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France races to reopen Notre-Dame cathedral by December 2024It has been almost five years since a fire started at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.#notredame pic.twitter.com/FgU3uAr3PJ— cristina mendez casacuberta (@ccasacub) April 15, 2019There were screams from onlookers when the spire fell over and crashed through the burning roof of the cathedral.La flèche de #NotreDame, en flammes, s'effondre https://t.co/1zqzJ3gzCu pic.twitter.com/Tw7dD8U6Y3— Paris Match (@ParisMatch) April 15, 2019Since then hundreds of millions of dollars have been donated to repair the damage and crews have been at work rebuilding the roof using some of the same techniques used by the original builders, i.e. they are...

Today, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced an agreement on a shared vision for reopening their economies and controlling COVID-19 into the future. Joint statement from the governors: COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities. We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that...

Australian authorities said they plan to reopen the country's borders to international tourists on Monday after closing it for nearly two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported. Since November, Australia has allowed citizens and residents to travel in and out of the country, then admitted international students and some employees. On Monday, leisure and business travelers will be able to enter the country, according to Reuters.

In a press conference on Thursday morning, the Swedish government announced plans to remove the majority of restrictions against Covid-19 on February 9th, the Local.se reported.Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Health Minister Lena Hallengren and the Director General of the Public Health Agency, Karin Tegmark Wisell, announced that almost all restrictions will be removed on February 9th, and that those working from home should prepare to return to work.Health Minister Lena Hallengren, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Director General of the Public Health Agency Karin Tegmark Wisell at Thursday's press conference. Photo: Marko Säävälä/TT“The pandemic is not over, but is entering...

<p>Ireland is set to scrap almost all its COVID-19 restrictions after coming though the storm of the Omicron variant that led to a massive surge in infections, Prime Minister Micheal Martin says.</p><p>Ireland had the second highest incidence rate of COVID-19 in Europe just last week but also one of the continent's highest uptake of booster vaccines, which has helped keep the number of seriously ill people well below the previous peak.</p>

Hairdressers, gyms, cafés and bars reopened on Monday in Sydney, Australia after more than 70 percent of its population was vaccinated. Initial plans for Sydney's reopening said that the city would resume more normal activities after 70 percent of the population aged 16 and older were vaccinated, according to The Associated Press. As of Monday, over 90 percent of the population have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 73.5 percent were fully vaccinated, the AP noted.

“We’re not going to … take lectures from Minister Hajdu, particularly when it appears that she and her boss (Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau are hell-bent on a federal election campaign,” Kenney said Friday at a news conference in Bowden, Alta., about drought support for farmers. “If they really are that concerned about COVID, then why is she getting ready to put up campaign signs?” Kenney went on to describe Hajdu’s letter as a political ploy and criticized her handling of COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic. He said the federal government should respect the advice of Alberta’s top...

At long last, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are inching closer and closer each day to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic here in America. We are not quite there yet. There are still 500 of our countrymen dying every day from complications of this insidious virus. But all over the nation, there is a different feeling in the air. There are people in the streets and restaurants. They are talking, hugging, smiling and laughing. It's simple, but it was missing for the last year. We are finally seeing a marked lift in...

Two and a half months ago, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott axed the state’s mask mandate and other COVID-related restrictions on businesses and people, Joe Biden called the move a “huge mistake” and “Neanderthal thinking.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, who advises Biden, called it “risky” and “potentially dangerous.” Both were proven wrong when weeks later Texas experienced no surge in cases. A dumbfounded Fauci refused to admit he was wrong and claimed that a spike in cases and deaths would show up as a lagging indicator. But, no spike came. And last Sunday, Texas recorded zero COVID deaths for the first...

With COVID-19 numbers dropping, officials in the nation’s capital have announced a reopening timeline that would see all indoor capacity limits eliminated by early June, but with mask requirements still in place. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a two-stage plan on Monday, with capacity restrictions on most indoor activities lifting on May 21, with the exception of bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues. Those final categories would see their capacity limits removed by June 11.

