Billions of voices heard: a year of elections

Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea in seven years has been marked by pomp and shows of friendship. But what does the Chinese leader really want from the trip? Our correspondent visits Goma in Congo to see what life is like under Rwanda-backed rebel group M23. And why curry m ...  Show more

The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences. China’s BYD cars are losing ground to other electric vehicles. And why hit TV shows inspire “companion ...  Show more

In some places, votes resulted in political chaos; in others they showed a promising shift away from identity politics. Our deputy editor looks back on 2024’s pile of polls. Looking ahead, we examine the Chinese cities that will come into their own in 2025 (11:36). And the changi ...  Show more

In the past 12 months, there has been no lack of news. Editors at The Economist have picked their way through the rubble to uncover some optimism: which country has seen the greatest improvement this year? After fierce debate, the decision is conclusive. And our correspondent joi ...  Show more

The possibilities for an inevitable coalition government are a head-spinning colour wheel of party logos. We look at the most likely outcomes, and the smaller parties that may well play kingmakers. A series of scandals in Japan has propelled the country to a belated #MeToo crisis ...  Show more

After a turbulent seven days, how will President Volodymyr Zelensky tackle the domestic and international challenges ahead? Our correspondent attends “Ode to Resilience”, a concert of defiance in Ukraine (9:55). And how “The Economist” reported on the Allies’ advance across Europ ...  Show more