Hi, I'm Tinku Ray, executive editor for the world. I'm not as familiar a voice as Marco or Carolyn,

but I'm no stranger to the world. I was part of the early team that launched the program back in 1996,

and if you're a long-time listener of the world, you would have heard me reporting from South Asia during the earlier years of the show.

It's great to be back, leading such a committed team. And it's an honor to share this work

and these stories with you, our listeners. We are able to produce the best in international

reporting with the highest production value because of listeners

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Can we count on you to meet that goal?

Please visit theworld.org slash give to donate today and have your donation matched. That's theworld.org slash give. And thank you from the whole

team here at the world.

Billions of people around the world voted in 2024.

Results were obviously unique to each country, but there was at least one global trend.

Yeah, I have one big takeaway, and that is that it hasn't been a good year for incumbents anywhere in the world.

I'm Marco Werman, looking back today at a wild year for democracy.

Also, how people in Gaza think about life in the face of so much death.

They could be killed any moment.

Still, they're thinking about hope and not about hopelessness.

Plus, talk of a big merger in the auto industry and will meet a chef in Denmark whose

Christmas porridge comes with a signature topping.

I call it elf sugar. Green elf sugar. Green elf sugar. Okay.

...