What’s behind the Barbie mania in China?
The Barbie movie has dominated the box office in China, in a year when many other US movies haven’t performed well in the world’s second-largest film market. It outperformed movies like Mission Impossible and the films from the Marvel franchise. It’s been eagerly received for its message, raising a question of whether it flew under the radar of the country’s media censors. So what’s behind Barbie’s success in China? In this episode: Yifan Yu (@YifanYuNews), tech reporter for Nikkei Asia Marrian Zhou (@ZhouMarrian), US-China relations reporter for Nikkei Asia Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Special thanks to Ben Li. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
14 Aug 202319min
At the Women’s World Cup, the playing field begins to level
Top ten women’s football teams US, Canada, Germany and Brazil have all been eliminated from the 2023 Women’s World Cup before the quarter-finals, and underdogs Jamaica and Morocco won big early on. In a landmark deal in February 2022, the US women’s team finally received pay parity after a year’s long battle with the US Soccer Federation. In contrast, a Jamaica team member’s mother had to start a GoFundMe campaign in order for the Jamaican team to be able to prepare for this year’s World Cup. Now, the big question is: what’s behind these wins and losses, and does funding make a difference? In this episode: Shireen Ahmed (@_shireenahmed_), Senior Contributor for CBC Sports Aziza Nait Sibaha (@AzizaNaitSibaha), TV presenter & journalist for France24 Chinyelu Asher (@ChinyeluAsher), Jamaican footballer Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana with Amy Waters and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode. 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, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
11 Aug 202322min
Are Muslims in India’s Haryana facing ‘ethnic cleansing’?
Near India’s capital, in Haryana state, demolitions of more than 1,200 homes and shops in a Muslim-majority area have followed clashes that killed six people. The demolitions have been halted for now, but this week, a local High Court raised the idea that the ones that took place might be an act of “ethnic cleansing” by the state. The clashes and demolitions are seen by many Muslims as the latest in a trend of violence in India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nine years in power. So what space exists for Muslims in India? In this episode: Mohammad Ali (@hindureporter), journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, David Enders and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 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, and Facebook
10 Aug 202320min
How Israeli technology turns occupation into profit
The Israeli military-industrial complex has turned the Occupied Palestinian Territories into a testing ground for advanced weaponry and surveillance technology, which it exports worldwide. From powerful tools like the Pegasus software used to hack the phones of high-profile individuals such as Jeff Bezos and Jamal Khashoggi, to selling drones to the EU to monitor people seeking to cross the Mediterranean, Israel’s technology has become a global leader in conflicts around the world. In this episode: Antony Loewenstein (@antloewenstein), author of The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 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, and Facebook
9 Aug 202321min
After the quakes, will Turkey’s food and farming ever be the same?
It’s harvest season in Turkey, six months after massive earthquakes hit southeastern Turkey. It’s a major agricultural region, known as the Turkish Fertile Crescent. Now, seasons have passed, but the land and people remain deeply traumatized. Even efforts to clear away rubble and rebuild have created environmental concerns, leaving many survivors fearing not only the end of their farming and food traditions, but also their communities’ futures. In this episode: Anna Maria Beylunioğlu (@annabeylunioglu), food studies lecturer and chef Ayşegül Selışık (@aselisik), UN Food and Agriculture Organization Assistant Representative in Turkey Gonca Tokyol (@goncatokyol), freelance journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 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, and Facebook
8 Aug 202318min
What’s behind the spike in Fentanyl overdoses in Mexico?
Fentanyl use and overdose deaths have long plagued the United States, but now Mexico is seeing a spike in overdoses from this potent opioid, with communities along the US-Mexico border being hit particularly hard. While the Mexican government still denies opioid use as a problem, those who suffer from addiction are facing stigma and a lack of public health support. The big question is: what’s being done to tackle the issue in Mexico? In this episode: Alicia Fàbregas (@fabregasalicia), journalist based in Tijuana, Mexico Jaime Arredondo Sanchez Lira (@jaimeasl), Research associate with Prevencasa Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana with Chloe K. Li, and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 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, and Facebook
7 Aug 202318min
