Property wealth in China turbo-charged investment in art. Now house prices have crashed, art sales may follow. Are Britons really leaving the country in droves? And our obituaries editor on the death of the American cent coin.

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The editor of our annual “World Ahead” publication predicts the themes and events that will dominate the headlines in 2026, from geopolitics to tech. He also admits what we got wrong last year. And The Economist launched its first podcast 20 years ago. We chart the evolution of audio, from a basement broom cupboard to today’s bountiful offerings.

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Today’s show is a tribute to those whose lives we remembered this year. From Pope Francis, the most open-minded pontiff for decades, and controversial vice-president Dick Cheney, to champ of the chimpanzees Jane Goodall, bubblegum pop star Brian Wilson and Alice Tan Ridley, a New York subway busker who became a superstar.

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Announcing the return of The Economist’s annual ranking for best performing economy. Are you ready for the big reveal? Dalit cuisine is barely visible, in India or beyond. And why London’s river boats are making a comeback.

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Five years after seizing power in a coup, the military junta in Myanmar is holding an election. Yet all credible opposition has been banned. And war has inspired so many films over the past century. Our correspondents battle it out to pick the best one.

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So many books are published each year; few stand the test of time. Today we devote our whole show to asking which works have shaped the way we behave and how we think. Picks include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth and “Lord of the Rings” by JRR Tolkien.

Full list of books mentioned in the show:

The Bible

The Koran

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

“On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin

“Il Saggiatore” by Galileo Galilei

“Two New Sciences” by Galileo Galilei

“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty

“Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman

The novels of Philip Pullman

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

“The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

“A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth

“Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

“A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf

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Join our editors and correspondents in a gripping test of recall and reflexes. There are questions on business and politics of course—but also news noises to identify, one saucy limerick and quotes from “The Real Housewives” franchise that frankly no one expected. Which team will take the trophy?

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Recessions are, in their way, bad news. But so, paradoxically, is a lasting dearth of them. We explain the dangers that lie beneath the current run of continuous growth. Our correspondent looks into the hidden economics of online reviews, and whether to trust them. And a turkey-industry exposé that you’ll just gobble up.

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