News : France24

Chinese lawmakers are reviewing a new law that tells parents to teach their children to love the Communist Party and criminalises any activity deemed to be damaging "ethnic unity". Yuka Royer speaks with Human Rights Watch's Asia director, who says the b

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Does Indonesia's Brimob police unit have a licence to kill?

Pacific Asia • 11:55 AM

1 min

This summer in Indonesia, the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) paramilitary police unit sparked controversy after killing a 21-year-old man during a protest. The elite armed unit, which already had a reputation for misconduct, has often been deployed to ens

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From Kathmandu to Casablanca: How Gen Z Is reimagining political speech and dissent

Pacific Asia • 11:35 AM

1 min

As GenZ youth protests are spreading worldwide, Alison Sargent welcomes Dr. D.B. Subedi to get to the heart of the driving force of these new collective protests. Dr. Subedi situates the Moroccan Gen Z protests within a wider range of youth-led movements

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S. Korean president apologises over foreign adoptions of stolen children

Pacific Asia • 9:21 AM

1 min

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday offered a “heartfelt apology” for the country’s ill-managed adoption programme of the 1970s and 1980s that led to tens of thousands of children being sent to new homes abroad. An inquiry in March found th

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Gen Z: How social media fuel this generation's global revolt

Pacific Asia • 9:10 AM

1 min

🇲🇦🇲🇬🇳🇵Across Asia and Africa, from the Philippines to Morocco, Gen Z is organizing online and actively protesting against governments, social and economic inequalities, as well as power cuts, water shortages, and social media bans 📲 France24’s Stella E

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More than 50 trapped under collapsed school building in Indonesia

Pacific Asia • 3:33 AM

1 min

Rescuers in Indonesia raced against time to reach dozens of students and staff trapped under the rubble of a collapsed multi-storey boarding school on Java Thursday. Authorities say at least five people have died and around 59 remain missing following Mo

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Afghans celebrate return of mobile, internet services after 48-hour shutdown

Pacific Asia • 1:25 PM

1 min

Hundreds of people poured onto the streets of Kabul on Wednesday night to celebrate the return of the internet across Afghanistan nearly two days after the Taliban shut down telecommunications, sparking closures of banks, businesses and airports, in addi

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At least 69 people killed in a powerful earthquake that hit the Philippines

Pacific Asia • 10:13 AM

1 min

At least 69 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that hit a central Philippine province where dozens of peple were killed by a powerful earthquake Tuesday night. The magnitude-6.9 earthquake that hit at about 10 p.m. trapped an unspecified number

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The journey of Dharambir Nain, a gold medalist at the Paris Paralympic Games

Pacific Asia • 12:38 AM

1 min

A gold medal at the Paris Paralympic Games, a bronze at the World Championships, and two silver medals at the Asian Championships — this is the impressive record of Dharambir Nain, 36 years old. On September 4, 2024, he made history by winning gold at th

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More than 60 killed as central Philippines hit by powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake

Pacific Asia • 11:07 PM

1 min

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, killing at least 69 people at a sports arena and raising fears of major damage, officials said. The quake hit around 10pm local time at a shallow depth near Palompon, close to Bogo c

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Modi’s reaction to protests in India’s Ladakh may alienate a vital community

Pacific Asia • 6:12 PM

1 min

The geopolitically sensitive region of Ladakh in northern India recently experienced an unusual wave of anger after four civilians were killed in a protest by police, and a popular environmental activist was arrested. The discontentment in this fragile t

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US to deport hundreds of Iranians after deal with Tehran, Iranian official says

Pacific Asia • 9:15 AM

1 min

The United States is set to deport around 400 Iranians, most of whom entered the country illegally, an Iranian official said Tuesday. The first group of 120 is expected to arrive this week, following months of bilateral discussions.

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UN calls on Taliban to restore internet in Afghanistan after telecoms blackout

Pacific Asia • 4:51 AM

1 min

The United Nations called on the Taliban to restore internet and telecommunications access across Afghanistan on Tuesday, saying an imposed nationwide blackout "risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people". The blackout, part of the Taliban’s

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China: World's highest bridge opens to traffic

Pacific Asia • 3:26 PM

1 min

🇨🇳 World's highest bridge opens to traffic 🌉 The world's highest bridge opened to traffic in China, capping an engineering feat three years in the making and snatching the record from another bridge in the same province. ⛰️ The Huajiang Grand Canyon

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Title: India: Dozens dead, over 50 injured at actor-politician Vijay's rally

Pacific Asia • 3:08 PM

1 min

🇮🇳 At least 39 people were killed in a stampede during a rally for Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay in Karur, southern India. The state has ordered an inquiry and police have filed a criminal case against leaders of Vijay’s party.

