Posted Apr 11, 2022, 1:59 PM
From the hearing of the first round of the presidential elections, from the retirement of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to the discovery of new viruses in the ocean, including the auctioning of an overpriced Michelangelo or the location of the burial of Christophe Colomb, the cultural and sporting news was rather dense in this first electoral weekend.
Election night television hearings
Difficult to pass by. Last night, the French were gathered in front of their television screens to attend the announcement of the results of the first round of the presidential election, won by Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen.
This year, TF1 succeeded in winning against France 2 with an average of 7.27 million viewers who followed the election night presented by Anne-Claire Coudray and Gilles Bouleau and broadcast from 7.50 p.m. to 10 p.m., i.e. 29.1% audience share, according to figures from Médiamétrie announced on Monday. On April 23, 2017, the first channel had federated only 5.70 million viewers between 7:25 p.m. and 10:35 p.m. (21.5% of the public) with the same duo of journalists. This is a record audience for elections, all channels combined. Despite a schedule that had to be revised to give the candidate and outgoing president, Emmanuel Macron, time to express himself, the film “The Visitors” was broadcast, but at 10 p.m. instead of 9:30 p.m. as announced at the end of March. .
Until 10:50 p.m., the evening presented by Anne-Sophie Lapix and Laurent Delahousse on France 2 mobilized only 20% of the audience with an average market share of 4.58 million viewers, a poor performance undoubtedly linked to an evening presidential too long and less rhythmic. On April 23, 2017, the evening of the first round, then presented by Laurent Delahousse, Marie-Sophie Lacarrau, Léa Salamé and David Pujadas, had caught the attention of 5.6 million viewers (24.6% of the public) on France 2.
An unpublished drawing by Michelangelo at 30 million euros
It would be the first known nude of the great artist. An unpublished drawing by Michelangelo will be auctioned for 30 million euros on May 18 by Christie’s. From a private French collection, the drawing, which would be inspired by Masaccio’s “Baptism of the Neophytes”, will be presented at the “Maitres Anciens et XIXe siècle” sale.
A rare drawing by Michelangelo will sell for around 33 million dollars ✍️
In the hands of private owners since its first sale in 1907, the recently authenticated drawing will be auctioned next month by Christie’s. pic.twitter.com/lsMQg0Xx2x
— Views (@viewsfrance) April 7, 2022
First sold in 1907, this pen and brown ink drawing was authenticated in 2019 by Furio Rinaldi, a specialist in Christie’s Department of Antique Designs, according to AFP. Listed as a national treasure, the work could not leave French territory for 30 months. “There are less than ten drawings of Michelangelo still in private,” says Christie’s, which is why the sale is so noisy.
Before being able to be admired in Paris, the sketch will be exhibited in Hong Kong and New York. Undoubtedly the opportunity to arouse the curiosity of foreign and international art lovers ahead of its auction.
5500 new viruses in the ocean
This is important news for epidemiologists: no less than 5,500 new viruses have been discovered at the bottom of the ocean, according to the journal Science on April 7. Pushing RNA research further is the objective of this study and this update meets the expectations of these researchers since the viruses found have in common a genetic material composed of RNA.
For several years, the Tara Oceans expedition has been collecting samples of marine viruses. Between 2009 and 2013, the schooner had traveled no less than 140,000 kilometers to understand the diversity of the ocean in terms of viruses. Nearly 200,000 viruses have been identified in the ocean in recent years.
As part of Tara Oceans, researchers have also conducted analyzes on samples to understand the impact of pollution and microplastics on marine life, such as here on October 14, 2021.Charly TRIBALLEAU/AFP
A major discovery that pushes the scientific community to think beyond the already existing classifications: “if some of the identified species are part of the 5 phylogenetic branches (or phyla) already existing […] this is not the case for the others, which do not enter any branch known to date. To classify these new species, the researchers propose at least 5 additional phyla”, explains the CNRS in a press release.
A farewell tour for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is due to play in Monte-Carlo today, in contention for the Masters 1000 of Monte-Carlo. A first match for the sportsman of almost 37 years, since the announcement of his retirement, Wednesday April 6. “My body reminds me that my ability to surpass myself is no longer there,” he said in a Youtube video arousing strong emotion within the international tennis community.
Despite everything, Monte-Carlo remains a new challenge for him. After a victory in the quarters against Roger Federer in 2016, the historic player intends to win a new match. “I was a competitor and I liked it, so when I lose I will still be disappointed. Because it’s my life as a tennis player. It doesn’t matter when, whether it’s the last game or not far away, I always want to win,” the player told AFP on Sunday.
Let’s enjoy until RG then.
⭐❤️🙏🏾 #RoleModel https://t.co/05JmQeKs6g— Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) April 6, 2022
Gaël Monfils qualifies him as a “role model” and recognizes in the player a “friend for life” as he confides to L’Equipe. If Gaël Monfils withdraws from the tournament due to injury, he took advantage of these last moments of training alongside the former number five in world tennis. Same rain of praise from the side of Novak Djokovic who regrets the departure of one of the “most sympathetic players of the last twenty years”.
The first tomb of Christopher Columbus located
Seville, Santo Domingo, Cuba… the remains of Christopher Columbus have traveled a lot. Until now, no one had managed to locate the exact location of his first tomb. However, the Spanish Navy Museum has confirmed it: it was indeed in Valladolid, where he died, that the Admiral was buried in 1506. The exact chapel was identified after “an in-depth historical investigation, confirmed by data from a geological radar”.
The convent of Saint Francis, now razed, therefore housed the remains of the navigator for three years, as confirmed by the comparison of elements such as gold threads and the technological progress which made possible the 3D reconstruction of the place, which has become a shopping center…
In 1509, the remains of Christopher Columbus were then transported to Seville, then to Santo Domingo in 1544, according to his wishes. His remains were later taken to Cuba and finally repatriated to Seville in 1898. But it is not entirely certain that the navigator’s body rests there. The Dominican Republic claims that his remains or part of the skeleton are still on its soil, at the Lighthouse of Columbus, a hypothesis that had not been ruled out by geneticists in 2005.
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