Leaning Tower of Pisa to lose its lean

The Italian government has revealed that the Leaning Tower of Pisa is going to be returned to its originally-intended vertical glory. Announcing the $43 million project, Irma  Joken of The Revival in Pisa’s Edifices  (TRIPE) commented how delighted she was that her 4-year campaign to remove the 5.5 degree lean on the tower was finally becoming a reality. Some locals have opposed the decision to remove the tower’s disinctive slant, expressing concerns that it might be damaging to  Pisa’s thriving tourist industry, but the project has now officially been given the green light. It  will take  12 months to  finish the work,  and a grand completion ceremony is already scheduled for the morning of 1st April 2009.