The Take

For the last few weeks, people around the world have been tuning in to Euro 2020, one of the biggest sporting events since the start of the pandemic. And like most international tournaments, there's a conversation to be had about nationalism, whether it's teams butting heads, or the ethnic and racial makeup of those teams. So what can Euro 2020, and this sport, tell us about the politics of Europe?

In this episode: 

• Tony Karon (@tonykaron), editorial lead at AJ+ (@ajplus)

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Since June, at least 27 people have been detained in the Central American country. Among them are presidential hopefuls, journalists, opposition leaders, farmer activists, student leaders, businessmen and even figureheads of the Sandinista revolution that once freed Daniel Ortega from jail.

The crackdown has sparked international outrage, with the country’s opposition saying President Daniel Ortega is trying to eliminate any possible challengers ahead of the November presidential election.

In this episode: 

• Lucia Newman (@lucianewman), Al Jazeera's Latin America editor

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Videos of the mysterious migrating herd of elephants in China have become an internet sensation. But no one knows why they're on the move. The fact that they are points to a deeper environmental problem. Human-elephant conflict is on the rise pretty much everywhere the gentle giants live, and without concrete action, the problem will only get worse.

In this episode: 

• Dr Josh Plotnik (@CCCAnimals), assistant professor of psychology at Hunter College of City University of New York (CUNY)

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There was an unusual target for protests in the Occupied West Bank this week: the Palestinian Authority. Protesters were angry after the death of a well-known critic named Nizar Banat, who was killed in a violent arrest. With elections called off earlier this year and a crackdown on the protests, the demands for accountability in Palestine are growing louder.

In this episode: 

• Nida Ibrahim (@nida_journo), Al Jazeera correspondent in the West Bank
• Stefanie Dekker (@StefanieDekker), Al Jazeera correspondent

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We’ve been hearing concerns about COVID variants since the outbreak began but none are as worrying as the Delta strain. At least, so far. From Asia to Africa to South America the vaccinated, under vaccinated and unvaccinated are all reaching for their masks. Why does this variant seem so much more alarming than the rest? Could it disrupt Euro 2020? And how does vaccine inequality play a role? That’s this episode of The Take.  

In this episode: 

• Dr Syra Madad (@syramadad), Epidemiologist, Senior Director for Special Pathogens with the New York City Health System and a member of the Federation of American Scientists COVID task force
• Dr Salam Gueye (@SalamGueye), World Health Organization Africa’s regional emergencies director

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For the past few weeks, protesters along the Western coast of North America have been attempting to block ships operated by the Israeli company ZIM from unloading cargo. They’re trying to pressure Israel into ending its military occupation and complying with international law. In this episode, we talk to a blockade organizer and an historian about why targeting ships is an activist tactic. 

In this episode: 

• Lara Kiswani, Executive Director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (@AROCBayArea)
• Peter Cole (@ProfPeterCole), professor of history and author of Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area.

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For over a century, Indigenous children were forcibly taken away from their families to residential schools created by the Canadian government and administered by churches. Survivors have reported that all kinds of abuse happened there.

Last May, the first mass burial site was discovered with the remains of 215 children on the grounds of a former residential school. This week, less than a month later, a First Nations official announced the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of another former residential school.

Even when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly apologized for Canada's history with its Indigenous people, many say his government’s actions when it comes to reparations do not reflect his words.

In this episode: 

• Josie Nepinak, residential school survivor
• Brandi Morin (@Songstress28), Cree/Iroquois/French Journalist
• Cindy Blackstock (@cblackst), Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society

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It’s been just about one year since Beijing’s National Security Law for Hong Kong took effect. It criminalizes secession, sedition and collusion with foreign forces. Dozens of activists and journalists have been arrested under the decree, and now, changes in the schools mean teachers’ jobs and students’ learning are also at risk.

In this episode: 

• “Steve,” a secondary school teacher in Hong Kong

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Scientists say that two-thirds of the biggest rainforest in Mexico, the Lancandon Jungle, has been lost. With only 10% of virgin territory to protect, environmental groups and indigenous people are fighting to curb deforestation, illegal logging, and trade with protected species.To help us celebrate World Rainforest Day, we talked to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Mexico, Manuel Rapalo, about his excursion to the jungle and the protected species he met there.

In this episode: 

• Manuel Rapalo (@Manuel_Rapalo), Al Jazeera correspondent in Mexico

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It’s election day in Iran and for many, the question is not who to vote for, but whether to vote at all. Strong candidates were disqualified from running, and conservative Ebrahim Raisi is a clear frontrunner. The stakes are high: the winner of this election will lead Iran through a pandemic, intense economic sanctions, runaway inflation, and the ongoing negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. So how much does this election mean for the future of Iran?

In this episode: 

• Maziar Motamedi (@MotamediMaziar), Al Jazeera Iran correspondent 

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