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China: World's highest bridge opens to traffic

Pacific Asia • 2:43 PM

1 min

🇨🇳 World's highest bridge opens to traffic 🌉 The world's highest bridge opened to traffic in China, capping an engineering feat three years in the making and snatching the record from another bridge in the same province. ⛰️ The Huajiang Grand Canyon

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Typhoon Bualoi batters Vietnam coast, killing 11

Pacific Asia • 8:37 AM

1 min

Typhoon Bualoi ripped roofs from buildings and uprooted electrical poles along Vietnam's coast, killing at least 11 people, local and national officials said on Monday. Nicholas Rushworth tells us more.

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Singapore denies entry to exiled Hong Kong activist Nathan Law

Pacific Asia • 6:12 AM

1 min

Hong Kong activist Nathan Law said Singapore barred his entry over the weekend despite a valid visa. Law, who fled Hong Kong after Beijing’s controversial National Security Law, suspects political motives behind the decision.

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India: Who is Vijay, whose last political rally caused a massive stampede?

Pacific Asia • 12:52 AM

1 min

🇮🇳❓Who is Vijay? ⚡ A stampede at a rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 36 people and injured 40 others. 👨🏽 The rally, which officials say was attended by tens of thousands of people, was

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India: Stampede at a political rally for popular actor Vijay kills 36

Pacific Asia • 9:05 AM

1 min

A stampede at a rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 36 people and injured 40 others, the state’s health minister said late Saturday. The rally, which officials say was attended by tens of th

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Stampede at southern India political rally kills at least 39

Pacific Asia • 7:01 AM

1 min

A stampede at a rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 39 people on Saturday, after a crowd of some 27,000 people waited hours in baking heat without sufficient safeguards, officials said. Witn

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China: World's tallest bridge opens in Guizhou Province

Pacific Asia • 10:06 AM

1 min

The Guizhou province is already home to almost half the world’s 100 tallest bridges, but it is about to be home to the tallest bridge in the world. Another example of China's infrastructure diplomacy, demonstrating technological prowess, and large scale

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What are the 'snapback' nuclear sanctions the UN will reimpose on Iran?

Pacific Asia • 5:43 AM

1 min

UN sanctions on Iran that were lifted as part of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal will come back into force at midnight after the "E3" European group – Britain, France and Germany – alleged that Tehran was not meeting its obligations, triggering a "snapback"

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Tehran and Moscow sign multi-billion dollar deal to build nuclear power plants in Iran

Pacific Asia • 11:53 AM

1 min

Iran and Russia signed a $25 billion deal to build nuclear power plants in the Islamic republic, IRNA news agency reported Friday, with sweeping UN sanctions on Iran likely to return.

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Ancient skull from China redraws human family tree, researchers say

Pacific Asia • 8:40 PM

1 min

A newly reconstructed 1-million-year-old skull from central China may rewrite key chapters of human evolution. Researchers say the fossil, Yunxian 2, represents the earliest known member of a lineage that includes the Denisovans – suggesting our species

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Seoul says North Korea holds up to two tonnes of weapons-grade uranium

Pacific Asia • 5:24 AM

1 min

South Korea said Thursday that North Korea may possess up to two tonnes of highly enriched uranium, enough to build a large number of nuclear weapons, despite years of sanctions.

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China announces plans to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Pacific Asia • 5:04 AM

1 min

At a climate leaders' summit at the United Nations on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% and increase consumption of non-fossil fuels domestically. Xi discouraged developed nations

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China announces plans to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Pacific Asia • 10:09 PM

1 min

At a climate leaders' summit at the United Nations on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10%, and increase consumption of non-fossil fuels domestically. Xi discouraged developed nations

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Asia's Gen Z uprising: Youth reject 'corrupt, out-of-touch' ruling class sporting lavish lifestyles

Pacific Asia • 9:47 AM

1 min

From Kathmandu to Jakarta, all the way to Manila, young educated voices have been taking to the streets to voice their anger and fractured hopes. In our wide‑ranging interview with David Camroux, we trace the "underlying causes" fuelling widespread unres

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Typhoon Ragasa slams southern China and Hong Kong after killing several in Taiwan

Pacific Asia • 1:40 AM

1 min

Early Wednesday, Typhoon Ragasa shut down Hong Kong as it tore through southern China after wreaking havoc in the Philippines and Taiwan. The powerful storm has displaced more than 17,500 people and caused dozens of deaths.

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Typhoon Ragasa batters Hong Kong and south China after Taiwan and Philippines

Pacific Asia • 12:16 AM

1 min

Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest in years, whipped waves taller than lampposts onto Hong Kong promenades and turned seas rough on the southern Chinese coast on Wednesday after leaving deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.

