Hello, everyone. Today at WPR, we’re covering the absence of the Global South’s concerns from the AI governance debate, and what comes next for Uganda as the four-decade rule of Yoweri Museveni—who is running for yet another term in tomorrow’s election—enters its twilight. | But first, here’s our take on today’s top story: |  | Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te poses with soldiers in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, Oct. 31, 2025 (AP photo by Chiang Ying-ying). |
| Public impeachment hearings began today in Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature against President Lai Ching-te. While the effort to remove Lai from office is almost certain to fail given the opposition lacks the necessary two-thirds majority, it illustrates the deep polarization that is besetting Taiwan and threatening Lai’s efforts to bolster the island’s defenses against miliary threats from China. | The impeachment bid stems from a dispute over legislative amendments passed in November that would have required a greater share of public funds be allocated to local governments. In an unprecedented move, Lai’s administration refused to implement the law, arguing it would be fiscally ruinous for the country and require an unconstitutional level of lending to make up the shortfall. | Amid what some analysts are calling a constitutional crisis, the Legislative Yuan—where the opposition KMT and its smaller ally, the Taiwan People’s Party or TPP, hold a majority of seats—initiated impeachment proceedings, denouncing Lai as an “emperor.” It is only the second time a sitting Taiwanese president has been impeached. | The administration has been at loggerheads with the legislative branch since … Purchase a subscription now to read the rest and get the full top story in your Daily Review email every day. |
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| | A major annual AI summit will take place in India next month, marking the first time the gathering takes place in the Global South. But the spotlight will be on AI impact—framed as the economic, productivity and growth opportunities offered by the evolving technology—rather than safety. This shift comes at a moment when the global AI governance gap is widening. Hosting the summit in the Global South is symbolically significant, but the substance of the agenda risks sidelining other issues of great importance for emerging economies, Amanda Coakley argues in her WPR column. | | | Ugandan strongman Yoweri Museveni is all but guaranteed to secure yet another five-year term in office in general elections Thursday, with the opposition already denouncing the likelihood of a rigged result amid a brutal crackdown. Given Museveni is 81, his next term will likely be his last. Yet as his four-decade rule enters its twilight, the state he presides over is full of contradictions. On one hand, the ruling National Resistance Movement. has repeatedly weathered waves of popular protests over the past two decades, a record that has clearly buoyed Museveni. On the other hand, the regime now survives largely through coercion, which has accelerated the erosion of the its legitimacy and exposed its fragility, Michael Mutyaba writes. | | | China: China’s trade surplus grew by 20 percent last year to $1.2 billion, the largest ever recorded by any country, fueled by massive overcapacity in manufacturing and weakened domestic consumption. Notably, China’s exports continued to surge despite U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, with much of it redirected elsewhere. That creates the potential for backlashes in other countries, as domestic producers find themselves undercut by cheaper Chinese imports. | Singapore: “Singapore’s parliament voted to remove opposition chief Pritam Singh from his post as leader of the opposition on Wednesday after he was convicted of lying to lawmakers,” Reuters reports. The move, which still must be approved by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to take effect, comes against the backdrop of a series of corruption scandals that have tarnished the image of the. ruling PAP party. | The paid edition of today’s newsletter includes additional On Our Radar items on Hungary, Venezuela and Gaza. | Purchase your subscription now to make sure you don’t miss anything. | If you believe you are already a paid subscriber and are receiving this free edition by mistake, please reply to this email and we’ll make sure you receive the paid edition going forward. | | More from WPR | | Read all of our latest coverage here. |
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.