In a landmark ruling, a Japanese court has ordered North Korea to pay compensations to victims of a mass repatriation programme that ran between 1959 and 1984. More than 93,000 ethnic Koreans and their Japanese spouses were lured by the promise of a "paradise on Earth" with free education, healthcare and guaranteed jobs, only to suffer human rights abuses, poverty and famine. Yuka Royer speaks with Human Rights Watch's Kanae Doi about the significance of the court decision.

In this edition of Access Asia, we meet the founder of New Delhi-based Kartik Research, which has just shown at Paris Fashion Week. Its 25-year-old founder, Kartik Kumra, who highlights "forgotten Indian crafts" in his work, is positioning the brand as an Indian fashion label aiming to break through on the global stage. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, actor Paul Mescal and Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton have all been spotted wearing the brand's creations. 

In this week's edition of Access Asia, we explore how India and the EU are edging closer, as reports swirl that the two sides are in the final stages of securing a free trade deal. This shift in the relationship comes as both powers grapple with an unpredictable Donald Trump. Plus, we find out how K-pop is thriving abroad but facing a slump at home, as "KPop Demon Hunters" goes home with two Golden Globes.

China has strongly condemned the US attack on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Beijing had built a strategic partnership with the South American country, and been trying to expand its diplomatic and economic clout in the region. Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute, tells FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer that China has a lot to lose but also to gain from the ongoing situation. 

Police in Australia are investigating a trip made by the suspects of the Bondi Beach anti-Semitic terrorist attack to the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, just weeks before they shot and killed 15 people and wounded dozens more. The region has long grappled with Islamist militancy, but President Marcos's government has fired back at reports suggesting the country was a training hotspot for terrorists.

It's a story of art, rivalry and bloodlines. Japan's megahit and Oscar hopeful "Kokuho" is coming to the French box office at Christmas. It follows the life of a man born the son of a yakuza boss who goes on to become a "living national treasure" in the hereditary world of kabuki, a centuries-old stage art performed only by men. Ahead of its French release, FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer sits down with director Sang-il Lee. 

The Indian government has scrapped an order which gave manufacturers 90 days to pre-install a state-backed security app on all new smartphones. The move came following a huge public outcry and resistance from tech firms. Yuka Royer speaks with Nikhil Pahwa, a digital policy analyst in New Delhi, about what the app – which is still available albeit no longer mandatory – is intended for and why there was so much concern about what it could potentially do.  

People in Hong Kong are searching for answers after the worst fire there in decades. The blaze that ripped through seven high-rise apartment blocks took more than 24 hours to bring under control, and put the spotlight on the continued use of bamboo scaffolding in the city.  

We analyse the renewed tensions between China and Japan, who have been locked in an escalating diplomatic row. The spat was set off by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's suggestion earlier this month that Japan could respond militarily in the scenario that China attacks Taiwan. The dispute has led Beijing to cancel Japan-bound flights, suspend concerts and ban imports of Japanese seafood.

When she was elected head of Japan's ruling party, Sanae Takaichi declared that she had abandoned the term "work-life balance" and asked fellow party members to "work like a horse". A month into office, the country's first female prime minister appears to have put her words into action. She told parliament that she was only sleeping two to four hours at night, a few days after organising a 3am staff meeting. In a country plagued by a culture of overwork, this hasn't gone down well. 

Zohran Mamdani celebrated his Indian roots during his campaign for mayor of New York City. After winning the race, the 34-year-old’s victory was celebrated by Indians online – but officials in New Delhi have remained tight-lipped. In this edition of Access Asia, we find out why. Plus, Indian engineering students put their US ambitions on hold as new H-1B visa rules kick in.