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Iran’s Khamenei rejects direct talks with US over nuclear programme

Pacific Asia • 7:31 PM

1 min

Iran’s supreme leader on Tuesday ruled out direct talks with the United States over the country’s nuclear programme, a move seen as closing off a final chance to avert the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran.

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Pakistan-India: In Punjab, flooding sparks anger among residents

Pacific Asia • 11:31 AM

1 min

Since late June, unusually heavy monsoon rains have hit northern India and Pakistan, killing hundreds of people. The worst-hit province is Punjab, where nearly 4 million people have been displaced. Climate change is mainly to blame. But the floods have a

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Typhoon Ragasa ravages Philippines, threatens southern China

Pacific Asia • 11:05 AM

1 min

After a devastating passage through the #Philippines and #Taiwan, super typhoon #Ragasa is now heading towards #HongKong and southern #China, with gusts exceeding 215 km/h.

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Outrage after Covid-era Chinese journalist Zhang sentenced to prison for second time

Pacific Asia • 9:58 AM

1 min

PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, September 23: Human rights groups condemn the ruling against Zhang Zhan, a Chinese citizen journalist facing a second four-year prison term for her reporting on Covid in 2020. In Egypt, a prominent political prisoner has been pard

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China evacuates 400,000 as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches after slamming Philippines

Pacific Asia • 9:40 AM

1 min

Super Typhoon Ragasa hit the northern Philippines on Monday with winds of up to 215 kilometres per hour, tearing off roofs and toppling trees as tens of thousands sought shelter. The storm is now moving toward southern China, where authorities in Shenzhe

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Philippines: Super Typhoon Ragasa hits the country, thousands evacuated

Pacific Asia • 9:03 AM

1 min

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr placed the Philippines' disaster response agency on full alert and ordered the mobilisation of all government bodies as Super Typhoon Ragasa approached the northern region, triggering storm warnings across East and Southeast

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Nepal’s Gen Z demands change: Aftermath of a youth uprising

Pacific Asia • 10:11 AM

1 min

After Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Nepal has become the latest South Asian country to witness its own “Generation Z revolution”. In just three years, it's the third government in the region to fall under pressure from youth-led protests. Each movement was t

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China evacuates 400,000 as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches after slamming Philippines

Pacific Asia • 4:45 AM

1 min

Super Typhoon Ragasa hit the northern Philippines on Monday with winds of up to 215 kilometres per hour, tearing off roofs and toppling trees as tens of thousands sought shelter. The storm is now moving toward southern China, where authorities in Shenzhe

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North Korea says dialogue with US possible if denuclearisation demands dropped

Pacific Asia • 12:35 AM

1 min

North Korea's leader, who has been building the country's nuclear programme despite economic sanctions and arms embargoes from the UN Security Council, has stated that he would be open to dialogue with the US should President Donald Trump rescind his den

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Afghanistan refuses deal to give Bagram base back to US after Trump comments

Pacific Asia • 10:13 AM

1 min

An Afghan Taliban official said Sunday that a deal to hand Bagram air base back to the US was "not possible" after US President Donald Trump threatened unspecified punishment against Afghanistan if the base north of Kabul was not returned – four years af

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Philippines: Thousands march in Manila protesting corruption, clashing with authorities

Pacific Asia • 12:07 AM

1 min

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Manila to protest a corruption scandal involving flood control projects worth billions of dollars, leading to scattered clashes with police. With organizers aiming for one of the largest anti-corruption

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Donald Trump–Xi Jinping: The complicated sale of TikTok to American investors

Pacific Asia • 10:54 AM

1 min

Following a call with Xi Jinping, Donald Trump stated on Friday that finalizing an agreement on TikTok could now be a “simple formality” and confirmed his plans to visit China, though Beijing offered a much more measured account of the talks. Vedika Bahl

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The Bright Side: 'KPop Demon Hunters' drone show delights fans in Seoul

Pacific Asia • 12:47 AM

1 min

Fans of the hit animated musical "KPop Demon Hunters", Netflix’s most-watched movie ever, enjoyed a spectacular drone show over Seoul on Sunday, where 1,200 drones illuminated the night sky with images of beloved characters and iconic South Korean landma

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'I dissected 300 humans': Former Unit 731 members expose Japan's wartime atrocities

Pacific Asia • 4:33 PM

1 min

"Evil Unbound", a new film depicting the horrors of the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731 and its germ warfare programme, has hit cinemas across China and beyond. As the latest in a wave of patriotic films to find success at home, it sheds light on one o

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Taliban release elderly British couple after months of detention in Afghanistan

Pacific Asia • 11:29 AM

1 min

The Taliban on Friday released a British couple held in Afghanistan for nearly eight months on undisclosed charges. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara, 76, had an emotional reunion in Doha with their family members, who thanked Qatari officials for

