News Weakly 197: Strong Laws, Weak Thinking

NEWS WEAKLY 197 – 24th January 2026This week on News Weakly:• George R. R. Martin gives an interview that finally, definitively kills The Winds of Winter and with it the last surviving shard of millennial optimism.• The Coalition explodes over hate-speech laws it demanded, negotiated, diluted, then rage-quit anyway, proving opposition is harder than outrage.• Australia passes its “strongest ever” hate laws, handing vast discretionary power to the state and asking everyone to trust the vibes.• Davos assembles the world’s elites to solve distrust, only for Donald Trump to confuse allies, geography, and colonialism with branding.• Gaza is reimagined as a luxury real estate opportunity, because nothing ends mass trauma like a PowerPoint and a beachfront casino.Sami Shah is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, journalist, and broadcaster.For more: http://thesamishah.comTheme music Historic Anticipation by Paul MottramThis podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Sami Shah.Sami Shah is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, journalist, and broadcaster.For more: http://thesamishah.comTheme music 'Historic Anticipation' by Paul MottramThis podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Sami Shah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.