<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Word Watch</h2>

So what does the rest of 2019 have in store?

First, politics. Since 2016, the world has been shaped by a global rise in populismA type of politics that claims to represent the common people in the fight against a powerful and "elite" establishment.. This shows no sign of abating; Brazil swore in its new far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, on New Year's Day. Populist parties are likely to make gains in the European parliamentary elections in May, potentially changing the EUEuropean Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries. forever.

However, the two projects that kickstarted this era - Brexit and the election of Donald Trump - may reach their apex. The UK is due to leave the EUEuropean Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries. on March 29, and Theresa May's withdrawal deal is unlikely to pass through Parliament next week. That leaves the options of a chaotic "no deal" Brexit, delaying the exit date, or reversing the whole thing in a second referendumA direct vote by the population of a country on a particular law or issue..

As for America - Robert Mueller's investigation into the Trump team is nearing its final stages. ImpeachmentIn the United States, as in the UK and many other countries, elected representatives have the power to call for officials to be removed from office for committing a public offence. This is called 'impeachment'. could follow.

All this uncertainty in politics is already having consequences for the economy. Fears over then US-China trade warn caused stock markets to plummet in December.

Scandals last year caused stocks in tech giants like Facebook to fall too.

Could 2019 see another recessionA period of economic decline. A recession occurs when a country's Gross Domestic Product falls for six months in a row. ? Several economists have predicted that rising household debts in the US mean the world is "due" a crash before 2020 begins, with one suggesting it will be "worse than the Great DepressionA severe worldwide economic depression that started in the US in 1929. When Roosevelt was elected, the US unemployment rate stood at over 20%.".

The year is also likely to see more record temperatures and extreme weather, spurred by climate change and an El Nino event.

On the bright side, advances in science and technology will amaze and astonish us, whether in medicine, cars or smart homes. And 50 years after man first walked on the Moon, Richard Branson says that the first space tourists will blast off before the year is out...

To us, whose job it is to study the news, sort the wheat from the chaff and try to describe the deeper currents that are driving change, it really does feel as if events are building up to something momentous and historic. It is hard to recall any period over the past 50 years when so many pressures on so many levels have been building so fast.

How should we feel? Fearful or hopeful? Would you have liked to live through the French Revolution or the Italian RenaissanceThe "rebirth" of Western learning began in the late 15th century, as European scholars rediscovered ancient manuscripts and began to make developments in science and art. or the European Reformation?

Risky, of course. But also a time when ideas, inventions and movements spring forth and launch amazing advances. And just think of the stories you may tell your grandchildren.

Message: NASA's New Horizons probe flew past an object called Ultima Thule on New Year's Day, snapping photos and beaming them back to Earth. It is the furthest object ever explored.

Shutdown: It is now day 19 of the US government shutdown, in which 800,000 government employees have been sent home without pay. It has been caused by a dispute about funding for a wall at the US border with Mexico.

Parliamentary elections: A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament will be elected between 23-26 May.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Q &amp; A</h2>

No deal: Among other things, leaving the EU without a deal would force Britain to revert to World Trading Organisation rules for tariffs for imports and exports, potentially causing chaos at its borders.

Investigation: This includes possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 election.

US-China trade war: The two countries have imposed tariffs of up to 25% on each other's imports.

El Nino: A warm period in the Pacific Ocean's temperatures which affects the global climate.

What do we know? There are some events scheduled for 2019 that we can (mostly) be sure of. For example, the Rugby World Cup will take place in Japan in September, and the FIFA Women's World Cup will be held in France in June. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expecting their first baby in the spring. It is also the 50th anniversary of the first men on the Moon, the Woodstock festival and the Beatles' final album, Abbey Road.

What do we not know? Many other things about the fate of the world in 2019. Politics and the economy are famously unpredictable, but these are the forces which shape our daily lives. Meanwhile, sudden events (such as the death of the Queen, the outbreak of war or a disease epidemic) are often the things that are remembered throughout history.

Nasa - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, responsible for the US space programme.

Populism - A type of politics that claims to represent the common people in the fight against a powerful and "elite" establishment.

EU - European Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries.

Referendum - A direct vote by the population of a country on a particular law or issue.

Impeachment - In the United States, as in the UK and many other countries, elected representatives have the power to call for officials to be removed from office for committing a public offence. This is called 'impeachment'.

Recession - A period of economic decline. A recession occurs when a country's Gross Domestic Product falls for six months in a row. 

Great Depression - A severe worldwide economic depression that started in the US in 1929. When Roosevelt was elected, the US unemployment rate stood at over 20%.

Renaissance - The "rebirth" of Western learning began in the late 15th century, as European scholars rediscovered ancient manuscripts and began to make developments in science and art.