Landmarks light up UN blue on 70th anniversary this Saturday

More than 200 landmarks in 60 countries from the Pyramids in Egypt to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York will be lit up in blue - the official color of the United Nations - on Saturday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the world body.

The global celebration will kick off in New Zealand and then at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. It will move across countries and continents to the Great Wall of China, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, Russia'sHermitage Museum, the Alhambra in Spain, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and many other sites.

New Yorkers actually got a sneak preview of the celebration because UN headquarters was lit up in blue Friday night as well. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that "by turning the world UN blue for a day, we can light a way to a better tomorrow."

October 24 is the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945 and is celebrated as UN Day.