Centre Stage

Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur opens up about challenges on the court, athletes speaking out and having her first child. Ons Jabeur is the Qatar Foundation international ambassador of its Creating Pathways program. The five-sport program that aims to expand opportunities for women and girls, develop local athletic talent, and create sustainable pathways from grassroots participation to high-performance sport.  

In this episode of Centre Stage, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Hassan speaks with Ali Omar, Somalia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, about Somaliland’s secession bid backed by Israel, the fight against al-Shabab and Somalia’s break with the UAE.

In this episode of Centre Stage, political philosopher and historian Roy Casagranda delivers a sharp analysis of the US. He explains why the US is increasingly relying on military and economic coercion, and why the global landscape today feels eerily like the “1930s 2.0”.This episode is hosted by Al Jazeera English’s Cyril Vanier. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is journalist Karen Attiah. The Washington Post fired Attiah in September from her role as Global Opinions editor over one of her social media posts. It was written in the aftermath of the assassination of American right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.Attiah, who’d been with The Washington Post for more than a decade, is contesting the decision, calling it unjust. She explains how she found out she lost her job, the state of free speech in the US and why she says everyone should be concerned about today’s political climate.Natasha Ghoneim is a senior correspondent. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Fifty years after independence, Mozambique is navigating the challenges of a young democracy—from conflict and displacement to the urgent need for inclusive development. President Chapo shares how he’s tackling these issues while working to position Mozambique as a key player in Southern Africa. He talks about the country’s past, the importance of unity and his vision for a peaceful, prosperous future. In this episode: Daniel Chapo, Mozambique president Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Dr Mimi Syed, a US emergency physician, joins Centre Stage to talk about the horrific reality she witnessed during her two trips to Gaza in 2024. She shares evidence she says indicates the Israeli military is deliberately targeting children, the stories she carries from the patients and families she met and explains why she believes the US is no longer merely an accessory to Israel’s war on Gaza— but fully complicit. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

French political analyst Francois Burgat was charged with supporting terrorism over a social media post he shared, which included a statement by Hamas. He was later acquitted. Burgat joins Centre Stage to unpack the case, the politics behind it, and what he believes it reveals about free speech and support for Palestine in the West. This episode is produced in partnership with the Islam and Muslims Initiative, an international platform that connects Muslims and non-Muslims in the realms of religion, politics, business, media, academia, and civil society. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Olivier Roy, a professor of Orientalism, talks about the roots of Orientalism and the enduring myth of how only the West represents progress. From colonial-era narratives to modern-day politics, Roy explores how the Global South is still perceived through a Eurocentric lens — and what that says about our civilisation, modernity and the West’s ongoing struggle with pluralism. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is scholar and activist Norman Finkelstein. He discusses his latest book on the role of identity politics in the repression of campus protests in support of Palestine. Finkelstein explores how contradictions in wokeism are being weaponised against the pro-Palestine movement and what that means for free speech today. Phil Lavelle is a TV news correspondent at Al Jazeera. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

Harvard fights back against the administration’s cuts — will it succeed? Andrew Manuel Crespo, lead counsel for Harvard’s faculty, discusses the administration’s assault on US higher education Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Pulitzer Prize winning author Nathan Thrall joins Centre Stage to talk about how his experiences, working and living in Israel, Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, drove him to write, A Day in the Life of Abed Salama. Witnessing the discrimination and subjugation of Palestinians, Thrall speaks about Israel’s decades-long system of apartheid and why he still has hope for the future. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Patrick Haenni, an author and researcher specialising in Syria, shares his expertise on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Haenni discusses HTS’s origins and ideological transformation and reveals how the armed group played a key role in achieving what no other faction could — ending the Assad regime. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Palestinian American activist and adjunct professor Amin Husain. New York University suspended Husain indefinitely for statements he made off campus about Palestine. Husain is also the founder of Decolonize This Place, an art collective that promotes social justice. He talks about why Israel’s war on Gaza resonates with students and faculty on university campuses in the US, and how protest and resistance can help marginalised groups empower themselves. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook