Latest / The Rest of the World Podcast / The Rest of the World Report | October 15, 2026 — Morning Edition

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The Rest of the World Report | October 15, 2026 — Morning Edition · The Rest of the World Podcast

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  [music]
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Good morning from Paris.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Rudy Martinez with The Rest of the World Report for Thursday morning.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, we're getting into this week.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thursday morning, October the 15th.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky said Ukraine will again strike Russian oil refineries.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: He said in an interview, the block on attacking refineries is out.
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  SPEAKER_00: We're done.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukrainian drones hit a refinery in Russia's Ryazan region early Thursday,
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  SPEAKER_00: about 300 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
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  SPEAKER_00: Russia's Defense Ministry and Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said the strike started a fire.
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  SPEAKER_00: A senior Ukrainian official, who was not named, confirmed that Ukraine hit the refinery.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine had held off for three days at the request of the United States.
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  SPEAKER_00: President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine
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  SPEAKER_00: on October 11th without specifying its scope.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine said it had no prior information about it.
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  SPEAKER_00: An unnamed White House official said the announcement covered only oil refineries.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Ukrainian government said it was heating the ceasefire.
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  SPEAKER_00: Separately,
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  SPEAKER_00: Trump made a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9th
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  SPEAKER_00: to import Russian diesel,
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  SPEAKER_00: despite international efforts to sanction Russia for its invasion.
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  SPEAKER_00: Russia kept attacking.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky said on X that Russia launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine
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  SPEAKER_00: between midnight and Thursday morning, and that attacks hit 15 regions.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine's Air Force said air defenses stopped 536 drones, with impacts recorded at 31 locations.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine's emergency service said a Russian drone attack on
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  SPEAKER_00: the Kurovorod region lasting more than 10 hours killed three people and injured six.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky said Russia chose to escalate after receiving sanctions relief.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Kremlin said Wednesday that it was unclear what the ceasefire meant and
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  SPEAKER_00: whether it had been specified.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky called Wednesday's attack a show of disregard for the truce.
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  SPEAKER_00: He said Ukraine is ready to adhere to a full energy truce if Russia does the same.
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  SPEAKER_00: In a social media post,
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky said Russia used 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 strike drones in
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  SPEAKER_00: the attack overnight on Wednesday.
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  SPEAKER_00: He said 600,000 people were without power.
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  SPEAKER_00: In another post, he said 26 power facilities were targeted on October 14th.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine's energy ministry counted about 200 hits on power sector facilities and 17
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  SPEAKER_00: on the oil and gas sector in the week of October 5th to 11th.
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  SPEAKER_00: Hundreds of thousands of people in Kiev and frontline regions lost power and water.
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  SPEAKER_00: Power to Kiev's metro was cut temporarily after attacks on October 8th and 14th.
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  SPEAKER_00: Olena Pavlenko of the Dixie Group,
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  SPEAKER_00: an energy think tank, said jet-powered drones changed the game to some extent.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky said Ukraine would halt strikes on Russia energy infrastructure only
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  SPEAKER_00: if it received more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles.
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  SPEAKER_00: He called that the minimum.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky visited London,
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  SPEAKER_00: where he won pledges of more help and is scheduled to attend a European Union summit
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  SPEAKER_00: in Brussels on Friday.
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  SPEAKER_00: The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallis, said squeezing Ukraine is not the right approach.
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  SPEAKER_00: She said Europe is pressuring the aggressor to stop the war, not the victim to surrender.
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  SPEAKER_00: Italian Prime Minister Georgia Maloney told the Italian Senate on Wednesday that
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  SPEAKER_00: the U.S.-Russia diesel deal risks legitimizing Moscow while Russian bombs fall
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  SPEAKER_00: in Ukrainian cities.
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  SPEAKER_00: She said the surge in fuel prices is due primarily to the war in Iran, not the war in Ukraine.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine has ended its three-day pause on striking Russian refineries and hit one in
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  SPEAKER_00: the Ryazan region early Thursday.
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  SPEAKER_00: The pause followed Trump's October 11th energy ceasefire announcement.
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  SPEAKER_00: Russia launched more than 850 drones at Ukraine overnight,
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  SPEAKER_00: and Zelensky says Kiev has been denied intelligence and Starlink access.
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  SPEAKER_00: Europe's foreign policy chief says squeezing Ukraine is not the right approach.
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  SPEAKER_00: Elon Musk said the U.S. military decides any limits on Starlink's speed or usage.
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  SPEAKER_00: Musk wrote on X that any limits are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the President.
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  SPEAKER_00: He noted that the military version of Starlink,
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  SPEAKER_00: called Starshield, is controlled by the U.S. military and Trump.
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  SPEAKER_00: The White House has not confirmed or denied his claim.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine confirmed Wednesday that its Starlink access had been severely restricted,
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  SPEAKER_00: hampering combat operations.
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  SPEAKER_00: Starlink terminals and Western intelligence are both vital for Ukrainian defenses
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  SPEAKER_00: and attack operations.
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  SPEAKER_00: Kiev officials said the speed limits choked Ukraine's efforts to defend itself
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  SPEAKER_00: and hit back at Russia.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky complained that despite going along with Trump's demand for a truce,
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine was denied the usual Western intelligence
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  SPEAKER_00: on Russian ballistic missile strikes in recent days.
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  SPEAKER_00: He said limits were also placed on its use of Starlink.
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  SPEAKER_00: Trump has said the United States has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
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  SPEAKER_00: In an interview late Wednesday, Zelensky said yes when asked whether he felt betrayed by Trump.
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  SPEAKER_00: On social media, Zelensky said, Separately,
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  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine Security Service,
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  SPEAKER_00: the SBU,
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  SPEAKER_00: detained an 18-year-old man in Kiev on suspicion of working
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  SPEAKER_00: for Russia's Federal Security Service.
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  SPEAKER_00: The SBU said he tried to register 148 Starlink terminals for use by Russian forces.
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  SPEAKER_00: It said he registered 15 using the passport details of relatives and acquaintances.
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  SPEAKER_00: The SBU said the terminals were meant to support the planning
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  SPEAKER_00: of Russian military operations in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
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  SPEAKER_00: Musk says the U.S. military sets any limits on Starlink speed or usage in Ukraine.
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  SPEAKER_00: The White House has not confirmed or denied.
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  SPEAKER_00: Zelensky says Ukraine was denied intelligence and Starlink access while it observed
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  SPEAKER_00: the energy truce.
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  SPEAKER_00: Trump says U.S. intelligence sharing has not stopped.
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  SPEAKER_00: Two cargo ships have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride was struck by unknown projectiles
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  SPEAKER_00: on Tuesday while passing through the strait.
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  SPEAKER_00: It caught fire and later sank, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.
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  SPEAKER_00: All 21 crew members were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
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  SPEAKER_00: International Maritime Organization data showed on Wednesday that the Antigua
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  SPEAKER_00: and Barbuda-registered merchant vessel Cape Dao had also sunk.
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  SPEAKER_00: A projectile first hit it on September 23rd.
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  SPEAKER_00: One Indian crew member was killed.
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  SPEAKER_00: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy said a container ship carrying more
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  SPEAKER_00: than 2,500 containers hit a mine while attempting what it called a dangerous
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  SPEAKER_00: and unauthorized passage.
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  SPEAKER_00: It said the ship sank south of the strait on Wednesday morning.
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  SPEAKER_00: The statement did not name the vessel.
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  SPEAKER_00: Iranian state media said the GFS Pride hit a sea mine on an unauthorized route.
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  SPEAKER_00: Experts cast doubt on that and said a drone attack was more likely.
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  SPEAKER_00: A second Singapore-registered container ship, the GFS Giselle, suffered hull damage.
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  SPEAKER_00: It reached a safe anchorage under its own power.
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  SPEAKER_00: Nine attacks in or near the strait have been reported since Monday according to
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  SPEAKER_00: the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
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  SPEAKER_00: On Monday,
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  SPEAKER_00: 4.147 million barrels of oil transited the strait,
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  SPEAKER_00: less than a quarter of pre-war levels according to ship tracking data.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Two cargo ships sank near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after being hit
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  SPEAKER_00: by projectiles.
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  SPEAKER_00: One crew member died.
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  SPEAKER_00: Iran says a mine sank one ship, and experts say a drone is more likely.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oil moving through the strait is down to less than a quarter of pre-war levels.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: A 14-year-old boy was electrocuted in Istanbul after stepping into a puddle during heavy rain.
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  SPEAKER_00: The boy died in the Balat area of the Fatih district.
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  SPEAKER_00: The rain began on Tuesday evening after warnings from Turkey's weather service.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Istanbul governorate said,
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  SPEAKER_00: 193.84 millimeters, or 7.6 inches, fell in Omerli in the Bekoz district.
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  SPEAKER_00: It recorded 125.9 millimeters in Arnavutkoy and 124.72 in Sariyar.
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  SPEAKER_00: Acting Mayor Nuri Aslan said parts of the city received nearly 100 millimeters in 12 hours.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said some areas had the highest amount
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  SPEAKER_00: of rain since 1985.
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  SPEAKER_00: Authorities recorded 1,277 floods and 15 landslides.
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  SPEAKER_00: 47 people were stranded.
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  SPEAKER_00: In all, 808 homes, 280 businesses, and 76 vehicles were affected.
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  SPEAKER_00: Blood water reached two hospitals and poured through the ceiling of
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  SPEAKER_00: the Hadja Osman metro station.
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  SPEAKER_00: The governorate said Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, AFAD,
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  SPEAKER_00: and 112 emergency call centers received 2,518 calls between 6 a.m.
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  SPEAKER_00: and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
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  SPEAKER_00: About 8,000 personnel and 2,000 vehicles and pieces
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  SPEAKER_00: of construction machinery were working in the field.
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  SPEAKER_00: As of 8 p.m.,
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  SPEAKER_00: no roads were closed because of the rain,
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  SPEAKER_00: airport runways were open, and no flights had been canceled.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's impressive.
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  SPEAKER_00: Governor Davoud Gull urged residents to stay at home Thursday unless travel was necessary.
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  SPEAKER_00: He asked people in basement flats to spend the night on higher floors.
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  SPEAKER_00: Classes were suspended across the city for Thursday,
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  SPEAKER_00: And motorcycles were banned from the roads from 9 p.m.
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  SPEAKER_00: Wednesday until further notice.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
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  SPEAKER_00: Heavy rain flooded Istanbul and killed a 14-year-old boy.
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  SPEAKER_00: Classes are suspended Thursday and the governor told residents to stay home.
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  SPEAKER_00: Protesters set fire inside Albania's education ministry on Tuesday night.
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  SPEAKER_00: Police said demonstrators broke into the building and lit it on fire.
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  SPEAKER_00: Riot police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the crowds.
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  SPEAKER_00: Police reported 16 arrests.
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  SPEAKER_00: The students demand better university conditions and the resignation
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  SPEAKER_00: of Prime Minister Idai Rama.
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  SPEAKER_00: The movement started in protest of a resort project in a protected area
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  SPEAKER_00: of southern Albania linked to Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
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  SPEAKER_00: The project has fueled anger over alleged corruption and lack of transparency.
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  SPEAKER_00: Deputy Prime Minister Albana Kuccio said protesting is a legitimate right
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  SPEAKER_00: But it cannot be used as an excuse for violence.
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  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: Students in Albania entered a third day of protests
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  SPEAKER_00: on Wednesday demanding Prime Minister Idi Rama resign.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: The movement started over a resort project linked to Jared Kushner.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Protesters set fire inside the education ministry on Tuesday night, and police made 16 arrests.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: The Trump administration is investigating Representative Ilhan Omar as it seeks
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  SPEAKER_00: to strip her of U.S. citizenship.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Investigators have issued more than a dozen subpoenas, including to some of her relatives.
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  SPEAKER_00: The question at the center is whether Omar or her late father altered her age
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  SPEAKER_00: in immigration paperwork to show she was 17 rather than 18.
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  SPEAKER_00: Investigators looked at a similar allegation under the Biden administration
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  SPEAKER_00: but did not pursue it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Omar's office rejected the investigation as baseless.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: What American readers need to know,
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  SPEAKER_00: the administration is targeting Representative Ilhan Omar as it seeks to strip her
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  SPEAKER_00: of citizenship.
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  SPEAKER_00: The question is whether her age was altered in immigration paperwork.
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  SPEAKER_00: Her office calls the investigation baseless.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, a couple of quick briefs.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pope Leo.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Vatican says Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgery
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: in Rome on Tuesday.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Doctors removed a lower lobe of his right lung at Gemelli Hospital.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Vatican said the surgery lasted about 90 minutes, was successful, and had no complications.
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  SPEAKER_00: All of his audiences are canceled until October 20th.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: North Korea.
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  SPEAKER_00: North Korea state media said the country tested two types
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  SPEAKER_00: of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the sea off its east coast
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  SPEAKER_00: on Wednesday.
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  SPEAKER_00: It said one was a Pulwassal 331, which it said also fired from land the previous week.
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  SPEAKER_00: State media says the tests had no adverse impact on the security of neighboring countries.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's it for this morning's edition of The Rest of the World Report.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm Rudy Martinez.
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  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for listening.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: I will see you all again this evening.
• 12:29
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