec. 3 martial law proclamation, starting a process to decide if he will be removed from office, while investigators plan to qu
Read the article
South Korea's impeached president resists questioning over martial law bid
Pacific Asia • 12:23 AM
1 min
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol defied requests by investigative agencies to appear for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree on Monday as the Constitutional Court began proceedings to determine whether to formally unseat or
Read the article
Sunday, december 15, 2024
‘Bali Nine’ drug traffickers return to Australia after nearly 20 years in Indonesian prison
Pacific Asia • 7:09 AM
1 min
The remaining members of the so-called "Bali Nine", a group of Australians imprisoned since 2005 for trying to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin off the island of Bali, Indonesia, have returned to Australia. Negotiations over the group's potent
Read the article
S. Korean opposition calls for ‘swift’ removal of impeached Yoon as he defies prosecutors’ summons
Pacific Asia • 6:43 AM
1 min
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol refused to comply with a summons to appear before prosecutors for questioning over insurrection allegations stemming from his failed bid to impose martial law, prosecutors said Sunday. Opposition leader Lee
Read the article
Saturday, december 14, 2024
Thursday, december 12, 2024
South Korea Yoon defends martial law decision, vows to fight until 'very last minute'
Pacific Asia • 4:04 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to "fight until the very last minute" amid an impeachment vote and martial law probe. Police raided his office over December's turmoil, including deploying troops to parliament. Yoon, banned from foreig
Read the article
Taiwan detects 16 Chinese warships, 34 aircraft near island
Pacific Asia • 2:55 AM
1 min
Taiwan said it detected one of the highest number of Chinese warships around the island this year early Thursday morning, along with dozens of aircraft. China has been ratcheting up military activity around Taiwain, holding its biggest maritime drills in
Read the article
Wednesday, december 11, 2024
Police raid South Korean president's office in martial law investigation
Pacific Asia • 5:24 AM
1 min
The investigation into South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt at martial law accelerated on Wednesday, as police conducted a raid on Yoon's office and arrested a slew of officials, including the former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun.
Read the article
Taiwan says 'troublemaker' China ramps up military exercises around the island
Pacific Asia • 3:25 AM
1 min
Taiwanese authorities said it’s “troublemaker” neighbour, China, has expanded military drills around the island. A senior national security official said the massive maritime operation was meant to demonstrate that Beijing could choke off Taiwan and also
Read the article
Tuesday, december 10, 2024
Nobel Peace Prize winner Nihon Hidankyo pleads for elimination of nuclear arms
Pacific Asia • 1:36 PM
1 min
Japan's atomic bomb survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo accepted its Nobel Peace Prize, urging countries to abolish the weapons resurging as a threat 80 years after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Read the article
Taiwan says China is carrying out some of its biggest-ever maritime military exercises
Pacific Asia • 6:03 AM
1 min
Dozens of Chinese warships have been deployed along the island chain linking Taiwan with Okinawa and the Philippines, senior Taiwanese officials said, in what appear to be one of Beijing's largest-ever military exercises. The show of force is believed to
Read the article
Monday, december 9, 2024
South Korea: 'The firefighter' explains how he prevented the army from entering the Assembly
Pacific Asia • 11:11 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, several cabinet ministers, military commanders and police officials face criminal investigations over his botched attempt last week to impose martial law. Before the decision was annulled, the army tried to enter the
Read the article
South Korea President Yoon banned from foreign travel as leadership crisis deepens
Pacific Asia • 11:03 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country over a failed attempt at imposing martial law, amid growing calls for him to step down and a deepening leadership crisis. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent Yena Lee.
