Israelis celebrate release of hostages, world leaders meet to sign Gaza peace deal

Two years of grief and anger in Israel turned into euphoria today with the release of 20 living hostages who survived kidnapping on Oct. 7, 2023, and captivity in Gaza since then. Israel released some Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Meanwhile, more than 20 world leaders are meeting in Egypt to sign a peace deal brokered by US President Donald Trump for ending the war in Gaza. Also, there are reports that Madagascar's president has fled the country as a branch of the military backs the ongoing “Gen Z” protests. Plus, acclaimed deaf poet Raymond Antrobus and percussionist Evelyn Glennie release a new album together.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Large crowds of Palestinians have started walking back to their homes — or what's left of them — in Gaza City as the Israeli military pulls its forces back from parts of central Gaza. We look at what comes next, including the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and potential sticking points for the truce. Also, Australia signs major security deals with India and Papua New Guinea, raising concerns for China. And, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long fight to restore democracy in her country. Plus, a NASA satellite that dipped into Venus' upper atmosphere and recorded radio waves reveals some haunting sounds.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The first phase of the Israel-Hamas peace deal has gained momentum but major obstacles may still block the plan's implementation. We take look at the truce itself, and speak with Israelis and Palestinians about their thoughts. Also, a mixture of resignation and defiance in India as the US increases its H-1B visa fees. And, a South American trade bloc rules that Peru has violated its commitments to cracking down on illegal gold mining. Plus, the house where the great Czech composer Antonin Dvorak was born in 1841 reopens after years of renovations.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A midwife describes assisting a growing number of women experiencing sexual violence at the hands of militias in the North Darfur region of Sudan. It comes a day after a Sudanese militia leader was convicted at the ICC on charges of mass murder and sexual violence going back to 2003. Also, FIFA suspends seven members of the Malaysian national soccer team over allegations of submitting fake birth certificates. And, a father of three recounts his agonizing decision to leave Gaza City amid Israeli strikes. Plus, the BBC’s Shipping Forecast turns 100 years old.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A new report from the climate think tank Ember finds that renewable energy sources made up more of the global electricity mix than coal for the first half of 2025. Also, as cocaine use across Europe surges, traffickers have set their sights on a smaller, more unexpected corner of western Europe. And, an Israeli American rabbi shares her thoughts on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Plus, people in India try to manage their encounters with migrating elephants.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Representatives from Israel and Hamas are meeting indirectly in Egypt today to talk about an end to the war in Gaza. At the center of the talks is a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which includes details about the release of hostages, future governance in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas. Also, a Russian drone and missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Lviv was one of the most serious attacks on the city since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. And, South African prosecutors are reopening an inquest into the death of the prominent anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko nearly 50 years after he died in police custody. Plus, an installation at this year’s Momentum Biennale in Norway explores the connections between nature, global issues and sound.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Church of England has appointed Sarah Mullally to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s the first time a woman has held the position. Also, a new trade agreement will allow for Zimbabwe to export more blueberries to China, tariff free. And, young people across Morocco have taken to the streets to protest the shortcomings of the country's health and education systems. Plus, Lithuania unveils what it's calling the first-ever electric passenger riverboats.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Two people died and four others were seriously injured after an attack at a synagogue in Manchester in the United Kingdom. The assault took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Also, citizens from four Caribbean nations — Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines — can now live and work in each others’ countries without the requirements of visas, residency permits or other extensive paperwork. And, Israel intercepts nearly all the vessels that were part of the multinational Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza with aid, arresting the activists onboard. Plus, the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia is drawing laughs — and criticism.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

EU leaders gathered in Copenhagen today, just days after airspace intrusions by unidentified aircraft closed Danish airports. Meanwhile, Washington gathered its top US military brass in Quantico, Virginia, focusing on what the White House has called “the enemy within.” Also, Brazil’s free, instant payment platform Pix reshapes the country’s financial landscape, with more than 150 million people using it daily. And, people in Afghanistan say the internet has been partially restored after two days of a complete shutdown across the country. Plus, a new musical in London revisits the history of Britain’s Black Power movement and the secret police unit that worked to undermine it in the 1960s.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The longest-running and largest residential school in Canada had an estimated 15,000 children attend before closing down in 1970. Today, on the country's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the building is reopening as a historic site and museum to share the stories of survivors. Also, the UN mission in Kabul is urging the Taliban to reverse its shutdown of the internet and other telecommunications across Afghanistan. And, the Darien Gap in Central America was once one of the world's more dangerous and heavily used migration routes but is now nearly empty of people. Plus, a look at the long and surprising history of rope.Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices