BARCELONA, Spain -- The stream of visitors keeps coming: politicians, diplomats, movie stars.
One of the most noticeable has been muscleman-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is heading the U.S. presidential delegation to the Games. He is accompanied by his wife, journalist Maria Shriver.
Also visiting the Catalan capital are Marvin Bush, the president's son, and daughter-in-law Margaret. They will watch some of the final sports events and Sunday's closing ceremony.
And then there's the mayor of the next Olympic capital, Maynard Jackson of Atlanta.
Schwarzenegger is also in town for the inauguration of his planned beachside restaurant, the Barcelona Planet Hollywood, a joint enterprise involving -- among others -- actors Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone.NEWLN: ------
Add boxing to rum and cigars as major Cuban exports. Not only can Cuba win nine gold medals in the ring, it's now training the world how to box.
Spain, Ireland, Mexico, Tanzania, Uganda, Thailand, India, China and Pakistan all have Cuban coaches. At night they huddle together at the Olympic Village to exchange stories.NEWLN: ------
Barcelona will be the first city with independent opening and closing ceremonies for the Paralympic Games.
Opera singers Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras and the city of Barcelona's orchestra and others will perform at the opening ceremony.
The Paralympics, for disabled athletes, features 15 sports, 94 countries, 3,100 athletes and 7,300 volunteers.NEWLN: ------
Outside the windows of Bosnian athletes at the Olympic Village is a huge sign hanging from the window: 'Five rings in blood'.
Bosnian athletes were a last-minute inclusion at the Barcelona Games while the IOC and the United Nations haggled over the sanctions placed on what is left of Yugoslavia.NEWLN: ------
In a gesture to a fellow Olympic city, the organizers of the next Winter Games have launched a fund to help the children of war-torn Sarajevo, the site of the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Lillehammer, Norway, also has invited 250 orphans and wounded children to visit its city and has called on other Olympic cities to do the same.
The fund, in collaboration with the International Red Cross, will begin Aug. 9, the day of the closing ceremony in Barcelona.
That night, Olympic torches will be lit in Montreal, Lake Placid, Calgary and other past Olympic cities to honor Lillehammer's efforts and join the cause.
Other aid for Sarajevo is planned from Barcelona city fathers spurred by recent talks between Mayor Pasqual Maragall and his counterpart from the Bosnian capital.
Citizens have been asked to donate blankets and food.NEWLN: ------
International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch received a letter from Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who expressed his regret at being unable to come to Barcelona to watch the athletes from his country.
Delivered by a special envoy, the letter said Yeltsin hopes he and Samaranch can play tennis together soon.