The Foreign Desk

West Africa has had a troubled recent relationship with democracy – but times are changing. Yahya Jammeh’s departure from Gambia means that every nation in west Africa is now, technically, a democracy.

With presidential elections in May, Iranians have a rare chance to show either their support or their discontent for Hassan Rouhani. Steve Bloomfield sits down with Mehrad Vaezinejad and Maryam Namazie to discuss what really matters to Iranians at home and what chance, if any, there is of real reform.

As Trump enters the Oval Office promising to put America First, who will fill the role of the world police? As the US steps back, Russia, it would appear, is stepping forward. But is the world ready?

What will Donald Trump's presidency mean for China? He's tested the water with tough rhetoric – and that phone call to Taiwan – and Beijing has reacted accordingly, albeit with caution. But which of the two greatest powers will come out on top? Steve Bloomfield sits down with ambassador Chas Freeman and NYU professor Ann Lee.

Recent European-Russian relations have been as strained as ever, with strong rhetoric, hard sanctions and equally punchy responses from the Kremlin. But is Europe starting to go soft on the former Soviet state? And are leaders starting to realise that they need Putin more than they’d like to admit?

As Barack Obama’s eight years as president draw to an end and the unpredictable era of Trump looms, Steve Bloomfield discusses his legacy. From wars in the Middle East to Obamacare, social justice and the environment – what could his administration have done better and how many policies will survive after 20 January?

Do Europeans really hate Europe? Not as much as you might think, as Steve Bloomfield explains.

Steve Bloomfield is joined by Quentin Peel, Oscar Guardiola Rivera and Rosemary Hollis for a look ahead to 2017 and some of the reasons to be hopeful in the year to come.

The United Nations described it as “a complete meltdown of humanity”. It wasn’t just the level of destruction and the loss of civilian lives, it was the fact that we knew this was going to happen and still nothing was done. Will anyone ever be held responsible?

One of the overarching political stories of the past decade has been the steady decline in Europe of the centre-left. But an exception can be found in Portugal. Four parties – the centre left Socialists, the Communist party, the Left Bloc and the Greens – have formed an alliance. And it’s working.