Thursday February 8, Our World in Pictures

February 8, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

AP Photo/Bullit Marquez

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PHILIPPINES — Pilots Perform for Festival: British female members of the Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers perform aerobatic stunts for the first time in the country during the four-day 22nd International Hot Air Balloon festival in Clark on Thursday. The festival showcases 26 colorful hot air balloons in various shapes and sizes from different countries such as Japan, United States, Malaysia, Germany, Great Britain, Turkey, Canada, South Korea and is considered the longest-running sports aviation event in Asia.

OMAN — Scientists Test Equipment: In this Wednesday photo, two scientists test space suits and a geo-radar for use in a future Mars mission in the Dhofar desert. The desolate desert resembles Mars so much that more than 200 scientists from 25 nations organized by the Austrian Space Forum are using it for the next four weeks to field-test technology for a manned mission to the planet.

GERMANY — Mother Pets Baby: Baby gorilla Kio is petted by his mother Kumili at the zoo in Leipzig on Wednesday. Kio was born on Dec. 5, 2017.

ENGLAND — Flawless Diamond to Sell for Millions: A 102.34 carat flawless white diamond is displayed at Sotheby’s auction house in London on Thursday. The diamond is the world largest known round brilliant diamond to have achieved “perfection in all critical criteria — color, clarity, cut and carat,” and is expected to bring in more than $33.7 million in a private sale.

GERMANY — Carnival Begins: People walk in the streets of Cologne, where thousands of revelers dressed in carnival costumes celebrated the start of the street carnival on Thursday.

BANGLADESH — Citizens Protest Court Verdict: Supporters of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party set fire to a motorcycle as they protest against a verdict against opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Thursday. A court sentenced Zia to five years in prison on corruption charges. The conviction means that Zia, the archrival of the current prime minister, could be barred from running in December national elections.

ENGLAND — Preparing for the Orchid Festival: Employee Jenny Forgie works on an orchid display at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday. The 23rd annual Orchid Festival is the first with a Thai theme. The festival, which features almost 7,000 orchids, is open from Feb. 10 until March 11.

SOUTH SUDAN – Child Soldiers Released: Former child soldiers stand in line waiting to be registered with UNICEF to receive a release package, in Yambio, South Sudan Wednesday. More than 300 child soldiers were released Wednesday by armed groups in South Sudan, the second-largest such release since civil war began five years ago.

BOLIVIA – Torrential Rains: People salvage bedding from a flooded home in Tiquipaya near Cochabamba, Bolivia, Wednesday. Bolivian President Evo Morales issued a state of emergency Wednesday in several regions that were worst-hit by torrential rains.

BRAZIL – Paying Tribute to the Sea Goddess: In this photo, a large doll representing sea goddess Yemanja is taken to the sea from Red River Beach in Salvador, Brazil. Thousands of Brazilians have flooded the city’s beaches in the northeast to pay tribute to the sea goddess and ask for her protection ahead of Carnival celebrations.

BRAZIL – Bird Costume: In this photo, a woman wears plastic, yellow gloves on her feet as part of her bird costume during the block party “Maria vem com as outras,” or “Maria, join the other women,” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many women in Latin America’s largest nation are doing exactly that during this year’s Carnival celebrations, with block parties of all-female musicians, popular accessories with messages like “my breasts, my rules” and several campaigns to report and crackdown on harassment.