Manchester United sign Belgium striker Lukaku

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.⁣

"Let's Go Brandon" is the best-loved code insult for Joe Biden these days but would the Russians really go so far as to arrange military vehicles into shapes so that they spell out the insult in satellite photos? A satirical account on Twitter was at the origin of this fake news story. First off though, we take a look at confusion in Quebec over just how far-reaching new Covid-19 vaccine pass measures really are.

As Antony Blinken responds in writing to Russia's demands for an overhaul of Eastern Europe's security architecture, in the same breath he urges American citizens in Ukraine to leave. This Wednesday's "Normandy Format" talks, including France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, serve as a reminder that Ukraine has already lost its territorial integrity – back in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and supported the insurgency that's raged since in the southeast. So what is Moscow after this time?

In tonight's edition: Mozambique, Madagascar and Malawi take stock of the fatalities and destruction caused by tropical storm Ana. In Cameroon, Mo Salah helps Egypt beat Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout at the Africa Cup of Nations. And in Garoua artisans hope the tournament will give a boost to their business. Our team reports.

The US Federal Reserve is setting the stage to raise interest rates in March, to combat elevated inflation. It's also taking further steps to phase out its emergency support of the US economy. Nancy Vanden Houten, Lead US Economist at Oxford Economics, says America's central bank has limited tools to fight the surge in prices. Also in the show - workers at France's EDF go on strike, over government efforts to limit electricity bills.

Climate change threatens to drown cities like Bangkok and Berlin. Their water drainage systems are not up to the task. New approaches are desperately needed. Green roofs or 'sponge city' water management models offer solutions.