The wooden spire of Notre-Dame cathedral is being re-built using centuries-old oak trees felled from a former royal forest - almost two years after it was destroyed in a fire. The lead-coated spire, which for more than 150 years had defined the central Paris skyline, was consumed by the blaze in April 2019, collapsing through the stone-vaulted roof to the tears and gasps of distraught onlookers. President Emmanuel Macron announced last summer the 96-metre (315ft) spire would be reconstructed as originally designed by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, and the hunt for the 1,000 oaks required to build the spire and the frame of the cathedral's transept began. At the beginning of this year, the perfect trees were identified in Domaine de Berce, near Le Mans. They must all be chopped down before the end of March before the sap rises and the wood contains too much moisture. Aymeric Albert, the French forestry commission's commercial director, described the … [Read more...] about Notre-Dame fire: Cathedral’s spire to be rebuilt with 200-year-old oaks from royal forest
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ISS: Astronaut Cristoforetti readies to return ‘home’
"It is a great pleasure for me to announce Samantha's coming space mission," said Josef Aschbacher, the new director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), as he opened a press conference on March 3. ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is scheduled to go back to the International Space Station (ISS) for her second stay in the spring of 2022, following her two colleagues Thomas Pesquet and Matthias Maurer, who will set off for the ISS in April and October 2021 respectively. Cristoforetti herself is delighted. "Not surprisingly, it was a feeling of extreme joy and gratefulness for this opportunity. As I've mentioned before, I had the amazing opportunity the past few years to grow as an astronaut. But we have this tendency of wanting to go back to space as soon as possible," she admitted. Freshly brewed ISSpresso For Cristoforetti, it will be a return to her "home away from home," as she likes to call the ISS. The Italian astronaut has indeed already spent a remarkable … [Read more...] about ISS: Astronaut Cristoforetti readies to return ‘home’
Biden to give his first primetime address on Thursday – marking one year since Covid shut down much of the nation
PRESIDENT Joe Biden will give his first primetime address on Thursday. The speech will mark one year since Covid shut down much of the nation as the pandemic took a devastating foothold in America. "The president will deliver his first primetime address to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Covid-19 shutdown on Thursday," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing on Monday. "He will discuss the many sacrifices the American people have made over the last year and the grave loss communities and families across the country have suffered," she added. This will be Biden's first primetime address since he took office on January 20, 2021. More than 29.7million cases of Covid have been confirmed in the US. Over 515,000 Americans have died from the virus. The address is to come just days after the Senate passed another $1.9trillion Covid relief package – meant to ease the burden of some of the financial hardship Americans have faced … [Read more...] about Biden to give his first primetime address on Thursday – marking one year since Covid shut down much of the nation