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.

Read more‘Low-cost’ terror: Bondi Beach investigators examine IS group link, Philippines trip

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The death toll from last month's devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has topped 1,000. Survivors and volunteers are growing frustrated at the slow pace of aid deliveries and are calling on the government to bring in international help.

Staying in Southeast Asia, Myanmar's military rulers are ramping up pressure on voters to boost turnout in upcoming general elections, the first to be held since the 2021 coup. International observers including the United Nations have called the vote a "sham". FRANCE 24's Yuka Royer speaks with Phil Robertson, Director of the Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, about the junta's aims amid an ongoing civil war.

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.

But first, as fierce conflict returns to the Thai-Cambodian border, we take a look at the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire. Hundreds of thousands of people from both sides have fled their homes and are facing an uncertain future.

Also on the show, China is more determined than ever to assert its territorial dominance at sea. Close encounters with the Philippine coast guard highlight rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

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.

Also on the show, we look at the runaway success of "Zootopia 2" in China. Despite the declining popularity of foreign films in the country, and ongoing US-China trade tensions adding more headwinds to Hollywood producers, Disney's animal police comedy broke box office records, accounting for 95 percent of all cinema tickets sold over the opening weekend.

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.

Read moreHong Kong police arrest 8 people as fire death toll rises to 128

Meanwhile, large parts of Southeast Asia remain underwater after cyclone-fuelled torrential rain battered Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia for days, triggering severe floods and landslides. Suffering the worsening effects of climate change, low-lying countries in the region are being hit with extreme weather events more and more frequently, and severely.

Read moreDeath toll in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia floods tops 250

Plus, Australia is going ahead with a world-first ban on social media for children under 16, despite a last-minute legal challenge. Although there has been some pushback from Big Tech, the legislation has received broad support from the public and is set to take effect on December 10.

Read moreWhy is Australia banning children under 16 from social media – and can they enforce it?

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.

Next, toxic air pollution in India’s capital has forced schools to shut and brought hundreds of protesters onto the streets for weeks. Angry residents say the government has not done enough to address the crisis. Finally, in China, we go inside a military-style boot camp for children to keep them away from phones and computer screens amid rising concerns around the amount of time the youth spend online.

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.

Meanwhile, Japan continues to grapple with an unprecedented level of bear attacks, with a record 13 people killed as of early November. With bear sightings becoming more and more frequent in residential areas, police officers are now allowed to cull the animal with rifles.

Also on the show, three Chinese astronauts have returned home after being stranded in space following a suspected debris strike on their spaceship. After their six-month mission at China's Tiangong space station ended, their return to Earth was delayed for nearly 10 days after the vessel meant to carry them back home was damaged.

Plus, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to put many of those implicated in a massive corruption scandal behind bars by Christmas. At least 37 senators, MPs and wealthy businesspeople are accused of syphoning off taxpayer money earmarked for flood prevention projects that never happened. The island nation has suffered the worsening impacts of climate change, most recently with a deadly super typhoon, Fung-wong.

Recently back from military service, BTS's leader RM made history by becoming the first K-pop idol to give a keynote address at an APEC CEO summit in South Korea, calling on global leaders to support culture and embrace diversity. Coming four years after the band were invited to speak at the UN General Assembly, it was the latest display of Seoul's soft-power diplomacy, capitalising on K-pop's phenomenal global success.

But first, the recent expulsion of nine senior generals from China's People's Liberation Army and the Communist Party marks one of the most significant purges in President Xi Jinping's longstanding anti-corruption campaign. We try to get to the bottom of the stunning reversal of fortunes for the officials and the state of Xi's power consolidation, with Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Also on the show, we delve into the world of Isao Takahata – co-founder of Studio Ghibli and the director behind "Grave of the Fireflies" and "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya" – as a restrospective of his work comes to Paris. Known for his perfectionism and endless search for artistic innovation, the late creator is credited with helping propel Japanese animation onto the global stage.

On the show this week, we explore where things stand between the US and India, as reports emerge that the two sides are nearing a trade agreement. We ask our expert whether trust can be restored with Washington, and examine what lies ahead for relations with Moscow as Russian crude imports may soon dry up. We also look at where Japan is headed as its first female prime minister takes office. Plus, sumo wrestlers return to London for the second time — and become an instant hit.