AxisMundi Jerusalem
Inside Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Dead Sea Wonder
The Dead Sea is among 14 finalists in a global internet vote next year to choose the 7 wonders of the natural world, organisers said on Tuesday August 25, 2009.
The famously salty lake at the lowest point in the world is in the running for a place alongside spectacular natural phenomena such as the Amazon River, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef.
The Dead Sea is shared by Israel, Jordan and the occupied West Bank. It was almost eliminated from the contest (www.new7wonders.com) earlier this year when Middle East politics blocked their required cooperation.
But a last-minute compromise allowed the candidacy to proceed to the next stage. Final results are due in 2011, by which time the organisers expect one billion people will have voted online.
Click below for a multi-media ’essay’ on the Dead Sea.
High-flying jet modelers compete at the Dead Sea
Flying model a
ircraft is no child’s play, particularly when authentic models powered by miniature jet engines cost around $20,000 and countless hours of devotion by their buildiers are involved. Last week Israel hosted the world championships for jet model flyers. Read about the event here and watch the video below.
Back from the Dead?
We’d be far too modest to claim to have made peace in the Middle East, but…
It’s been a lively week down at the Dead Sea, a short drive downhill from the Reuters bureaux in Jerusalem and Ramallah. Our colleagues Douglas Hamilton and Ali Sawafta do appear to have played some small part in shifting some political roadblocks that threatened to thwart plans to get the lowest place on earth voted in as one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