Read the article
Taiwan's military on high alert as Chinese warships spotted near island
Pacific Asia • 7:59 AM
1 min
Taiwan's military has initiated "combat readiness drills" after Chinese warships were spotted near the island, Taipei said Monday. Observers have been speculating that Beijing would launch fresh military drills in response to Taiwanese President Lai Chin
Read the article
South Korea's opposition accuse ruling party of staging 'second coup' by refusing to impeach Yoon
Pacific Asia • 3:56 AM
1 min
South Korea's opposition accused the ruling party of a "second coup" for blocking President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his short-lived attempt at imposing martial law. Yoon has been banned from leaving the country as authorities investigate him on
Read the article
Sunday, december 8, 2024
South Korea president to resign despite surviving impeachment vote, party says
Pacific Asia • 12:43 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's party said on Sunday it had "effectively obtained" a promise from the leader to step down, despite the fact that he survived an impeachment vote on Saturday hours after making a public apology for briefly imposing m
Read the article
Despite surviving impeachment vote, South Korea president still on thin ice over martial law mayhem
Pacific Asia • 12:12 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's future remained uncertain Sunday even after surviving an impeachment vote over his brief imposition of martial law. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent, Yena Lee.
Read the article
Saturday, december 7, 2024
South Korea president escapes impeachment over martial law fiasco
Pacific Asia • 2:52 PM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol escaped impeachment Saturday over his brief declaration of martial law, after lawmakers from his ruling party boycotted a vote despite huge protests outside parliament. Story by Emily Boyle.
Read the article
Thousands protest as South Korean president set to avoid impeachment
Pacific Asia • 9:56 AM
1 min
Nearly 150,000 people protested outside South Korea's parliament Saturday, Yonhap news agency reported, as President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared set to survive an impeachment vote for imposing martial law.
Read the article
South Korean president avoids impeachment vote as tens of thousands join protest
Pacific Asia • 12:53 AM
1 min
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol's survived an impeachment vote on Saturday after lawmakers from his party refused to cast ballots, as tens of thousands of people joined protests outside the parliament building. Calls for Yoon’s ousting have intensi
Read the article
Friday, december 6, 2024
Thursday, december 5, 2024
New Delhi suffocates from air pollution in winter
Pacific Asia • 11:47 AM
1 min
For almost 6 months every year, residents of New Delhi suffocate under a blanket of pollution. The Indian capital is among the most polluted cities in the world, and new records are set each November. The fine particles in New Delhi’s air are 60 times th
Read the article
South Korea's ruling party to fight Yoon impeachment as president clings to power
Pacific Asia • 4:57 AM
1 min
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) said on Thursday it would block the opposition's motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for his short-lived attempt at martial law, though the motion only needs a handful of PPP defectors to pass.
Read the article
Wednesday, december 4, 2024
Iran releases Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi for 21 days on medical grounds
Pacific Asia • 11:59 AM
1 min
Iranian civil rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been released from prison for three weeks after undergoing surgery, her lawyer said Wednesday. Both the UN and the Nobel Committee have called for permanent clemency for
Read the article
Climate change: Villages in Pakistan under threat of melting glaciers
Pacific Asia • 10:59 AM
1 min
Pakistan is home to thousands of climate refugees. While the country contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas, it is heavily impacted by the warming climate. One of the most affected areas is the autonomous province of Gilgit-Baltistan, l
Read the article
Yoon’s martial law debacle a throwback to South Korea’s history of military rule
Pacific Asia • 9:49 AM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived proclamation of martial law this week marked the first time a South Korean leader took such a drastic measure since the country became a fully functioning democracy more than 35 years ago.
Read the article
South Korean President Yoon faces impeachment as thousands protest his martial law order
Pacific Asia • 1:44 AM
1 min
South Korean opposition parties on Wednesday filed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law only to reverse the move hours later. Thousands of protestors marched in Seoul and across the country also demanding Yoon's resig
Read the article
Tuesday, december 3, 2024
Yoon 'created the rhetoric of a national security crisis' in South Korea, analyst says
Pacific Asia • 9:28 PM
1 min
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed during a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney welc
Read the article
South Korea's President Yoon rescinds declaration of martial law after parliament votes to block it
Pacific Asia • 1:58 PM
1 min
President Yoon Suk Yeol said he was rescinding his declaration of martial law after South Korea's parliament voted Tuesday to block it as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building, calling for Yoon's arrest.
Read the article
