The Take

Al Jazeera

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

  • 16 minutes 48 seconds
    Another Take: The biggest rivalry in sport – India and Pakistan in cricket

    Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on June 12, 2024. None of the references have been changed.

    Whenever India and Pakistan meet in cricket, it’s one of the world’s most-watched sporting events, and June 2024 was no different. We went to the stadium for a screening of the highly-anticipated T20 match, played on neutral ground in New York, to capture the sights and sounds, and explain the significance of one of the world’s biggest sporting rivalries.

    In this episode: 

    Episode credits:

    This episode was updated by Chloe K. Li. The original production team was Ashish Malhotra, Tabish Talib and Tamara Khandaker, with Duha Mosaad, Chloe K Li, and our host, Malika Bilal.. 

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

    14 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 24 minutes 41 seconds
    Inside India and Pakistan’s explosive cricket rivalry

    The biggest cricket match of the Men’s T20 World Cup almost didn’t happen. Pakistan said it would not play India, sending shockwaves through the sport and triggering urgent talks between officials and governments. After days of tense negotiations, the standoff ended and the rivals are set to meet on Sunday. What changed, and what will it mean when they take the field?

    In this episode: 

    • Hafsa Adil (@hafsa_adil), Sports Journalist at Al Jazeera

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili, with Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Chloe K. Li, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker. 

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

    13 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 26 minutes 14 seconds
    How deep do Epstein’s ties to Britain’s elite go?

    Ex-Prince Andrew was the tip of the iceberg. The latest trove of Epstein files reveals new details about former UK envoy Peter Mandelson's ‘best pal’ relationship with the convicted sex offender that have pushed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour into a new crisis. Is this the scandal that defines Labour?

    In this episode: 

    Kieran Andrieu (@kieran_andrieu) Political Economist and Novara Media contributor

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, with Sarí el-Khalili, Chloe Li, Spencer Cline, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, Sonia Bhagat and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker.

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

    12 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 24 minutes 10 seconds
    Bangladesh's election tests the power of Gen Z

    For the first time since the 2024 uprising, Bangladesh is heading to the polls. Voters will pick a new parliament and weigh in on a controversial "July Charter." With Gen Z now the largest voting bloc, will this election deliver real change?

    In this episode: 

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Noor Wazwaz and Chloe K. Li with Marcos Bartolomé, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, Sonia Bhagat, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker.  

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

    For more: Al Jazeera Investigates - 36 July: Uprising in Bangladesh

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    11 February 2026, 8:02 am
  • 23 minutes 57 seconds
    Jeffrey Epstein’s 'one single cause': Israel

    What do we know about Jeffrey Epstein's ties to Israel? We talk with Craig Mokhiber, who spent decades inside the UN system, about what millions of newly released files reveal about Epstein's effort to reshape the Middle East in Israel's favor, why this story remains underreported, and what it means for how power operates globally.

    In this episode: 

    • Craig Mokhiber (@craigmokhiber), Human Rights Lawyer and Former UN Official

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Chloe K. Li, and Tamara Khandaker, with Melanie Marich, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

    10 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 38 minutes 25 seconds
    Jamal Elshayyal: inside the war for journalism’s future

    At Web Summit Qatar, we hear from Jamal Elshayyal, Al Jazeera’s new Director of Digital News Content, on forging his own path at the network – and how those lessons will guide Al Jazeera through the AI age.

    In this episode: 

    • Jamal Elshayyal (@jamalelshayyal), Director, Al Jazeera Digital News Content Global

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li with Noor Wazwaz, Tuleen Barakat, Maya Hamadeh, Melanie Marich, Tamara Khandaker, Sarí el-Khalili, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. Special thanks to Kawthar Abu Sadeh.

    The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and Noor Wazwaz. Our host is Malika Bilal. 

    Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement.

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, and YouTube

    9 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 5 minutes 41 seconds
    Brief: Rafah traffic a trickle, HRW employees quit over suppressed report

    This week: 130 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 574 Palestinians in Gaza.

    The reopening of the crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains insufficient to meet Palestinians' needs. Israel returned more bodies of Palestinians it killed to Gaza. Israel has killed more than 71,850 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023.

    In this episode:

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner and Munera AlDosari 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

    8 February 2026, 10:02 am
  • 24 minutes 23 seconds
    Another Take: Capturing Algeria’s fight for liberation

    Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 4, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

    Never-before-seen footage. A trove of long-forgotten 35mm reels. An archive of the Algerian Independence War. It’s all the work of Yugoslavian Stevan Labudović, the cameraman for Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. The work was part of a war effort to counter French propaganda, a gesture of solidarity in the fight against colonialism.

    In this episode:

    • Mila Turajlić, Documentary Filmmaker

    Episode credits:

    This episode was updated by Haleema Shah. The original production team was Marcos Bartolomé and Veronique Eshaya, with Duha Mosaad, Manahil Naveed, and our guest host Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

    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, FacebookThreads and YouTube

    7 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 26 minutes 10 seconds
    Ayman Mohyeldin: from Gaza and Tahrir to journalism today

    What does it take to platform the truth? In this live episode from Web Summit Qatar, The Take talks to veteran correspondent and anchor Ayman Mohyeldin about the path from the US to Gaza and Tahrir Square that defined him as a journalist, as he brings moments that define our time to news audiences around the world.

    In this episode: 

    • Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM), MS NOW Anchor

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili, with Melanie Marich, Tamara Khandaker and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

    6 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 22 minutes 10 seconds
    How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia’s winter war

    Russia is exploiting Ukraine’s coldest winter yet since it escalated the war four years ago. As negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States continue to stall, will this winter freeze become Ukraine’s breaking point?

    In this episode: 

    • Oleksiy Sorokin (@mrsorokaa), Deputy Chief Editor, Kyiv Independent

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Marcos Bartolomé, and Melanie Marich, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker. 

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

    5 February 2026, 5:00 am
  • 23 minutes 8 seconds
    Rafah crossing partially reopens as wounded remain trapped

    After nearly two years of closure, Gaza’s Rafah crossing has reopened under tight Israeli controls. How is the crossing operating in practice? And what does this partial opening mean for the devastated state of Gaza’s health system, and for wounded patients and their families, and the fragile "ceasefire"?

    In this episode: 

    Episode credits:

    This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili with Melanie Marich, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker and Alexandra Locke. 

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

    Connect with us:

    @AJEPodcasts on XInstagramFacebook, and YouTube

    4 February 2026, 8:42 am
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