Axios

As many as 65,000 people have fled their homes in the northeast Nigerian town of Damasak following a recent series of attacks, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.

Driving the news: Armed groups have attacked the Borno state town at least three times over the last week, according to UNHCR. At least eight people have been killed and several others injured. A UNHCR facility was looted and burned, and several NGO offices and vehicles were destroyed.

A judge on Saturday ordered former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to stand trial on kidnapping charges related to his decision to prevent a Spanish rescue ship carrying over 100 refugees and migrants to dock at an Italian port in 2019.

Driving the news: Salvini, who was also deputy prime minister at the time, refused to the allow the ship to dock, leaving those onboard stranded at sea for nearly three weeks. Eventually, prosecutors ordered the seizure of the ship and the evacuation of those onboard, per Reuters.

Russia on Saturday said it would expel a Ukrainian diplomat it accused of trying to obtain classified information, prompting Ukraine to say it would do the same to a Russian diplomat, according to Reuters.

Why it matters: The tit-for-tat expulsions come amid heightened tensions between the two countries over Russia's build-up of military personnel and equipment on Ukraine's eastern border where Ukrainian soldiers are fighting Kremlin-back separatist troops.

Iran on Friday started enriching uranium to 60% purity after the resumption of negotiations between the nation and other world powers in Vienna to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, Al Jazeera reports citing Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi.

Why it matters: The production news comes days after an apparent Israeli attack on Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility. It also pushes the country one step closer to producing weapons-grade uranium and is a severe violation of the nuclear deal.

The Indian Premier League's 2021 season got underway this week, and the sprint to the championship is officially on.

Why it matters: The size of the IPL's fanbase is staggering. For reference, more than twice as many people watched the 2020 season opener (200 million) as this year's Super Bowl (96 million).

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh who died April 9 at age 99, will be laid to rest on Saturday following a funeral service at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The big picture: "His send-off will be highly unusual — in part because coronavirus restrictions meant the ceremony had to be scaled back, but also because it comes just after a very public airing of a family rift," The New York Times writes.

The global toll of confirmed deaths from COVID-19 surpassed 3 million on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

By the numbers: The U.S. has seen more deaths (566,238) than any other country, followed by Brazil (368,749) and Mexico (211,693).

Raul Castro announced on Friday he is resigning as the secretary-general of the Communist Party of Cuba, AP reports.

Why it matters: The move, though widely expected, marks the beginning of a new era for the party. It will be the first time since the 1959 revolution that a Castro won't hold one of the most powerful positions on the island.

Russia will expel 10 U.S. diplomats and add eight current and former U.S. officials to its no-entry list in retaliation for sanctions that the Biden administration leveled at Moscow on Friday, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.

Why it matters: The measures come after the U.S. said it would expel 10 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover, as part of a broad package of sanctions retaliating against the SolarWinds hack of federal agencies and Russia's interference in the 2020 election.

The CEO of the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest maker of vaccines, asked President Biden on Friday to lift a U.S. export embargo on raw materials for vaccines, saying it is hampering vaccine production in other parts of the world.

Why it matters: Equitably producing and distributing coronavirus vaccines may be the defining global challenge of 2021 and a crucial step to controlling the pandemic, as prolonged unequal access to vaccines may allow the virus to spread and dangerously mutate in unvaccinated parts of the world.

China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng told AP on Friday that China is unlikely to pursue climate proposals beyond its current arsenal, calling it "not very realistic" for a country of 1.4 billion people.

Why it matters: Despite heightened geopolitical tensions, the Biden administration has emphasized the need to partner with China on climate change. Le's comments come as Biden's climate envoy John Kerry is discussing the issue in meetings with Chinese officials in Shanghai.

A Hong Kong court sentenced a group of the city's most prominent pro-democracy activists to up to 18 months in prison Friday for organizing a massive unauthorized protest in August 2019 that drew an estimated 1.7 million people, AP reports.

Why it matters: Critics say the sentences send the message that even peaceful pro-democracy activism will be severely punished. They mark a continuation of Beijing's overhaul of Hong Kong's political structure, designed to crack down opposition to the Chinese Communist Party.

Despite bold talk from top administration officials, there's little reason to think the Russia sanctions package President Biden announced Thursday will do anything to alter Russian President Vladimir Putin's behavior or calculus.

Why it matters: While it's true some elements of the package — namely, the targeting of Russia's sovereign debt — represent significant punitive measures against Moscow, it leaves plenty of wiggle room for the Russian president.