As It Happens

As Taliban officials celebrate the anniversary of the 2021 fall of Kabul, Afghan journalist Zahra Joya tallies the grim toll being paid by the country's women and girls.

An activist says the world needs to do more to condemn Israeli settlers who have surrounded Palestinian homes in the West Bank — trapping families with no water or electricity.

Decades after they met as teenagers and became friends, two women learn they are, in fact, biological sisters. We hear about their first encounter as girls — and more recently, as relatives.

More than 80 years after a landmark battle in the Second World War, a tiny Pacific Island remains littered with landmines. Our guest describes the dangerous detective work needed to clear out the explosives those soldiers left behind.

As voting heats up for this year’s invertebrate of the year competition, a scientist in Slovenia makes the case for a giant bee nicknamed the flying mouse.

As It Happens, the Friday edition, radio that asks: ARE YOU READY TO BUMBLE?!

Bonnie Critchley ran as an independent against Pierre Poilievre last year. Now, the retired military veteran has joined the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta — to run against the UCP in the next provincial election.

An overcrowded ferry capsizes in Zimbabwe, killing at least 44 people. A member of the country's parliament tells us how she's consoling family members who lost loved ones in the stormy waters.

When the 2023 earthquakes affected millions in Turkey and Syria, Canada responded with temporary visas. With many of those permits set to expire, we reach a mother walking from Toronto to Ottawa, as she pushes for an extension to keep her family in Canada.

At the ripe old age of eleven, Anderson Taylor of the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Illinois is officially the youngest museum curator in the world.

You've heard of Fat Bear Week. But today an organizer tells us about Fat Marmot Week — a new pre-hibernation competition underway in Colorado.

As It Happens, the Thursday edition, radio that appreciates a good fat-checker.

A hotel owner in Breiðavík, Iceland describes the moment the moon blotted out the sun today. She says she was awed by the sight — and by the hundreds of tourists who came to see it.

Tens of thousands of Canadians have signed a petition urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to declare U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra persona non grata and officially send him packing.

Monday’s earthquake in Colombia has left hundreds dead or injured. A resident in one of the hardest-hit cities describes the destruction — and his efforts to help rescue survivors.

A group looking for a relaxing float downstream winds up lost in marshlands for three days. We hear from a conservation officer who helped rescue them.

A researcher who peeked inside the dodo's dome explains why she thinks the long-extinct bird may be smarter than previously thought.

As It Happens, the Wednesday edition. Radio that's never at a loss for birds.

A Syrian court sentences former dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes committed during the country's lengthy civil war. Our guest describes the significance of the moment and the reaction at the courthouse today.

The mayor of Summerland, B.C., warns residents who’ve fled wildfires to brace for what they might find when the smoke finally clears. We reach an evacuee who says she's grateful her home is still standing—at least for now.

As Ebola continues to devastate rural villages in Congo, a community leader there tells us many still aren't aware of basic precautions that could help protect them from the deadly virus.

The Chicago White Sox pay homage to a very famous fan who hails from their city: Pope Leo.

Almost a century after its discovery, scientists have identified the fossil of a long-extinct toad in Los Angeles. One researcher tells us why small amphibians are largely overlooked.

Fans of the Harry Potter series successfully campaigned to reroute an underwater cable project after learning it would run through a makeshift memorial to a beloved character: Dobby the House Elf.

As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that warns against elf-destructive behaviour.

Summerland, B.C. is the latest community under threat from out-of-control wildfires. We’ll talk to one resident who had to flee with no idea when or if she’ll ever be able to go home.

After a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly kills 13 people in Russia, including civilians, a Ukrainian lawmaker says the oil refinery was a valid military target – and won’t deter Kyiv from more attacks inside the country.

A three-year-old girl is recovering after a rare black bear attack in her own backyard. Her mother tells us about the frantic fight to get her to safety.

A group of B.C. First Nations says there’s a direct link between the expansion of the fossil-fuel industry and the wildfires the country is experiencing — and that’s more reason to scrap plans for a new pipeline.

A new study reveals that snails can change the composition of their slime on the fly — to be slippery fast — or stick like glue.

Beneath the dust and lacquer lay the work of a baroque master, but the precious painting would never have been discovered if not for the keen eye of an Oslo curator with a passion for forgotten female artists.

Suck-er punch. After nearly 50 years of faithfully cleaning the Iowa farmhouse of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley -- and becoming an unlikely viral sensation -- the Hoover vacuum he named 'Beth', has finally given up the ghost.

As It Happens, the Monday edition, radio that’s truly a master of its own dust-tany.