The Take

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on February 3rd, 2020. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.  At the beginning of 2020, under the presidency of Donald Trump, the US and Iran stepped back from the edge of war. But Trump did bring more than a thousand sanctions, and for Iranians, that has meant normal life often feels like war. In this episode:  Dorsa Jabbari (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent Lili Ghazian, Founder and Owner at Aroosi Episode credits: This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Dina Kesbeh, Amy Walters, Ney Alvarez, Priyanka Tilve, and host, Malika Bilal.  Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

The world’s largest election begins Friday in India, with close to one billion registered voters. Narendra Modi, the incumbent, remains extremely popular, but his Hindu nationalist agenda has come at the expense of minority rights. So, what would a third term of Modi mean for India? In this episode:  Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah), Founding Editor, The Wire Episode credits: This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Fahrinisa Campana with Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Manahil Naveed and Catherine Nouhan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As the world awaits Israel’s reaction to Iran’s attacks, we look at two of its neighbors: Lebanon and Jordan, and their very different responses to what's already happened. What can they tell us about what’s to come? In this episode:  Nabih Bulos (@nabihbulos), Middle East Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times  Episode credits: This episode was produced by David Enders and Sonia Bhagat with our host Malika Bilal. Catherine Nouhan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

While Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank watched Iranian missiles flying overhead en route to Israeli targets, they also had to contend with another fire on the ground. Armed Israeli settlers stormed Palestinian villages on Saturday night. The attacks are part of a wider escalation of violence Palestinians in the West Bank have faced since October 7. In this episode:  Nida’ Ibrahim (@nida_journo), Al Jazeera Correspondent Hamdah Salhut (@hamdahsalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Fahrinisa Campana with our host Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

April 15 marks one year since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its paramilitary rival the Rapid Support Forces. The war has caused the largest displacement crisis in the world and a looming famine. We hear from previous guests to find out what the past year has been like, and what they still hold on to. In this episode:  Hamid Khalahfallah (@HamidMurtada), Policy Analyst Nisrin Elamin (@minlayla77), Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mat Nashed (@MatNashed), Journalist Kholood Khair (@KholoodKhair), Founding Director, Confluence Advisory Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Iran launched a direct attack on Israel on Saturday for the first time, firing more than 300 drones and missiles. Most were intercepted by Israel and its allies. What exactly happened, and how might Israel respond? In this episode:  Dorsa Jabbari (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent  Hamdah Salhut (@HamdahSalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent  Alex Gatopoulos (@AlexGatopoulos), Al Jazeera Defense Editor  Ali Harb (@HarbPeace), Al Jazeera Journalist Maziar Motamedi (@MotamediMaziar), Al Jazeera Journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters and David Enders with Natasha Del Toro in for Malika Bilal. Amy Walters fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

We are coming to you on Sundays with weekly roundups as Israel's war on Gaza continues. Iran directly attacked targets in Israel. Gaza's second largest city is destroyed. It's day 191 of the war. More than 33,600 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. In this episode: Imran Khan (@ajimran), Al Jazeera Correspondent Dorsa Jabbari, (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent Heidi Zhou-Castro, (@HeidiZhouCastro) Al Jazeera Correspondent Akram Al Satarri, Freelance journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.  Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube      

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on December 7, 2020. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.  Many Iranians had no idea who Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was when he was assassinated at the end of November 2020. But intelligence services in Israel and the United States had been tracking Iran’s top nuclear scientist for years. So what happened that day, and what will it mean for Iran? We are exploring Fakhrizadeh’s story and the future of US-Iran relations. In this episode:  Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera journalist in Tehran, Iran. Episode credits: This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Amy Walters with our host, Malika Bilal Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Since the armed group Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 students in 2014 at an all-girls school in the town of Chibok, abductions have become a recurrent fixture in Nigeria, especially in the northern regions. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and has one of the strongest military forces on the continent, so why does the government still grapple with mass kidnappings? In this episode:  Bukky Shonibare (@BukkyShonibare), Co-Founder of Bring Back Our Girls Movement Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Khaled Soltan with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Sonia Bhagat, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Interest in tax resistance is spiking in the US, ahead of the April 15 deadline when most Americans’ tax bills will come due. How many of them know where those tax dollars go, and how much of those taxes fund wars around the world?  In this episode:  Lindsay Koshgarian (@lindsaykosh), Program Director of the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies Episode credits: This episode was produced by David Enders and Fahrinisa Campana with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr and Sonia Bhagat fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

