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A conference on how to end plastic pollution opened on Monday in Busan, South Korea, but there was little consensus between nations on how to deal with the 90 percent of plastic produced globally that is not recycled.

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More than 80 killed, dozens injured amid Pakistan sectarian violence

Pacific Asia • 3:46 PM

1 min

At least 82 people were killed and dozens were injured after days of clashes that began Thursday after gunmen attacked convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort. The incident sparked retaliatory attacks against Sunni residents and gunfights

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COP29 final draft proposes 'at least' $300 billion for developing countries

Pacific Asia • 7:11 PM

1 min

A final draft deal released Sunday at the UN COP29 summit proposes that developed nations commit at least $300 billion per year by 2035 to help poorer countries confront climate change. A number of developing countries have already responded that they ne

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Sixth young tourist dies in suspected mass alcohol-poisoning case in Laos

Pacific Asia • 11:01 AM

1 min

Another young tourist on Friday died in hospital after being subject to suspected alcohol poisoning during a night out in Laos, bringing the total death toll to six. The Laotian government has expressed its “sincere sympathy and deepest condolences” to t

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Dozens killed in sectarian clashes between Shiite, Sunni Muslims in northwestern Pakistan

Pacific Asia • 9:47 AM

1 min

More than 30 people have been killed and dozens more wounded after Shiite Muslims on Friday attacked a Sunni-dominated market and set it on fire in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northwestern Pakistan. Sporadic fighting has regularly bro

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Indian billionaire Gautam Adani indicted by US officials

Pacific Asia • 1:56 PM

1 min

On Access Asia this week, we bring you the latest on the fallout after US officials announced they had charged Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and others with bribery and fraud. Billions have been wiped off the group's market value on the Indian stock ma

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India banks on renewables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Pacific Asia • 1:40 PM

1 min

At the COP29 summit draws to a close, this report takes us to a renewable energy farm in India, partly owned by billionaire Gautam Adani. He has just been charged in the US for allegedly bribing Indian authorities over contracts for solar plants in the s

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Real carbon, false credits? Investigating mass deforestation in Cambodia

Pacific Asia • 1:29 PM

1 min

With around 40 percent of its territory covered by forests, Cambodia has become Asia's champion of carbon credits. This system is supposed to finance the protection of the country's forests, thanks to money injected by multinationals from around the worl

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Tehran to launch ‘new and advanced’ centrifuges in response to IAEA censure

Pacific Asia • 3:15 AM

1 min

One day after commending Iran's agreement to cap its uranium stockpiles, the UN's nuclear watchdog passed a censure motion Thursday denouncing Iran's lack of transparency on its nuclear activities. Early Friday, Tehran responded to the measure by announc

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Iran activist sews lips together in political protest after fellow campaigner's suicide

Pacific Asia • 3:11 PM

1 min

Iranian free speech activist Hossein Ronaghi has sewn his lips together in protest following the reported suicide of fellow activist Kianoosh Sanjari, according to posts on his social media account.

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EU raises cash offer to poor nations to $300 billion in bid to salvage climate talks

Pacific Asia • 5:57 AM

1 min

The European Union announced on Saturday that it was, in tandem with other rich nations including the United States and Japan, increasing its offer to help poorer countries fight climate change to $300 billion a year. Its previous offer, of $250 billion

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Gautam Adani charged with defrauding investors in alleged bribery scheme

Pacific Asia • 4:02 AM

1 min

US prosecutors on Wednesday charged Indian magnate and billionaire Gautam Adani over a bribery scheme that saw him allegedly pay hundreds of millions in bribes to Indian officials for solar energy supply contracts and hide payments from investors.

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IAEA chief welcomes Iran's 'concrete step' on capping enriched uranium stockpile

Pacific Asia • 1:57 PM

1 min

Iran has taken steps to halt the expansion of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said, welcoming this "concrete step in the right direction" on Wednesday. Grossi's comments came after

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Grief and anger after killing of blasphemy suspect in Pakistan

Pacific Asia • 11:15 AM

1 min

In Pakistan, a blasphemy-related case turned tragic in September. A doctor accused of blaspheming the Prophet Mohammed was allegedly shot dead by police officers and his body set on fire by a mob of fundamentalists. In a historic first, members of civil

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Tens of thousands march in New Zealand Maori rights protest

Pacific Asia • 10:07 AM

1 min

Booming Indigenous Maori "haka" chants rang out across New Zealand's capital on Tuesday, as tens of thousands rallied against a conservative push to redefine the nation's founding treaty. Story by Morgan Ayre.

