Access Asia

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 w

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 presid

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. W

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

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 sc

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