Week In Review (WIRE) News 10.20.2025

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Gooden, Ethan Joyce, Bianca Orfila-Molinet, Meera Srinivasan

Asia and the Pacific

Written by Jesse Vu

Taiwan's President Vows Defense Spending as China Increases Threats

During an address to the nation on Taiwan National Day, President Lai stood strong against China's recent threats and announced a new air defense system known as the “T-Dome”. In the same address, President Lai called on China to withhold the use of force to seize Taiwan and promised to increase defense spending by three percent. This raise increases its defense spending up to five percent of Taiwan’s annual GDP.

Even though the announcement of the new air defense system was brief and no thorough description of the air defense system was made, this announcement by President Lai marks a significant shift in Taiwan’s military strategy. According to Reuters, an anonymous Taiwanese official stated that Taiwan strives to create an air defense system with a high interception rate, similar to the US air defense system or Israel’s Iron Dome. Prior to the announcement, in the event of an air attack, Taiwan primarily relied on U.S.-made Patriot Missile Systems, supplemented by Taiwan-developed Sky Bow missiles. Nonetheless, once the building of the T-Dome system is completed, Taiwan’s air defense will be self-reliant and equipped with advanced capabilities to counter aerial threats from other states, including its militarily superior neighbor, China. 

Since the announcement of the new air defense system and the increase in national defense spending, Chinese officials have come forward to criticize Taiwan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called this development a perilous situation that has the potential to drag Taiwan into a deadly military conflict. Furthermore, he warned against any attempt from Taiwan to seek independence and labeled President Lai a “warmonger”.

Central America and the Caribbean

Written by Gabriella Ramirez

Tensions and Gang Violence Persist in Central America and the Caribbean

The United States carried out its fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean amidst challenges born from gang violence in Haiti and Guatemala. The U.S. strike came after President Donald Trump declared that his administration is treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with deadly force. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the strike to be conducted in international waters after intelligence reportedly confirmed the boat was trafficking narcotics, although the Pentagon neglected to provide more information. This series of strikes accompanies an unprecedented buildup of U.S. military force in the Caribbean, intended to combat threats from drug cartels. Meanwhile, three top security officials in Guatemala resigned following the admission that twenty Barrio 18 gang members escaped from prison. This escape comes weeks after the U.S. government designated Barrio 18 as a foreign terrorist organization at the insistence of the Guatemalan government. Since then, Guatemalan lawmakers advanced a proposal to give the government more tools against gangs, such as increased prison sentences and creating the crime of illegal enrichment through extortion. 

The situation in Haiti deteriorates as Doctors Without Borders states that ongoing violence in Port-au-Prince forced them to permanently close its emergency care center. They had been a key source of relief in the city, which is now 90% controlled by gangs. More than 60% of the capital’s health facilities are closed or non-functioning. The head of mission in Haiti affirmed that the proximity of the center to combat zones creates danger for patients and staff, noting that the building had previously been hit with stray bullets. Simultaneously, justice officials in Haiti are reopening an investigation into the killing of President Jovenel Moïse. The Haitian appeals court stated it would seek help from the U.S. and Canada in securing interviews with key figures in the case who may now be living abroad. This is the third investigation of its kind and is reportedly starting from scratch, following failures due to a lack of evidence and required paperwork. Haiti’s justice system continues to crumble under the pressure of widespread corruption and gang violence.

Europe

Written by Ethan Joyce

Protestors in Tbilisi and Their Impact on European Relations

The interior ministry of Georgia passed new legislation on Thursday, endorsing harsher criminal penalties for protestors after they attempted to storm the Presidential Palace to overthrow the Georgian Dream Party earlier in the month. As protests continue in response to Georgian government attempts to halt EU accession plans, participants now do not merely face fines, but years of prison time for engaging in dissent against the government. At the same time, civil society organizations warn that new legislation is actively eroding democratic norms. Furthermore, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that he would be filing a constitutional lawsuit against up to 10 opposition parties for their role in what he described as ‘the bloody regime’, referring to the previous government, increasing concerns about democratic backsliding.  

Elina Valtonen, Finland's foreign minister and the chair of the OSCE, recorded a video protest in front of the Georgian parliamentary building in response to the imposition of this legislation, as well as other notable crackdowns on protestors. Following the video's release, the Georgian government issued her a fine of 1600 euros for “blocking the road”. In response to the fines, Valtonen doubled down and canceled her previously planned meeting with representatives from the Georgian government. While Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze claimed Valtonen was turned down from meeting Georgian officials due to her participation in protests and subsequent criminal charges, she fired back that he should come to Finland and observe a peaceful protest, stating that the cancellation was merely a “scheduling error” on their behalf. 

Nine other OSCE countries on Friday, including Estonia, Iceland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Norway, Canada, the U.K., and the Netherlands, expressed strong support for the actions of the Finnish Foreign Minister. On Sunday, Germany announced that it would pull its ambassador from Georgia amid these exacerbated tensions. These incidents have drawn increasing attention to Tbilisi amid a variety of diplomatic engagements and civil unrest, highlighting current political volatility.

Middle East and North Africa

Written by Ansley Hovater

World Leaders Convene in Egypt to Ensure Lasting Peace in Gaza

On October 13, U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fallah al-Sisi welcomed world leaders to Egypt, where they discussed the plan for a permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Both sides have already begun implementing the plan, with the exchange of hostages, the Israel Defense Forces withdrawing from much of Gaza, and Hamas deploying across Gaza to suppress rival groups. Gazans fear a return to war as a fractured Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces accuse each other of breaking the ceasefire’s terms.

The deal, brokered by the Trump Administration, has three 42-day phases. The first phase requires the IDF to draw back from about a third of the Gaza Strip, the exchange of hostages and detainees, and the return of displaced civilians to sites in Gaza. Aid began flowing into Gaza, and, as promised by the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has returned all 20 surviving hostages and 12 of the deceased in exchange for over 1,900 detainees, including 15 corpses. Hamas cites difficulty with finding the remaining 16 bodies among the rubble from Israeli raids in Gaza. Hamas has also deployed to areas across Gaza to suppress rival groups and neutralize threats to their legitimacy.

Israel halted aid on October 19 and struck targets across Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire by firing upon IDF troops in southern Gaza. Hamas, meanwhile, indicates no knowledge of the clashes and blames Israel for an unwarranted escalation. Two IDF soldiers and 29 Palestinians were killed in the clashes, and the Israeli government has since returned to enforcing the ceasefire, saying they will respond firmly to any further violations. The second phase of the deal will see the complete withdrawal of IDF troops and a return to calm in Gaza before reconstruction can begin in the third phase.  

North America

Written by Justin Cohen

President Trump Finds A Way to Pay American Troops As Concerns Over Military Readiness Persist

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum authorizing the payment of active duty Department of Defense and National Guard soldiers during the ongoing government shutdown. The move, which some high-profile Democratic lawmakers allege is illegal, diverted approximately $6.5 billion previously appropriated for military research and development to pay the weekly salaries of 1.3 million troops. If President Trump can continue to pay active-duty soldiers and other federal employees through similar shiftings of funds, he removes one of the largest points of concern amongst the American public regarding the current shutdown: missed paychecks. 

President Trump has repeatedly stated he wants the government reopened under a short-term extension of previous funding levels, otherwise known as a continuing resolution. If he chooses, however, this new employee pay strategy would allow for an elongated shutdown with mitigated political costs, allowing President Trump to continue employing the unprecedented power he has enjoyed throughout the past two-and-a-half weeks. President Trump hinted he prefers that outcome, calling the shutdown a chance to target Democrat-backed programs.

While the president may tacitly desire a long shutdown, disruptions in government funding severely harm U.S. military readiness. Without an understanding of the coming year’s finances, Department of Defense leadership cannot launch new initiatives, procure necessary resources, or continue complex, multi-year projects. If the lapse outlasts the record 35 days of the 2018–19 shutdown, the funding gap could disrupt key military planning and operations, including next June’s Exercise Tradewinds 2026 — a 26-nation defense drill in the Caribbean. In this sense, the episode underscores a persistent disconnect in U.S. governance; the pursuit of political advantage often undercuts the foundations of national and regional stability.

South America

Written by Catie Crowe

Boluarte’s Impeachment and the Peruvian Mafia State

On October 10, the Peruvian Congress impeached President Dina Boluarte. The unpopular leader was elected vice president in 2021 and became president after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was arrested for attempting to seize dictatorial powers. Boluarte’s impeachment comes as her approval ratings dropped to three percent due to soaring gang violence, scandals, and corruption allegations. Jose Jeri— president of Peru’s Congress and the man responsible for the impeachment—was sworn in as interim president despite criticisms surrounding his lack of political experience and allegations of sexual assault. Backing him was an overwhelming majority of Peruvian politicians who approved ousting Boluarte on grounds of “permanent moral incapacity.”

In recent months, rampant anti-government protests have expressed their distaste for Boluarte and the authoritarian coalition of lawmakers ensconced in Peru’s Congress. This group seeks to stop Peru’s judiciary from investigating political corruption, weaken law enforcement and embolden gangs and mafias, and vest as much power as possible in Congress. These efforts to remake state institutions have brought about a mafia state, ruled by a consortium of corrupt politicians and criminal actors. For a while, Boluarte enabled the coalition, and in turn, it backed her. But when the cost began to outweigh the benefits, Jeri and the Congress ousted her.

Impeachment has become somewhat of a pattern in Peru. Boluarte’s predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached and imprisoned on charges of conspiracy and rebellion. His impeachment, like Boluarte's, is indicative of a long history of conflict between the legislature and president in Peru. This tension between the executive and its mafia coalition has devastated Peru by causing the state to lose legitimacy. Outmigration has surged, and economic policymaking has suffered due to the short tenures of lawmakers. Removing Boluarte from office serves as little more than a band-aid on a bullet wound, and rampant crime will likely continue to frustrate the fragmented public.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Written by Alex Whirley

Madagascar Government Toppled

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina fled the country in a French-assisted evacuation operation on October 12th after weeks of youth-led protests led to a collapse of his government and a military coup. Colonel Michael Randrianirina has assumed control and was sworn in as President by Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court in a move condemned by Rajoelina, the United Nations, and the African Union.

The crisis was sparked by widespread frustration over chronic power outages and water shortages, but escalated rapidly in recent weeks. Demonstrations quickly evolved into a broader expression of discontent with poverty, corruption, and a lack of opportunity, which deeply resonated with Madagascar’s youth. The political movement, Gen Z Madagascar, was inspired by similar youth-led movements in other parts of the world and brought thousands of protestors to the streets of the capital, Antananarivo, as well as other cities. 

On Tuesday, the Madagascar Armed Forces’ elite unit, CAPSAT (Corps d’administration des personnels et des services administratifs et techniques), announced it had assumed control of the government, stating that it now commands all land, air, and naval forces. CAPSAT played a key role in the 2009 coup, which originally helped install President Rajoelina, and was a staunch ally of his government until his failed attempt to install loyalists in the unit in 2020. Rajoelina’s evacuation followed violent conflict near Lake Anosy, where at least one civilian and a soldier were killed.