The Take

As the year wraps up, we're looking back at ten of the episodes that defined 2024 at The Take. This originally aired on April 25. None of the dates, titles, or other references have been changed.

University encampments have spread across the US since New York police first came onto Columbia University’s campus last week. In the second of a two-part series, The Take takes a look inside the Columbia encampment and its impact on campus.

In this episode:

• Fadi Shuman, Columbia University Student

• Talia Jane (@taliaotg), Freelance Journalist

• Jonathan Ben-Menachem (@jbenmenachem), Columbia University Student

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Fahrinisa Campana, Tabish Talib, Negin Owliaei, Khaled Soltan, and Chloe K. Li, with Spencer Cline, Phillip Lanos, Mohannad al-Melhem, Hisham Abu Salah, and our host Malika Bilal.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this update. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As the year wraps up, we're looking back at ten of the episodes that defined 2024 at The Take. This originally aired on March 15. None of the dates, titles, or other references have been changed.

Thirteen years ago, Syrians took to the streets to stand up against the government of Bashar al-Assad. The war that followed has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced more than 12 million. Today, al-Assad is still in power. Has the world abandoned Syria?

In this episode:

• Alia Malek (@AliaMalek), journalist, lawyer, and author of The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders, Chloe K. Li, Negin Owliaei and Amy Walters Khaled Soltan, and Ashish Malhotra, with Spencer Cline, Phillip Lanos, Mohannad al-Melhem, Hisham Abu Salah, and our host Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this update. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As the year wraps up, we're looking back at ten of the episodes that defined 2024. This originally aired on February 27. None of the dates, titles, or other references have been changed.

Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is rich in resources, from gold and diamonds to coltan, used to power mobile phones. It’s also the site of recent heavy fighting between government forces and the rebel group, M23, and whoever emerges on top will have control of the region’s wealth. But trapped in the middle are Congolese civilians. As the fighting intensifies, where will they go?

In this episode:

• Catherine Soi (@cate_soi), Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Sarí el-Khalili, and Chloe K. Li, with Spencer Cline, Phillip Lanos, Hisham Abu Salah, Mohannad al-Melhem, and our host Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this update. 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 Twitter, Instagram, 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 killed dozens in north Gaza. Israel escalated its bombing of Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial continued. It is day 443 of the war in Gaza, where at least 45,097 Palestinians have been killed.

In this episode:

• Lina Abu Akleh, (@linaabuakleh) Al Jazeera Correspondent 
• Mohamed al-Attab, Al Jazeera Correspondent 
• Resul Serdar, (@ResulSerdarAtas) Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Mohammed Haji, (@hxji99) Al Jazeera Producer 

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.

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on May 10, 2023. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

There’s an island in the Indian Ocean that’s part of France, called Mayotte – and it’s become a front line in the story of EU migration. Mayotte was part of neighboring Comoros until 1975. Now, Comorans and others migrate to Mayotte by boat, seeking asylum or a better life. 1,800 French security forces have deployed from mainland France as part of Operation Wuambushu, which means “take back” in Mayotte’s local language. The government says that the shantytowns full of people are becoming an economic, safety, and health concern. The move has sparked protests both for and against the operation.

In this episode:

• Dawud Bumaye (@dawudbumaye), Afro-Feminist and Comorian Activist

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Chloe K. Li, Khaled Soltan and our host, Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 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

What happens when people feel they’ve reached capacity as witnesses? For writer and clinical psychologist Hala Alyan, her work is to preserve the archive of Palestinian stories and pass down resistance through generations. As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, her work on the complexities of displacement, trauma, and the Palestinian diaspora has reached audiences around the world. 

In this episode:

• Hala Alyan, (@hala.n.alyan), writer and clinical psychologist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Sonia Bhagat, and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hagir Saleh, Duha Mosaad, Sarí el-Khalili, and our host, Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

When a new kidney could save your life, every minute counts. When Jazmin Evans discovered she could have received a kidney four years earlier, she was shocked. When she found out the delay was due to a racially biased testing process, she tried to warn others.

In this episode:

• Jazmin Evans, Kidney transplant patient, PhD student of Africology at Temple University

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Manahil Naveed and Amy Walters, with Veronique Eshaya, Shraddha Joshi, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Protests have erupted across Mozambique, where a disputed election has sparked a powerful movement for change. Thousands are defying a violent government crackdown, demanding an end to decades of dominance by the governing party. But this isn’t just about politics—it’s about a generation fighting for their future. What’s driving the unrest, and how might it reshape the country’s path forward?

In this episode:

• Zenaida Machado-Ezinteje (@zenaidamz), Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch

Episode credits:

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

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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As Syria navigates a fragile political transition, Israel has wiped out much of Syrian military assets, pushed further into Syrian territory, and approved a plan to expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. How will Syria’s new leadership respond?

In this episode:

• Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (@ajaltamimi), Research Fellow, Middle East Forum

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hagir Saleh, Duha Mosaad, Chloe K. Li, and our host, Malika Bilal. 

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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As tech companies increase their AI production, the environmental costs are coming to light. What are the resources fuelling the AI revolution? And how does AI impact the tech industry’s climate goals?

In this episode:

• Sophie Bushwick (@sophiebushwick), New Scientist Senior Tech Editor

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li with Manahil Naveed, Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan, Doha Mosaad, 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. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

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