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Added on the 03/02/2020 22:45:59 - Copyright : AFP EN
Chile is suffering the worst wildfire outbreak to hit the South American country in over 50 years. Three firefighters were killed and another three were injured as emergency services continued to tackle numerous wildfires that have been devastating central and southern Chile. Around 130,000 hectares of forest and grassland have been burnt to the ground in some 46 wildfires raging between the regions of O'Higgins and Los Lagos. A state of emergency has been declared and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has canceled her presidential commitments to deal with the situation. With the assistance of dozens of aircrafts, firefighters have brought hundreds of fires under control over the last few days. While wildfires are not uncommon in this area, this summer has the potential to be especially dangerous due to a long drought.
A unique global relay, marking 20 years of the Continental GT, has reached its conclusion with the arrival in Crewe of the specially-made 20th anniversary baton. The baton’s lap of the world included stops in Europe, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific, the US and UK, visiting 20 journalists and content creators in the process as part of 20 memorable drives – one for each year of Continental GT production.The launch of the first-generation Continental GT in 2003 marked a seismic change in the fortunes of Bentley Motors. The first all-new Bentley of the modern era, the first with all-wheel drive and the first to feature the innovative W12 engine, the Continental GT swiftly propelled Bentley to its current status as the most sought-after luxury car brand in the world.The design of the 20th anniversary baton was developed in the Crewe design studio and received the same level of meticulous refinement as any production model feature. Finished in Cypress Green (the exterior finish of the first-ever production Continental GT) the baton has an intriguing, asymmetrical twist, like the blade of an aircraft propellor. A knurled cap, modelled on the Continental GT’s drive mode selector, allows access to the baton’s interior where the scroll is carried. Head of Bentley Design Collaborations, Chris Cooke takes a deep dive into the details: “Every element of the baton sculpture was inspired by the Continental GT, and there is purpose in every form. For example, the end cap shows a simplified graphic of the Continental GT with its three feature lines; the Bentley powerline from the front wheel arch along the car’s flanks; the flyline of the roof; and the muscular ‘haunch’ over the rear wheel. Hold the baton horizontally, and as you turn it in your hands you will see each of those lines in the contours of the sculpture.” In the subtlest of touches, each profile also lines up perfectly with its corresponding line on the cap graphic.
Pilgrims gather in Lisbon for a huge open-air Mass with Pope Francis for World Youth Day. The service will take place at the Parque Tejo on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital, with many people having slept overnight in the park, which was built for the occasion on a former landfill site. The weather is a concern with temperatures expected to soar to 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit). IMAGES
Pope Francis rides in the popemobile as he arrives a major Catholic youth festival in the capital Lisbon's Tejo Park. IMAGES
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims cheer Pope Francis as the pontiff arrives at a Lisbon park for an homage to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at a global jamboree. It marks the pope's second mass event with participants at this year's World Youth Day, which is actually a six-day extravaganza and happens to be the largest Catholic gathering in the world. Local authorities estimate the crowd size at about 800,000 people. IMAGES
Thousands of pilgrims from around the globe gather in Lisbon, many of them waving their national flags, as they wait to welcome Pope Francis at the world's largest Catholic gathering. More than a million people from over 200 countries are expected to visit the Portuguese capital for the World Youth Day, which is in fact a six-day international Catholic jamboree. IMAGES