The Take

After clashing with US President Donald Trump over support, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned to London for European and UK backing. His reception was warmer, but without US help, can Europe step up to defend the country?

In this episode:

• Alex Gatopoulos (@AlexGatopoulos), Al Jazeera Defence Editor

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Amy Walters, with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hanah Shokeir, Melanie Marich, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Ramadan is peak season for watching Syrian TV dramas, a cherished tradition once stifled by censorship under Bashar al-Assad's regime. Writers, actors and directors were exiled, yet many still shaped popular series. As creatives return home, how will Syria’s TV and film industry evolve in a post-Assad era?

In this episode:

• Christa Salamandra (@csalamand), Professor of Anthropology at Lehman College
• Inas Hakki (@inas_hakki), Film Director

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker and Chloe K. Li, with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Marcos Bartolomé, Melanie Marich, Hanah Shokeir, and our guest host, Manuel Rapalo. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili.

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Melanie Marich, Hagir Saleh and Hanah Shokeir. Our guest host is Kevin Hirten. 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 editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: Israel adopted a US proposal to continue a ceasefire in Gaza, while Hamas has yet to respond. Israel has released its longest serving Palestinian prisoner. It is day 513 of the war in Gaza, where more than 48,388 Palestinians have been killed.

In this episode:

• Hind Khoudary, (@Hind_Gaza) Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Hamdah Salhut, (@hamdahsalhut) Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Laura Khan, (@LauraKhanNews) Al Jazeera Correspondent 

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.

Another Take revisits stories from the archives. This originally aired on January 18, 2021. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

Members of the Latinx community have been perpetually underrepresented in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera. In 2021, big awards shows ignored programs that centered Latinx stories, like One Day at a Time, Vida, and Gentefied. Now, creators are demanding more. 270 producers, writers, and showrunners signed a letter calling for systematic change in the industry. Two of the letter’s signees explore why Latinx shows are undervalued and why these creators are pushing for diversity in entertainment.

In this episode:

• Gloria Calderón Kellett, Co-show-runner & Co-creator of One Day at a Time
• Marvin Lemus, Show-runner of Gentefied

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Chloe K. Li. The original production team was Ney Alvarez produced this episode with Negin Owliaei, Dina Kesbeh, Alexandra Locke, Priyanka Tilve, Amy Walters, Malika Bilal and guest host, Mohammed Jamjoom..

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 Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on December 14th, 2022. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

As winter sets in, Russia is targeting Ukraine’s power grid. Homes are without heat and light, while multi-storey apartment buildings no longer have functioning elevators. Families are relying on camping stoves to do their cooking. What does a weaponized winter mean for Ukrainians now, and what will that mean as the cold continues?

In this episode:

• Rory Challands (@rorychallands), Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Amy Walters with Ruby Zaman, and our host, Halla Mohieddeen. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

A Brazilian film on forced disappearances under Brazil’s military dictatorship is making waves. 'I’m Still Here' is up for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, fueling national pride and global debates on authoritarianism. Can it claim Hollywood’s top prize?

In this episode:

• Mauricio Savarese (@MSavarese), Associated Press Reporter

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Sonia Bhagat, and Amy Walters with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Marcos Bartolomé, Hanah Shokeir, Melanie Marich, Sarí el-Khalili, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

AI-powered border enforcement, funded by the European Union, could become Europe’s new normal. From the "smart" Greece-Turkey border at Evros to Samos’s high-tech refugee camp, critics warn it’s a crackdown on migration that puts asylum rights at risk.

In this episode: 

• Giorgos Christides, Investigative Journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Chloe K. Li, with Ashish Malhotra, Tamara Khandaker, Sarí el-Khalili, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Alexandra Locke, Sarí el-Khalili and Noor Wazwaz. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Detention camps in northeast Syria remain packed with thousands of ISIL-linked detainees, with al-Hol alone holding 40,000—mostly wives and children of suspected fighters. Recent Al Jazeera reporting offers a rare inside look at their reality. As Syria enters a post-Assad era, what will become of them?

In this episode: 

• Nils Adler (@nilsadler1), Al Jazeera Journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, Ashish Malhotra with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Hanah Shokeir, Marcos Bartolomé, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili. 

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 Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

More than a million children in Haiti are caught in a nightmare, trapped in gang-controlled areas, recruited as soldiers and spies, and subjected to unthinkable abuse. With no president, no parliament, and no protection, their futures hang in the balance. So, who will step up and fight for Haiti’s children?

In this episode:

• Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh), Senior Crisis Advisor, Amnesty International

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Chloe K. Li with Sarí el-Khalili, Melanie Marich and Hanah Shokeir, and our guest host, Natasha del Toro. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

The trial for six-year-old Palestinian-American Wadea al-Fayoume’s murder begins in Chicago. Joseph Czuba faces hate crime charges, but his killing reflects a growing wave of anti-Palestinian hate in the US. As Islamophobia rises post-October 7, will this trial deliver justice?

In this episode:

• Ahmed Rehab (@ahmed.m.rehab), Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Sonia Bhagat, and Tamara Khandaker, with Sarí el-Khalili, Chloe K. Li, Marcos Bartolome, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili. 

The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Melanie Marich, Hagir Saleh and Hanah Shokeir. Our guest host is Kevin Hirten. 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 editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube