What do new protests in Syria mean this time around?

Sheikh Hasina has won a fourth straight term as Bangladesh’s prime minister. The daughter of the country’s founding father earned her own reputation as a pro-democracy leader. But in recent years she has been accused of cracking down on critics, with the opposition boycotting this year’s elections and calling them a sham. In this episode:  Tanvir Chowdhury (@tanvirbengal), Al Jazeera Bangladesh Correspondent/Producer Episode credits: This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Miranda Lin with David Enders and our host Malika Bilal. Fahrinisa Campana, Amy Walters and Khaled Soltan 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

9 Jan 202417min

Are we entering a new space race? Later this month, Japan aims to land a probe on the moon’s south pole. If it’s successful, it would be the fifth nation ever to have a successful moon landing. Just months earlier, India became fourth. Is the next generation of the space race heating up, and what will it mean for democratic access to space?  For more:  Listen to Necessary Tomorrows, a new podcast from Al Jazeera and Doha Debates. In this episode:  Namrata Goswami (@namygoswami), Professor, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University Episode credits: This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei and our host Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr and Khaled Soltan 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, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

8 Jan 202421min

We are coming to you on Sundays as Israel's war on Gaza continues. This week: An Israeli strike in has killed Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Dahdouh. Palestinians in Gaza are going hungry. Israel's wounded soldiers are overwhelming its veterans care facilities. And residents of Gaza City say Israeli soldiers desecrated a cemetery. In this episode: Hind Khoudary (@Hind_Gaza), Al Jazeera Correspondent in Gaza Anas Al Sharif, Al Jazeera Correspondent in Gaza Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera Correspondent in Gaza Sara Khairat (@sarakhairat), Al Jazeera Correspondent in Occupied West Bank

7 Jan 20246min

This Saturday, we’re revisiting a story that’s in the news again.  This episode was originally published on January 8, 2021. Much of the United States, and the world, is shocked over the storming of the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6. In this episode, journalists and activists describe their experience covering and witnessing the insurrection.  In this episode:  Journalists reporting from the US Capitol – Patty Culhane and John Hendren for Al Jazeera, and Tia Mitchell from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Washington, DC-based activist Cirilo Manego; attorney general for the District of Columbia, Karl Racine; Andre Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; anthropologist Steve Gardiner; former CIA officer Glenn Carle. Episode credits: This episode was updated by Negin Owliaei and Sarí el-Khalili with our host Malika Bilal. The original production team was Priyanka Tilve, Alexandra Locke, Dina Kesbeh, Amy Walters, Ney Alvarez, Stacey Samuel, Negin Owliaei, and 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

6 Jan 202423min

With the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Lebanon, twin blasts in Iran, and Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, 2024 is already off to a turbulent start in the Middle East. So what’s the state of play in the region? In this episode:  Rami Khouri (@RamiKhouri), Distinguished Public Policy Fellow at American University of Beirut Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili, Ashish Malhotra, and our host Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li and Miranda Lin 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, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

5 Jan 202417min

In the US, the history of the boycott as a protest movement dates back at least as far as the Boston Tea Party. Yet today, many states have legislation designed to penalize those boycotting. What does Israel have to do with the right to protest in the United States? In this episode:  Julia Bacha (@juliabacha), Filmmaker and Creative Director at Just Vision (@JustVisionMedia) For more: Watch the film – Boycott Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and our host Malika Bilal. Sarí el-Khalili and Negin Owliaei 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, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

4 Jan 202421min

Artificial intelligence is no longer a fantasy of the future, especially in the music world. Music professionals are already calling it the next tech revolution. But how will the industry and the artists adapt?  In this episode: Ben Camp (@BenCampMusic), Associate Professor of Songwriting, Berklee College of Music Episode credits: This episode was produced by Shrijan Pandey, Sarí el-Khalili and our host Malika Bilal. Ashish Malhotra and Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. 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

3 Jan 202419min

There’s been a regular exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army for more than two months. Now, the fight is intensifying, with Israel carrying out ‘wide-scale’ airstrikes into South Lebanon, pushing both sides closer to an all-out war. So what does the future look like as tensions escalate?  In this episode:  Ali Hashem (@alihashem_tv), Al Jazeera Correspondent  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, with our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lynn 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, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

2 Jan 202418min