Moonshine kills
The week's news at a glance.
Machakos, Kenya
More than 50 Kenyan villagers died this week after drinking a bad batch of home-brewed liquor. Kenyans who can’t afford beer often drink changa’a, an illegal spirit made from corn, molasses, and methanol, an industrial alcohol used in antifreeze. Police said the brewer must have added too much methanol, rendering the brew poisonous. Hundreds are believed to have sampled the toxic batch; dozens are recovering in the local hospital. “Some of them are blind, some of them are very weak,” Kenyan television reported, “and nearly all of them are dehydrated.” Parliament will soon consider whether to legalize changa’a, a move proponents say would lead to higher production standards.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How military service works for K-pop idols
Under The Radar All seven members of K-pop sensation BTS have now completed mandatory national service
-
The Week contest: Flight fraud
Puzzles and Quizzes
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?
Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate