Week In Review (WIRE) News 09.29.2025

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Wilson, Ethan Joyce

Asia and the Pacific

Written by Jesse Vu

Xi Jinping Becomes the First Chinese President in Modern History to Visit Xinjiang’s Regional Anniversary

On September 24th, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic state visit to the region of Xinjiang, China, for its 70th founding anniversary. Over the years, as the region has become the epicenter of controversy due to alleged human rights violations perpetrated by the government, this visit carries geopolitical significance as it is meant to showcase Beijing’s dominance and consolidation of control over the region. 

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region sits in northwestern China and is viewed as an important regional trade link, thanks to its close proximity to Central Asia and Europe. It is abundant in oil and is responsible for a fifth of the world’s cotton. Thus, maintaining control over this region is non-negotiable for the Chinese government.

Xi Jinping’s visit to Xinjiang showcased the president’s support from the Uyghur locals whose rights the Chinese government had abused for years. According to the BBC, Western countries such as the U.S, the U.K., and Canada have accused China of committing genocide and sterilizing the Uyghur women as a form of ethnic cleansing over the last decade or so. Furthermore, these governments alleged that the Chinese government had placed up to a million Uyghurs in re-education camps in an attempt to eradicate the Uyghur culture and promote Chinese culture instead. In the midst of these allegations, Xi’s visit to the region serves as a symbolic move, one that shows the CCP’s vested interests in the region. It also serves as a reminder that the CCP’s influence in the region remains strong, regardless of the external influence or pressure from Western states. 

Central America and the Caribbean

Written by Gabriella Ramirez

Violence Persists in Haiti as President Trump Takes Action Against Foreign Gangs

Haiti continues to be riddled with violence as drone strikes plague the nation, amidst arrests of powerful Haitian figures by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In Port-au-Prince, explosive drones killed at least 8 children and injured 6 others in an attack intended for a suspected gang leader. The attack raises questions of accountability as authorities failed to issue official communication or assign responsibility within 48 hours of the attack. Haiti’s National Human Rights Defense Network accused police of launching explosive drones in hopes of killing suspected gang leader, Albert Steevenson, who was distributing gifts to children when the attack happened. This pattern of drone attacks is likely to deepen public mistrust in state institutions and reduce the legitimacy of the government as it fails to combat gang violence. Consequently, Haitian leader Laurent Saint-Cyr stood in front of the UN General Assembly and asked the world to help Haiti fight a war against relentless violence, deaths, and hunger.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is standing firm on its fight against the foreign drug trade as ICE agents arrest Dimitri Vorbe, one of Haiti’s wealthiest and influential businessmen, in Florida. He was detained due to alleged ties to violent gangs. Vorbe and his family own a private power company that was one of Haiti’s biggest suppliers of electricity. Elite families such as the Vorbe family have frequently been accused of financing and working with gangs that control Port-au-Prince, further perpetuating and profiting from violence. ICE agents also arrested Réginald Boulos, a former presidential hopeful, accused of supporting violent gangs that President Trump's administration deemed terrorist groups. Additionally, President Trump designated the Salvadoran gang Barrio 18 as a foreign terrorist organization. These events represent President Trump’s willingness and ability to mobilize ICE agents against individuals and groups considered threats to the U.S.

Europe

Written by Ethan Joyce

Putin's Diplomatic Overture: The Future of Nuclear Nonproliferation Agreements with Russia

On September 22, amidst uncertainty as the Ukraine war inched on, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the United States a year-long extension on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This agreement, which maintains existing limitations on the deployment of nuclear arms, was initially negotiated by the Obama Administration and is set to expire in February of 2026. Critically, it is also the last acting nuclear agreement between the US and Russia.

Globally, the overall inventory for nuclear weapons has been declining; however, the pace of reductions in the past thirty years has slowed. As such, conditions of the arms reduction treaty will be subject to a thorough review, as it reinforces certain restrictions on the United States' nuclear arsenal as well as Russia's. These restrictions prevent Washington from uploading additional warheads onto long-range missiles even as competitors like China scale their arsenals comparatively quickly (in advance of a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027) with Russian support.

Should U.S. President Donald Trump find the terms of the arms treaty undesirable, this presents an interesting opportunity: the administration can either embrace the status quo, reject an extension of the New START agreement, or attempt to engage in a new series of nuclear nonproliferation negotiations. Trump must weigh the benefits of maintaining arms control stability against the strategic limitations the treaty imposes on American nuclear capabilities.

For President Putin, this represents a strategically calculated decision. With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine stretching Russian military resources, and with the economy increasingly strained by international sanctions, this move appears to be aimed at undermining Ukrainian efforts to persuade former President Trump to impose stringent economic sanctions against Russia. Simultaneously, it allows Moscow to portray itself as a responsible nuclear power advocating for diplomatic resolutions, even as hostilities persist. Should the U.S. reject the extension plan, it would give Putin even more of an opportunity to rally domestic political support.

Middle East and North Africa

Written by Ansley Hovater

Hamas and the Houthis: Two Active Groups Influencing an Ongoing Conflict

Friction rises in the United Nations General Assembly after five countries recognized a Palestinian state and the United States’ denial of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s visa. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces international and local opposition as several international delegates refused to hear his address to the Assembly, and Yemen’s Houthi group launched a drone attack on the Israeli city of Eilat.    

On Sunday, September 21, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Portugal formally recognized Palestine as an independent state. The following day, officials reported that France, too, recognized Palestinian statehood. At the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke via video conference, as the U.S. denied him a visa to attend the Assembly in person, and claimed that Hamas would have no governing authority in the Gaza Strip if a two-state solution went into effect.

Regardless, this solution faces serious opposition from Israel and the United States. On Tuesday, U.S. President Trump presented a 21-point peace plan for Gaza and criticized the recognition of a Palestinian State, siding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reporters say. However, as President Netanyahu prepared to address the UN General Assembly on September 26, dozens of delegates rose and left the conference hall before he began speaking.  

In addition to the tension between Israel and Palestine, the Houthis in Yemen launched a drone attack on Eilat, Israel. Israeli air defences failed to intercept the drone attack, and Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree reports that the Israeli military is currently investigating this failure. Reporters in Jordan also relay that this drone attack is not the first threat that Eilat has faced, as last week a drone landed in the same city. The Israeli military reported this most recent attack wounded 22 people, two of whom are now in critical condition. 

North America

Written by Layla Jeeth

Gunman Shoots Three in Dallas ICE Facility Amid Intensifying Political Violence

On September 24, a gunman shot three people in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, Texas. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, the shooter was targeting law enforcement and detainees from a nearby apartment complex. A DHS release reported that three detainees were shot during the incident and that the gunman had died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The statement also suggested that the attack was motivated by anti-ICE sentiment.

The shooting follows a recent uptick in political violence, which researchers attribute to a rise in extreme and violent rhetoric used by political figures. Ten people were charged for a July 4th shooting of a police officer and vandalizing vehicles at another ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas. On September 13th, an estimated 150,000 people participated in a far-right anti-immigration protest in London, spurred on by tech billionaire Elon Musk, and left police officers with broken teeth, broken noses, concussions, and myriad other injuries. A man is in custody, charged with the assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk during a rally at a Utah university on September 12th. Another two are in custody from the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the failed attempt on Donald Trump’s life on the campaign trail, both in 2024.

News and journal articles point to political violence as an overwhelmingly American problem, but most U.S. politicians seem to have a common stance against political violence. President Trump has ordered an investigation into groups that his administration suspects of supporting political violence. U.S. Representative John Gillette (R-AZ), however, published a post on Wednesday, calling for the state execution of a peer from the Democratic Party because she urged protests against the President.

South America

Written by Catie Crowe

U.S. Offers Stability to Argentina, China Reaps the Benefits

Argentina continues to suffer escalating financial turmoil, as the value of the Argentine peso plummets whilst investors dump Argentine stocks and bonds. On Monday, the U.S. government offered Argentina a lifeline, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing broad financial support to the Argentine economy in the form of loans, currency purchases, and debt buying. These measures, if implemented, would stabilize the peso and support the fiscal discipline necessary to break Argentina’s long history of economic decline. However, Argentina responded by offering China, an adversary of the U.S., untaxed soybeans as a means of raking in more capital. 

China is historically the top buyer of U.S. soybeans, so losing Chinese buyers would harm the American market. After Argentine farmers suspended export taxes on soybeans, China expanded its Argentine soybean buying to 20 cargoes—roughly 1.3 million tons of the crop. The increased purchasing in South America is a harsh blow to U.S. soybean farmers amid a trade war between Washington and Beijing. U.S. soybeans are more expensive for Chinese buyers due to taxes imposed in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Currently, Chinese orders for U.S. soybeans stand at zero. American farmers are concerned that, as the harvest ramps up and sales stay low, downward pressure on commodity prices will cause them to lose big.

In the last decade, China has increased its involvement and influence in South American economies. China currently ranks as South America’s top trading partner, and Chinese state-owned firms are major investors in the region’s energy and infrastructure industries. Trump and his allies fear that Chinese President Xi Jinping is leveraging these relationships in pursuit of geopolitical goals, including spreading authoritarianism to Latin America and enhancing Chinese soft power. In exchange for South American exports, the region imports cheaper manufactured products from China, a trade that could undercut local industries. China has also signed comprehensive strategic partnerships with many Latin American countries, including Argentina, raising concern from Washington.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Written by Alex Whirley

The Malawi Presidential Election: Incumbent Ousted

Malawi voted to oust its incumbent President last week. On Wednesday morning, Lazarus Chakwera, 70, conceded the Presidency to Peter Mutharika, 85. Mutharika previously served as President of Malawi from 2014 until 2019. He was even reelected for a second term, but his 2019 victory was overturned by the Constitutional Court due to widespread irregularities, including the use of correction fluid on result sheets and mathematical errors in a small number of cases. The 2025 election was the fourth showdown between the two men, with corruption and economic stagnation the top issues in this year’s race.

Corruption remains a persistent problem for the country. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index places Malawi 107th out of 180 countries, with a CPI of 34/100. Climate disasters have also ravaged Malawi’s agriculture sector, which employs over 80% of the population. Inflation has been higher than 20% for more than 3 years, and nearly 75% of the population lives below the World Bank’s poverty line of $3 per day.

Chakwera waged a months-long campaign, visiting all 229 constituencies since mid-July. He emphasized food security, job creation, wealth generation, and governance reform. In contrast, Mutharika launched a shorter campaign, starting only in August, primarily highlighting the country’s economic performance during his previous presidential term. Rather than excitement around Mutharika, the election result reflects broader domestic discontent with Chakwera's inability to tackle Malawi’s deepening economic crisis.