While the coronavirus pandemic has dented many industries worldwide, it's led to a boom in sales of herbal medicine. And with its wealth of medicinal plants, Albania is one country that's reaping its riches. Abdulvehab Ejupi has the story.

#Albania #Tourism #Medicine

Djibouti is one of Africa's smallest nations with a population of just under a million people. It's also one of the continent's poorest, with the UN saying 79-percent of people live in poverty. But on the streets, there's a group of women keeping Djibouti's informal economy thriving. Motheo Khoaripe reports.

#Djibouti #ForeignExchange #WomenInBusiness

After years of being at odds, the US and Germany have finally reached a deal over a pipeline to transport natural gas from Russia to Europe. Washington says Moscow wants to build the Nord Stream 2 to cut out Ukraine from the region's energy trade. It sees the project as a threat to the interests of the US and its allies. Despite these reservations, the Biden administration is lifting sanctions on the pipeline in return for German assurances that it will compensate Kiev. But as Mobin Nasir reports, that decision has left Ukrainian officials fuming.

#NordStream #GasPipeline #Sanctions

In the US, 14 states have reached a 26-billion dollar settlement deal with drug companies accused of fueling America's deadly opioid epidemic. It's the largest corporate settlement since Big Tobacco, and officials are hopeful the funds will help end the crisis that's led to half a million people dying of drug overdoses. Laila Humairah has more. For more on the landmark settlement and how it can help affected communities, we spoke to Robert Kanter. He's an international drug recovery advocate and he joins us from New York.

#USOpioidCrisis #Settlement #Overdose

China's economic recovery slowed significantly in the second quarter, amid rising prices and cooling manufacturing activity. GDP numbers showed 7.9-percent growth - a huge fall from the previous quarter. So what does this mean for the future of China's economy? Michelle Hennessy brings us this analysis.

#China #GDPGrowth #Manufacturing

For Syrians who've fled to new countries, the welcome is not always warm. But one refugee in the UK is winning hearts her with halloumi. After escaping the war with almost nothing, Razan Al-sous started a cheese company in Yorkshire. her now famous 'squeeky cheese' is winning awards globally. Our correspondent Sarah Morice has been to meet her.

#Cheese #SyrinaRefugee #Halloumi

The Philippines is suffering one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Southeast Asia. Most cases are concentrated in the capital Manila, which is one of the world's most congested cities. And there's no end in sight, with vaccination rates well behind its regional peers. As Paolo Montecillo reports, some residents have chosen to move out of the city, and that's giving small towns a boost.

#Manilaresidents #COVID19 #HolidayQuarantine

The gap between men and women in the workplace is widening around the world. According to the International Labour Organization, women have been hit harder than men by job losses during the coronavirus pandemic. And they're also having a harder time getting back to work. We got more from Emanuela Pozzan, a senior gender and non-discrimination specialist at the International Labour Organization. She joins us from Vicenza, Italy.

#ILO #COVID19 #GenderInequality

In South Africa, the worst bout of violence and rioting in at least three decades has claimed at least 215 lives and jeopardised the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people. The government estimates the economy has lost nearly three and a half billion dollars. The state's resources are already stretched thin as South Africa is in recession and struggling to contain the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Mobin Nasir reports.

#SouthAfrica #ProtestDamage #SAeconomy

Shares of Netflix have fallen after the video streaming giant revealed it lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers in the US and Canada, as more people emerged from lockdowns. So now it's attempting an entertainment industry hat-trick. Netflix has already changed the TV and movie landscapes. Now it wants to do the same for video games. It's part of a bid to keep customers from switching to other platforms, or leaving their screens for the outside world. For more, we spoke to Paolo Pescatore in London. He's a telecommunications, media and technology analyst and founder of PP Foresight.

#Netflix #Subscribers #Streaming