Author: DW

The disruption is now in full swing, with more and more African countries, particularly in the Sahel region of northern and western Africa, rejecting the so-called Francafrique policy by their former colonial power, France. The term refers to a complex and controversial network of political, economic, social and military ties between France and its former African colonies, describing a kind of special relationship characterized by ongoing French influence in these nations. Often described as neocolonial, France’s Africa policy is under massive political and popular pressure, and the fight against it is openly challenging Paris’ military, diplomatic and economic footprint in Africa. The…

Skin cancers, of which more than 300,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, are preventable. And yet cases continue to rise, particularly in regions of the world where numbers have previously been low.  As well as avoiding direct sunlight and wearing protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts and pants, effective sunscreen products have been available for years. But as genuine concerns about product safety mix with myths and falsehoods on social media and elsewhere online, some people may move away from these cancer-preventing products. “The most important thing that I always want to emphasize in any of the research I’m doing is the importance…

Skin cancers, of which more than 300,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, are preventable. And yet cases continue to rise, particularly in regions of the world where numbers have previously been low.  As well as avoiding direct sunlight and wearing protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts and pants, effective sunscreen products have been available for years. But as genuine concerns about product safety mix with myths and falsehoods on social media and elsewhere online, some people may move away from these cancer-preventing products. “The most important thing that I always want to emphasize in any of the research I’m doing is the importance…

Student suicides have reached an alarming scale in India, with students making up 7.6% of the country’s total suicide deaths, according to a recently released report by National Crime Records Bureau. The report, which used the most recent data from 2022, showed that an estimated 13,000 students die every year by suicide in India. Official figures for suicides in 2023 and 2024 have yet to be published. Research and government reports point to a combination of academic and social stress, and lack of institutional support and awareness, as contributing factors. “I see these numbers as not just statistics but as…

It is no small matter that Djelika “Mami” Tounkara has lost her anonymity. “I am afraid,” Tounkara told DW. “Before my name went public, I had already received death threats. Now, I will need more protection, but I have never had any. So, even though I am afraid, I want to talk, to express myself because I want to protect others.” Her name became public in a decision published by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in June, but her fight for justice began in 2021 when she rejected and then reported the sexual advances of her former head coach at…

Turkey’s Environment Ministry said meteorologists had registered a reading of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southeast of the country, setting a nationwide record. The record temperature was registered on Friday at Silopi, the ministry said in a post on X on Saturday. Silopi is 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Turkey’s borders with Iraq and Syria. The previous heat record, registered in August 2023, was 49.5 degrees Celsius. How hot is it in Turkey? Turkey is sweltering under a heat wave that has hit much of the eastern Mediterranean since Monday and is expected to last several more…

The German economy has been shrinking for more than two years, and 2025 offers only a slight glimmer of hope for an economic recovery. Surprisingly, the so-called shadow economy — encompassing all economic activity happening off the books — is surging. So what’s behind the fact that the share of undeclared work has jumped to more than 11% of Germany’s overall economic output in just one year? According to labor market expert Friedrich Schneider, who calculated this figure, the volume of undeclared work in 2024 was worth a total of €482 billion ($562 billion) — more than the entire government budget, and…

The German Federal Network Agency received almost 23,000 complaints in the first half of this year concerning the German postal services — that’s up 13% on the same time last year, which was also a record. Almost 90% of complaints relate to market leader Deutsche Post/DHL.  Up to 2022, people in Germany were largely happy with their mail service, but then jobs were cut, prices raised and complaints began piling up. Damaged parcels, mail delivered to the wrong house — or not at all — and disastrous delays have been sending blood pressures soaring across the country. Almost 90% of complaints related…

It is perhaps the last place you would expect to find a generational divide, but even in mental health, we (those of us of a certain age) are told, “We [those of us of a younger age] are more aware of mental health than you” — as if awareness alone could remedy depression. There is actually some truth to this. “There are shifts in younger generations and also in older generations. But unfortunately mental health is still very stigmatized for older adults,” said Pascal Schlechter at the Institute of Psychology, University of Münster, Germany. “It’s quite a big step [for some…

Europe “better get [its] act together” on immigration, US President Donald Trump said as he landed in Scotland on Friday evening, local time. Speaking to reporters after disembarking from Air Force One, Trump said: “On immigration, you better get your act together. You’re not going to have Europe anymore.” Immigration, he claimed, was an “invasion” that was “killing Europe.” Trip mixes golf and meetings During his five-day visit, Trump will play golf at two golf resorts he owns — one in the small village of Turnberry in South Ayrshire on Scotland’s southwest coast and the other in Menie in Aberdeenshire. In Menie, Trump is…