Known as the “Giant of Africa”, Nigeria is the continent’s most populous state (170 million people) and one of its largest economies. It is home to over 300 ethnic groups and 500 languages. Nigeria faces…
The Philippines grabbed global attention in May 2016 when Rodrigo Duterte was elected president by a landslide. Often described as “Trump of the East”, Duterte has gained international notoriety for his…
Iraq is an important country to watch in 2017, as a source of instability in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion. Iraq is a political quagmire. The Iraqi Parliament is made of Sunni, Shi’ite (who make…
In Yemen, the civil conflict will likely drag on in a stalemate between the Houthi movement in the north and the Hadi government in the south. The amphibious landing of Gulf Cooperation Council forces…
Turkey tops the list of countries to watch in the Middle East. Surprising shifts in domestic and foreign Turkish policy will have an important influence on the web of complex developments in the entire…
This year may be a critical turning point for Syria and the five-year civil war, at least for the Assad regime, which is poised to regain full control of the country. After the crucial Aleppo victory…
This year will continue to be a period of great uncertainty in Saudi Arabia. After a deterioration of relations with the United States under President Obama, the kingdom will be focused on strengthening…
The Sahel region of Africa is a 3,860-kilometre arc-like land mass lying to the immediate south of the Sahara Desert and stretching east-west across the breadth of the African continent. A largely semi-arid…
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a protracted war of independence that started in 1955. One internal struggle in this war was between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s (SPLA) leadership…
Venezuela’s major crises will continue in 2017. These include ongoing economic instability, over-reliance on the price of oil, shortages of food and electricity and increasing inequality. At the core is…
Brazil is the ninth largest economy in the world, yet its real potential has never been realised. Having had a strong period of economic growth from 2003 to shortly after the global financial crisis, the…
The breakdown of established liberal democratic norms has become the theme of Donald Trump’s election to the presidency of the United States. For this reason America and the White House are likely to be…
This could be a year of reckoning for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party. Five states, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur are set to go to the polls in…
Afghanistan’s challenges in 2017 will not be new ones, but those that have lingered from many years of war and violence. They involve armed conflict with the Taliban and related issues of terrorism, attacks…
As Pakistan moves closer to an election next year, 2017 will be marked by a political campaign by Imran Khan and other opponents to bring the Nawaz government to a premature end. They will exploit allegations…
In 2017, the Korean Peninsula retains its status as “political hotspot”, due largely to the uncertainty surrounding North Korea’s nuclear intentions. Even in the context of the country’s most recent missile…
Jakarta’s gubernatorial election is by far the most significant political event of the year in Indonesia. Not only is Jakarta Indonesia’s biggest and most important city, the election matters because of…
In the aftermath of the election of US President Donald Trump and the UK’s Brexit referendum, many observers are keeping a watchful eye on how presidential elections play out in France in late April and…
When Germany goes to the polls in the second half of 2017, there is a chance that the status quo will prevail. This is a country that accepts the idea of a grand coalition led by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s…
Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University