More than 2,800 platinum jubilee beacons will be lit across the globe in honour Queen Elizabeth II's 70-year reign, organisers have revealed as the two-week countdown to the national celebrations begins.
A network of flaming tributes will stretch throughout the UK, with beacons at historic sites including the Tower of London, Windsor Great Park, Hillsborough Castle, Lambeth Palace and the Queen's estates of Sandringham and Balmoral.
The first beacons on June 2 — the start of the extended Jubilee weekend — will be set ablaze thousands of miles away in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and the final one in the central American country of Belize on the shores of the Caribbean.
The principal beacon at Buckingham Palace — a 21-metre tall Tree of Trees sculpture for the Queen's Green Canopy initiative — will be lit by a senior royal, who has yet to be revealed, late on the Thursday evening.
As well as traditional beacons organised by charities, community groups, councils and other organisations, creative adaptations of the gesture are being staged to commemorate the monarch's milestone.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust's sustainable beacon has been made of old and broken hospital beds, which have been melded into a crown-shaped beacon.
It will be illuminated in a light display.
Nine central London bridges across the River Thames will be lit up to form the world's longest public artwork, entitled Illuminated River, with a celebratory sequence of evolving colour and light.
The English cathedrals of Durham, Ely, Lichfield, Peterborough and Rochester will light the night sky red, white and blue, while London's BT Tower will also be celebrating the occasion.
Scouts are lighting at least 70 beacons in tribute to their patron the queen, from Cornwall in the south-west of England to the Highlands and Islands, and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales and the Norfolk Broads in the east of England.
In Wilton, Wiltshire, a beacon will be lit in the same place and by the same Scout group as when one was lit on the night of the queen's coronation.
June 2 also marks the 69th anniversary of the crowning of the queen in Westminster Abbey in 1953.
Girlguiding will also light 70 beacons for the head of state, their patron, while Walking With The Wounded will light beacons on top of the four highest peaks of the UK — Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Mount Snowdon and Slieve Donard.
Beacons will be lit in all 54 Commonwealth capitals for the first time, spanning five continents.
Bruno Peek, pageant master of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacons, said: “The Queen has lit up the nation and the Commonwealth for 70 years, and it is only fitting that we do the same for her.
“It's amazing to see the range of charities, community groups and faith groups taking part.
“For the first time ever we are taking beacons all over the Commonwealth, to each of the 54 countries.
“It's wonderful to see people wishing to take part in so many ways, from traditional beacon lighting and bonfires to lighting up buildings and monuments.”
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
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1. Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 68hr 18min 36sec,
2. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) at 0:18.
3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.
4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.
5. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 1:17.
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Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
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Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
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