Jérémie (Haiti) (AFP) – At least 304 people have been killed in a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti, toppling buildings in the disaster-plagued Caribbean nation still recovering from a devastating 2010 quake.
Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi gets a first proper taste of his new home as he is presented to a full stadium of Paris Saint-Germain fans before watching his team-mates beat Strasbourg 4-2 in Ligue 1 with Kylian Mbappe playing a starring role.
Bangkok (AFP) – Thousands of protesters in cars and on bikes mass in Bangkok’s central shopping district, one of several mobile rallies across Thailand demanding Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha resign over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The kingdom is grappling with its worst outbreak so far, registering record numbers of daily infections each week as hospitals struggle to cope.
Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Francis expresses his “concern” over the situation in Afghanistan and calls for “dialogue” to resolve the conflict. The Taliban are on the brink of total victory in Afghanistan, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of the capital and the government conceding it was preparing for a “transfer of power”.
Akámas (Cyprus) (AFP) – Newly hatched Loggerhead sea turtles dodge micro plastic pollution littering the beach as they head out to sea in a turtle conservation area at Lara Beach in the Akamas Peninsula, in the west of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
CNN gets a rare glimpse at the conservation work on Inner Farne Island, where rangers are trying to keep puffin populations afloat as global temperature rise disrupts their food chain and a growing frequency of extreme weather threatens their habitats.
Editor of The Long War Journal Bill Roggio says the US being unable to predict the Taliban's offensive was a failure in leadership, intel and the military.
FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman urges to avoid "living in the past" ahead of the first Liga match of the post-Lionel Messi era on Sunday 15 August against Real Sociedad.
CNN's Peter Bergen says that the collapse of the Afghan army against the Taliban was an "unforced error" by the Biden administration and predicts that President Biden will have to send a military presence back into Afghanistan.
CNN's Pamela Brown calls out GOP lawmakers for using their platforms to spread Covid-19 disinformation.
A New York Times story about a company's struggle to get its employees vaccinated noted one reluctant worker "was concerned because she thought a vaccine had caused the characters in the film 'I Am Legend' to turn into zombies." CNN's Oliver Darcy reports the anti-vaccine movement is using the film as a vehicle to drive coronavirus disinformation to a broader crowd.
CNN's Jim Acosta takes a look at the sports world's response to the coronavirus vaccine, with big name athletes making their stances known.
