Access Asia

Superstitious tourists from Hong Kong and China have been cancelling their trips to Japan, partly due to a manga – first published in the 1990s – predicting that a major catastrophe will hit the country in July. We take a closer look.

Before “Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical” hits the stage in Manchester, we catch up with one of the stars to talk about bringing this iconic love story – and Bollywood's longest-running film, starring Shah Rukh Khan – to life on stage. We also reveal which Indian restaurant has earned its first three Michelin stars. Plus, we explore the potential impact on Chinese e-commerce businesses as the EU considers a €2 fee on small parcels. 

A 90-day truce in the US-China trade war has officially begun, with both sides temporarily lowering sky-high tariffs on each other's goods. But there's still a lot of uncertainty facing global trade. Yuka Royer speaks with Louise Loo, China lead at Oxford Economics, about what came out of the recent tit-for-tat tariff tussle and what to expect next.  

As the tit-for-tat continues between India and Pakistan following New Delhi's response to April's terror attack on civilians in Kashmir, we speak to Christopher Clary, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, to discuss whether diplomacy can help ease the tensions between the nuclear powers. We also find out how Islamabad has managed to sustain its influence on the global stage, as India inches closer to the West. 

China has instrumentalised the UN, Interpol and Western law enforcement to hunt down and intimidate government critics living abroad, according to a new worldwide investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. In a series of reports, the ICIJ sheds new light on China's long-running "transnational repression". One of its lead authors speaks to FRANCE 24 about their findings. 

In the aftermath of this week's deadly terror attack in Kashmir, relations between India and Pakistan have worsened. In this edition of Access Asia, the spokesperson for the opposition National Congress Party in India calls for unity, while acknowledging that the intent of the attack was to divide along religious lines. We also report on how the staunchly Catholic Philippines is grappling with the loss of Pope Francis.

On April 17,1975, a hardline Communist command led by Pol Pot swept into Phnom Penh and overthrew the US-backed military government of General Lon Nol. The Khmer Rouge went on to write the darkest chapter in Cambodia's history, committing one of the worst genocides of the 20th century. More than two million people were killed during their four-year rule, as they carried out mass killings and forced labour in their pursuit of radical ideologies. 

How far can reality TV go to engage viewers? Back in the 1990s, a hugely popular variety show in Japan featured a 22-year-old aspiring comedian having to survive solely on magazine sweepstakes, alone and naked in a small room for 15 months. His ordeal was recently revived in the British documentary film "The Contestant". In this edition, Nasubi reflects on the disturbing TV show and shares his thoughts on today's social media craze, with FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer. 

The US president's "Liberation Day" tariffs have hit Asian nations particularly hard, including America's closest partners like Japan and South Korea. Six Southeast Asian economies were slapped with much higher tariffs than they had expected, of up to 49 percent. Yuka Royer asks the Asia Centre's Jean-François Di Meglio about their implications and what Donald Trump is trying to achieve in his attempt to reshape the global trading order.

On this week's Access Asia, we focus on how Elon Musk is targeting sweet spots in Asia with Tesla sales taking a hit in Europe and the United States. However, bad news for Tesla is good news for China's electric vehicle maker BYD. Meanwhile, questions continue to swirl over what conflicts of interest exist for billionaire Musk, who is advising US President Donald Trump during his second term in office.

South Korea has discussed repatriating North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine to Seoul. The two young soldiers in question are among the more than 10,000 troops sent from Pyongyang to support Russia's war on Ukraine, although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang officially recognises their deployment. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks to Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, legal analyst at the Transitional Justice Working Group, about Seoul's aims and the dangers facing those soldiers and their families. 

On this week's show we get the latest reaction from the Philippines after the shock arrest of the country's former president, Rodrigo Duterte. He's facing charges of crimes against humanity for his war on drugs. We speak to Human Rights Watch's Asia Carlos Conde who tells us the political fighting between the Duterte and Marcos camps hastened the arrest. We also head to India as the subcontinent celebrates the colourful festival of Holi.

