AFCON 2021: Nigeria Vs Egypt match preview

With the Winter Olympics in Beijing set to begin in just over a month, China is sticking more than ever to its anti-Covid measures, which are among the world's strictest. The city of Xi'an has been in lockdown for almost a fortnight, all because of fewer than 2,000 Covid-19 cases. To date, only a handful of cases of the Omicron variant – all of them arrivals from abroad – have been identified.

Relying on Russia's natural gas poses ever greater problems for EU. Gas prices have risen to record levels and gas storage facilities are far from full. With Germany dependant on Russia's gas taps, energy supplies are becoming a powerful political weapon to use against the West.

Bayern Munich have reported several new cases of COVID-19 among key players, and the champions are far from alone. With players returning from winter breaks around the world, can the Bundesliga return as planned?

Omicron cases are surging around the world, and France is the latest country to hit a new record reporting 60,000 more infections than the previous high. And - clearly losing patience, President Emmanuel Macron had some salty words for anyone still unvaccinated.

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As South Africa exits its fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of its citizens think the travel restrictions imposed on them by some foreign countries were unfair. But first, more protesters are fatally shot in Sudan's capital Khartoum and other Sudanese cities. The internet and mobile networks are cut off, but that doesn't stop rallies against the military from springing up once again. And we see how Senegal is hoping for success at the African Cup of Nations. The team is full of top-flight athletes but has yet to win a major competition.

East Africa has been ramping up efforts to expose its citizens to Chinese culture - particularly through language. In Kenya Mandarin is offered as a selective language in the national curriculum, while in Uganda it’s now a compulsory subject in some schools. But is this simply an exchange of cultures, or is there more to it?

Israel's Health Ministry has recommended removing all the countries currently on an omicron no-fly list. The ministry also said Israelis should not travel to places with higher infection rates "without a good reason."

The 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday and will be featuring 24 teams for the first time in the tournament’s history. The matches will also be played at six stadiums across five Cameroonian cities. Here’s a look at the AFCON 2021 match venues.

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has brought a "tidal wave" of new cases, according to the WHO. France has seen record numbers of positive cases – as have several other EU states. This week, President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to "piss off" the unvaccinated, limiting their access to certain social spaces like restaurants and cinemas as a means of convincing more of them to get their jabs. Meanwhile, more and more EU member states seem to be moving towards making vaccination mandatory. Austria is set to become the first EU country to make the jabs obligatory, as of February – with the measure valid until 2024.

Tonight, multiple attacks in northwestern Nigeria have left dozens dead this week, we have the latest with our correspondent Sam Olukoya. In Ethiopia it's orthodox Christmas. Finally with AFCON just 2 days away, our team in Cameroon soaks up the atmosphere.

Meet the official match ball for the African Cup of Nations 2021 named 'Toghu'. The new official match ball is named after a traditional outfit that is very popular in Cameroon and will be used by the 24 teams during the 52 matches to be played at the competition between 09 January 2022 and 06 February 2022.