

The Take
Al Jazeera
The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 22, 2024 • 19min
What it means to give birth in Gaza
Lubna Al Rayyes dreamed about having a child. When she found out that meant having a Caesarean section in Gaza, her dream became a nightmare. Israel’s war on Gaza meant maternity wards were shut down. She had two choices: deliver on her own, or find a way out. In this episode: Gabrielle Berbey (@gabrielleberbey), Reporter and Producer, Reveal Salman Ahad Khan (@salmanahadk), Reporter and Producer, Reveal Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Chloe K. Li with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 21, 2024 • 6min
Brief: US approves $14 billion to Israel, blocks Palestine UN membership
As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: The US voted against granting Palestinians full UN membership. Israel attacked Iran. The US Congress approved more military aid to Israel. It is day 198 of the war. At least 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. In this episode: Gabriel Elizondo, (@elizondogabriel), Al Jazeera Correspondent Akram Al Satarri, Freelance journalist Dorsa Jabbari, (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent Shihab Rattansi, (@shihab_rattansi) Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: 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. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 20, 2024 • 21min
Another Take: No war with Iran — but no peace, either
Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on February 3rd, 2020. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. At the beginning of 2020, under the presidency of Donald Trump, the US and Iran stepped back from the edge of war. But Trump did bring more than a thousand sanctions, and for Iranians, that has meant normal life often feels like war. In this episode: Dorsa Jabbari (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent Lili Ghazian, Founder and Owner at Aroosi Episode credits: This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Dina Kesbeh, Amy Walters, Ney Alvarez, Priyanka Tilve, and host, Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. 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

Apr 19, 2024 • 18min
What would a third Modi term mean for India?
The world’s largest election begins Friday in India, with close to one billion registered voters. Narendra Modi, the incumbent, remains extremely popular, but his Hindu nationalist agenda has come at the expense of minority rights. So, what would a third term of Modi mean for India? In this episode: Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah), Founding Editor, The Wire Episode credits: This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Fahrinisa Campana with Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Manahil Naveed and Catherine Nouhan fact-checked this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 18, 2024 • 20min
After Iran struck Israel, how did Jordan and Lebanon react?
As the world awaits Israel’s reaction to Iran’s attacks, we look at two of its neighbors: Lebanon and Jordan, and their very different responses to what's already happened. What can they tell us about what’s to come? In this episode: Nabih Bulos (@nabihbulos), Middle East Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times Episode credits: This episode was produced by David Enders and Sonia Bhagat with our host Malika Bilal. Catherine Nouhan fact-checked this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 17, 2024 • 18min
As missiles fly above, settler violence surges in the West Bank
While Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank watched Iranian missiles flying overhead en route to Israeli targets, they also had to contend with another fire on the ground. Armed Israeli settlers stormed Palestinian villages on Saturday night. The attacks are part of a wider escalation of violence Palestinians in the West Bank have faced since October 7. In this episode: Nida’ Ibrahim (@nida_journo), Al Jazeera Correspondent Hamdah Salhut (@hamdahsalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Fahrinisa Campana with our host Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 16, 2024 • 19min
Remembering one year of war in Sudan
April 15 marks one year since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its paramilitary rival the Rapid Support Forces. The war has caused the largest displacement crisis in the world and a looming famine. We hear from previous guests to find out what the past year has been like, and what they still hold on to. In this episode: Hamid Khalahfallah (@HamidMurtada), Policy Analyst Nisrin Elamin (@minlayla77), Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mat Nashed (@MatNashed), Journalist Kholood Khair (@KholoodKhair), Founding Director, Confluence Advisory Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin with our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin, Catherine Nouhan, and Manahil Naveed fact-checked this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 15, 2024 • 18min
How Iran’s attack on Israel unfolded
Iran launched a direct attack on Israel on Saturday for the first time, firing more than 300 drones and missiles. Most were intercepted by Israel and its allies. What exactly happened, and how might Israel respond? In this episode: Dorsa Jabbari (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent Hamdah Salhut (@HamdahSalhut), Al Jazeera Correspondent Alex Gatopoulos (@AlexGatopoulos), Al Jazeera Defense Editor Ali Harb (@HarbPeace), Al Jazeera Journalist Maziar Motamedi (@MotamediMaziar), Al Jazeera Journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters and David Enders with Natasha Del Toro in for Malika Bilal. Amy Walters fact-checked this episode. 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 Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 14, 2024 • 6min
Brief: Iran attacks Israel, Gaza’s second city is destroyed
As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: Iran directly attacked targets in Israel. Gaza's second largest city is destroyed. It's day 191 of the war. At least 33,600 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. In this episode: Imran Khan (@ajimran), Al Jazeera Correspondent Dorsa Jabbari, (@DorsaJabbari), Al Jazeera Correspondent Heidi Zhou-Castro, (@HeidiZhouCastro) Al Jazeera Correspondent Akram Al Satarri, Freelance journalist Episode credits: 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. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Apr 13, 2024 • 25min
Another Take: Why was Iran’s top nuclear scientist assassinated?
Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on December 7, 2020. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Many Iranians had no idea who Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was when he was assassinated at the end of November 2020. But intelligence services in Israel and the United States had been tracking Iran’s top nuclear scientist for years. So what happened that day, and what will it mean for Iran? We are exploring Fakhrizadeh’s story and the future of US-Iran relations. In this episode: Maziar Motamedi, Al Jazeera journalist in Tehran, Iran. Episode credits: This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Amy Walters with our host, Malika Bilal Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer. 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


