Ahmed al-Sharaa has been tapped to be Syria’s transitional president. What does his consolidation of power mean for the country? Plus: Myanmar’s junta prepares for elections and we head to Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. Then: Andrew Mueller tells us what he learned this week.

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We get an update on an overnight collision between a commercial airliner and a Black Hawk helicopter above Washington before turning to the new alliance between military-ruled Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. We discuss what this new bloc means and which international actors stand to benefit from it. Then: we investigate the global importance of the US’s National Institutes of Health. Plus: Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 jet breaks the sound barrier and we head to Copenhagen Fashion Week.

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We assess president Donald Trump’s attempted halt of federal funding, pop into the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø and assess Thailand’s image crisis as large numbers of tourists from mainland China cancel trips for this week’s Chinese New Year. Then: Pew’s latest survey on religion and politics across 36 countries. Plus: Monocle’s chairman, Tyler Brûlé, joins the show.

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As the world marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, Sudha David-Wilp and Stuart Dowell join Emma Nelson to discuss the Polish and German perspectives. Plus, Israel moves to shut down Unrwa, Ukraine’s drone-only military ops and highlights from the Jeddah Islamic Art Biennale.

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As the election in Belarus is labelled a “sham”, Hanna Liubakova joins Emma Nelson to discuss what lies ahead for Alexander Lukashenko and the country. Plus: more captives are released in Gaza and Israel; and the iconic French dance soon to be enshrined on the country’s cultural-heritage list.

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As Russia responds to Donald Trump’s sanctions, Charles Hecker joins Andrew Mueller to discuss how weak Vladimir Putin’s economy really is. Plus: more highlights from Davos, Paris Fashion Week Men’s, Oscar nominations and a very educational week for ‘What We Learned’.

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The Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which began at the weekend, appears to be holding. Hannah McCarthy joins Andrew Mueller to discuss what we have seen during the first week and where it could go next. Plus: the latest at #WEF25 at Davos, the future of Austria’s political sphere and how artificial intelligence will affect the workplace.

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As Yoon Suk Yeol makes his first public remarks in constitutional court, Steven Borowiec joins Andrew Mueller to discuss where the trial will go next. Plus: Chris Cermak explores Trump’s foreign policy, Carlota Rebelo discusses the highlights from the World Economic Forum in Davos and Samantha Tse brings us the latest from the world of design.

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