Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
El Dorado For Match Fixers
The pandemic has been an "El Dorado" for match fixers, with Sportradar Integrity Services saying it detected 903 suspicious matches in 2021 – the highest number recorded in the company's 17-year history.
Slovakia's Trad Jab
Slovakia rolls out the more traditional Novavax jab, which experts hope will win over its vaccine-sceptical population. The country is one of the least vaccinated in the European Union (EU), with only 51 percent of Slovaks fully immunised.
Anti-Vaxxer Paradise
Dozens of mainly German and Austrian anti-vaxxers have moved to the South American country of Paraguay, joining a private colony to dodge "excessive" European COVID regulations.
Rum Rugby Debut
New Zealand team Moana Pasifika's debut Super Rugby season is hit again by a postponement due to the virus, after its first two matches were called off after some of its players tested positive.
Six Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 6,019,383 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on Wednesday.
The United States (US) has recorded the most COVID deaths with 963,819, followed by Brazil on 653,498 and India with 515,459.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.