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Hong Kong court jails 45 democracy campaigners on subversion charges

Pacific Asia • 10:05 AM

1 min

A Hong Kong court on Tuesday jailed all 45 defendants convicted of subversion in the city's largest national security trial, with "mastermind" Benny Tai receiving the longest term of 10 years. Story by Liza Kaminov and Bilal Tarabey.

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Hong Kong court jails 45 democracy campaigners in landmark trial

Pacific Asia • 7:39 AM

1 min

45 ex-lawmakers and activists were sentenced to four to 10 years in prison Tuesday in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case under a Beijing-imposed law that crushed a once-thriving pro-democracy movement. Legal scholar Benny Tai, whom the judges cal

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Hong Kong sentences 45 pro-democracy campaigners to prison terms

Pacific Asia • 3:11 AM

1 min

Hong Kong sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists under its national security laws on Tuesday, with former law professor Benny Tai receiving 10 years, the longest term yet. The defendants were charged with subversion for holding an unauthorised primary elec

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Students hurt in China primary school crash as nerves fray over recent attacks

Pacific Asia • 12:25 AM

1 min

A driver in an SUV ploughed into students and pedestrians outside a primary school in southern China on Tuesday, leaving several people injured, state media said, as worries spread over a spate of violent attacks in the country over the past week.

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India's north shrouded in smog as Delhi pollution hits season high

Pacific Asia • 1:04 PM

1 min

Toxic smog engulfed much of northern India on Monday and pollution readings in New Delhi hit their highest of this pre-winter season, after dense fog overnight. Details with Delano D'Souza.

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China's second mass attack in a week spurs soul-searching

Pacific Asia • 10:09 AM

1 min

A former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college in eastern China, killing eight people and injuring 17, police said on Sunday, prompting further soul-searching just days after the deadliest attack in the country in a decade. More info

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Schools shut in India's New Delhi as toxic smog exceeds 60 times WHO limit

Pacific Asia • 9:58 AM

1 min

Schools in New Delhi were closed Monday as toxic smog enveloped the Indian capital and exceeded the daily limit set out by the World Health Organization by 60 times. The polluted air is thought to be the cause of thousands of premature deaths each year,

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Bangladesh judge gives police one month to wrap up probe against ousted PM Hasina

Pacific Asia • 8:33 AM

1 min

A judge in Bangladesh has given investigators a one-month deadline to wrap up their probe into ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina who, along with her aides, is accused of committing crimes against humanity in connection with the deadly crackdowns during

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Thousands join Santa Claus parade in Tokyo to support children in need

Pacific Asia • 4:35 PM

1 min

Thousands of people dressed as Santa Claus filled the streets of Tokyo this weekend for an event aimed at raising funds for children battling illnesses. The festive parade, now in its sixth year, brought smiles and cheers to both participants and benefic

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Super Typhoon Man-yi batters Philippines' most populous island

Pacific Asia • 10:09 AM

1 min

A powerful typhoon wrecked houses, caused towering tidal surges and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less than a month.

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Super Typhoon Man-yi smashes power lines, wrecks houses in Philippines

Pacific Asia • 1:53 AM

1 min

Super Typhoon Man-yi slammed into the Philippines, sparking tidal surges and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines on Sunday in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less tha

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At least eight dead after stabbing attack at vocational school in eastern China

Pacific Asia • 8:34 PM

1 min

At least eight people were killed and 17 others wounded Saturday in a knife attack at a vocational school in eastern China, and the suspect – a former student – has been arrested, police said. This is the second deadly attack within a week after a man ra

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Xi meets Biden, says China ready to work with Trump for ‘smooth transition’ of bilateral ties

Pacific Asia • 4:19 PM

1 min

At a meeting on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping told outgoing US President Joe Biden that Beijing is ready to work with the incoming Trump administration for a "smooth transition" of China-US ties as

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Philippines urges residents to flee as super typhoon Man-Yi strengthens on approach

Pacific Asia • 1:37 PM

1 min

Philippine authorities issued an urgent appeal on Saturday for residents in low-lying areas and coastal towns to move to safety as super typhoon Man-Yi gained strength on its approach towards the country's main Luzon island. Details by Shirli Sitbon.

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Philippines warns of 'potentially catastrophic' Super Typhoon Man-yi

Pacific Asia • 9:32 AM

1 min

A super typhoon sweeping towards the Philippines on Saturday was intensifying and could have a "potentially catastrophic" impact, the state weather forecaster warned, with millions of people at risk from storm surges.

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Super Typhoon Man-yi slams into Philippines – the sixth major storm in a month

Pacific Asia • 3:23 AM

1 min

Super Typhoon Man-yi made landfall in the Philippines on Saturday after the disaster-hit nation evacuated hundreds of thousands of people. It was the sixth major storm to hit the country in the past month, and authorities warned of a "potentially catastr

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Pygmy hippo fever: Moo Deng now has a theme song

Pacific Asia • 4:18 PM

1 min

It's time for zoo-goers to forget pandas! Moo Deng, the adorable endangered pygmy hippo who's become an internet sensation in Thailand, now has an official song available on streaming platforms in multiple languages. The track's viral success has sparked

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'Green Islam': How Indonesian Muslims are helping protect the Earth

Pacific Asia • 1:04 PM

1 min

Indonesia may be on the front lines of the fight against global warming, but many of its people are climate sceptics. A 2019 survey found that Indonesia – the world's biggest Muslim-majority country – has the highest proportion of climate change sceptic

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North Korea orders 'mass production' of attack drones, raising concerns over Russia alliance

Pacific Asia • 2:57 AM

1 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the mass production of attack drones, state media said, as military ties with Russia deepen. Pyongyang's August drone unveiling and recent defense pact with Moscow raise concerns over technology transfers, prom

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Sri Lankan president's leftist coalition sweeps snap parliamentary elections

Pacific Asia • 12:15 AM

1 min

Barely two months after Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election, his National People's Power coalition swept a snap parliamentary vote on Friday, empowering him to implement poverty reduction progr

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World's largest known coral found near Solomon Islands

Pacific Asia • 4:49 AM

1 min

The world's largest known coral, visible from space, has been discovered in the waters of the Solomon Islands. Scientists said the discovery of the gigantic organism offered a glimmer of hope at a time when hotter and more acidic oceans have drained the

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Iran tells UN nuclear chief it is ready to negotiate, rejects 'intimidation'

Pacific Asia • 4:01 AM

1 min

Iran is willing to resolve disputes with the United Nations over its compliance with safeguards on its nuclear programme but will not do so "under pressure and intimidation", Iran's foreign minister said Thursday at the start of high-stakes talks with UN

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Toxic towns in Kyrgyzstan battle dangers of Soviet-era radioactive waste

Pacific Asia • 4:11 PM

1 min

Three decades on from independence, Kyrgyzstan is still dealing with the consequences of the Cold War nuclear arms race. Mining towns like Min-Kush provided the Soviet Union with essential uranium, leaving behind vast quantities of dangerous toxic waste

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Fears of Trump trade wars loom large as China's Xi heads to APEC meeting in Peru

Pacific Asia • 3:57 AM

1 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping will join his US counterpart Joe Biden and the leaders of other Asia Pacific nations in Lima this week for an economic summit overshadowed by the prospect of a world embroiled in trade wars under US President-elect Donald Tru

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China clears memorials, censors reports after car ramming in Zhuhai kills 35

Pacific Asia • 3:23 AM

1 min

Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Wednesday removed wreaths, candles and offerings at the scene of a deadly car rampage that killed at least 35 people and injured dozens more on Monday as the government in Beijing scrambled to censor

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IAEA chief to hold crunch talks in Tehran on Iran's nuclear programme

Pacific Asia • 1:57 AM

1 min

UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has appealed to Iran's leadership to take steps to resolve longstanding issues with his agency ahead of high-stakes talks in Tehran on Wednesday over the country's nuclear programme.

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More than 2 million face imminent famine in Rakhine state in Myanmar, UN report says

Pacific Asia • 9:23 PM

1 min

Myanmar's war-torn Rakhine state is facing 'unprecedented disaster' with looming famine and 'total economic collapse', the United Nations warned on Thursday, as the country's civil war wipes out commerce and agricultural production. For in-depth analysis

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COP29 nations approve new rules for creation of global carbon market

Pacific Asia • 6:13 PM

1 min

Nations at COP29 on Monday agreed new ground rules for a global carbon market that would reward countries for reducing emmissions by giving them "carbon credits" they could sell to higher-polluting countries. COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev said the agre

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Pakistan choked by thick smog, limits outdoor activities

Pacific Asia • 1:22 PM

1 min

Pakistan's Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution. Story by Eliza Herbert.

