The third week of October was marked by a series of significant developments in international affairs. These events reflected the evolving landscape of global politics across issues of international and regional cooperation, political leadership, and tariff disputes.
From East Asia, the Japanese Parliament elected a new prime minister. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi was chosen as Japan’s new prime minister after winning a small-majority vote. She becomes Japan’s first female prime minister and is widely known as “Japan’s Iron Lady” for her conservative views.
Meanwhile in Latin America, Peru began enforcing a state of emergency to curb rising crime rates. President José Jeri declared a 30-day national emergency on 22 October 2025, following protests the previous week that left one person dead and more than 100 injured. In his statement, President Jeri emphasized the government’s resolve to combat criminal activity and restore peace, stability, and public trust.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand mourned the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit at the age of 93. In tribute, the Royal Household declared a one-year mourning period. The Royal Household Bureau stated that Queen Mother Sirikit had suffered from a blood infection. Her passing prompted the postponement of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s departure for the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
On bilateral cooperation, the presidents of South Africa and Brazil conducted state visits to Indonesia and met with President Prabowo Subianto. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit aimed to strengthen economic and political cooperation between South Africa and Indonesia. Meanwhile, President Lula da Silva visited Indonesia in a reciprocal trip following President Prabowo’s state visit to Brasília in July 2025. Both visits are expected to enhance and deepen strategic ties between Indonesia and Brazil.
Also in Southeast Asia, ASEAN officially admitted Timor-Leste as its 11th member. Timor-Leste formally joined ASEAN on 26 October 2025 after a 14-year wait. The accession took place during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, which was also attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
In addition to welcoming a new member, the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur also marked a significant peace initiative between Thailand and Cambodia. At the summit, the two countries declared a peace agreement witnessed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and President Donald Trump. The agreement, known as the “KL Peace Accord,” aims to resolve the border dispute that escalated into armed confrontation in July 2025.
During the same week, global developments continued to be shaped by trade tensions. In North America, tariff negotiations between the United States and Canada were jeopardized after Ontario aired an anti-tariff advertisement using a statement by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan on American tariff policy. President Donald Trump responded by threatening to halt trade talks with Canada and raise tariffs on Canadian goods. Canada remains the only G7 country that has yet to reach a new trade agreement since Trump imposed new tariffs on all countries worldwide. Ontario’s provincial government later announced that the advertisement would be withdrawn to allow negotiations to resume.
Source:
“Sanae Takaichi wins historic vote to become Japan’s first female prime minister.” BBC. 21 October 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cy0ypj0nrgkt.
“Peru declares 30-day state of emergency in Lima to tackle rising crime.” CNN. 22 October 2025. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/21/americas/peru-lima-state-of-emergency-intl-hnk.
“Ibu Suri Sirikit Wafat, Thailand Berkabung Setahun.” Kompas. 25 October 2025. https://www.kompas.id/artikel/ibu-suri-sirikit-wafat-thailand-berkabung-setahun?open_from=Internasional_Page.
“East Timor, Asia’s youngest nation, becomes ASEAN’s 11th member.” Reuters. 26 October 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/east-timor-asias-youngest-nation-becomes-aseans-11th-member-2025-10-26/.
“Kunjungan Balasan ke Indonesia, Presiden Brasil Lula da Silva Tiba di Jakarta.” Kewmenterian Sekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia. 22 October 2025. https://www.setneg.go.id/baca/index/kunjungan_balasan_ke_indonesia_presiden_brasil_lula_da_silva_tiba_di_jakarta
“Prabowo, Ramaphosadeepen Indonesia–South Africa ties.” Antara. 22 October 2025. https://en.antaranews.com/news/387345/prabowo-ramaphosadeepen-indonesia-south-africa-ties.
“Disaksikan Trump-Anwar Ibrahim, Thailand dan Kamboja Teken Deklarasi Damai.” Detik News. 26 October 2025. https://news.detik.com/internasional/d-8178905/disaksikan-trump-anwar-ibrahim-thailand-dan-kamboja-teken-deklarasi-damai.
“Marah, Trump Tiba-tiba Setop Perundingan Dagang dengan Kanada.” Detik News. 24 October 2025. https://news.detik.com/internasional/d-8176609/marah-trump-tiba-tiba-setop-perundingan-dagang-dengan-kanada?page=2.
“Trump raises tariffs on Canadian goods in response to Reagan advert.” BBC. 16 October 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2ljgrm78zo.