Aerial footage reveals the extent of the damage to Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire tore through the 850-year-old structure. Up to 500 firefighters had battled to contain the flames on Monday evening. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has vowed to rebuild the Paris landmark within five years. The fire started at the base of the 93-metre spire and spread through the cathedral’s ribbed roof, made up of hundreds of oak beams, some dating back to the 13th century
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Emmanuel Macron: ‘We will rebuild Notre Dame within five years’ – video
In a televised address on Tuesday evening, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said he wanted to see the Notre Dame Cathedral rebuilt within five years. French authorities have revealed that the historic building was ‘15 to 30 minutes’ away from complete destruction
Continue reading...Notre Dame was ‘15 to 30 minutes’ away from complete destruction
Firefighters risked their lives to stop the raging fire spreading to the two belfry towers
Notre Dame Cathedral was within “15 to 30 minutes” of complete destruction as firefighters battled to stop flames reaching its gothic bell towers, French authorities have revealed.
A greater disaster was averted by members of the Paris fire brigade who risked their lives to remain inside the burning monument to create a wall of water between the raging fire and two towers on the west facade.
Continue reading...Assessing the damage at Notre Dame Cathedral – in pictures
After Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral was engulfed by flames on Monday, work has begun to assess the damage to the 850-year-old building
Continue reading...Inside Notre Dame as fire swept through cathedral – video
Footage from Monday night shows firefighters surveying the damage inside Paris's fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral. A blaze swept across the top of the Paris landmark, collapsing its spire as locals and tourists watched aghast. In the interior footage, smouldering ashes can be seen, along with red embers falling from the roof.
- Notre Dame: experts assess damage after fire extinguished - live updates
- Fears over fate of Notre Dame's priceless treasures
Notre Dame fire: fears over fate of cathedral’s treasures
The 850-year old building is home to priceless works of art, statues and religious relics
On Monday night, as Notre Dame Cathedral burned, firefighters scrambled to save its precious contents.
The 850-year-old cathedral is home to priceless works of art, architecture, musical instruments, statues, woodwork and religious relics – from the 8,000-pipe great organ to Nicolas Coustou’s sculpture Descent From the Cross. A full list of the masterpieces housed in the cathedral is posted on its website.
Continue reading...Notre Dame fire: Macron pledges to rebuild devastated cathedral
Fire brought under control on Tuesday but spire of centuries-old landmark destroyed after flames burst through the roof
A fire that devastated Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of Paris was brought under control by firefighters in the early hours of Tuesday morning, though officials warned there were still residual fires to put out.
Thousands of Parisians watched in horror from behind police cordons as a ferocious blaze devastated Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday night, destroying its spire and a large part of the roof.
Continue reading...Notre Dame through the ages – in pictures
From a 15th-century coronation of an English king, to the liberation of Paris in 1944 and this year’s yellow vest protests, the 850-year old cathedral has stood witness to the sweep of history. For many Parisians, Notre Dame is the very heart of their city. Thousands of them looked on on Monday night as a fire ravaged the Gothic monument
Continue reading...Our hearts bleed for our beloved Notre Dame | Christine Ockrent
The cathedral has always meant more than mere Gothic splendour throughout France
When the spire broke and fell over, we felt as if it was plunging straight into our hearts. To all of us in Paris, and throughout France, Christians or not, believers or non-believers, Notre Dame has always meant more than mere Gothic splendour.
Related: Notre Dame fire: Paris cathedral devastated by ferocious blaze
Continue reading...Huge fire sweeps through Notre Dame Cathedral – in pictures
Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral was engulfed in flames on Monday afternoon, causing its main spire to collapse and raising fears for the future of the 850-year-old building and its precious artworks
Continue reading...The Guardian view on the Notre Dame fire: we share France’s terrible loss
One of the great symbols of France has suffered terrible fire damage. The whole of Europe is scarred too
It feels as though the very heart of France and the soul of Europe have been suddenly and viciously ripped out. The fire that coursed through large sections of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday evening was an act of blind and terrible destruction that causes a great stab of emotional pain to us all.
In a frighteningly short time, it gutted and humbled one of the great buildings of Paris, in an act of annihilation of one of the emblematic places of Europe that had survived the brutality of the French revolution and the world wars of the 20th century.
