Landmarks across the world went dark on Saturday to mark this year's Earth Hour.
Buildings including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and the Colosseum in Rome switched off their lights for the global event.
In the UAE, Dubai's Museum of the Future and the Burj Khalifa also joined in the day of environmental action.
Earth Hour, spearheaded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), urges supporters to symbolically switch off and 'give an hour for Earth’, spending 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet
These activities include turning off their lights for one hour, signing a petition, sharing energy saving tips or supporting wildlife.
WWF said that last year saw the biggest Earth Hour since its launch in 2007, with more than 410,000 hours given to the planet by supporters in 190 countries and territories
António Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, on Friday asked for people around the world to participate.
“On Earth Hour, millions of people around the world switch off the lights to shine a light on the plight of our planet,” he said in a video message.
“This year, I invite you to be one of them. The need is urgent,” Mr Guterres stressed.
He pointed out that global climate is collapsing, as last year was the hottest ever.
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Four stars
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
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Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
