"You are not going to be putting that kind of military capacity in place, and you're certainly not going to be making that kind of an ultimatum as Trump did unless you're planning on using it."

The highlights this week: An election in east Malaysia shakes the government, Myanmar grants clemency to thousands of political prisoners, floods once again batter the region, and Jakarta is named the world’s biggest megalopolis.

In January, Ugandans will head to the polls—officially to elect their president but in reality to confirm the inevitable. Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled since 1986, will win again. This will mark his ninth term in power.

The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominations, describing them as a political reward system driven by loyalty and payback rather than merit or strategic foreign policy direction.