With 10,000 North Korean troops reportedly training in Russia, the stakes of the Ukraine war have reached new heights. As the war grinds on, what could this influx of reinforcements for Russia mean not only for the battlefield, but also for the delicate balance of power in the Indo-Pacific — and what does North Korea stand to gain from a strengthening alliance with Moscow? 

In this episode:

• Zoran Kusovac (@zkusovac), Security Analyst

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Sarí el-Khalili, Khaled Soltan and Tamara Khandaker, with Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, Cole van Miltenburg, and our host, Natasha Del Toro in for Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. 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

A joke at a Donald Trump rally has brought Puerto Ricans in the swing state of Pennsylvania into the spotlight. While Puerto Ricans on the island, a US commonwealth, cannot vote, on the mainland, could they change the course of the US election?

In this episode:

• Victor Martinez (@victor_vj_martinez), Host, El Relajo de la Mañana

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Tamara Khandaker, and Chloe K Li, with Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, Cole van Miltenburg, and our host, Natasha Del Toro in for Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. 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

Israel has accused six of Al Jazeera’s reporters in Gaza of being operatives for Hamas and Islamic Jihad - allegations the network condemned as fabricated. We look at Al Jazeera’s fight to report from Gaza, the dangers its journalists face, and the broader implications of Israel’s efforts to keep international media out of the Strip.

In this episode:

• Mohamed Moawad (@moawady), Managing Editor of Al Jazeera Arabic 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Sonia Bhagat, Tamara Khandaker, and Sarí el-Khalili, with Duha Mosaad, Cole van Miltenburg and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal.

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, and Amy Walters. Our editorial interns are Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, and Cole van Miltenburg. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Munera Al Dosari, Adam Abou-Gad, and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. 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

Israeli forces launched strikes on military targets across Iran early Saturday, claiming they were in response to ongoing regional attacks by “Iran and its proxies.” Hours later, Israel announced it had “achieved its objectives” and warned Tehran against retaliation. Will Iran answer back, and what could that mean for the region?

In this episode: 

• Alex Gatopolous (@AlexGatopoulos), Defence Editor, Al Jazeera English

Episode Credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, David Enders and Sonia Baghat with Hagir Saleh, and our host, Kevin Hirten in for Malika Bilal. It was edited by Ney Alvarez. 

David Enders mixed this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our engagement producers are Munera AlDosari, Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement.

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 February 27, 2023. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

Why haven’t the people of the Chagos Islands been allowed to go home? The archipelago in the Indian Ocean was home to Chagossians until the 1960s. As decolonization swept the globe, the UK created one last African colony. Slowly and then all at once, it forced people to leave their homes, then leased the land to the US for a military base. Chagossians have been fighting – and sometimes winning – in court to return to their home islands, and now, Human Rights Watch says that what the UK and US did amounts to crimes against humanity. 

In this episode:

• Clive Baldwin (@cliveabaldwin), Senior Legal Advisor, Human Rights Watch

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Chloe K. Li and Sarí el-Khalili. The original production team was Negin Owliaei, Miranda Lin, and our host Malika Bilal. 

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, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul, faces over a dozen lawsuits alleging sexual violence, abuse, sex trafficking, and racketeering. As these accusations unfold, scrutiny extends to those in his circle, raising questions about power and accountability in hip-hop culture. So, how much impact will Diddy’s turmoil have on the industry?

In this episode:

• Kim Osorio (@kimosorio1), Hip-hop Journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Khaled Soltan, Amy Walters, and Sarí el-Khalili with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, Cole Van Miltenburg, and our host, Malika Bilal.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari, Vienna Maglio and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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

Current and former Meta employees blow the whistle on the company’s mishandling of pro-Palestinian content and retaliation against staff members who speak out. An AJ+ documentary uncovers internal struggles, with testimonies of routine deletion of Palestine-related posts and a deep-seated pro-Israel bias. How do these policies shape public perception of the Gaza conflict?

In this episode:

• Dena Takruri (@Dena), AJ+ Senior Presenter

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat, Amy Walters, and Sarí el-Khalili with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Duha Mosaad, Cole van Miltenburg, Hagir Saleh, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Sarí el-Khalili. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari, Vienna Maglio and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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

The Navajo people strongly supported US President Joe Biden in Arizona’s 2020 election. But there are questions about whether Native voters will be equally supportive of the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris this time around. Winning Arizona, also home to a large number of independent voters, could be crucial to national election victory or defeat.

In this episode:

• Rob Reynolds (@RobReynoldsAJE), Al Jazeera Senior Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, Chloe K Li, and Sarí el-Khalili, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, Cole van Miltenburg, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari, Vienna Maglio and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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

Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh were killed by Israel, leaving the group to debate a successor. And, as Israel’s war on Gaza continues, questions remain about what lies ahead for Gaza’s leadership and its people.

In this episode:

• Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu), Lawyer and Al-Shabaka Board Member

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, Chloe K. Li, and Sarí el-Khalili with Phillip Lanos, Cole Van Miltenburg, Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, and our host, Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari, Vienna Maglio and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

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

Assassination claims, diplomatic expulsions, and mounting tensions: Canada accuses India of orchestrating the killing of a Sikh activist on its soil, igniting a diplomatic standoff. With both nations at odds, the Sikh community is caught in the middle. How are they navigating this, and what does the blame game mean for their future and security?

In this episode:

• Jaskaran Sandhu (@JaskaranSandhu_), World Sikh Organization

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Ashish Malhotra and Sonia Bhagat, with Duha Mosaad, Cole van Miltenburg and our host, Malika Bilal. 

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, and Amy Walters. Our editorial interns are Duha Mosaad, Hagir Saleh, and Cole van Miltenburg. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. 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