Barcelona (AFP) – Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi admits during his farewell press conference that he “never imagined having to say goodbye” to Barcelona after more than 20 years at the club.
Barcelona (AFP) – A tearful Lionel Messi tells a press conference in Barcelona that joining French giants Paris Saint-Germain is a “possibility”. Cash rich PSG are one of the few clubs able to afford the Argentinian who is leaving the club where he has played his entire career.
Greenville (United States) (AFP) – California Governor Gavin Newsom visits the burned remains of Greenville, California, after the Dixie Fire, the largest active wildfire in the United States, left the town charred and in ruins.
Neuilly-sur-Seine (France) (AFP) – Hundreds of people demonstrate in Neuilly outside of Paris against the extension of the country’s Covid-19 health pass. The new rules championed by President Emmanuel Macron make it obligatory to have either a full course of vaccination against Covid-19, be in possession of a negative test or be recently recovered from the virus to enjoy usually routine activities.
Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona players train without Lionel Messi, after the club ruefully accepted it cannot afford the star player who joined Barcelona aged 13 and went on to lift 10 league crowns and four Champions Leagues. The team will face Juventus on Sunday for the Gamper Trophy pre-season game.
Mugla (Turkey) (AFP) – Local residents support firefighters in their efforts to extinguish violent fires on the southern coast of Turkey, in areas that are often difficult to access.
Khan Yunis (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Ahead of international cat day, a look inside cat rescuer Mahmoud Shehadeh’s home. Mahmoud provides much-needed care and rehabilitation to neglected cats in his home in the city of Khan Yunis, before finding them a permanent home.
Ágios Stéfanos (Greece) (AFP) – Fire continues to rage on the outskirts of Athens as thousands of tourists and residents were evacuated. At least 1,450 Greek firefighters along with 15 aircraft are battling the infernos. The blazes in Greece are set to continue, with strong winds and temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius (100°F) forecast in some regions making it difficult to contain the fires.
Melbourne (AFP) – The leader of Melbourne’s Victoria state, Daniel Andrews, comments on the current coronavirus outbreak, after the state returned to lockdown for the sixth time since the pandemic began. Australia’s three largest cities are in lockdown, as New South Wales records 319 community cases of the virus and five more deaths — a third straight day of record case numbers.
Unknown (AFP) – Macedonian firefighters, supported by their Austrian, Bulgarian and Slovenian colleagues, battle a wildfire near the town of Berova in the east of North Macedonia. The wildfires have been raging for several days in North Macedonia, particularly in the east of the country, destroying more than 3,000 hectares of land and forcing the government to declare a 30-day state of emergency.
VYDENIAI (Lithuania) (AFP) – Illegal migration to Lithuania has increased hugely in 2021, with Lithuania blaming Belarusian strongman President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime for encouraging the migrants to cross as retaliation against EU sanctions, calling it “hybrid aggression”. Lukashenko has denied the allegations, insisting instead that Lithuania triggered the migrant influx itself after Vilnius announced in July it would cut the asylum request process to 10 days.
Wuhan (China) (AFP) – Residents of Wuhan queue at a gym to get tested for Covid-19 as authorities roll out mass-testing for the city of 11 million people. This follows reports of Wuhan’s first local infections in over a year and concerns of Delta variant outbreaks across the country.