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Inside Thailand’s ‘little Burma’, a refuge for Myanmar’s exiles

Pacific Asia • 9:49 AM

1 min

Myanmar is once again in the grip of civil war. Since the 2021 military coup that ousted the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, hundreds of thousands of Burmese have fled to Thailand to escape escalating violence and a collapsing economy. Thai auth

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Modi's firm approach to punitive US tariffs could turn the tables on Trump

Pacific Asia • 9:16 AM

1 min

New negotiations are set to begin this week between Washington and New Delhi on the Trump administration’s steep tariffs on imports from India. So far, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to bow to US economic pressure, counting on his count

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UN Security Council votes to reimpose Iran nuclear sanctions, Tehran blasts ‘illegal’ move

Pacific Asia • 10:29 PM

1 min

A UN Security Council resolution aimed at halting the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme failed Friday after weeks of last-ditch diplomatic talks appeared to break down. France, Germany and Britain have moved to trigger the “sna

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Shifting gears: Malaysia bets on indigenous plant for EV future

Pacific Asia • 10:08 AM

1 min

Malaysia was once a leader in Southeast Asia’s automotive sector, even producing the region’s first national car. But in recent years, it has struggled to keep pace with neighbours like Thailand and Indonesia, who are rapidly advancing in the electric ve

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In historic first, 'Nepal has a 'female PM working with the young generation and all Nepalese'

Pacific Asia • 5:57 AM

1 min

Protests that toppled Nepal's government last week echo uprisings across parts of Asia, where angry, unemployed young people are rising against entrenched elites. From Sri Lanka's 2022 economic revolt to Bangladesh's student-led 2024 uprising, Nepal's tu

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Afghanistan's Taliban regime is waging 'war on all forms of secular education'

Pacific Asia • 10:40 AM

1 min

PRESS REVIEW – Monday, September 15: While the US and the Taliban are developping "bilateral relations", papers report on the regime's "war" on secular education. Also: after pro-Palestinian protests cut the Vuelta cycling race short, an opinion piece sa

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How Nepalese police shot at protesters with ‘military-grade ammunition’

Pacific Asia • 12:50 AM

1 min

The Nepalese police used lethal weapons against protesters gathered on September 8 to protest government corruption. At least 19 people were killed and more than 300 were wounded on that day, according to an official count. Our Observers describe unprece

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Tens of thousands join Ankara protest against legal crackdown on Turkey's main opposition party

Pacific Asia • 6:30 PM

1 min

At least 50,000 people rallied in Ankara's vast Tandogan Square Sunday to protest against a year-long legal crackdown on members of Turkey's main opposition party, organisers said. The protest comes ahead of a court decision Monday that could invalidate

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Nepal’s new PM says will only serve for 6 months, urges 'cooperation' after deadly protests

Pacific Asia • 8:33 AM

1 min

Nepal’s first female prime minister, Sushila Karki, took office on Sunday and vowed to only stay in the role for the next six months. She replaces Khadga Prasad Oli, who was forced to resign and flee his official residence amid violent youth protests ove

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Australia to invest $8 billion in nuclear sub shipyard

Pacific Asia • 2:29 AM

1 min

Australia is investing Aus$12 billion (US$8 billion) over the next 10 years to transform a shipyard in Western Australia into a nuclear submarine service facility. The project is part of a major military overhaul aimed at strengthening Australia’s defenc

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From 8-bit to 3D: Nintendo's iconic 'Mario' games turn 40

Pacific Asia • 9:00 AM

1 min

Surrounded by thousands of objects bearing the likeness of Nintendo's moustachioed plumber, 40-year-old Kikai reflects that his "life would be totally different without Mario" who also marks four decades this week. The colourful "Super Mario Bros.", rele

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Nepal sets March elections after naming interim prime minister

Pacific Asia • 6:59 AM

1 min

Nepal's former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in Friday as the country's prime minister to lead a six-month transition to elections, after deadly anti-corruption protests ousted the government. The previous prime minister quit Tuesday as parliamen

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Nepal appoints first female PM as interim leader following deadly protests

Pacific Asia • 5:23 PM

1 min

Nepal appointed former chief justice Sushila Karki interim prime minister on Friday in a bid to appease student protesters whose deadly anti-corruption rallies toppled the previous government. Karki was known as an anti-corruption crusader in government

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The Kabul hospital that still treats Afghan women

Pacific Asia • 2:05 PM

1 min

As Taliban restrictions leave Afghan women without medical care after a deadly earthquake, we have a report from one rare hospital in Kabul where women are still able to access treatment. Also, at least nine French families are suing the government over

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