The Take

Tunisia has a new prime minister, the first woman in the Arab world to hold the job. She’s replacing the prime minister that President Kais Saied sacked in July, when he suspended parliament. Many Tunisians, fed up with political parties and an economic crisis, thought that was the right move – but others called it a coup, and the question has lingered. As Saied continues to consolidate power, are these steps off the road to democracy, or will they make Tunisia’s democracy stronger?

In this episode: 

• Bernard Smith (@JazeeraBernard), Al Jazeera correspondent 
• Rabeb Aloui (@rababalouii), Tunis-based journalist 

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After dealing with an 11-year war and the Ebola epidemic, Sierra Leoneans are now - like the rest of us - facing the COVID-19 pandemic. But for many, this can be particularly triggering. So what happens to people faced with generations of untreated collective trauma, and what can be done to help Sierra Leoneans heal?

In this episode: 

• Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh), Senior Crisis Adviser for Amnesty International
• Yusuf Kabba, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors

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China’s slowing birth rate has long been a concern for the government. It’s led to a slew of new policies meant to encourage a baby boom. But some new developments — like the mention of reducing abortions for "non-medical purposes" in new women’s health guidelines — have left some people worried about the role of the state in family planning. So what’s China doing to boost its population numbers, and how will it affect what happens in the bedroom?

In this episode: 

Katrina Yu (@Katmyu), Al Jazeera's China correspondent 

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Iraqis are heading to the ballot box in less than a week, and it's a direct result of activists' efforts. But as the parliamentary election inches closer, a lot of Iraqis are wondering whether it can withstand influence from the US and Iran, and actually deliver on the changes they're asking for. 

In this episode: 

Imran Khan (@ajimran), Al Jazeera senior correspondent 

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Sixteen years of Angela Merkel in Germany have ended in an election with a three-way split, and nothing yet is settled – including the legacy of Merkel, whose stability helped reshape a continent. The possible next chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is famously boring, but still has a scandal percolating around him. As the parties haggle it out, it’s left Germany and the world with one question – what’s next?

In this episode:

Ruairi Casey (@Ruairi_Casey), reports on Germany for aljazeera.com

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US officials are saying upwards of 4,000 Haitians were sent back from the Texas border over the past few weeks, but what happened next? Daniel left Haiti for Chile four years ago. Last week, he finally made it to Texas. He says he was shackled, beaten and sent back to Haiti again. Today on The Take, what Daniel was hoping for and what happened in the end.

In this episode: 

• Santcha Etienne, Organizer for The Black Alliance for Just Immigration in Florida (@BAJItweet)
• John Holman (@johnholman100), Al Jazeera correspondent - Mexico City 
• Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK), President of RFK Human Rights (@RFKHumanRights), lawyer and activist 
• Translation: Charles Jean-Pierre (@cjpgallery) and Roberto Massillon (@PAPCuisineDC)
• Voiceover: Bechir Slyvain (@bechirsylvain)

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It was supposed to be an announcement of a pact, not the start of a foreign relations crisis between allies. But as Australia announced a new security partnership with the UK and the US, dubbed AUKUS, it also canceled a multi-billion dollar contract to buy submarines from France. So how did an abandoned deal for a dozen submarines turn into the diplomatic version of a lover's quarrel?

In this episode: 

• Natacha Butler (@natachabut), Al Jazeera Paris correspondent 
• David Brophy (@Dave_Brophy), Senior Lecturer in Modern Chinese History at the University of Sydney

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A lot of Canadians are frustrated with the 600-million-dollar pandemic election that took place earlier this week and resulted in an almost identical parliament. But the five weeks of electioneering did raise a lot of issues and highlight some trends that could define Canada’s future.

In this episode: 

Fatima Syed (@fatimabsyed), host of BackBench podcast (@backbenchcast) and reporter at The Narwhal (@thenarwhalca).

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Lebanon has had a few bright spots of news in its long running economic collapse. On Monday, a new government was confirmed for the first time in 13 months, and fuel is coming in to fill a dire need for electricity. But it was brought from Iran by Hezbollah, which could pose its own set of geopolitical problems. So could Lebanon finally be turning a corner? Or is optimism still out of sight?

In this episode: 

Kareem Chehayeb (@chehayebk), Lebanon-based reporter 

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This September, El Salvador rolled out Bitcoin as official legal tender. Nayib Bukele, the youngest president in the history of the country, wanted to adopt cryptocurrency to improve the economy. But his critics say this might be a distraction from the measures Bukele has taken to dismantle democratic institutions and criticize the press.

In this episode: 

• John Holman (@johnholman100), Al Jazeera Correspondent 
• Roman Olivier Gressier (@romangressier), Reporter for El Faro (@_elfaro_)

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