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Exclusive reports, features and analysis of political and social events from across the Asian continent. Friday at 3:45pm Paris time.
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US President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill that targets TikTok. The popular social media app's Chinese owner ByteDance has been given about nine months to either sell its business or face a ban in the United States. The company has vowed to take the battle to the courts. FRANCE 24's Tech Editor Peter O'Brien explains.
In this week’s special edition of Access Asia, we focus on India as the country's record-breaking election gets under way. In the past few years, India's ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has plummeted. With the country’s independent media increasingly under threat, YouTube has become a key medium to fact-check trending topics. Twenty-nine-year-old Dhruv Rathee has been using the platform to fact-check issues and hold the Indian government to account. He spoke to FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza.
Troops in Myanmar have confirmed they've withdrawn from their positions in a trade hub near the border with Thailand. Fighting between the army and armed resistance groups has been flaring for months, with the ruling junta facing heavy losses. As a result, many Burmese are now fleeing to Thailand. We take a closer look.
China's best-selling sci-fi novel "3 Body Problem" has been adapted into a Netflix series. We look at how Chinese people have reacted online and why the adaptation has stirred up some anger. But first, aftershocks continue to rattle Taiwan after it experienced the strongest earthquake in 25 years. Our team reports from a town near the epicentre. Plus, we see how Russia has recruited hundreds of Nepalese men to fight on the front line in Ukraine, in exchange for the promise of lucrative pay and citizenship.
Arvind Kejriwal, an Indian opposition leader and the chief minister of Delhi, remains in custody following his arrest last week. We take a look at what this means ahead of India's general elections that begin in April. Next, we head to South Korea, where campaigning has begun for parliamentary elections. Politicians are on high alert after two political figures were attacked at the start of the year. Finally, we see how some young people in China are turning to artificial intelligence to find their perfect partner.
Earlier this week, it was "play ball" for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome. The two teams kicked off a new season of Major League Baseball, winning one each of the two-game opening series. FRANCE 24's Leo McGuinn tells more about the event and the popularity of baseball in South Korea.
French lawmakers have approved a bill to slap fines on ultra-fast fashion retailers. The measure effectively takes aim at Chinese companies like Shein and Temu. Temu, a faster and cheaper version of Amazon, has spread from China to around 50 countries after less than two years in operation. China-founded Shein uses AI and algorithms to detect the latest trends and can introduce more than 7,000 new items every day, changing buying habits and encouraging over-consumption. These clothes may be affordable for consumers, but they come at a huge environmental and social cost. FRANCE 24's Aurore Dupuis tells us more.
A decade ago, a Boeing Triple Seven with 239 people onboard, disappeared without a trace en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. "Good Night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero" was the last radio call from the pilot and no distress call was ever made in what became one of aviation's biggest mysteries. Families are still searching for closure, but there's hope of a renewed search in the near future. Jean-Emille Jamine and Olivia Salazar-Winspear bring us this report.
More than 200 million people are registered to vote in Indonesia's polls next week. With a majority of eligible voters aged under 40, social media and AI are playing a huge role as candidates target the youth. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow is now officially wanted by police. She speaks to us from Canada where she is studying.
Parts made with forced labour in China may be being used in cars around the world, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch. It says it has found "credible evidence" that aluminium producers use workers from government-backed labour transfer programmes linked to the forced labour of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities. The report further details how the metal could then have entered the supply chains of global car companies. For more analysis, we speak to Jim Wormington, lead author of the report.
French President Emmanuel Macron is wrapping up his two-day visit to India, where he paraded through the streets with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and talked business, amid calls from human rights groups not to overlook India's authoritarian shift. For more, we speak to Subir Sinha, Director of the South Asia Institute at SOAS University of London.
In India, tensions have been rising between the country's Hindu majority and the Muslim minority. Some say the ruling party has only exacerbated the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to open a Ram temple in the northern town of Ayodhya. What makes it controversial is the land it sits on. For centuries a mosque stood there, before it was ultimately torn down by Hindu nationalists, incited by Modi's party. Our team on the ground reports on the Ram temple, as well as other sites that could see the same fate.
Onion prices in some parts of the world are eye-wateringly high. India, one of the world's biggest producers, has limited exports, sparking smuggling and price hikes abroad. FRANCE 24's Shirli Sitbon tells us more. But first, we report on how protests have erupted in Pakistan amid rampant killings and enforced disappearances in Baluchistan province. Protesters say the security forces are to blame. Plus, a state of emergency has been declared in Papua New Guinea's capital after more than a dozen people were killed in unrest. Chaos ensued after police went on strike – cars were set on fire and shops looted.
In Taiwan, the stakes are higher than ever as 19 million voters head to the polls on January 13 to choose their new president. China, which claims the island as its own territory, has gone so far as to cast the vote as a choice between war and peace. In this special edition, FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Victor Louzon, assistant professor at Paris's Sorbonne University, about one of the most closely-watched elections around the world this year. We also look back at the history of the island. Plus, our correspondents report from the campaign trail.
There is serious concern for thousands of earthquake survivors in China. Earlier this month, over 100 people were killed by a 6.2-magnitude quake in north-western Gansu province. Now, with few resources, they are bracing for a record cold snap. We take a closer look.
China and India have two of the world's biggest populations and are also two of the worst polluters. One has made progress trying to clean up its act while the other has stalled; we take a closer look. Also in this edition: over 40 percent of children in Pakistan suffer from stunted growth. The condition can have long-term health effects but also economic consequences, as our correspondents report. Finally, a Taiwanese rock band denies lip-synching at a concert in China, an offence that could see it pay a fine or even be banned in the country. We speak to Beijing-based journalist Fabian Kretschmer.
Thailand has welcomed the return of a majority of its citizens who'd been held captive in Gaza, while also observing a minute of silence for the 39 others killed during the October 7 Hamas attacks. Thais made up the largest non-Israeli group among the hostages. In order to recover some of these migrant workers, the government turned to Iran for support. We tell you more.
Russia is accused of targeting Central Asian migrants, either to beef up its ranks in the war in Ukraine or to work in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. Many workers who used to live in Russia say they have had to return home. Also, North Korea says it has successfully launched its first-ever reconnaissance satellite into orbit. The claim is drawing condemnation but also scepticism from its neighbours. Finally, in a special report, we see how the Philippines is struggling to tackle its massive plastic pollution problem.
Myanmar's junta faces its biggest threat since it seized power two-and-a-half years ago. For the first time, different groups of well-armed rebels have joined forces and are gaining ground, with the aim of restoring democratic rule.
Afghanistan may not have won the Cricket World Cup, but their inspiring run brought them to the cusp of the semi-finals. Each win gave people back home rare opportunities for public celebration in the war-torn, Taliban-controlled country. The team has an uneasy relationship with the government. It still plays under the green, black and red national flag banned by the Taliban and is based abroad. For more analysis, we speak to Sidharth Monga, Senior Cricket Writer at ESPNcricinfo in Goa, India.
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