China has kept its growth target for this year at around 5 percent, despite a new trade war with the United States. As the government shifts its focus on boosting domestic demand, businesses are seeking ways to adapt to a new trade environment. 

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, North Korea opens its doors to Western tourists for the first time in years. Finally, we see how Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" has become the highest-grossing animated movie in history.

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 world. The latest crackdown sheds light on the multi-billion-dollar illegal industry, which has flourished in Myanmar's lawless borderlands. 

"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 offering the Asian nation access to F-35 fighter jets. The Indian leader, for his part, was eager to ease friction on trade and immigration. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer discusses the two country's ties with Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic editor of The Hindu. 

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 Myanmar, medical care for the displaced people has already been paralysed. 

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, some are still looking for their loved ones and despite the best efforts by authorities, hundreds of people wind up lost every day of the festival. FRANCE 24's Navodita Kumari, Nabeel Ahmed and Nitish Sharma report.

We begin in Thailand where a law legalising same-sex marriage has taken effect. Thousands marked the occasion by formally registering their unions on the first day. We also speak to a father who took his employer to court over his right to paternity leave. Glen Wood explains his decade-long fight for a better workplace for parents in Japan. Finally, we meet the creator of Young-hee, the killer doll in “Squid Game.” Production designer Chae Kyoung-Sun said the giant robot was inspired by her own daughter.   

The Maha Kumbh Mela has got underway in northern India, with organisers expecting over 400 million visitors throughout the festival. In this week's show, we speak to India's permanent representative to UNESCO, who discusses how the Hindu festival is being used as a soft-power tool by New Delhi. Plus, we bring you a report on how Afghan migrants in Pakistan fear deportation. Finally, we see how the political chaos in South Korea is driving young women and men apart.

This week, as South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol remained holed up in his presidential compound, thousands of his supporters guarding the site against attempts to arrest him held up US flags and banners saying "Stop the Steal" in English. That phrase was used by Donald Trump's supporters after the 2020 US presidential election. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer and Yena Lee take a closer look at Yoon's ties with South Korea's far right.  

Forty years and one month after a deadly gas leak at a pesticide plant killed thousands in Bhopal, India, authorities say the last remaining toxic waste has been removed from the site. Activists say not enough measures are being taken to protect the environment and the population. Four decades after one of the world's worst industrial disasters, new generations of people are still grappling with its fallout and are demanding justice. Our correspondents report.

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 since the tragedy, the trauma of the disaster on December 26, 2004 still haunts survivors.

The dramatic turn of events in Syria could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East and have far-reaching repercussions.  FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer and Luke Shrago discuss what's at stake for Bashar al-Assad's allies in Asia – China, India and North Korea.  

Tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi have been on the rise since the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh's interim Prime Minister has alleged India is spreading disinformation about the fate of the country's Hindu minority. Ties between the two sides are also at a new low with Hasina in exile in India. 

In this edition, we meet the Oprah Winfrey of China. Born a man and once crowned the country's best male dancer, Jin Xing has gone on to become China's first transgender icon and a star TV host. Now in Paris for her upcoming show, she shares her life story with FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer.

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 market, and the opposition is calling for Adani's arrest. We also speak to a Hong Kong activist who has a bounty on his head about where the special administrative region's future is heading and whether Hong Kong has truly lost its shine.

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 a marketing frenzy around the endearing baby animal. We take a closer look.

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 a check on how New Delhi is reacting. Former Indian ambassador to France, Dr Mohan Kuman, tells us that India hopes the US president-elect can bring the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to an end.

China has declared its latest space mission "a total success", after the Shenzhou 19 spaceship carried three astronauts to its space station. The young crew includes the country's first female space engineer. The launch comes some 21 years after China conducted its first manned space flight and takes the country a step closer to its goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030. We take a closer look.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held their first bilateral talks in five years on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia this week. In this edition of Access Asia, we look at the source of the tensions and find out how the apparent thaw is being viewed in China and India respectively. Plus, we speak to North Korea specialist Hazel Smith to find out what Pyongyang stands to gain by sending troops to Russia.