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Disaster-weary Philippines hit by fourth typhoon in under a month

Pacific Asia • 4:04 AM

1 min

Philippines ordered thousands to evacuate and shut ports as Typhoon Toraji hit its northeast coast near Dilasag, officials reported Monday. The fourth typhoon in under a month, Toraji struck about 220 kilometres from the capital Manila. No casualties or

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Pakistan choked by thick smog, limits outdoor activities

Pacific Asia • 12:40 AM

1 min

Pakistan's Punjab province banned most outdoor activities and ordered shops, markets and malls in some areas to close early from Monday to curb illnesses caused by intense air pollution.

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Iran denies plot to assassinate Trump, calls for confidence-building with US

Pacific Asia • 5:42 PM

1 min

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday denied US allegations that Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards ordered the assassination of President-elect Donald Trump and called for confidence-building between Washington and Tehran. Iranian analysts a

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Pakistani separatists kill 26 in a powerful suicide bombing at a rail station

Pacific Asia • 11:26 AM

1 min

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including soldiers and railways staff, and wounding about 50 others, some critically, officials said. Story by Morgan Ayre.

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Pakistani separatists kill 26 in a powerful suicide bombing at a rail station

Pacific Asia • 9:45 AM

1 min

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including soldiers and railways staff, and wounding about 50 others, some critically, officials said.

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Sri Lanka's green gold: From mountain slopes to the world's teacups

Pacific Asia • 9:00 AM

1 min

Sri Lanka has earned a global reputation for its high-quality tea, thanks to the generations of workers who bring this "green gold" to life. From the high-altitude slopes where leaves are carefully picked, to the processing and tasting that define its un

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Railway station blast in southwest Pakistan kills at least 26

Pacific Asia • 7:27 AM

1 min

At least 26 people were killed, including several soldiers, when a blast ripped through a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday in an apparent suicide attack claimed by a local separatist group.

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North Korea jams GPS signals, affecting planes and ships in South Korea

Pacific Asia • 5:03 AM

1 min

South Korea’s military said North Korea disrupted GPS signals from border areas for a second consecutive day on Saturday, affecting civilian flights and vessel operations.

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Why did Balochistan separatists kill 26 people in railway station suicide bombing?

Pacific Asia • 12:54 AM

1 min

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a train station in restive southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including soldiers and railway staff, and wounding about 50 others, some critically, officials said. For more information, FRANC

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Trump 2.0: What's in store for Asia's strongmen?

Pacific Asia • 2:51 PM

1 min

On this week's Access Asia we speak to Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute, who tells us what officials in Beijing really think of Donald Trump's US presidential victory. He discusses the risk of a full-blown trade war erupting. We also get

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South Korea 'not ruling out' sending weapons directly to Ukraine

Pacific Asia • 5:40 AM

1 min

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday that the major arms exporter is "not ruling out" breaking from its policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict by supplying arms to Ukraine, after recent reports suggesting North Korean t

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North Korea launches multiple short range ballistic missiles towards the sea

Pacific Asia • 2:21 AM

1 min

North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the eastern sea Tuesday, South Korea's military reported. The missiles flew 400 km, landing outside Japan’s exclusive zone without causing damage. This follows a North Korean intercontinen

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Iran arrests female student who stripped to protest harassment

Pacific Asia • 10:15 AM

1 min

Iranian authorities arrested a female student on Saturday after she staged a solo protest against harassment by stripping to her underwear outside her university, reports said. The woman, who has not been identified, had been harassed inside Tehran's pre

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Two members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards killed in helicopter crash

Pacific Asia • 8:29 AM

1 min

Two of Iran's Revolutionary Guards have died in a helicopter crash during an anti-terror operation in the country's restive southeast, state media said Monday, adding that the fatalities included a general in the elite force.

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Turkey sacks three more mayors in Kurdish-majority southeast

Pacific Asia • 7:03 AM

1 min

The Turkish government stripped three elected pro-Kurdish mayors of their posts in southeastern cities on Monday and replaced them with state officials, citing charges on terrorism-related offences.

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Chinese investors show irrational enthusiasm for Trump ‘meme stock’

Pacific Asia • 3:47 PM

1 min

The share price of a small Chinese company in financial difficulties has skyrocketed in recent days. The company's only real asset is its name: Wisesoft, which in Chinese sounds like the phrase 'Trump wins big'. Chinese investors are prone to buying shar

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