The US lurches towards a government shutdown as president-elect Donald Trump torpedoes a bipartisan spending bill. Plus: the EU takes the UK to court. Then: the best films of 2024 and what to eat and drink over the holidays.

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Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, presents her budget to parliament and her image of Italy as a stable, fiscally responsible country in the EU. Plus, the UK becomes the first country outside the Asia-Pacific to sign a trade deal in the region. Then, our final edition of ‘The Global Countdown’ for the year.

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Officials say that an Israel-Hamas ceasefire could be close as negotiations continue. Plus: we check in with the uncertain political futures of Brazil’s Lula and Canada’s Trudeau. Then: Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, joins to discuss the 80th anniversary of ‘Le Monde’. 

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Germany’s election campaign begins – but what could its next government look like? Then we turn to Sudan to get the latest from the ground and learn how foreign powers are engaging with the conflict. Plus, we tour Croatia’s holiday markets. 

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How are international powers weighing the new power dynamic in Syria? Then: we head to Seoul as president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial begins. Plus: we discuss the Anthropocene, a proposed geological epoch.

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Emmanuel Macron names François Bayrou as the country’s new prime minister. Will he last longer than Michel Barnier? We ask our Paris bureau chief, Simon Bouvier. Then: Chanel has a new artistic director and a musical compilation album from the South China Sea.

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We dive into the latest from Damascus and consider what journalists on the ground make of the country’s new reality. Plus: what are the UK Labour government’s key foreign-policy goals as it heads abroad? Then: we visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo for this week’s edition of ‘The Global Countdown’.

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As armed gangs continue to terrorise Haiti’s capital, Chris Sabitini joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the unfolding crisis in the country. Plus: German chancellor Scholz calls for a confidence vote, we reflect on a year of Javier Milei and consider whether the US is planning to annex Canada.

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Benjamin Netanyahu takes the stand for the first time today in his landmark corruption trial as Israeli forces move into Syria. Also in the programme: how will China spur its economy in 2025? Plus, we head to Jeddah for the Red Sea Film Festival.

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Leila Molana Allen and Renad Mansour join us to discuss Syria and what the fall of the Assad regime might mean for refugees across the globe. Plus, how a school in Norway is protecting Sámi culture and 'The Devil Wears Prada' hits London's West End.

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