The World Today

December & January 2016/17: Farewell to the liberal consensus

Whether the President-elect follows through on his isolationist, anti-liberal, America First rhetoric or adopts a more pragmatic approach in office, there is cause for alarm, writes Adam Quinn

After voting for Brexit, the UK should now view the EU as a security partner, writes Robin Niblett

Felix Preston considers who will champion the Paris Agreement if US goes into reverse on climate change

Despite the rhetoric, president-elect is likely to follow Obama’s lead in the region, writes Lina Khatib

James Nixey assesses the prospects for US-Russian relations

James Hannah turns Trumpologist to try to decipher how the President-elect will handle China

Donald Trump’s transition from belligerent campaigner to 45th President of the United States has the world hooked. There is nothing novel in a new president setting out to be the antithesis of his predecessor – that was why Barack Obama, the ‘anti-Bush’, got to the White House.

Articles

Duncan Brack on how the Montreal treaty to protect the ozone layer turned into a powerful tool to fight global warming

Jorge Tigno explores the strange world of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

Alvaro Uribe, Colombian former president (2002-2010) and current senator, in Bogota in November

Sibylla Brodzinsky says there are still many obstacles in the way of ending the war with FARC rebels

Britain is to hire an extra 2,000 recruits at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Recruiting the right people is obviously key. The excerpts below, all from books published this year, reveal the roundabout ways spies were hired in the past and today’s more direct methods

Stephen Pickford recalls the day Denis Healey went cap in hand to the IMF

An expert in saving sight on tackling the effects of TB in Uzbekistan

Also in this issue

Offensive words get you elected these days, says Catherine Fieschi

Thomas Raines looks at two accounts of how Cameron lost the referendum

Populism is back in vogue. Michael Cox looks at two accounts of its rapid rise

Afghan leader played it straight while brothers cashed in, says Christina Lamb

If you had stared into a crystal ball 12 months ago and said Donald Trump will be US President-elect, the UK will opt out of Europe and Ed Balls will make Blackpool, few would have believed you. Here is a quiz to challenge your recall after a year that defied the pundits and the pollsters