It's toxic for the environment and also a huge waste of energy. According to recent studies, the oil industry of Nigeria alone flares off 8 billion cubic metres of gas each year.The gas is a by-product of oil production and could be used as energy. But so far, oil companies have avoided making the necessary investments to do that.

How the pandemic has dramatically reshaped the workforce as millions of mothers quit their jobs due to the closure of schools and childcare centres. Also Annette Young speaks to Professor Rosalind Gill, the co-author of a new book, 'Confidence Culture,' that says instead of calling on women to boost their confidence, it is up to companies themselves to change their corporate culture. Plus the South African para-surfer with cerebral palsy, who has turned her disability into a strength.

'Blanket booster programs are likely to prolong the pandemic' – WHO. Global: The global Covid death toll has passed 5.3 million, with a figure of 5,377,204 according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, infections passed 277 million world wide.

With one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, Spain is looking at an exit strategy from the pandemic. Its government says it's time to start treating COVID-19 like any other endemic seasonal respiratory disease. DW's Jan-Philipp Scholz reports.

The financial freeze on Mali brought in by regional group ECOWAS has hit its economy hard. Key sectors like the cotton industry have been struggling to overcome the impact of the trade penalties. Also, as the excitement of the Africa Cup of Nations winds down, we head to two-time tournament hosts Gabon, where once-gleaming stadiums have fallen into disrepair. Finally, a Malawian musician finds runaway fame on TikTok at the age of 92.

COVID-19 Special Is now the endgame for the pandemic

Baky Meïté is a former captain of the Ivory Coast rugby team. Back in the spring of 2020, he put his rugby career on hold to work as a janitor in a geriatric hospital in Paris. He has now published a book, "Les Chiffons Bleus", as a tribute to his former colleagues who appear somewhat forgotten today. He joined us for Perspective.

The textile industry is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, accounting for 8.5 percent of its GDP. But it's also a source of major pollution, with untreated waste flowing into the groundwater and factories relying heavily on coal. Our correspondents report on the industry's impact in Faisalabad, Pakistan's main textile hub, where clothes are produced for the biggest fast fashion brands.

India's job market is tightening, and skilled workers are finding it harder to enter the workforce. Government job drives and the informal economy have been unable to make up the difference.

The World Health Organization said more than twice as many people died as a result of the COVID pandemic than official data shows, if including deaths of other causes that might not have occurred in more typical times.

Romania's capital is buried in smoke from burned trash that comes from all over Europe. The dubious business is being investigated. Prosecutors and activists are sounding the alarm about organized crime structures.

Last week, hackers tried to disable the servers of several German authorities and ministries. A Russian group claimed responsibility on Telegram. The Federal Police Office has reported an increase in cybercrime.