NEPAL FORMS INTERIM CABINET, SETS ELECTIONS
Sushila Karki, Nepal's interim prime minister, has named three reform-minded officials to important cabinet positions in the wake of the Gen Z-led protests that ousted K. P. Sharma Oli's administration earlier this month. Each recognized for their respective anti-corruption records and technocratic skills, Om Prakash Aryal was appointed home minister, Rameshwar Prasad Khanal was appointed finance minister, and Kulman Ghising was appointed energy minister. Following the dissolution of parliament and the announcement of new elections on March 5, 2026, Karki is making an effort to stabilize governance in the South Asian state. The nominations demonstrate an attempt to strike a balance between the need to reassure Nepal's political elites and neighbors and the public's demands for accountability. (Al Jazeera, September 15, 2025)
BEIJING CONSIDERS RESEARCH LAB AT SCARBOROUGH SHOAL
Following the approval of a 35-square-kilometer natural reserve on Scarborough Shoal, China is now set to construct a scientific research laboratory on the disputed territory, bringing in foreign specialists for investigations of its coral reefs and fisheries. The plan is part of Beijing's efforts to increase its presence on disputed marine features. The sovereignty over the Shoal is contested by the Philippines, which maintains that it is located inside its exclusive economic zone and has denounced China's moves as "illegitimate and unlawful." (South China Morning Post, September 22, 2025)
[EDITORS' NOTE: While the PRC continues to claim sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal, it is geographically much closer to the Philippines. At its closest point, the Shoal lies 120 miles west of the Philippine Island of Luzon and 450 miles east of China's Hainan Island.]
PAKISTAN AND SAUDI ARABIA FOLLOW DIPLOMACY WITH DOLLARS
A month after the signing of a joint Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, Islamabad and Riyadh have set their sights on further economic cooperation. Plans are underway for a Saudi business delegation to travel to Pakistan to discuss investment opportunities in sectors such as tech, agriculture, as well as state-owned enterprises. The new defense pact bolsters Saudi security by providing Riyadh access to Pakistan's nuclear program and laying the groundwork for the stationing of Pakistani troops in the Kingdom. The strengthening of economic ties between the two countries represents the next phase of their burgeoning cooperation. (Modern Diplomacy, October 7, 2025)
JAPAN PICKS TAKAICHI AS LDP LEADER, SET TO BECOME FIRST FEMALE PM
On October 4th, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected hard-line conservative and nationalist Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, making her the frontrunner for the country's first female prime minister when parliament voted on October 15. However, the Komeito Party denied Takaichi a stable parliamentary majority by splitting with the LDP just a few days later over differences on political funding reforms. Now, Takaichi's capacity to mobilize voters is unclear; she needs to reach out to smaller parties in order to create a functional coalition, and it will be difficult for her to regain LDP support given that she leads a party that has experienced sustained electoral decline since the 1970s.
If Takaichi can successfully turn around the LDP's domestic electoral fortunes, however, she might be able to secure closer ties to Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific defense alliances, as well as a more assertive stance toward China. Until then, however, she will need to shift her focus to forging alliances with smaller parties in Japan's legislature, the Diet, in order to solidify the parliamentary majority required to assume the premiership. The LDP has proposed that the parliamentary committee reconvene on October 21st, although there has not yet been confirmation or decision from other parties. (Reuters, October 15, 2025)
NORTH KOREA'S NEW WEAPON
In a pompous military parade earlier this month, North Korea unveiled the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, declaring it the country's "most powerful nuclear and strategic weapon." The emergence of the Hwasong marks a significant step forward for Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, because the solid fuel missile is harder to detect by missile defense and counterstrike systems than its liquid-fuel counterparts. There has been speculation that the development of the ICBM may have been accomplished with Russian assistance, given the similarities between the new DPRK missile and Russia's own ICBMs. (Reuters, October 11, 2025; South China Morning Post, October 11, 2025)