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Minister: 'Consensus' Notre-Dame Spire Should be Rebuilt as it Was

Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Minister: 'Consensus' Notre-Dame Spire Should be Rebuilt as it Was

Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

There is a "large consensus" that the spire of the fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris should be rebuilt as it was, France's new culture minister said Thursday.

Roselyne Bachelot told French radio that "there was a large consensus in public opinion and among those deciding" the issue for the spire to be rebuilt exactly as it was.

Her comments came hours before a commission that is set to rule on the thorny question was due to meet.

But Bachelot said the final decision was in the hands of French President Emmanuel Macron, who up until now has supported a modern architectural "gesture" on the 13th-century monument, which was partially destroyed by fire in April last year.

The massive 19th-century spire collapsed into the nave of the church bringing a large section of the roof with it as the blaze tore through the rafters of the cathedral.

Macron wants Notre-Dame restored to its former glory by 2024, in time for the Paris Olympics.

But reconstruction work has been plagued by delays due to the weather, sanitary concerns over lead pollution and most recently the coronavirus pandemic.

Sharp disagreements about what to do with the spire also emerged after Macron said that "a contemporary architectural gesture might be envisaged" to replace the 96-meter spire "since it wasn't part of the original cathedral".

The spire was added in mid-1800s, replacing a medieval one that was removed in 1786.

The French National Heritage and Architecture Commission (CNPA) is due to give its verdict on how the iconic cathedral should be rebuilt later Thursday.

Last week the general put in charge of the reconstruction effort, Jean-Louis Georgelin, said the delicate task of removing the twisted and molten scaffolding around the cathedral should be finished by the end of September.

The wooden roof of the cathedral caught fire during restoration works, sparking a vast outpouring of emotion -- and donations for the rebuilding -- from across the world.

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Varieties

Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival

Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival
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Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival

Saudi Film Commission Participates in the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission is participating in the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), scheduled to take place from September 10 to 20, 2026, in Toronto, Canada, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.

The Commission will have a dedicated Saudi pavilion and an official delegation, joined by representatives from Film AlUla, the Red Sea International Film Festival, and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), marking Saudi filmmaking’s presence at one of the world’s most prominent film events.

This participation reflects the Commission’s commitment to building international partnerships and creating collaboration opportunities across the film sector, contributing to the sustainable growth of Saudi Arabia’s cinema industry and strengthening the Kingdom’s position as an attractive destination for film production.

The Saudi pavilion at TIFF 2026 will showcase the Commission’s work developing the film sector and highlight the range of filming locations across the Kingdom, helping attract filmmakers and international production companies. Through this participation, the Commission also aims to strengthen engagement with international media outlets and film institutions as well as promote the Kingdom’s incentive programs and production ecosystem to industry decision-makers.

TIFF is one of the world’s leading film events and one of the most important launch platforms ahead of the awards season. Founded in 1976 in Toronto, the festival has grown into a major gathering point for filmmakers, critics, and film institutions worldwide.

Its 51st edition is expected to feature a wide international lineup of films from numerous countries, alongside the TIFF Film Market, which will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from September 10 to 16.

Varieties

Cooking Was Already an Artform in Bronze Age Syria

What they once ate now tells the story of how they lived (SPA)
What they once ate now tells the story of how they lived (SPA)
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Cooking Was Already an Artform in Bronze Age Syria

What they once ate now tells the story of how they lived (SPA)
What they once ate now tells the story of how they lived (SPA)

While the folk of Bronze Age Europe were mostly making do with simple stews and bread, people in Syria were already importing ingredients and using pots of differing temperatures to support “sophisticated” cuisine, researchers said on Friday.

The evidence from Danish experts suggests people living in what is now the city of Hama 4,500 years ago were already enjoying dishes of simmered goat, gazelle and cereals, AFP reported.

The city’s cooks used pots with different heating properties depending on the type of meal they were about to prepare, much as we choose between cast-iron or non-stick frying pans today.

Mette Marie Hald, from the National Museum of Copenhagen, and her team reached the conclusion after examining animal bones, plant remains and fats from inside cooking pots found in the city.

“It feels a bit modern, actually, the way that you have different pots and you have different sort of serving wares,” the archaeobotanist told AFP.

Locally produced pots were made from clay and calcite, while others were made from clay mixed with basalt and were imported from as far away as China.

Meals could be prepared with imported ingredients such as gazelle, which itself came from much further east.

Hald said the evidence of “sophisticated cooking” they had uncovered in Hama was supported by recipes written down in much later periods.

Danish archaeologists started digging in Hama in the first half of the 20th century, she said, so there has been quite a lot of research on everyday life there.

But she added that they had not really focused on food culture before.

“This is a period of kingdoms, well-organised cities and stratified societies,” she said.

“In that way, it’s not surprising that they also knew sophisticated cooking. I think the surprising element is we can actually prove it.”

Varieties

Coastal Erosion Forces Cancellation of California Music Festival

MALIBU, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: People gather near erosion damage along a beach access road to Point Dume, which remains closed due to the erosion from powerful surf and high tides earlier this summer, on September 10, 2026 in Malibu, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: People gather near erosion damage along a beach access road to Point Dume, which remains closed due to the erosion from powerful surf and high tides earlier this summer, on September 10, 2026 in Malibu, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
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Coastal Erosion Forces Cancellation of California Music Festival

MALIBU, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: People gather near erosion damage along a beach access road to Point Dume, which remains closed due to the erosion from powerful surf and high tides earlier this summer, on September 10, 2026 in Malibu, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: People gather near erosion damage along a beach access road to Point Dume, which remains closed due to the erosion from powerful surf and high tides earlier this summer, on September 10, 2026 in Malibu, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

A music festival set to feature The Killers, Olivia Dean and Jack White was cancelled Friday because the California beach where it was to be held has been eaten away by coastal erosion.

The two-day Ocean Way Festival had been planned for later this month in Santa Monica, but waves up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) and storm runoff has left the beach in the city near Los Angeles badly degraded, forcing local officials to pull the plug.

"Storm surf generated by Hurricane Marie and runoff from a storm drain outfall eroded a large portion of the festival site," AFP quoted a statement from the city of Santa Monica as saying.

The storm, which churned the waters of the Pacific over the last week, stripped sand off the beach, making it no longer safe to hold the festival there, the city said.

"The surf took the beach we planned this on, and we cannot put tens of thousands of festival-goers on that sand until it's safe," said Mayor Caroline Torosis.

The coastal city of Santa Monica -- the official end point of Route 66 -- has a wide stretch of golden sand and a large wooden pier that features frequently in American television shows and movies.

News of the festival cancellation came days after the pounding surf opened a huge sinkhole on the driveway of a beachfront home belonging to Oscar-winning US actor Nicolas Cage.

Officials in Malibu, which sits just north of Santa Monica, have ordered the evacuation of 31 homes because of the danger posed by the hole.

Further south, at least seven homes in Dana Point were declared uninhabitable after the coast on which they sit rapidly eroded, with one house collapsing into the sea.

A similar problem has occurred in nearby Laguna Beach.

The waters of the Pacific Ocean have been unsettled in recent weeks by a series of tropical storms, with some of them developing into hurricanes.

Scientists say a near-record strength El Nino climate episode is warming the ocean's waters and creating extra volatility.

While the phenomenon is part of a natural cycle, human-caused climate change is thought to be super-charging the heating and exacerbating its effects.