MANILA, Philippines — On October 25, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won an unprecedented fourth term. Lula, an icon of the global left and the most dominant force in Brazilian politics this century, defeated Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The senator had finished first in the election’s first round and hoped to revive his father’s far-right movement.
In Serbia, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the country to celebrate when longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat on October 25, in a historic poll that capped two years of peaceful anti-government protests. By unseating Vucic, Serbia’s student protest movement did what demonstrators in other European capitals can only dream of.
In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu looked set to remain the country’s caretaker prime minister after unexpectedly strong backing among Jewish voters left his opponents little apparent prospect of unseating him. With nearly 86% of votes tallied on October 28, Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties is projected win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, well ahead of the 48 for rival Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc.
Meanwhile, during the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Cebu on October 28, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. emphasized the importance of unity among ASEAN members despite differing ties with China, advocating for peaceful resolution of disputes, particularly in the South China Sea.
ADMM and the ADMM-Plus is an annual gathering of defense ministers from Southeast Asia and “plus countries” or ADMM dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun skips the ADMM-Plus meeting, as bilateral ties between Manila and Beijing hit their tensest note yet.
Catch more stories in these photos from the week that was:
Masked protesters holding French and Palestine flags take cover behind a plywood board as French riot police use a water canon during a demonstration organised by labour unions in Paris, France, on October 24, 2026. as part of nationwide protests called by the ‘Yellow Vests’ movement joined by French high school and university students against the cost of living and rising fuel prices. PHOTO BY PEDRO NUNES/REUTERS
People join spontaneous demonstrations against the rising cost of living and blocked by police, a week after protests ended in clashes and looting in northern cities, outside the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, on October 24, 2026. PHOTO BY REMO CASILLI/REUTERS
Flamingos dot the salt lake of Larnaca, Cyprus, on October 25, 2026. PHOTO BY YIANNIS KOURTOGLOU/REUTERS
Performers dressed as Catrinas participate in the Catrinas Parade ahead of Day of the Dead festivities along Reforma Avenue in Mexico City on October 25, 2026. PHOTO BY ARMANDO VEGA/REUTERS
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado greets supporters in Maracay, Venezuela, on October 25, 2026, after returning to the country following nearly a year abroad. PHOTO BY GABY ORAA/REUTERS
Supporters of Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Workers’ Party (PT), celebrate to the early result during the presidential runoff election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 25, 2026. PHOTO BY AMANDA PEROBELLI/REUTERS
Supporters of the ‘Student List – Students Win’ celebrate after Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) prime ministerial candidate, conceded defeat in the parliamentary election in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 26, 2026. PHOTO BY UROS ARSIC/REUTERS
Israelis vote at a polling station in Bnei Brak, Israel, during the national election on October 27, 2026. PHOTO BY NIR ELIAS/REUTERS
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei attend a meeting with Chief of Defence Forces of Pakistan, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin in Tehran, Iran, on October 26, 2026. PHOTO BY WANA/ HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
Singer Chris Brown leaves Southwark Crown Court in London, Britain, October 26, 2026, after he was given an eight-month suspended sentence having pleaded guilty to a charge of affray over the attack on a music producer with a bottle in a London nightclub in 2023. PHOTO BY CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/REUTERS
A squirrel monkey interacts with a pumpkin ahead of Halloween at Pairi Daiza wildlife park in Brugelette, Belgium, on October 27, 2026. PHOTO BY YVES HERMAN/REUTERS
Rescue personnel work at the site of the collision of two high-speed trains between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, near Toledo, Spain, on October 28, 2026. PHOTO BY ANA BELTRAN/REUTERS
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro disembarks from a plane after arriving at Opa-locka Executive Airport near Miami, Florida, on October 28, 2026. PHOTO BY EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/REUTERS
Former US President Barack Obama attends a rally ahead of the midterm elections in Morrow, Georgia, on October 28, 2026. PHOTO BY EDGAR SU/REUTERS
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. delivers opening remarks during the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), in Cebu on October 29, 2026. PHOTO BY ELOISA LOPEZ/REUTERS
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and other officials bow in apology during a press conference to announce the findings of an investigation into the 2025 fatal fire in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on October 29, 2026. PHOTO BY TYRONE SIU/REUTERS
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) scores against Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks (34) during the sixth inning in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 28, 2026. PHOTO BY NATHAN RAY SEEBACK/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
A flower lies on The Hollywood Walk of Fame star of the late actor Patrick Stewart in Los Angeles, California, on October 29, 2026. PHOTO BY EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS
Families and relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war gather for a solemn Mass at the Divine Word Shrine at the Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City on October 29, 2026, as part of the ‘Undas ng Kaluluwa at Paghilom’ ahead of All Saints’ Day. PHOTO BY JIRE CARREON/RAPPLER
Members of the parliament recite a prayer during the first session of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament, in Cotabato City on October 30, 2026. PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
—with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com