Ban Ki-moon joins UN General Assembly’s call for Olympic “Ekecheiria”

UN General Ban Ki-moon Monday joined the General Assembly in calling on all those who are at war to observe the traditional two-week Olympic Truce “Ekecheiria”.
Ban Ki-moon joins UN General Assembly’s call for Olympic Truce during Beijing Games

Horn of Africa and Mount Songshan

This weekend on the lifestyle issue, the Horn of Africa needs 14 million in emergency aid. On the China site, the striking pilgrimage to mount Songshan, one of the Five Sacred Mountains in Taoism.

Nearly 50 new sites nominated to join the UNESCO World Heritage List

The committee that considers requests for inscription on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage List will have 47 nominated sites to choose from when it meets for its annual session next month in Canada.
Nearly 50 new sites nominated to join the UNESCO World Heritage List

UNESCO World Heritage List and Palmyra in Syria

This week the UNESCO-agency of the United Nations is inviting us to make a trip to explore the extraordinary roman remains in Palmyra, an oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus in Syria.
UNESCO World Heritage List and Palmyra in Syria

Some of my favorite islands in the Mediterranean Sea

At the China-weblog I published a short introduction to some beautiful islands in the Mediterranean. These are Sicily and Sardinia in Italy, Corsica in France, Corfu and Crete in Greece, Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza in Spain, and Malta and Cyprus among others.
Our favorite islands in the Mediterranean Sea

Johannes Vermeer en het Steegje in Delft

Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) from Delft was a Dutch Baroque painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of ordinary life. Virtually forgotten for nearly two hundred years, in 1866 the art critic Thoré Bürger published an essay to him.
Some beautiful art

More supplies of the UN are distributed in China after the earthquake

Agencies of the United Nations are distributing tents and quilts, food and medical equipment to provide emergency help for the victims of last week’s devastating earthquake in China’s Sichuan province, according to a statement Friday of the UN.
More UN supplies pour in to quake-affected areas of China