News : France24

China will ramp up fiscal stimulus to guard its economy against changes "unseen in a century" Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday in a speech at the opening of the annual meeting of China's parliament. Bejing aims to maintain a 5% growth target for 2025 a

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Sexual harassment on public transport: Japan tries to tackle problem of 'chikan'

Pacific Asia • 12:54 AM

1 min

Sexual harassment and assault is a big problem on Japan's huge public transport system. One in 10 women aged 16 to 29 say they have been touched inappropriately on trains, according to the government’s first survey on the issue. But the actual number is

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'Deviants': Author Santanu Bhattacharya explores attitudes towards homosexuality in India

Pacific Asia • 1:24 PM

1 min

The author of a new book that explores the lives of three gay men through different generations in India has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how attitudes to homosexuality have changed in his home country. Santanu Bhattacharya is the author of "Deviants", whic

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World Obesity Day: India grapples with growing health crisis

Pacific Asia • 11:12 AM

1 min

After the US and China, India has the third-highest percentage of obese citizens in the world, with over 135 million Indians classed as overweight or obese. In light of this alarming trend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a nationwide an

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Myanmar: Displaced by conflict, farmers grow opium poppies to survive

Pacific Asia • 4:35 PM

1 min

Last year, Myanmar became the world's biggest producer of opium, harvesting 1,080 tons. While opium poppies have long flourished in rural Myanmar, production soared following the 2021 military coup and subsequent conflict between the ruling junta and arm

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EU goes on charm offensive in India amid tensions with Trump

Pacific Asia • 3:30 PM

1 min

EU officials have undertaken an "unprecedented" visit to India in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump saying the bloc was formed to "screw" the United States. On this week's Access Asia, we find out what both sides gained from the visit. Plus, Nor

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Hype for the hoops: Village basketball gains traction in rural China

Pacific Asia • 11:41 AM

1 min

China is estimated to have some 500 million basketball fans, more than 1 million basketball courts and 43 million NBA followers on the social media platform Weibo. But increasingly, grassroots basketball is gaining popularity in rural China. Amateur leag

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'Brutal and violent' winds of Cyclone Garance wreak destruction in La Reunion

Pacific Asia • 2:54 AM

1 min

At least two people were killed as Cyclone Garance slammed the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, blowing away roofs and cutting power and access to drinking water for many residents. Garance landed on the island’s north with winds of up to 230 kilometre

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Bangladesh faces never-ending battle against child marriage

Pacific Asia • 12:56 AM

1 min

Bangladesh is the country in Asia with the highest ratio of child marriages to its population. Some 38 million women are married before the age of 18, according to UNICEF – amounting to one in two women. This is despite the fact that child marriage has b

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N. Korea showcases 'counterattack' abilities with new missile tests

Pacific Asia • 12:49 AM

1 min

North Korea said on Friday it had tested strategic cruise missiles to warn its enemies of its "counterattack" capabilities and readiness of its nuclear might. The test-launch came as neighbouring South Korea prepares for its "Freedom Shield" military exe

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The global rise of online scams: 'Call centres' flourish in Southeast Asia

Pacific Asia • 5:08 PM

1 min

Online scamming has reached global proportions, with an estimated 200,000 people forced to execute lucrative scams in Myanmar and Cambodia alone. This week's show delves into a criminal activity that's grown into a $500 billion per year industry that now

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PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan calls for Kurdish militant group to lay down arms

Pacific Asia • 2:51 PM

1 min

Jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan called on Thursday for the Kurdish militant group to hold a congress to decide laying down arms and dissolving itself in a landmark declaration read out in Istanbul.

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Taipei dispatches forces to monitor China's 'live-fire' drills off Taiwan's coast

Pacific Asia • 7:45 AM

1 min

Taiwan sent its naval and air forces on Wednesday to monitor Chinese "live-fire" military exercises taking place 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off the island’s southern coast. In a statement, Taiwan’s military said China “has blatantly violated inter

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New search launched for missing Malaysian Airlines plane

Pacific Asia • 10:29 AM

1 min

A Texas-based marine robotics company has launched a new search for a Malaysian Airlines plane that went missing in the Indian Ocean in 2014, Malaysia’s transportation minister announced Tuesday.