NEW YORK—Many Broadway productions are scrambling to resume ticket sales in the coming days to welcome theater-goers this fall after city and state leaders have green-lit a reopening of the Great White Way at full capacity by mid-September. “We remain cautiously optimistic about Broadway’s ability to resume performances this fall and are happy that fans can start buying tickets again,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement Wednesday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Broadway theaters can reopen Sept. 14 and will be allowed to decide their own entry requirements, like whether people must prove...

We’ve been reporting on the influence the American Federation of Teachers union seems to have had on the Biden regime in regard to schools reopening.But now emails reveal that influence may have been even more than we thought.The emails were obtained by Americans for Public Trust, a conservative watchdog group, through FOIA, and provided to the New York Post.What they show is a lot of correspondence between the AFT and the CDC, with the White House and the CDC Director Rochelle Walensky included in the email train. According to the Post, the CDC had been “preparing to write that schools...

It’s been a month and a half since Texas Governor Gregg Abbott gave the left heart palpitations by eliminating the state’s mask mandate and most other virus restrictions.So, according to liberals, there must be dead bodies in the streets and jam-packed hospitals full of sick and dying patients in Texas, right?President Joe Biden said the governor’s decision reflected “Neanderthal thinking.” Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said it was “extraordinarily dangerous” and “will kill Texans.” The national media ridiculed Abbott and Texas as a bunch of rubes who deserved whatever they got.Meanwhile, new cases of COVID-19 have dropped...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Gov. JB Pritzker’s office hopes Illinois is ready to fully reopen early this summer. The Governor’s Chief of Staff, Ann Caprara, told senators during a budget proposal hearing on Tuesday, April 6, that she hopes Illinois can move into Phase 5 in the beginning of this summer. Phase 5 would be a complete relaxation of all COVID-19 restrictions, such as indoor capacity limits and gathering sizes. Masks are expected to remain.

As we continue to debate the wisdom or fairness of establishing a system of immunity passports allowing the vaccinated to return to normal life while the rest are left behind, one curious aspect of these proposed systems is coming to light. The New York Post editorial board points us to a few observations from Dominic Green at Spectator USA. One thing we know about the rollout of COVID vaccinations across the country is that white people are being vaccinated at significantly higher per capita rates than Blacks or Hispanics. Whether this is a result of greater rates of vaccine hesitancy...

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Monday suggested that the state should consider slowing down the Big Apple’s reopening, placing him once again at odds with embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). Earlier this March, Cuomo issued a directive allowing for New York City indoor dining capacity to be expanded to 50 percent. On Monday, the city’s gym classes were allowed to reopen at a 33 percent capacity.

It’s been a year. A whole calendar year since we faced the first lockdowns and traceable spread of COVID-19. Much of the year we stayed patient. Many of us were scared. Most of us sincerely worked hard to protect one another and ourselves. But not all of us hoped for a way out. In fact, on this one-year anniversary, there are some who obviously plan to make COVID-19 a way of life and a permanent fixture of American culture. We know what this virus is now. We understand whom it attacks. Many of us caught it and never knew we...

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's top COVID-19 adviser, seemed to admit Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coronavirus guidelines are not entirely based on science.

News last week of a third approved COVID-19 vaccine should signal a move toward normalcy. But thanks to blue state and bureaucratic screwups and this week’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, giving the vaccinated masses “limited freedom” — which is to say limiting their freedom — there is little cause for excitement.At the close of February, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the new single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, meaning tens of millions more doses will soon be pouring out into the population. Setting aside for a moment that this new vaccine is morally problematic for many Americans...

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday he's lifting the mask mandate in Texas, even as health officials warn not to ease safety restrictions. Abbott made the announcement during a Lubbock Chamber of Commerce event where he issued an executive order rescinding most of his earlier executive orders like the mask mandate. Abbott said businesses of any type will be allowed to open 100% beginning March 10. "Too many Texans have been sidelined from employment opportunities. Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills. This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100%," he said. Mississippi Gov....