Deutsche Welle

As the World Cup kicks off on Thursday, African teams are ready to battle it out on the pitch. In part two of this AfricaLink podcast, we continue to ask the question: Is this the tournament where Africa goes all the way, and can the continent finally break the ultimate barrier and lift the trophy? Eddy Micah Jr. speaks to Abigail Sena, a sports analyst in Accra, and DW's Samson Omale in Lagos

African teams are heading to the World Cup with bigger dreams than ever. The stage is set, the stakes are high, and Africa’s finest are ready. Is this the tournament where Africa goes all the way, and can the continent finally break the ultimate barrier and lift the trophy? Eddy Micah Jr. speaks to Abigail Sena a sports analyst in Accra and DW's Samson Omale in Lagos.

New research from East Africa shows that pairing entrepreneurship support with market access can dramatically boost incomes, savings, and resilience among refugees. In this AfricaLink episode, Eddy Micah Jr. speaks to Winnie Auma, Chief Operating Officer at Village Enterprise and Frank Yiga in Kampala to explore how the DREAMS program is helping families rebuild their lives.

Hundreds of Ghanaians have returned home from South Africa following anti-migrant protests. In this episode of AfricaLink, we hear how a Ghanaian footballer called Fiifi was forced to leave South Africa for his safety, and the difficult road ahead. AfricaLink host Eddy Micah Jr. and DW's Isaac Kaledzi in Accra also unpack the wider tensions around migration, jobs, and xenophobia in South Africa.

At some point today, you’ve probably used an appliance that relies on HFCs, also known as refrigerants. They're many times more potent than CO2, which is why the EU, US and others are phasing them out. Planet A reporter Tim Schauenberg went undercover to explore the black-market boom in these gases now worth hundreds of millions of euros in Europe alone.

Women make up half the population in Nigeria but hold a fraction of political power. How can they reshape the country's political future — and what still stands in their way?

As the EU publishes its digital sovereignty plans, we've come up with a little techno-utopian package of our own. Our guest throughout is tech and solar-punk author Cory Doctorow: join us as we explore French AIs, Finish super-computers, Croatian Wikipedia and all the reasons why this might just be the moment in which things start to change for the better.

Ethiopia's election was hailed as proof of democracy — but conflict, insecurity and disrupted polling kept millions from voting. Was the vote free and fair? We break down the results, tensions and what it means for the country.

Senegal faces a power struggle as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his ally-turned-opponent Ousmane Sonko part ways. Who's really in charge — and what does it mean for citizens amid a deepening debt crisis?

In eastern DRC, the battle against Ebola is being fought alongside ongoing conflict. As violence restricts access, fuels mistrust, and disrupts lifesaving care, health workers face a daunting challenge: containing a deadly virus in one of the world's most insecure regions. DW spoke to DRC's Foreign Minister, Therese Kayikwamba, and Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.

A new generation of chemical recycling plants promises to turn hard-to-recycle plastics back into new packaging and keep waste out of landfills and incinerators. But as Europe pours millions into the technology, critics are questioning whether it can really deliver on those promises. This investigation examines the gap between the industry’s recycling claims and the reality on the ground.

Another blow to Turkey's embattled democracy, the Czech kick-boxing champion turned anti-bullying activist, the inside story of Finland's gamer-industry boom, and the iconic moped disappearing from Italy's streets. Then: music in exile and what we got wrong about Pinocchio.

There are plenty of reasons NOT to have kids. But a new paper suggests having them may be the only way to protect gender equality over the long term.

63 years ago, African leaders dreamt of unity, liberation and shared prosperity. Decades later, intra-African trade is still struggling, conflicts keep erupting, and a common currency? Still a pipe dream. Eddy Micah Jr. sits down with Nanre Nafziger, Pan-Africanist Activist Solidarity Collective, and DW's Eric Mawuena Egbeta (Ghana) to ask the questions nobody's answering.

Uganda's parliament has repeatedly faced allegations of corruption, illicit enrichment and misuse of public funds. In this Africalink podcast, host Eddy Micah Jr. speaks with Yvonne Mpambara, lawyer, activist, and former independent presidential candidate, along with DW’s Frank Yiga in Kampala, discuss President Yoweri Museveni's anti-corruption drive.

Nigeria's latest plan to secure a $1.2 billion World Bank loan has sparked fresh frustration and renewed debate about the country’s rising debt burden. In this AfricaLink podcast, host Adwoa Tenkoramaa Domena speaks with Ene Obi, Executive Director of the Ene Obi Center for Development, and DW’s Ben Adam Shemang in Abuja to unpack Nigeria’s borrowing habits, their impact on the economy.

President Bola Tinubu promised bold reforms when he came into office, yet inflation is rising, food and transport costs are high, and security concerns remain. As he prepares to seek a second term, many are asking what that could mean for Nigeria.

Wind turbines, pig manure, people power – and one radical idea. Feldheim may look like an ordinary farming village, but it’s become world famous for its unique energy system, where residents pay far less for power than most Europeans. So what can the rest of the world learn from the German village that decided to go it alone?

Who is Andy Burnham—and is he ready to challenge Keir Starmer? PBS' Alexander Heffner on the growing power of mayors. What’s at stake in Cyprus’ elections? Then—Turkey’s warning over French troop plans, social media bans for minors, red deer vs. Loch Lomond, and Spain’s renewable energy edge. https://www.pbs.org/show/open-mind/&maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Influencers, billionaires, even the US health secretary. Proponents of testosterone — as a hormonal therapy or barometer of "masculinity" — are causing men to self-medicate. With nasty consequences.

Only five months after the DRC declared an Ebola outbreak over, the virus has returned, raising urgent questions about Africa's ability to respond amid US aid decline. DW's Adwoa Tenkorama Domena speaks with Dr. Gabriel Gorbee Logan, a central figure in the 2014–2016 West African Ebola response and Dr. Jinal Bhiman, communicable diseases expert in South Africa.

Kenya faces record fuel prices pushing some transport fares up by as much as 50%. Households are under pressure as drivers threaten protests and a court battle unfolds.

Zimbabwe's land reform is back in focus as land returns to some white farmers. Many Black farmers feel betrayed. Why is the policy shifting and what does it mean for land ownership and justice?

Rwandan government critic, Aimable Karasira, died the day he was set to be released from prison. Authorities say he overdosed on prescribed medicine, but rights groups want an independent investigation. What does this incident mean for Rwanda's record on civic freedoms? AfricaLink host Lucy Riley speaks with political commentator Jean Baptiste Gasominari, and DW's Alex Ngarambe in Kigali.

We thought we were done talking about rats. Then your questions came in. From plague myths to poisoned predators, population growth and climate change to urban allotment gardens in Helsinki, this bonus episode follows the threads we couldn’t fit in the first time around, and digs deeper into the surprisingly emotional world of humans versus rats.