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South Korea's Yoon faces final impeachment hearing over martial law attempt

Pacific Asia • 2:23 AM

1 min

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol attended his final impeachment hearing on Tuesday after he briefly declared martial law in December. Yoon, who could be sentenced to life in prison or even face the death penalty on insurrection charges, is expected

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Child labour in Bangladesh: The dark side of the leather industry

Pacific Asia • 11:44 AM

1 min

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest leather-exporting country. A quarter of the country's leather workers are children, according to a study by the University of Sussex. These youngsters are paid just €35 a month, come into contact with chemicals an

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Why Chinese warships near Australia and New Zealand have prompted alarm

Pacific Asia • 10:38 AM

1 min

Leaders in Australia and New Zealand say China should have given them more warning before its navy conducted an unusual series of live fire exercises in the seas between the two countries, forcing flights to divert on short notice. Explanation by Yena Le

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Thousands freed from online scam hubs in Myanmar

Pacific Asia • 3:38 PM

1 min

Around 10,000 people, mostly foreigners, have been freed from telecom fraud operations in Myanmar in recent days. Lured by lucrative job offers, they had found themselves trapped in scam centres where they were forced to work swindling people around the

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Iran executed 975 people in 'horrifying' 2024 escalation

Pacific Asia • 5:13 AM

1 min

Iran executed at least 975 people last year in a "horrifying escalation" of its use of capital punishment, two human rights groups said on Thursday.

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South Korea's Yoon becomes first sitting president to stand trial in criminal case

Pacific Asia • 9:05 PM

1 min

Impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol went on trial on Thursday. The former prosecutor has been behind bars since January on charges of insurrection, for which he could be sentenced to life in prison or face the death penalty.

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From Paris, Begum TV offers Afghan women ‘window onto the world’

Pacific Asia • 1:10 PM

1 min

Paris-based Begum TV provides school classes, health programmes and light-hearted entertainment to Afghan women stripped of all rights. Employing Afghan journalists exiled in France, the channel’s work is all the more precious now that one of Kabul's las

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Bangladesh's revolution: Exiled blogger Pinaki Bhattacharya on fall of 'fascist regime'

Pacific Asia • 2:08 PM

1 min

A leading exiled blogger from Bangladesh who has more than 3 million followers on YouTube has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his hopes for the future after the revolution there. Pinaki Bhattacharya, who now lives here in France, is credited by supporters back

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Dozens killed in India stampede as crowds rush to Kumbh Mela's festival

Pacific Asia • 6:27 AM

1 min

At least 18 people died in a stampede at a New Delhi railway station on February 15 as crowds rushed to board trains bound for the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering. The incident, which mostly claimed women and children, follows another

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Several killed in India stampede on way to world's largest religious gathering

Pacific Asia • 4:37 AM

1 min

At least 18 people died in a stampede at a New Delhi railway station late Saturday as crowds rushed to board trains bound for the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering. The incident, which mostly claimed women and children, follows another

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Rekindling bromance: Modi, Trump discuss defence cooperation, trade and migration

Pacific Asia • 5:23 PM

1 min

"I missed you a lot": Donald Trump gave Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a warm welcome at the White House. But behind the hugs, smiles and handshakes were intense negotiations. The US president complained about India's high tariffs on US goods while

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US plane crash victims honoured by fellow figure skater at Asian Winter Games

Pacific Asia • 3:33 AM

1 min

Two young figure skaters who died in a Washington plane crash last month were honoured by a fellow skater and friend who brought their portraits and memories to the Asian Winter Games in China this week. "I wanted to take them on an international stage a

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Seoul blasts North Korea’s ‘inhumane’ demolition of family reunion centre

Pacific Asia • 2:57 AM

1 min

For decades, the Mount Kumgang Reunion Center hosted tearful reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. Pyongyang's unilateral demolition of the facility was an "inhumane act" that "tramples" on the hopes of separated families, South Korea

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Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ hits Indian bookshelves after bureaucratic blunder

Pacific Asia • 9:15 AM

1 min

As Salman Rushdie’s stabbing trial in the US grabs international headlines, bookstores in the author’s native India are now selling “The Satanic Verses”, almost four decades after banning it. The ban was lifted not over freedom of speech concerns but due

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Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses' hits Indian bookshelves after four decades

Pacific Asia • 6:40 AM

1 min

As Salman Rushdie’s stabbing trial in the US grabs international headlines, in the celebrated author’s native India, bookstores are now selling “The Satanic Verses” four decades after India became the first country to ban the book. The ban was not lifted

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Thailand becomes safe haven for same-sex unions in Southeast Asia

Pacific Asia • 10:33 AM

1 min

On January 23, Thailand officially authorised marriage for all – a historic decision that made the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex unions. Within hours of the law’s enactment, hundreds of couples said “yes” to tie the knot. Today

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Paris AI Summit: India fosters AI startups and initiatives

Pacific Asia • 10:45 AM

1 min

Co-hosted by India and France, the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit kicks off Monday in Paris with PM Narendra Modi scheduled to attend alongside President Emmanuel Macron. As global powers vie for dominance in the field of AI, India, which ranks 10

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Modi’s party wins critical Delhi election for first time in almost 3 decades

Pacific Asia • 1:09 PM

1 min

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party on Saturday regained power in the nation's capital for the first time in 27 years after beating the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in local elections.

