The World PRX

The Olympic Games have begun in Paris, despite a massive sabotage campaign against France’s rail system. Also, Canada's wildfire season is well under way and has already sparked evacuations, destroyed homes and burned forests across national parks. And, two leading Mexican drug lords from the Sinaloa Cartel have been arrested by authorities in the US. Plus, a new study finds that scribes in ancient Egypt suffered from repetitive stress injuries.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The Sağlam family's kidnapping operation is caught in a police dragnet. The ensuing police investigation reveals an entire network of conspirators behind the Sağlams. When one conspirator is arrested and interrogated, he confesses. Fariba Nawa uses the confession to tell the story of Iran's behind-the-scenes involvement.To find the whole Lethal Dissent series in one place, go to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and search for "Lethal Dissent." Look for the red, yellow, and purple artwork.

Typhoon Gaemi is one of the strongest typhoons to affect the Asia-Pacific region in nearly a decade, and it's sparked massive evacuations in the Philippines, leaving flooding and landslides in its wake. Also, National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek talks about his walk through northern India. And, the civilian casualties tracking group Airwars has been gathering incident-by-incident documentation of civilians publicly reported killed in Gaza, and found that the figures reported by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the war, have been reliable. Plus, Hong Kong’s government is spending millions on a campaign to get the city’s mojo back.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the US Congress for a fourth time. Also, Japan’s Nanmoku village has the oldest population in the world. And, a new study by scientists find wild sharks off the coast of Brazil that have tested positive for cocaine. Plus, host France wants the organizers of the Olympic Games to stick to the French language.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Soldiers and police are patrolling the streets of Paris as the city hosts the Summer Olympics. Parts of the city are off-limits, including much of the Seine river, as the “City of Light” goes on maximum alert to protect athletes and fans. Also, the UAE — where protests are banned — sentences 57 Bangladeshi residents to lengthy prison terms for demonstrating in solidarity with people in Bangladesh over job quotas. And, new rules at the US border have some dog owners concerned. Plus, an international group of scientists discovers "dark oxygen" 13,000 feet below the ocean's surface.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

World leaders weigh in after US President Joe Biden announced that he's ending his bid for re-election and put his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Also, a project in Namibia hopes to combine a pesky plant known as the encroacher bush with a mushroom byproduct known as mycelium to help deal with the country's housing crisis. And, Kenya sends its first fencer, Alexandra Ndolo, to the Olympic Games. Plus, BALTHVS brings back the short-lived psychedelic music era in Colombia.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.