In November, 2016 Oxford Dictionaries proclaimed “post-truth” the word of the year. The choice was obviously a reflection of two important political campaigns: Brexit and the US Presidential elections. In both campaigns truth became subservient to political gain. The distinction between fact and fiction eroded as fake news spread globally through social media sites. However, Oxford Dictionaries’ choice was, to a certain extent, a publicity stunt in its own right.

Ireland must engage in a deeper way with its diaspora in order to prosper in a world of increasing uncertainty, Tim O’Connor, a former senior Irish diplomat, told a gathering of Irish-Americans in Dublin on Tuesday evening. Ahead of Donald Trump’s presidency in the US and the UK’s forthcoming departure from the EU, he said that now was not a moment to be thinking small.

So, ‘global Britain’ eh? This, we are told, will be the leitmotif for Theresa May’s Brexit speech tomorrow and, indeed, for her approach to international affairs more generally. And who could disagree with any of that? The argument will, of course, be couched in economic terms. The spirit of Britannia will be unleashed to sail the world’s oceans. Britain is back, you know. 

From a digital perspective, 2016 has arguably been the year of emotions running high [...] The fact that people are emotional beings is hardly a secret, of course, especially when tragedies or high-stakes political affairs are involved. What digital platforms have brought to the table is a rather new form of commodification of human emotions as instruments of social exchange.

Iran’s ambassador to UK said, diplomacy remained as the most influential factor in soft power. [...] “Presently, detailed daily discussions are underway in Britain on role of diplomats in the European country’s decisive negotiations indicating that politicians are faced with challenged while appointing the right type of person who simultaneously possesses relevant experience and knowledge,” 

The British public is fearful of the rise of fascism around the world in the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory in the US and the Brexit referendum in the UK, according to a new survey released today. The study by BMG Research for ‘The Independent’ newspaper also showed that most people think the number of individuals holding fascist views is increasing in the UK and on the continent as well.

Young people in some countries in Europe believe that the UK is less attractive since its decision to leave the European Union, [...] a new poll has found. Initial results of the survey of nearly 40,000 people aged between 18 and 34 years carried out for the British Council by Ipsos MORI show some significant negative shifts in the EU countries towards the UK’s attractiveness