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Medical care for Myanmar refugees paralysed as Trump shutters USAID

Pacific Asia • 4:17 PM

1 min

US President Donald Trump's decision to freeze foreign aid programmes and effectively shut down USAID – the US government agency responsible for international development – has rattled countries across Asia. In Thailand, home to some 90,000 refugees from

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iSPIRT: 'If we play AI right, it'll lift many Indians out of poverty', up into health and education

Pacific Asia • 7:32 AM

1 min

Artificial intelligence: The tools for building a bright future? "Does humanity know what it's doing or are we creating the tools of our own downfall?" asks FRANCE 24's François Picard. Our guest, Co-Founder of iSPIRT Foundation Sharad Sharma, acknowledg

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Taiwan detects six Chinese balloons as military pressure continues

Pacific Asia • 4:27 AM

1 min

Taiwan's defence ministry said Friday it had detected six Chinese balloons near the island in the past 24 hours, one of the highest figures recorded. The sightings come amid ongoing military activity by Beijing, which also deployed nine aircraft, six war

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Hong Kong, law and order: Inside the rebel city now under Chinese control

Pacific Asia • 12:06 AM

1 min

FRANCE 24 brings you a special report on the new Hong Kong, with the freedom-loving former British colony undergoing a severe political, social and economic takeover by the authorities in Beijing. In what was until recently the last island of freedom in

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South Korea ministries block access to China's DeepSeek from military devices

Pacific Asia • 2:33 AM

1 min

South Korea has restricted Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from accessing work computers across defence and trade ministries, following a request from Seoul's data watchdog to clarify data management practices. The company, known for its AI chatbot R1 launch

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Oscar-shortlisted film 'Hollywoodgate', an inside look at Taliban takeover of Kabul

Pacific Asia • 1:44 PM

1 min

The maker of one of the most remarkable films released last year has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he gained access to and followed the Taliban just after they retook control of Afghanistan in 2021. Part of the film follows the Taliban around a vast form

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Frenchman Atlaoui returns to Paris after reprieve from death row in Indonesia

Pacific Asia • 11:19 AM

1 min

French national Serge Atlaoui returned to his home country on Wednesday after spending 18 years on death row in Indonesia for alleged drug offences. Jakarta authorised Atlaoui's return on “humanitarian grounds” and left it to the French government to gra

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Taliban suspend Afghan women's radio station, arrest employees

Pacific Asia • 6:17 PM

1 min

Afghanistan's Taliban raided and shut down women's radio station Radio Begum on Tuesday, arresting two employees, according to the broadcaster, in the latest clampdown on women's rights in the country.

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USAID $40bn budget frozen: Int'l aid from UN agencies, NGOs, public/private sector severely impacted

Pacific Asia • 1:42 PM

1 min

President Donald Trump's overhaul of US foreign assistance has led to chaos in the aid and development field, leaving hundreds of contractors in a severe financial crunch with some already having to lay off staff and others facing millions of dollars in

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Frenchman held on death row in Indonesia leaves for Paris

Pacific Asia • 6:13 AM

1 min

Serge Atlaoui, a Frenchman held on death row in Indonesia since 2007 for drug offences, left prison on Tuesday and boarded a flight to France, joining a list of long-term prisoners sent home by Jakarta in recent months. Indonesia has some of the world's

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Tragedy hits Maha Kumbh Mela: Indian festival continues despite deadly stampede

Pacific Asia • 4:52 PM

1 min

At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in northern India this week after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The official tally was released hours after the incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Days after the tragedy, s

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Thailand’s youth-led pro-democracy movement torn between hope and disillusion

Pacific Asia • 11:19 AM

1 min

In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of students took to the streets of the Thai capital Bangkok, leading to huge demonstrations and an unprecedented protest movement in the “land of smiles”. These young Thais defied the

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US funding freeze disrupts Cambodian efforts to clear landmines, Vietnam War bombs

Pacific Asia • 8:21 AM

1 min

US President Donald Trump's decision to abruptly pause all foreign aid has forced Cambodia to scale back its lifesaving campaign to clear the unexploded military ordnance left behind by decades of civil strife and American bombing during the Vietnam War.

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Millions of Afghans face expulsion from Iran and Pakistan 'back to nothing', NGO warns

Pacific Asia • 2:17 PM

1 min

The head of humanitarian NGO the Norwegian Refugee Council is accusing the international community of turning its back on the Afghan people since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Jan Egeland is just back from a long visit to the country, where he f

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South Korea's webtoon comics have readers hooked

Pacific Asia • 1:56 PM

1 min

South Korea is seeing a boom in webtoons – short episodic comics that are designed to be read on smartphones. They are hugely popular in the country, where some 35 million people read at least one episode of a webtoon every week. Amid this success at hom

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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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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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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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Philippines: HIV, the silent epidemic

Pacific Asia • 12:30 AM

1 min

While significant progress has been made globally in curbing the spread of HIV, the Philippines has one of the fastest-growing infection rates in the world. Despite opposition from the Catholic Church and other social challenges, activists are fighting t

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'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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