Spain’s Catalan region rocked by third day of violent unrest

Even as Cameroon's Anglophone crisis continues, some of the separatists who once fought for independence for the country's English-speaking regions have put down their weapons in the hope of reintegrating into civilian life. The government's 2018 offer of amnesty for those agreed to stop fighting was not widely taken up, but those who did accept have been attending special DDR (disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration) camps. Our correspondents were able to follow the daily routine of some former fighters at one of these camps.

An Ondo high court in Akure has sentenced the Founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Prophet Babatunde Alfa, and five others to life imprisonment over the disappearance of a one-year-old boy, Gold kolawole in the church last year.

Sotitobire founder appeals life imprisonment judgment over alleged conspiracy missing boy

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Friday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.⁣

The nine separatists had been sentenced to long prison terms for their role in organizing a 2017 independence referendum. PM Sanchez says they are the first step in resolving the crisis between Madrid and Catalonia.

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of a Biafran pro-independence group has been returned to Nigeria years after fleeing a trial. The spectre of full-scale civil war hangs over recent violence in the region.

A French court did not find enough evidence to uphold Josu Ternera's conviction for membership of ETA between 2011 and 2013. The former separatist leader still has another case to answer to.

The death of separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani raised tensions in Kashmir, with authorities slapping charges on his family members. Geelani's relatives accuse the police of stealing his body.

Fans of European giants Real Madrid and Inter Milan will see their teams face unusual competition this autumn: a club from a tiny separatist region in one of Europe's least known countries, Moldova. After a couple of failed attempts, Sheriff FC is making its debut in the group stage of Europe's top football competition this year, becoming the first team ever from the ex-Soviet country to reach the Champions League itself. Sheriff FC hails from Transnistria, a Russian-speaking region which broke away from Moldova after a brief civil war following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The lawyer for two Tunisian men jailed for being gay hopes an appeal could set a legal precedent in the country; football fans will have to be fully vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19 in order to attend games at next month's Africa Cup of Nations; and Morocco's legendary horse performances are added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

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

Despite censorship and the government's crackdown on anti-war protests, some Russians have come up with alternative ways to speak out against the invasion of Ukraine. Here are some instances that went viral.