Author: DW

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…

Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro, who was recently convicted of attempting a coup, was taken to hospital from his house arrest on Tuesday after feeling “unwell,” his son Flavio said. According to a post on Flavio Bolsonaro’s X account, the 70-year-old  former leader felt “a severe bout of hiccups, vomiting, and low blood pressure.” He also described the situation as an “emergency,” asking people to “pray that it’s nothing serious.” The former Brazilian president’s wife Michelle said on Instagram that Bolsonaro was receiving medication and being examined. Bolsonaro has been hospitalized multiple times after being stabbed during his 2018 election campaign. Why is…

Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning director, and actor, has died at the age of 89. Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah, the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” his publicist Cindi Berger said. He passed away in his sleep at his home in the mountains of Utah, according to his publicist Cindi Berger. Redford rose to fame in films like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men,” using his star power to spotlight American culture and politics. He later became a champion of independent cinema and was a vocal advocate for environmental…

Brrrrr! Autumn’s chill is creeping in across much of Europe, hinting at the deep freeze to come this winter. Fortunately, Gas Infrastructure Europe, the gas operators’ association, reports that European Union gas reserves are at just over 80% [September 15, 2025] — lower than the 90% cushions of the last few years but stronger than 2021. So will this winter glow with warmth or flicker with uncertainty? Having diversified energy supplies from Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, EU countries pivoted to liquified natural gas (LNG) from Norway, the United States and Qatar, while continuing to boost the rollout of renewable energies, including…

For Temidayo Oniosun, the story is the same as it ever was: “Space is nothing new in Africa.” But the dimensions have changed, said the space scientist and founder of Space in Africa , a think tank in Lagos, Nigeria. During the early space race in the 1960s, African countries played an important role in the Apollo moon missions, Oniosun told DW. They hosted critical infrastructure, without which, “the missions wouldn’t have been possible.” “But nobody talked about that,” Oniosun said. “When America sent [NASA astronaut] Neil Armstrong to the moon, it wasn’t like, ‘This is good for America, and we…

A British woman from an aristocratic family and her partner were sentenced on Monday for the manslaughter of their newborn daughter, with the court handing both of them 14-year prison terms. Judge Mark Lucraft told Marten, 38, and Gordon, 51, that the way they treated their baby, Victoria, had been “neglect of the gravest and most serious type.” Constance Marten and Mark Gordon caused the death of their baby after Marten secretly gave birth and the couple took her to live in a tent during freezing winter temperatures. Lucraft told the pair that “neither of you gave much, if any,…

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46, police in the northern English city of Manchester confirmed on Sunday. Officers said there were no indications of foul play after Hatton was found at his home early in the morning. Who was Ricky Hatton? Nicknamed “The Hitman,” Hatton was one of Britain’s most celebrated fighters. Turning professional in 1997, he became known for an aggressive style which led him to multiple world titles at light-welterweight and one at welterweight.  He compiled a proud 43-0 record with signature wins over fighters like Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo before high-profile…