With the festival of lights just around the corner, Mattel has unveiled the first "Diwali Barbie", co-created by Indian fashion designer Anita Dongre. The recently released doll has been embraced by little children around the world. Dongre opens up about how representation matters and where Indian fashion is headed. Plus, we bring you a special report from Cambodia, where online scam centres have generated modern-day slavery conditions for workers.

An 88-year-old Japanese man who had fought to overturn a murder conviction for decades has finally been acquitted. Iwao Hakamata was arrested in 1966 and spent 46 years on death row. In a landmark retrial, a court declared him innocent in late September, and while rejecting the verdict, the prosecution this week announced it would not file an appeal. "I'm so happy, it's as if the past 58 years have just blown away," Hakamata's sister Hideko tells FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer, adding that she'll keep on fighting to save other victims of wrongful convictions and to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Plus, FRANCE 24's Charli James takes a closer look at what's behind Japan's staggering 99 percent conviction rate.

Japan's new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has called for "fundamentally bolstering" the country's defences in the face of rising regional and global threats. FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Robert Ward, Japan Chair at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, about the challenges ahead for the Japanese leader.

On this week's Access Asia, we focus on the elections underway in Indian-administered Kashmir. It's the first vote to take place in the region in a decade. New Delhi has allowed diplomats to observe the polls, however foreign journalists were kept out. We speak to Anuradha Bhasin, Managing Editor of the Kashmir Times, to find out more about the vote and the climate the elections are taking place in.

Global coffee prices are soaring to record levels but in Vietnam, one of the largest coffee producers, many farmers are switching to other – and more heat-resilient – crops. Yuka Royer speaks with Fairtrade International's Monika Firl. Also, regional elections are underway in Indian-administered Kashmir for the first time since the territory lost its semi-autonomous status in 2019. And we'll visit Indonesia's "Forgotten Island", a hidden gem in the Indian Ocean that's still untouched by mass tourism unlike neighbouring Bali. 

In this week's show: Bangladesh's International Crime Tribunal says it's begun the process to request the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India. While Dhaka and New Delhi enjoyed warm relations under Hasina's watch, we ask if relations between the two neighbours have now started to cool since her ouster in August.

It's a story that has gripped the Philippines for months. Alice Guo, the fugitive former mayor of the city of Bamban, has been deported back home after being caught in Indonesia. She faces accusations ranging from shady business dealings involving illegal gambling, to human trafficking as well as questions over her identity and links to China. Yuka Royer and Aurore-Cloé Dupuis discuss the case.    

It's been three years since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. Their policies have rolled back women's rights. Newly enforced laws require women to veil their faces in public. They are also now prohibited from singing or raising their voices. Afghan artist and activist Fatimah Hossaini reacts to the devastating new laws. 

On the show this week, we speak to Kiran Rao, director of "Laapataa Ladies," a film set in rural India and packed with subtle feminist messages. She tells us what inspired her to make the movie and how comedy was used as a tool to talk about female experiences. She argues the men portrayed in the film aren't meek, but empathetic. We also look at a new controversial canal project in Cambodia and head to Thailand, where the "Boys' Love" TV drama is making a splash. 

After multiple pre-wedding festivities, the son of India's richest man ties the knot. Mukesh Ambani's youngest son, Anant, married Radhika Merchant in India's financial capital Mumbai. The event draws international stars and raises some eyebrows. On “Access Asia” we ask Time Magazine's journalist Astha Rajvanshi why Mukesh Ambani is going all out to create such a fuss.

Authorities in India have arrested six people following a deadly stampede in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. 121 women and children were killed at a religious event where nearly 250,000 had gathered to listen to a guru. To understand what caused this human tragedy, we talk to Sanjay Srivastava, professor of Anthropology at SOAS University of London.