It’s #WorldNewsFriday! We’re rounding up a few of the most important global events that you should know about as we enter the weekend.
Monday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake has killed over 22,000 people and left more than 380,000 people homeless in Turkey and Syria. As the death toll soars, so does criticism of the government for lack of preparation and slow response. BBC News
Russia appears to be draining an enormous reservoir in Ukraine, imperiling drinking water, agricultural production and safety at Europe’s largest nuclear plant, according to satellite data. NPR
In the last two years, the Biden administration has deployed unprecedented muscle in the form of sanctions as part of its foreign-policy arsenal. Have they been effective? Foreign Policy
The ways of the Arhuaco people in northern Colombia were declared intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. They have fended off incursions by Capuchin missionaries and by the illegal armed groups of Colombia’s long civil conflict. They would prefer to focus on avoiding and repairing damage to Mother Earth. Associated Press
Nigeria’s push to replace its paper money with newly designed currency notes has created a shortage of cash, leaving people unable to buy what they need and forcing businesses to close across the West African nation, experts and business groups said. Associated Press
Water polo, the Olympics’ oldest team sport, has long included few if any players of color. A budding program in Ghana hopes to change that. Associated Press
Poland will close a key border crossing with Belarus until further notice, the Polish interior minister said on Thursday, as relations between Warsaw and Minsk sink to new lows. Reuters
Since coming to power, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has sidelined everyone who has attempted to present themselves as an alternative to his rule, and the business community has suffered, too.
