Dec. 2, 2015 While the continent in some ways is still struggling to overcome the effects of its colonial past, some sub-Saharan African countries have produced high growth rates in recent years and may become the sorely needed future leaders for the region.

Dec. 2, 2015 We look ahead at the major geopolitical developments the world can expect to see in 2016. These include fragmentation in the European Union, as a result of the continuing refugee and financial crises, and a reluctant confrontation between Turkey and the Islamic State.

Here is a summary of some of our key predictions for the year ahead.