2023 Election: Lagosians Know What They’ll miss if we don’t continue – Sanwo-Olu and more

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?

Low COVID-19 vaccination rates in Africa Cup of Nations host Cameroon and a fourth wave of the coronavirus across much of the continent could make for sparsely-attended matches when the soccer finals kick off on Sunday. Cameroon announced last month that it would require spectators at Africa's premiere soccer competition to be fully vaccinated and show a negative test result before entering stadiums.

The UK government on Tuesday reported a record of more than 200,000 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours as the highly transmissible Omicron strain surges through the country. It said it had logged 218,724 infections — the highest daily total since the pandemic began.

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.

On January 6 of last year, thousands of supporters of Donald Trump poured into Washington. They were convinced he had won the 2020 presidential election instead of Joe Biden and were determined to stop Congress from confirming his loss. The rioters stormed the US Capitol building in shocking images seen live around the world. Some 140 police officers were injured, one dying the day after the attack. Four others who guarded the Capitol that day went on to take their own lives. In this special edition, we look back at the events of that fateful day.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.⁣

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.