Latest / The Rest of the World Podcast / The Rest of the World Report | October 21, 2026 — Evening Edition

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The Rest of the World Report | October 21, 2026 — Evening Edition · The Rest of the World Podcast

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  SPEAKER_00: Good evening from Paris.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm Rudy Martinez with The Rest of the World Report for Wednesday evening, October 21st.
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  SPEAKER_00: Turquia has asked its parliament to ratify the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement,
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  SPEAKER_00: which bars Turquia, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan from leaving it for 10 years.
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  SPEAKER_00: The government submitted the pact on Tuesday.
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  SPEAKER_00: The three countries signed it in Mecca on August 7th.
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  SPEAKER_00: It commits each to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all three.
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  SPEAKER_00: Little was known about its contents until now.
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  SPEAKER_00: The 16-article text,
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  SPEAKER_00: published by Türkiye's state broadcaster,
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  SPEAKER_00: says the countries will defend each other against external aggression in line with
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  SPEAKER_00: the right of self-defense in the UN Charter.
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  SPEAKER_00: It also provides for joint training and exercises,
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  SPEAKER_00: personnel exchanges,
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  SPEAKER_00: joint weapons production, technology transfers, and intelligence sharing.
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  SPEAKER_00: After 10 years, the member that wants out must give three months' notice.
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  SPEAKER_00: The three have already set up a strategic political and defense committee
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  SPEAKER_00: of foreign ministers, defense ministers, and chiefs of staff.
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  SPEAKER_00: It is due to meet twice a year.
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  SPEAKER_00: The secretariat will sit in Saudi Arabia,
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  SPEAKER_00: and a retired Pakistani general,
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  SPEAKER_00: Nauman Mahmoud, will be its first secretary general for a three-year term.
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  SPEAKER_00: A parliamentary committee is due to review the pact in the coming days,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the full assembly then votes.
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  SPEAKER_00: As of Tuesday, no debate date had been set.
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  SPEAKER_00: President Erdogan's ruling alliance holds a majority in the assembly.
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  SPEAKER_00: Sending Turkish forces would take a separate vote,
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  SPEAKER_00: Turkey's Defense Ministry said on October 15th that the pact must be approved and
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  SPEAKER_00: the procedures for deploying the armed forces abroad completed.
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  SPEAKER_00: Foreign Minister Hakan Fadan said Turkey and Pakistan are assessing air defense,
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  SPEAKER_00: electronic warfare, and technical help for Saudi Arabia.
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  SPEAKER_00: He has said Turkey will not send troops into another country to carry out an attack.
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  SPEAKER_00: Turkish officials say any deployment is likely to be limited to training,
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  SPEAKER_00: advisory services, and equipment support.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pakistan has not sought parliamentary endorsement.
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  SPEAKER_00: Officials say Islamabad would give Saudi Arabia whatever military help it needs
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  SPEAKER_00: to defend the kingdom and Islam's holiest sites.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pakistan has not disclosed deployment details citing operational confidentiality.
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  SPEAKER_00: Its information ministry called reports of 30,000 to 40,000 troops already
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  SPEAKER_00: in Saudi Arabia speculative.
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  SPEAKER_00: An unspecified number of Pakistani troops have been stationed in the kingdom since
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  SPEAKER_00: the early 1980s to train and advise Saudi forces.
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  SPEAKER_00: The pact comes as Houthi rebels from Yemen attack Saudi Arabia.
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  SPEAKER_00: On October 10th,
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  SPEAKER_00: the Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 12
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  SPEAKER_00: or 13 people, depending on the report, and wounded more than 300.
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  SPEAKER_00: After an emergency meeting in Riyadh on October 5th,
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  SPEAKER_00: the three countries said they would put their collective defense commitments
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  SPEAKER_00: into effect immediately.
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  SPEAKER_00: That includes arrangements for rapid deployment of forces to the kingdom.
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  SPEAKER_00: They gave no details.
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  SPEAKER_00: Turkish and Pakistani officials say the pact is not aimed at Iran or any other country.
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  SPEAKER_00: They have not said how they would respond if Iran attacked.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishak Dar has said
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  SPEAKER_00: the agreement does not replace existing ones and is open to other countries willing
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  SPEAKER_00: to uphold its principles.
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  SPEAKER_00: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a separate mutual defense agreement in September 2025.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
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  SPEAKER_00: Turkey has asked its parliament to ratify a pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
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  SPEAKER_00: The pact treats an attack on one as an attack on all three and bars any member
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  SPEAKER_00: from leaving for 10 years.
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  SPEAKER_00: Georgia says it will not send troops into another country to carry out an attack
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  SPEAKER_00: and any deployment needs a separate vote.
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  SPEAKER_00: Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are the backdrop.
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  SPEAKER_00: Robert Kibera,
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  SPEAKER_00: a 50-year-old former Rwandan army sergeant major who fled to Uganda
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  SPEAKER_00: and criticized President Paul Kagame,
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  SPEAKER_00: was found beheaded near Kampala on Saturday, October 17th.
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  SPEAKER_00: His head has not been found.
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  SPEAKER_00: Police Superintendent Lydia Tumashabe said Monday that the body was found in a bush
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  SPEAKER_00: in Kamingo in Mpigi district outside the capital.
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  SPEAKER_00: Residents and his brother identified the body,
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  SPEAKER_00: she said, and detectives do not yet have firm clues to a motive.
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  SPEAKER_00: His family says Kibera had traveled to inspect a construction site
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  SPEAKER_00: about 45 kilometers outside Kampala before his death.
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  SPEAKER_00: Kibera served in the Rwandan army and fled in 2020.
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  SPEAKER_00: He sought asylum in Uganda, citing political persecution.
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  SPEAKER_00: In November 2020,
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  SPEAKER_00: the Rwandan military said it was investigating allegations
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  SPEAKER_00: that he had unlawful sexual contact with a family member.
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  SPEAKER_00: He denied an accusation of sexual assault and said he had escaped Rwanda to avoid persecution.
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  SPEAKER_00: In exile,
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  SPEAKER_00: he became an outspoken critic of Kagame,
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  SPEAKER_00: who has led Rwanda since the 1994 genocide ended.
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  SPEAKER_00: His YouTube channel has more than 140,000 followers and more than 800 videos,
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  SPEAKER_00: many criticizing Kagame's government.
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  SPEAKER_00: His widow,
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  SPEAKER_00: Jeanne d'Arc Ruagema Uwezeye,
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  SPEAKER_00: said in a written message that she fears for her family's safety.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's scary.
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  SPEAKER_00: I feel crazy.
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  SPEAKER_00: The children and I do not have security, she said.
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  SPEAKER_00: The opposition Rwanda National Congress called for a thorough investigation and
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  SPEAKER_00: for those responsible to be brought to justice.
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  SPEAKER_00: It said Rwandans in exile are confronting the question of where they can be safe.
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  SPEAKER_00: The killing has also raised concern among Rwandan refugees in Uganda.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Rwandan government has not publicly commented on the killing.
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  SPEAKER_00: It denies targeting its opponents.
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  SPEAKER_00: In 2014,
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  SPEAKER_00: Patrick Karagea,
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  SPEAKER_00: a former Rwandan intelligence chief who helped found the Rwanda National Congress,
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  SPEAKER_00: was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg.
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  SPEAKER_00: After his death, Kagame said anyone plotting against Rwanda would pay the price.
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  SPEAKER_00: In 2019,
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  SPEAKER_00: South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused
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  SPEAKER_00: of murdering Karagea.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
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  SPEAKER_00: A former Rwandan soldier who criticized President Paul Kagame
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  SPEAKER_00: from exile was found beheaded near Kampala, Uganda on Saturday.
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  SPEAKER_00: Police have not named a motive.
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  SPEAKER_00: Rwanda's government has not commented on the killing and denies targeting its opponents.
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  SPEAKER_00: His widow says she fears for her family and an opposition group is calling for an investigation.
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  SPEAKER_00: China's foreign ministry said Wednesday that it has no information to offer on
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  SPEAKER_00: a possible meeting between the leaders of China, Russia, and the United States.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Rest of the World reported on Tuesday that Trump said he is ready to meet Putin
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  SPEAKER_00: and Xi next month.
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  SPEAKER_00: A person familiar with the matter says the White House has been discussing for weeks
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  SPEAKER_00: a meeting on the sideline of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in China
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  SPEAKER_00: on November 18th and 19th, focused on nuclear arms control.
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  SPEAKER_00: A newspaper report on Sunday citing people familiar with
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  SPEAKER_00: the discussion said Putin proposed using such a meeting to negotiate an end to
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  SPEAKER_00: the war in Ukraine during an October 9th phone call with Trump.
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  SPEAKER_00: The three leaders have met separately but have never held formal talks together.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine must be included in any meeting about the war.
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  SPEAKER_00: Asked about that,
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  SPEAKER_00: Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said China's position on Ukraine is consistent
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  SPEAKER_00: and that it will keep promoting peace talks.
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  SPEAKER_00: The European Union and China announced on October 9 an agreement to restrict imports
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  SPEAKER_00: of Chinese hybrid cars into the bloc.
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  SPEAKER_00: Trade Commissioner Marosef Chowicz said the deal would cut exports from China
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  SPEAKER_00: over four years by several million cars.
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  SPEAKER_00: The joint statement gave no details.
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  SPEAKER_00: Media reports say the EU plans quotas of 350,000 vehicles in the first year, rising 6% a year.
