Blow for Hong Kong democrats in key elections

Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK are the latest countries to confirm cases of the omicron variant. The new strain that was first detected in South Africa has prompted governments around the world to re-introduce travel restrictions.

The World Bank is backing Nigeria’s quest to get rid of fuel subsidy. The Country Director of the World Bank Shubham Chaudhuri, who led his team on a courtesy visit to The Guardian Group on Tuesday, November 30, explained why fuel subsidy is not sustainable. Chaudhuri, nevertheless, advised the Nigerian government to build consensus before its scheduled removal of the controversial subsidy policy.

France is hosting an international conference to help Libya prepare for elections at the end of 2021. The oil-rich nation is ruled by a fragile unity government put in place after nearly a decade of civil war. European leaders are especially keen to stabilize the country.

Architects from Spain have completed a novel design for the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Named the 974 Stadium, the 40,000-seater facility it's designed to be relatively easy to disassemble and rebuild, and was constructed using almost 1,000 shipping containers.⁣

After the government froze its assets, Hong Kong's "Apple Daily" was forced to shut down. It was one of the city's few media outlets that dared to criticize Beijing. What happens now? We accompany two former staffers: a reporter and a photographer.

Governments have set their eyes on the world's largest tech companies. But why has Big Tech come under so much fire? And how did it get so "Big" in the first place?

Since China imposed a security law on Hong Kong, more than 100,000 people have left. The UK has offered a special visa to its former colony, and 70% of Hong Kong's population is eligible. But for those who've fled, it's difficult to leave home behind.

Kinshasa residents welcomed on Wednesday UNESCO's decision to add Congolese rumba to its list of global cultural treasures, although some older fans felt the genre lacked the storytelling power it had in the past.

His images capture the universality of the human experience, in expressive portraits, breathtaking landscapes or arresting scenes of photojournalism. Steve McCurry's image of a young Afghan girl made the cover of National Geographic in the 1980s, catapulted him to fame and brought the plight of the country's refugees to the world's attention. As his body of work is brought together for a retrospective at the Musée Maillol in Paris, the photojournalist gives us his take on the current situation in Afghanistan, why children are naturally photogenic and how he finds inspiration in the people he photographs.

Nearly five million eligible voters in Hong Kong will elect just 20 of the city's 90 lawmakers; the others will be appointed by committees close to Beijing. The elections to the Legislative Council come after Beijing forced through changes to the city's electoral laws.

With Europe still grappling with Covid-19, Talking Europe speaks to Christa Schweng, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The EESC is the body that brings together European employers, trade unionists and representatives of social, occupational, economic and cultural organisations.

After recording the lowest turnout rate in Hong Kong's electoral history on Sunday, critics have said the city's legislative council elections are just a rubber stamp for Beijing.