France and its Paris Olympics, Donald Trump, and Yemeni mountain separatists were not the only or biggest winners in 2024. Emphatic victories and losses marked a year that will shape the international landscape for decades to come. Here are our assessments of some of the big winners.

The first fissures of the second Trump administration have begun to open on immigration. With such figures as Elon Musk and Steve Bannon taking opposite sides of the debate, and pushing their agendas, the first year is poised to offer a rocky start for the administration. 

Chinese organised crime in Southeast Asia thrives on fraud, drug and human trafficking and technological exploitation, with Myanmar serving as a key hub. Despite crackdown, these operations persist, necessitating urgent regional and international intervention.