Mechmech (Lebanon) (AFP) – William Noun and Maria Fares were united by loss after a devastating blast ripped through Lebanon’s capital three years ago. Now engaged, the couple pledge to keep fighting for justice for their siblings who were among 10 firefighters sent to their deaths when a blaze broke out at a warehouse at Beirut’s port on August 4, 2020.
Sant Joan Despí (Spain) (AFP) – Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez says the departure of French footballer Ousmane Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain is a “big disappointment”, but “wishes him luck”. The French side confirmed Dembele’s arrival earlier Saturday, activating a 50 million euro ($54 million) clause in his contract to sign the 26-year-old.
Vatican City (AFP) – The number of migrants dying in the Mediterranean is an “open wound” for humanity, Pope Francis says after a week marked by a string of deadly shipwrecks. At his weekly Angelus prayer on St Peter’s Square, the 86-year-old pontiff offers his prayers for the 41 people reported missing on Wednesday by four survivors brought to safety on the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Tigre (Argentina) (AFP) – Argentinians cast their votes at a polling station in Tigre in the country’s primary election, a bellwether for who could be the next president, and what this could mean for an economy clobbered by triple-digit inflation. IMAGES
Guayaquil (Ecuador) (AFP) – Images released by Ecuador’s Armed Forces show military personnel and police officers carrying out a joint operation at the Zonal Penitentiary No 8 in the major port of Guayaquil. It comes amid the state of emergency declared in Ecuador on August 10, following the assassination of popular presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio ahead of the elections. The leader of one of Ecuador’s most powerful criminal groups Los Choneros, known as ‘Fito’, is incarcerated at the penitentiary. IMAGES
Sydney (AFP) – England fans celebrate boisterously outside the Stadium Australia in Sydney after their team booked their place in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup by beating Colombia 2-1.
Singapore (AFP) – Britain’s Prince Harry participates in a charity polo match in Singapore, raising money for his charity Sentebale that supports children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa. The match was a tie between the Royal Salute Sentebale and the Singapore Polo Club.
Havana (AFP) – In Trinidad, a colonial city in Cuba founded in 1514, Jose Miguel Cadalso draws on the history of his native city to create unique wooden fans, inspired as much by religious art as by remnants of slavery.
Lahaina (United States) (AFP) – Only burnt cars, destroyed houses and ashes remain in the town of Lahaina, hit by a wildfire that swept through this slice of Hawaiian paradise. The 12,000-strong town, which has stood on the island of Maui for hundreds of years, was once the proud home of the Hawaiian royal family and welcomed thousands of tourists every year.
Quito (AFP) – Relatives and supporters bid their final farewell to slain Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in a funeral and a memorial organized in the city of Quito by the Movimiento Construye party and friends.