Continue reading...Video: Notre Dame’s spire collapses in huge fire
A major operation is under way by Paris firefighters after a blaze broke out at the historic Notre Dame Cathedral. Police said the fire began accidentally and was linked to building work at the site
Continue reading...Branded a no-go zone: a trip inside the 93, France’s most notorious banlieue
It is seen as a lawless breeding ground for hooliganism and drug trafficking. But a photographer called Mister Happiness is on a mission to tell the real story about the demonised area
‘She put her pen down,” says Monsieur Bonheur, “and told me to stop dreaming.” The French photographer is recalling the day he told the careers advisor at his school that he wanted to study fashion design. “She said, ‘Your parents won’t have the money to pay for those schools. They won’t be able to pull strings. You should consider something more appropriate for a black kid from the 93, like fixing central heating systems.’”
There is still disbelief in Bonheur’s voice as he recounts this decade-old conversation. “She was reminding me of the codes,” he says, “advising me to play by the rules.”
Continue reading...Louvre’s massive paper artwork torn to shreds by visitors – video
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Louvre museum's famous glass pyramid, French artist JR (real name Jean Rene) created a 17,000 sq metre optical illusion around the building. Whilst the effect isn't visible from the ground, at an elevated angle the pyramid appears to extend deep into a quarry of white rock. It took JR and his team of 400 volunteers five days to create the artwork, using a total of 2,000-odd pieces of paper. However, it quickly began to disintegrate once visitors arrived, and some Parisians took to social media to complain about the paper debris spreading around the city's landmarks.
Continue reading...Greek tragedy prompts ‘blackface’ racism row at Sorbonne
Protesters picket French university, which says actors were wearing masks according to ancient theatre practices
A row over alleged racism and attacks on freedom of expression has erupted in France after students prevented a Greek tragedy featuring actors using black masks from being performed at the Sorbonne, claiming it was “Afrophobic, colonialist and racist”.
Demonstrators who picketed the prestigious Paris university to stop actors entering the theatre said the play, The Suppliants by Aeschylus, was being performed with blackface and was offensive.
Continue reading...When protesters burned news kiosks in Paris, I had to take a stand…
The militant wing of the French protests picked on a beloved institution. So I set up a crowdfunder to help
In 47 years of journalism, few things have shocked me as deeply as the sight of burning newspaper kiosks on the Champs-Élysées.
Journalists are supposed to be neutral observers – impassioned but dispassionate. Forget all that. This was personal. This was an attack on the print newspapers that had been my life’s blood from the day I joined the Bolton Evening News in 1972 until the Independent stopped printing in 2016. This was an attack on something endearingly Parisian, something as instantly recognisable as the Eiffel Tower or the burned-rubber smell of the Métro.
Continue reading...France drafts in troops to prevent further gilets jaunes violence
Soldiers deployed in show of force in Paris and in Nice, which is hosting a state visit
France has drafted in extra security forces including army troops to try to prevent any repeat of violence during gilets jaunes protests in Paris or other cities this weekend.
Police, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed in a show of force in the capital and in the southern city of Nice, where the president, Emmanuel Macron, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, for a state visit on Sunday.
Continue reading...French PM removes police chief and vows to shut down rioters
Gilets jaunes protests in Paris and other cities will be banned if ‘radical groups’ are spotted
The French government has removed the Paris police chief and announced it will shut down all anti-government street protests by the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) in central parts of Paris, Bordeaux and Toulouse if violent groups are spotted in the crowds.
The prime minister, Édouard Philippe, announced the hardline measures on Monday after the government admitted failures in dealing with rioting and arson in Paris this weekend.
Continue reading...French government unprepared for gilets jaunes riots, critics say
Opposition claims security was lacking as protesters ransacked Champs Élysées in Paris
The French prime minister, Edouard Philippe, has held talks with ministers after opposition politicians accused the government of being unprepared for rioting during gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests on the Champs Élysées in Paris.
The president, Emmanuel Macron promised to come up with strong measures to prevent further violence after rioters threw paving stones at police and restaurants, luxury stores, news kiosks and cars were torched, ransacked and looted.
Continue reading...France’s gilets jaunes target luxury shops and restaurant in protests
Masked demonstrators clash with police in central Paris as they smash Le Fouquet, a restaurant favoured by politicians
An 18th weekend of gilets jaunes protests erupted once more into violence and looting on Saturday as masked demonstrators smashed their way into luxury stores on the Champs-Élysées and destroyed one of the street’s most celebrated restaurants.
Demonstrators fought running battles with police who responded with water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets.
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