High spirit for African teams ahead of women’s World Cup

On a circuit in the industrial city of Alberton, southeast of Johannesburg, drivers spin their cars around while raising clouds of smoke, taking the arena one after the other as if on an open stage. The discipline, officially a sport in the country for a few years, was originally a gangster ritual during the apartheid era. A first tournament was held after two years of suspension due to Covid.

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

October 9th, 2021 was the 40th anniversary of France’s abolition of the death penalty. To mark the occasion, President Emmanuel Macron announced the organisation of a “high-level meeting” at the United Nations starting in early 2022. The meeting’s goal? To “convince” leaders of countries that still use the death penalty of the “urgency of abolishing it”. Robert Badinter, who served as France’s justice minister 40 years ago when the death penalty was abolished, continues to fight for the universal abolition of capital punishment. He speaks to FRANCE 24.

Strong wind and waves hit the Finistere region of Brittany, northern France, with nine areas in the region placed on weather alert.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann has tested positive for COVID-19, the club said on Thursday (October 21), a day after he missed their 4-0 Champions League win at Benfica in Lisbon with "flu-like symptoms."

"It has always been my dream to succeed at Barca," Fati says

“We came out here to honour our fallen brothers and sisters and they are telling us not to do so. Who does that,” asked a protester on as Nigerians, in their hundreds, gathered in Lagos and other Nigerian cities on Wednesday observed a memorial of last year’s long-drawn #EndSARS protests, which turned on its head on 20 October 2020.⁣⁣

A year ago, Akinwunmi hoisted a pole bearing the Nigerian and ENDSARS flags above his head to draw attention to the protest movement against police brutality in Lagos. Now known by thousands as Flagboii, Akinwunmi keeps waving his flag to "fight for a good country."

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

The Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, is set to become the first state hospital in Africa to perform robotic-assisted surgery, following the launch of the state-of-the-art Da Vinci X-I surgical robot.⁣⁣ The four-armed robot will aid surgeons in carrying out complex surgeries on patients in a less invasive and shorter period of time.⁣⁣

Although France plans to invest in small modular nuclear reactors, experts doubt that this is ecologically and economically sensible. Yet it may be more about geopolitical strategy than energy.

The third such major attack this year in Nigeria resulted in over 800 inmates being freed from a state prison. Police have since managed to rearrest more than 200 escapees.