It may seem odd, at the beginning of one year, to start by thinking about the end of the next. But December 2014 has special significance for the people of Afghanistan, as it is the deadline for Nato forces to withdraw from the country. In fact, as we find in our cover story, the troop withdrawal is already well under way and real concerns are emerging about whether the Afghan National Army will be ready to fend off the Taliban on its own beyond 2014. The Guardian's diplomatic editor Julian Borger reports from Helmand on worrying signs for the future of the country.
Inside the edition, we report on the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's first public speech for seven months, and how it went down with rebel forces in the war-ravaged country. As elections approach in Israel, a hitherto little-known far-right party is gaining rapid popularity.
In the US, President Barack Obama is applying the finishing touches to his second-term agenda, which looks set to be dominated by immigration and gun control legislation. In Venezuela, the nation waits anxiously for news on the condition of Hugo Chávez, said to be in fragile health after his latest cancer surgery.
Rebels who have captured large parts of the Central African Republic have agreed to take part in talks, leading to hopes of a peace agreement, but the future of President François Bozizé remains unclear. From Kenya, meanwhile, we look at Shujaaz.fm, a free social affairs-themed comic written in the Sheng patois common to many of the nation's young people.
Our partner publication Le Monde brings two reports from the Middle East, where efforts are being made in Qatar to reduce food import dependency through greenhouse agriculture, as research suggests the Arab nations may be among the worst hit by the effects of climate change.
From recession-ravaged Europe we have the story of the Pamplona locksmiths who have grown tired of the Spanish banks' dirty repossession work, and also news of the former Greek finance minister, George Papaconstantinou, once a member of Europe's fiduciary elite, but now embroiled in a tax avoidance scandal.
In the Review I would particularly urge you to seek out the moving first-person testimonies of displaced refugees, with stunning images from the photojournalist Andrew McConnell. In Culture, the musical polymath Will.i.am discusses his leap into the realms of new technology, while as something of a contrast we have a Le Monde profile of a new exhibition devoted to the legendary French artist and designer Suzanne Lalique-Haviland.
In Books we consider the emotional appeal of opera, and in our Sports pages cricket lovers should not miss Mike Selvey's wonderfully poignant tribute to Christopher Martin-Jenkins, one of the doyens of cricket journalism, who died last week after a long struggle with cancer.
We hope you enjoy the edition and as ever we welcome your thoughts on it, which you can email either to myself or to the editor Abby Deveney.
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