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.

Read moreHow Maduro's capture in Venezuela weakens China in Latin America

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South Korean car giant Hyundai says it will roll out humanoid robots in its factories from 2028. Powered by artificial intelligence, lifelike robots are no longer just a trade show novelty but are set to reshape the workforce and industries, with China dominating the market.

Finally, what are the mysterious green lights glowing in the Gulf of Thailand, so bright they're visible from space? We look at traditional squid fishing in the Southeast Asian nation, which is among the world's largest exporters of calamari.

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.