Syria rolls out redesigned banknotes as part of a currency reform aimed at rebuilding after years of war. Russia, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with tax rises to help fund the war in Ukraine as the invasion nears its fourth year. Rahul Tandon asks what realistic economic choices remain for governments under that kind of strain.

In the US, New York City has a new mayor: Zohran Mamdani. We speak to an adviser who served on his inaugural committee about what his agenda means for the city’s economy.

And our North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali reports back after a year investigating whether the gains from artificial intelligence are being shared more widely accross America - or still concentrated among a few firms and regions.

(Photo: A currency exchanger handles cash in his hands, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, at Yusuf al-Azma Square in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)