In Gaza, Palestinian Muslims celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday while enduring the ongoing violence and starvation of Israel’s war. We revisit memories from the Ramadan season one year ago to see what has changed and what remains.  In this episode:  Maram Humaid (@MaramGaza), Al Jazeera Journalist Banias Humaid, Daughter of Maram Humaid Siham Abu Shaaban, Displaced Palestinian in Gaza  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Khaled Soltan with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Sonia Bhagat, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

South Korea’s First Lady has been surrounded by scandal since before her husband, Yoon Suk-yeol, was elected president in 2022. Most recently, she’s come under fire after a secretly-recorded video showed her accepting a lavish gift from a controversial pastor. Will the Dior bag scandal affect the ruling party in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections?   In this episode:  Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty), Freelance Journalist  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and Chloe K. Li with our host Natasha Del Toro. Zaina Badr and Sonia Bhagat fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Jair Bolsonaro, facing legal troubles at home, is looking for help abroad. Since his passport was seized earlier this year, the former Brazilian president has spent the night in the Hungarian Embassy in Brazil and requested his passport to visit Israel. What's behind his transnational relationships?  In this episode:  Guilherme Casarões (@GCasaroes), Political Scientist, Getulio Vargas Foundation Episode credits: This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin, Zaina Badr, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

We are coming to you on Sundays with weekly roundups as Israel's war on Gaza continues. U.S. President Joe Biden said an immediate ceasefire was necessary in Gaza, where people were preparing for the end of Ramadan. Israel's further use of AI in choosing military targets was revealed. The war is in its 184th day. More than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. In this episode: Kimberly Halkett (@KimberlyHalkett), Al Jazeera Correspondent Akram Al Satarri, Freelance journalist Hind Al Khoudary (@Hind_Gaza), Journalist for Al Jazeera Hamdah Salhut (@hamdahsalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube      

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 11th, 2023. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.  Spain won a historic victory at the Women’s World Cup, marking the country’s first-ever win. But in the weeks since, there’s been nothing but controversy. On Sunday, that culminated in a highly-publicized resignation from head of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales. Calls for him to resign first started after he gave an unwanted kiss to player Jenni Hermoso at the World Cup. Now, with all eyes on Spanish football, how much further can Spain’s women's football players get to scoring proper treatment?  In this episode:  Gemma Soler (@gemma_soler), Sports Journalist Episode credits: This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Chloe K. Li, with Ashish Malhotra and our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

An investigation by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency found that Israeli drones intentionally hit three vehicles carrying members of the charity group World Central Kitchen. The killing of these foreign volunteers adds to a death toll of hundreds of Palestinian aid workers killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. In this episode:  Alex Gatopoulos (@alexgatopoulos), Al Jazeera Defense Editor Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Miranda Lin with our host Kevin Hirten. Fahrinisa Campana and Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Journalists are calling it a bloodbath. The US media industry has been decimated by some of the worst layoffs in decades. At the center of these changes are the private equity companies whose investments can make or break an outlet. What do these layoffs mean for the future of journalism? In this episode:  Andy Hirschfeld (@andyreports), Business Journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and Chloe K. Li with our host Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr and Sarí el-Khalili fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.  Read Andy's article here. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Massive anti-government protests in Israel are putting pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the release of captives and early elections. Netanyahu has staked his political future on the war on Gaza. Will his career survive it? In this episode:  Hamdah Salhut (@hamdahsalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Khaled Soltan with our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Many of Hong Kong’s leading pro-democracy activists have been arrested, intimidated, or forced into exile in recent years as mainland China tightens its control. The latest security law to be passed, known as Article 23, has been called the “last nail in the coffin” for Hong Kong’s civil society.  But those who still hold hope for change in the region are searching for new ways to keep the protest movement alive.  In this episode:  Patrick Fok (@PaddyFok), Journalist Samuel Chu (@SamuelMChu), Exiled Activist Anna Kwok (@AnnaKwokFY), Exiled Activist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin with our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

One bowl of shark fin soup can cost hundreds of dollars, but the illegal practice of poaching those fins comes at an even steeper price. More than a hundred million sharks are killed annually. We dive in to find out how this is happening and what’s being done to save the sharks.  In this episode:  Josh Rushing (@joshrushing), Senior Correspondent for Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines (@AJFaultLines) Watch the Fault Lines documentary The Shark Fin Hunters here. Episode credits: This episode was produced by Zaina Badr with guest host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Ashish Malhotra and Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik, and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube