The Take

Resource companies and island nations are scouring the Pacific Ocean for untapped minerals. Trillions of rocks on the seabed contain metals that could power electric cars and green energy making us less reliant on fossil fuels. The Cook Islands believes deep-sea mining could contribute to the fight against climate change and end the country’s economic dependence on tourism. But environmentalists say extracting minerals beneath the ocean’s surface could be catastrophic for fragile marine ecosystems the scientific world knows little about.

In this episode: 

• Lucy Murray (@lucymurraynews), journalist, SBS News Australia

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and our host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal.  Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

West African nations have imposed sanctions on Niger’s new military leaders following a coup to overthrow President Mohamed Bazoum last week. Coup leaders have warned against any foreign attempts to extract the democratically elected Bazoum, and they’ve accused former colonial ruler France of plotting a military intervention - which France denies. And now there are growing concerns of an escalation on the ground, which could have broader implications for peace and security in the region. So what’s driving this power struggle in Niger, and what happens next?

In this episode: 

• Ahmed Idris (@Ahmedtj66), Al Jazeera Correspondent in Nigeria

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Chloe K. Li with Miranda Lin and 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. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Russia has bombed grain stores in Ukraine, and pulled out of a deal that had allowed safe passage of food exports through the Black Sea. Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and corn, and the deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last year, kept people fed all over the world. The International Rescue Committee called the initiative a “lifeline for the 79 countries and 349 million people on the frontline of food insecurity.” So how will the end of the deal affect them?

In this episode:

• James Bays (@baysontheroad), Al Jazeera diplomatic editor

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, David Enders and 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. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Israel’s ruling coalition has pushed through the first part of their controversial judicial overhaul plan, despite months of protests. It was a major victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while critics are calling the move a judicial coup. Members of the opposition walked out of the vote, and protestors took to the streets again this week. The question now is, how far will the judicial overhaul go?

In this episode: 

• Amjad Iraqi (@aj_iraqi), Senior Editor at +972 magazine

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Rap artist Tupac Shakur died in 1996, after being shot in the chest on the Las Vegas Strip. For almost 30 years, the case has gone cold; police said there were no witnesses willing to come forward. Now, police are set to present evidence to a grand jury, after raiding a house belonging to Duane Keith Davis, known as Keefe D. Tupac’s lyrics criticizing police and his family’s background in the Black Panther Party may be reasons why the investigation stalled. But why revisit the case now?

In this episode: 

• Santi Elijah Holley (@SantiHolley), author of An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li and 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. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Project Cheetah, an Indian government initiative, began last year with eight cheetahs arriving in India to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. And this year, twelve more arrived from South Africa. Many conservationists warned against the relocation, saying the project was rushed, and the cheetahs would have a hard time adapting to the National Park they now live in. And their fears have come true. Five of the 20 adult cheetahs, as well as three cubs, have died in the past few months. So what can be done to stop more deaths?

In this episode: 

• Ravi Chellam (@RaviChellam3), wildlife biologist and conservation scientist 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Sonia Bhagat and 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. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Peter Kalmus is a US climate scientist who’s fed up with inaction. In April 2022, he chained himself to a bank in protest with a group called Scientist Rebellion. Now, during yet another hot summer, with Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ensuing global energy crisis, are growing protests like Peter’s the future? We hear from people demanding – and taking – radical action from around the globe.

In this episode: 

• Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman), climate scientist at NASA
• Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati
• Lucia Newman (@lucianewman), Latin America editor for Al Jazeera English  
• ​​Monica Villamizar (@monica_vv), journalist with Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines
• Karim Elgendy (@NomadandSettler), fellow at Chatham House
• Saleemul Huq (@SaleemulHuq), Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development
• Nisar Majid, research associate at the London School of Economics

To hear more from the people in this episode, check out our climate playlist on Spotify.

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Alexandra Locke, who produced this episode in August 2022 with Chloe K. Li, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, Ruby Zaman, Ney Alvarez, and Malika Bilal.

Alex Roldan is our sound designer. Tim St. Clair mixed this episode. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Protestors have taken to the streets in Kenya to decry the end of subsidies and rising taxes, as the country’s debt crisis looms. These protests were called for by the opposition parties, including former presidential candidate Raila Odinga. Odinga’s followers believe last year’s election was rigged against him, furthering mistrust in the current government led by President William Ruto. The police response to the protests has been harsh, killing at least 20 protestors this month and injuring hundreds. 

In this episode: 

• Immaculate Akello (@iakello), Freelance Journalist 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders with Chloe K. Li and 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. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

The Taliban sent out a text message in early July to beauty salon owners across Afghanistan, stating that they had one month to close shop. Salons are one of the few remaining public spaces where women can safely socialize, and a source of income for women to support not only themselves but often also their families. This latest mandate is yet another blow to women since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The question on everyone’s mind now is, what does the ban on beauty salons mean for Afghan women going forward? 

In this episode: 

• Mina Sharif (@minasharif), television and radio producer
• Alison Davidian (@davidianali), UN Women representative in Afghanistan

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Amy Walters and 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. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook

Will Spain’s upcoming elections result in a setback of progressive policies? Spain has been a bright spot for liberal democracy and minority rights, but elections on July 23 could end up with a far-right party entering the national government for the first time since Spain returned to democracy. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is facing an uphill battle against his opponent, conservative leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo. His party’s unusual potential alliance with far-right party Vox will likely land him the votes needed to win. A host of missteps surrounding the passage of progressive policies and a poor performance in local and regional polls have pushed Sanchez to call for a snap election, but will his gamble pay off?

In this episode: 

• Begoña Gómez Urzaiz (@begogomezurzaiz), journalist and writer

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat with Ashish Malhotra and 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. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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, and Facebook