The World PRX

The long-awaited torch of the Olympic Games arrives by ship in the southern French port city of Marseille. Also, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca says its ceasing sales of its COVID-19 vaccines. The company says its vaccine saved millions of lives globally but demand is now low. And, a look at what a pause in shipment of weapons destined from the US to Israel means. Plus, the Luminous Stars centers providing mental health care for orphaned children in Iraq.

A group of Americans who had been stranded in desert camps in northeastern Syria for years arrived back in the US on Tuesday. Also, water supplies in Mexico’s capital are at a historic low because of a combination of low rainfall, rising temperatures and outdated infrastructure. And, the IDF conducted air strikes in Rafah, where 1.4 million people are sheltering, and now controls the main border crossing with Egypt. It came as Hamas offered a counterproposal for a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange. Plus, whale researchers have turned to computer scientists to analyze the clicks made by sperm whales in the Caribbean.

In a statement, Hamas said it would approve the Qatari-Egyptian ceasefire proposal. Israel and the US say they are reviewing the deal. It's not the same one that was under consideration 10 days ago. For the people sheltering in Gaza, in the city of Rafah, we'll bring a ground-level perspective on the fast-changing situation, as well as a window into how civilians are navigating the uncertainty. Plus, the largest election in history is currently underway in India, with nearly a billion people casting ballots. They trek by foot, by boat and even on the backs of elephants. And, a North Korean defector wants visitors to the demilitarized zone to understand what his life in North Korea was like. There are the negatives but also the positives.

The Turkish government announced it would suspend trade with Israel, until a permanent ceasefire is achieved and humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza without interruption. Imports and exports between Turkey and Israel totaled $6.8 billion last year. And, for the first time, researchers observed a wild animal treating a wound with a plant known by humans for its medicinal qualities, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. Also, lawmakers in the United Kingdom are considering a ban on the sale of smartphones to children under the age of 16. And in France, a hard-hitting study says children should not be allowed to use smartphones until they are 13. Are these bans effective? Plus, Syrian singer Ghaliaa finds her voice in Abu Dhabi. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.We aim to raise $25,000 by June 14. Will you help us reach our goal? Donate today to keep The World going strong! 

Until recently, Myanmar’s army was widely seen as undefeatable — too big and brutal to take down. An armed uprising started three years ago is now on a roll, capturing vast territory and leaving senior generals "demoralized," according to an army major who defected. And, Georgia’s capital city Tbilisi sits at the ancient crossroads of Asia and Europe, of Islam and Christianity, and it is currently the scene of a political confrontation over a Russia-inspired law that critics fear will stifle media freedom. We hear from National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek, in Tbilisi, about the city’s rich cultural past and its current tensions. Also, Haiti’s newly installed transitional council chose Fritz Bélizaire, a little known former sports minister, as the Caribbean country’s new prime minister earlier this week. But the selection process sparked backlash, and the council reversed its decision. Plus, a Neanderthal woman, discovered. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.We aim to raise $25,000 by June 14. Will you help us reach our goal? Donate today to keep The World going strong! 

The rallying cry of many pro-Palestinian protestors is “divest from Israel.” University administrators and donors have so far rebuffed that demand. Many investment analysts argue that it's not feasible for universities to alter their portfolios and sell all assets linked to particular countries. And, this week, the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels near a disputed territory in the South China Sea. The US has a mutual defense pact with The Philippines, so this incident draws the US and China into tension with each other. Also, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday that an inspection in April showed that hundreds of thousands of bullets, thousands of grenades and 37 anti-tank missiles had been stolen from two different military bases. He said an organized network is behind the theft of weapons and is selling them to militant groups within Colombia and overseas. Plus, the rest of the world's Labor Day. Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.