International

The Archbishop of Paris officially reopens Notre Dame Cathedral

The Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, has officially reopened the Notre Dame Cathedral this Saturday with a rite that has consisted of solemnly knocking on the doors knocking with his cross and waiting for the response of the Gothic temple, which has been intoned by the choirs inside, before crossing the threshold.

Specifically, the singers of Notre Dame have pronounced psalm 121 of the Bible – “I raise my eyes to the mountains; “Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, creator of heaven and earth”- each of the three times that the archbishop asked Notre Dame to open its doors.

The ceremony, which has had to be readjusted due to wind and rain and has begun with the ringing of the cathedral bells, is attended by dozens of leaders from all over the world, such as the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, and the first lady, Jill Biden; the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni or the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump and Zelenski, on the Elysée

Both Trump and Zelenski had just been received at the Elysée, by Emmanuel Macron, a diplomatic victory for the French president, who has achieved this first meeting between both leaders since the victory of the Republican leader in the November elections, with the uncertain future of Washington’s support for Kiev against Russia on the table.

That has led to Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arriving later than expected at the esplanade of the cathedral, where a tent had been set up to allow the greeting and photo of the heads of state and government present.

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In the absence of the French President, the acting Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, has taken care of the first welcome.

When Zelenski arrived a few minutes after Macron and entered the restored ship, the Ukrainian president was received with applause.

Elon Musk and Prince William among the guests

Meanwhile, some of the attendees took pictures with the billionaire businessman Elon Musk, also present at this ceremony in which there has been a large representation of European royalty, such as Prince William of Wales or the kings of the Belgians, Philip and Matilda.

Already with all the guests inside, the sign of the beginning of the ceremony has come from the bells, which Macron, his wife and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, have heard standing in front of the facade.

A cross with wood recovered from the fire

Then the archbishop of Paris, accompanied by other clergy, has made a brief procession with the wooden cross with which he has knocked on the doors (made with wood recovered from the ruins of the April 2019 fire). All dressed with a cape with green, red, yellow and blue colors, each with a special liturgical meaning.

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After opening the doors, he went to the pool with the holy water before returning outside to invite Macron, the French first lady and the Parisian mayor to enter.

With that, the next stage of the ceremony has begun, which initially should have been the first and taken place on the outdoor esplanade, with a more political character.

In this part Macron gives a speech before giving up the baton to Archbishop Ulrich who will continue with the planned religious rites, such as the calls to make the cathedral organ “wake up”.

International

Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids

Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.

The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.

In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.

He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”

The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.

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The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.