Brief: Al Shifa Hospital goes dark, UN bombed, West Bank raids continue

Nearly two and a half years into Sudan’s war, millions remain displaced. Yet some refugees are making the difficult choice to return home, despite the ongoing conflict. UNHCR’s Mamadou Dian Balde explains why Sudanese families are going back, the challenges awaiting them, and the urgent support they need from the international community. In this episode: Mamadou Dian Balde (@mamadou_dbalde), UNHCR’s Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sonia Bhagat, and Julia Muldavin, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Kissa Zehra, Farhan Saleh Rafid, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili. 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

22 Aug 23min

Israel’s ground push into Gaza City comes as Hamas accepts a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar. Palestinians are being forced south in the Gaza Strip, where tent camps are rising and aid remains scarce. What does this move reveal about Israel’s broader plan? In this episode: Jeremy Scahill (@jeremyscahill), Investigative Journalist and Co-Founder, Drop Site News Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat and Marcos Bartolomé, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, and guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang, Amy Walters and Sarí el-Khalili. 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

21 Aug 23min

Hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents are now on the streets of Washington, DC. US President Donald Trump says it’s to fight “out of control” crime, even as city data shows crime has been falling. What impact does this unprecedented federal takeover have on DC’s residents and democracy? In this episode: Keya Chaterjee (@freedcproject), Executive Director, Free DC Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Sonia Bhagat, and Julia Muldavin with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Marcos Bartolomé, Amy Walters and host Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili. 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

20 Aug 22min

With nearly three million Twitch followers, Hasan Piker is one of the internet’s biggest political streamers. He blends humor, culture, and masculinity talk with sharp political commentary, drawing young men away from the US alt-right. And on Gaza, he has become one of the loudest US voices for Palestine. In this episode: Hasan Piker (@hasanthehun), Online Streamer & Political Commentator Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sonia Bhagat, and Chloe K. Li with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Julia Muldavin, Kisaa Zehra, Farhan Rafid, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Sarí el-Khalili. 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

19 Aug 23min

The world’s largest diaspora of international adoptees comes from South Korea. Among them are mixed-race children who were forcibly sent for adoption due to the country’s racist laws. One Black adoptee’s search for a home reflects hard truths about the past of hundreds of thousands of international adoptees. This is a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 25 2024. None of the dates, titles or other references from that time have been changed. In this episode: Anna Kook (@annakook), AJ+ Reporter This episode was produced by Amy Walters and Sarí el-Khalili, with Khaled Soltan, Chloe K. Li, Duha Mosaad, Sonia Bhagat, Phillip Lanos, Hisham Abu Salah, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid, and Kisaa Zehra. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement. 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

18 Aug 21min

This week: Israel continued to attack north Gaza. An Israeli minister announced an aggressive plan to build settlements. Palestinian journalists in Gaza fear for their safety. It is day 681 of the war in Gaza, where at least 61,369 Palestinians have been killed. In this episode: Taeq Abu Azzoum, (@TareqAzzom) Al Jazeera Correspondent Ibrahim al Khalili, (@hema.alkhalili) Al Jazeera Correspondent Hamdah Salhut, (@hamdahsalhut) Al Jazeera Correspondent Hani Mahmoud, 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 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 Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

17 Aug 5min

What does the Alaska summit hold for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin? The two presidents will meet Friday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited. As Russia is gaining ground in Ukraine, what could a deal look like, and who will pay the price? In this episode: Osama Bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid), Al Jazeera Correspondent This episode was produced by Diana Ferrero, Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, and Noor Wazwaz, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Chloe K Li, Julia Muldavin, Kisaa Zehra, Farhan Rafid, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Sarí el-Khalili. 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

15 Aug 21min

Australia is joining a growing list of countries saying they will recognize Palestine as a state - a move Palestinians and their advocates warn is symbolic at best, and dangerous at worst - even as those same countries continue supplying arms to Israel. So what does recognizing Palestinian statehood actually mean? In this episode: Antony Loewenstein (@antloewenstein), Author of The Palestine Laboratory This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, and Tracie Hunte, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Nadia Hoummouri, Melanie Marich, Kisaa Zehra, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Sarí el-Khalili. 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

14 Aug 23min