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  SPEAKER_00: China's Commerce Ministry said only that the agreement would ensure stable growth
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  SPEAKER_00: in Chinese exports against a 2025 baseline.
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  SPEAKER_00: The EU imported about 300,000 Chinese hybrid cars in 2025,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the figure is expected to reach around 800,000 this year.
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  SPEAKER_00: EU leaders were due to review the deal at the European Council on October 15 and 16.
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  SPEAKER_00: The U.S.
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  SPEAKER_00: Department of Homeland Security has ordered civilian agencies to remove DeepSeq,
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  SPEAKER_00: the Chinese AI model,
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  SPEAKER_00: and services built on it from their IT systems,
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  SPEAKER_00: according to a notice published on Monday.
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  SPEAKER_00: It also bars agencies from buying DeepSeq products.
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  SPEAKER_00: The department said the models pose multiple threat vectors
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  SPEAKER_00: and could send sensitive data to China if used by U.S.
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  SPEAKER_00: government employees or vendors.
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  SPEAKER_00: A July memo,
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  SPEAKER_00: made public Monday,
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  SPEAKER_00: told agencies to monitor traffic in and out of government websites.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Commerce Department and the Navy had already banned DeepSeq
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  SPEAKER_00: on government devices,
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  SPEAKER_00: and New York, Tennessee, and Virginia had taken similar steps.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Monday.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Federal Communications Commission votes on October 29th
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  SPEAKER_00: on barring all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices such as smartphones,
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  SPEAKER_00: cameras,
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  SPEAKER_00: and computers for use in the U.S.
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  SPEAKER_00: Last year, 82% of U.S. electronics were tested in China.
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  SPEAKER_00: Asked about a report that Japan is months away from running out of
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  SPEAKER_00: the rare earth yittrium and has asked the United States for help in getting China
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  SPEAKER_00: to ease export controls,
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  SPEAKER_00: Mao Ning said China imposes export controls on Japan in accordance with its laws
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  SPEAKER_00: and regulations.
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  SPEAKER_00: The aim, she said...
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
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  SPEAKER_00: China's foreign ministry says it has no information to offer on a three-way meeting
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  SPEAKER_00: between Xi, Putin, and Trump.
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  SPEAKER_00: The EU and China agreed on October 9th to limit Chinese hybrid car exports,
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  SPEAKER_00: but the joint statement gave no details.
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  SPEAKER_00: The U.S.
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  SPEAKER_00: has ordered civilian agencies to remove DeepSeq,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the FCC votes on October 29th on barring Chinese testing labs.
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  SPEAKER_00: China says export controls on Japan are meant to stop Japan's remilitarization.
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  SPEAKER_00: And finally, a couple of quick briefs.
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  SPEAKER_00: French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday
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  SPEAKER_00: that foreign leaders are exploiting France's tense social climate
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  SPEAKER_00: for their own political agenda.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Rest of the World Report reported on Tuesday
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  SPEAKER_00: that Trump said France was being conquered by migrants,
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  SPEAKER_00: jihadists, and communists, and that it must close its borders.
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  SPEAKER_00: Macron said there had been foreign manipulation of information
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  SPEAKER_00: after last weekend's looting,
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  SPEAKER_00: And said it had led to comments as unacceptable as they are stupid.
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  SPEAKER_00: Asked whether he meant Trump, he said Trump was among them.
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  SPEAKER_00: He said AI-generated images had shown scenes that never happened in France
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  SPEAKER_00: without saying which,
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  SPEAKER_00: and that claims France had been invaded by migrants and Islamists were false.
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  SPEAKER_00: Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barreau said France can give
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  SPEAKER_00: the country's concern clarification to help them avoid spreading false information.
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  SPEAKER_00: Macron was speaking in Qatar at the end of a tour of key energy suppliers in Gulf Arab states.
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  SPEAKER_00: And Burkino Faso's parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday to restore
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  SPEAKER_00: the death penalty for crimes including terrorism, espionage, and treason.
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  SPEAKER_00: Justice Minister Adaso Rodriguez Bayala said all 71 members of
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  SPEAKER_00: the legislature backed the new penal code.
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  SPEAKER_00: The country abolished capital punishment in 2018,
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  SPEAKER_00: and its last known execution was in 1988, according to Human Rights Watch.
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  SPEAKER_00: The ruling junta's Council of Ministers approved the bill last December,
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  SPEAKER_00: and rights advocacy groups criticized it as repressive and an effort
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  SPEAKER_00: to suppress dissent.
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  SPEAKER_00: The junta dissolved all political parties earlier this year
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  SPEAKER_00: and is fighting militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
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  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for listening to tonight's edition of The Rest of the World Report.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm Rudy Martinez, and I will see you all again tomorrow.
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