Author: DW

India has witnessed a growing debate over what people eat over the past decade.   Since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, measures targeting meat consumption have increased in parts of the country, especially in northern India’s Hindi-speaking states. Authorities in some places have occasionally issued rules discouraging or banning meat-based foods from schools, near places of worship and during religious festivals, among others. In India-administered Kashmir’s Doda district, officials recently banned meat, seafood and eggs in all educational institutions, saying that it’s needed to uphold “secular principles,” maintain “social harmony” and avoid “discomfort” over dietary differences. The order drew…

Customers at a supermarket on Avenida Rua Bolivar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are positively surprised at the price changes they’ve been experiencing over the past few weeks, as they are now paying significantly less for coffee and meat, for example. “Finally, some good news in these difficult times,” says shopper Julienne Freitas, while speaking with DW. Her experience is not anecdotal but rather echoed by a recent survey from Brazil’s Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies (DIEESE) — a research institute affiliated with trade unions that produces scientific studies.A good harvest and less demand from the US is driving down coffee…

The European Union (EU) proposed a new strategic agenda with India that raises bilateral relations to a higher level amid calls from the United States to hit India with massive tariffs. In July, the EU sanctioned an Indian refinery that refined Russian crude, ensuring it can’t sell to Europe. Since then, US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India, half of it as punishment for buying Russian fuel. But as the EU and the US align their policies against Russia on secondary sanctions for its war in Ukraine, the Trump reportedly called on the bloc to impose up to 100% tariffs on…

At a glance, women’s sport seems to be accelerating towards equal pay at a quicker rate than ever before. A 2021 report by the BBC found that 90% of sports now offer equal prize money at their major championships,  and packed out stadiums for women’s matches in major sports like football, tennis and cricket have become commonplace. But it’s not as simple as that. “Sport does rank rather badly against all sorts of other sectors when it comes to equal pay and conditions,” Lombe Mwamba, the interim CEO of the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport, told DW. Though little…

The US Federal Reserve , commonly known as the Fed, lowered its benchmark rate Wednesday by a quarter percentage point, the first such cut since last year. It cut the benchmark lending rate to a range between 4.0% and 4.25%. The Fed paused its easing cycle in January due to uncertainty over how President Donald Trump’s import tariffs might affect inflation and the overall economy. It said Wednesday’s cut was warranted as, “downside risks to employment have risen” even as inflation has “moved up and remains somewhat elevated.” Although inflation remains slightly above the Fed’s target rate of 2%, data shows hiring has slowed to…

US President Donald Trump landed in the United Kingdom late Tuesday for his much-touted second state visit that comes amid criticism of Trump’s policies and his murky past with the late financier and abuser Jeffrey Epstein. Creativity in protest The political campaign group Led By Donkeys, who combine art and activism, confirmed that they were behind the public stunt which saw several images of Trump and Epstein projected on to a tower, while a soundtrack questioning the relationship between the two men was played on a speaker. “Trump is being welcomed to our country, being given the unique honor of a second state visit, and it’s being…

For decades, Kenya’s public pension and health insurance systems have promised workers security in retirement and protection during illness. But for many citizens, these promises have now turned into frustration and betrayal as the money they faithfully contributed has ended up in the pockets of fraudsters within the system. In 2024, a report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed more than 260,000 cases of fraudulent activities targeting pension schemes in Kenya. Between 2013 and 2020, over 67 billion Kenyan shillings ($515 million, €442 million) were lost through fake pension scheme payments. Meanwhile, legitimate retirees have been left empty-handed, and older…

The intensity of solar storms is classified into five levels by the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): G1-G5. The G stands for the geomagnetic effects triggered by the plasma cloud. Level 5 corresponds to a very strong effect, while level 1 corresponds to a “minor” effect. Now and then, a solar storm rushes to Earth, prompting a barrage of articles warning about potential disruption of the global power supply and phone and satellite communication. These claims can be overhyped. But it would be a mistake to fully dismiss them as mere alarmism. Solar storms make northern lights, like these pictured…

When a possible TikTok ban for users in the US loomed at the beginning of the year, many influencers and TikTok creators posted tearful farewell videos, nostalgic retrospectives, and confessions of cheating. The popular social media app was offline in the US for 12 hours before it was accessible again. This time, there was almost no trace of any great farewell mood, even though the next deadline over a possible US ban was just around the corner. The US government demanded that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, Bytedance, must shut down or sell the video platform by September 17. However, on Tuesday evening, US President Donald Trump signed…

What do I need to know about this season’s Champions League? The new format of a 36-team league with eight matches continues this year, but perhaps the most exciting news comes about kickoff times. The final will be held at 18:00 CET rather than 21:00, a first in the competition’s modern history. UEFA hopes the move will make the final more family-friendly, improve local transport options for traveling supporters and, pivotally, also reach more eyeballs in key markets around the world.  The Champions League group stage makes history by setting new distance records, as Europe’s biggest tournament grows into the…