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.
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.
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
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
A truck loaded with explosives exploded on Saturday near a police station in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, close to the Venezuelan border, leaving 14 people injured in an attack that occurred six days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration.
The blast took place in the early hours of the morning and was allegedly carried out by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who detonated a vehicle packed with explosives. According to the latest report from the Colombian Army, the attack injured 11 police officers and three civilians.
The explosion involved around 15 explosive devices, and two of the wounded officers are in critical condition and “fighting for their lives,” said William Villamizar, governor of Norte de Santander, the region where the attack occurred.
The incident comes amid Colombia’s worst wave of violence in the past decade, with armed groups expanding their presence in several areas of the country.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack carried out in Cúcuta against our National Police. Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia or break the determination of Colombians to live in peace and security,” De la Espriella said in a post on X.
The conservative lawyer, who has been described as a far-right figure, will take office on August 7, replacing Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president. The inauguration ceremony will be held in Cali, the country’s third-largest city and a frequent target of attacks by armed groups.
The United Nations condemned what it described as an “indiscriminate attack” that caused not only injuries but also “fear and distress among the population.”
De la Espriella has repeatedly warned about an alleged plot against his life. Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro, who is currently visiting Cuba, has not commented on the attack. During his visit, Petro met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to discuss what Havana describes as the United States’ “policy of suffocation” toward the island.
International
EU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
The arrival of around 60,000 migrants from Morocco to Spain’s Ceuta enclave triggered a major European Union crisis on Friday, after Madrid described the situation as an “attack” on its territorial integrity.
At least 34 people died while attempting to reach the Spanish territory, according to local authorities.
Hundreds of migrants had begun arriving in Ceuta earlier in the week, either by swimming across the border or climbing security fences. Most of those who entered were young men and teenagers.
However, the situation escalated dramatically early Thursday morning, when the number of arrivals surged within a few hours, reaching nearly 60,000 people. According to the Spanish government, the vast majority of them — around 48,000 migrants — had returned to Morocco by Friday evening.
The episode represents one of the most serious migration crises faced by the autonomous city of Ceuta, which has a population of around 84,000 residents, in recent years.
Several European countries responded strongly to the crisis, with Italy announcing the temporary suspension of the Schengen free movement agreement with Spain, a measure supported by Finland and Denmark.
“The temporary suspension of Schengen with Spain is a necessary decision to protect the security of our citizens and defend Europe’s borders,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a post on X.
Italy’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the country had tightened controls on maritime and air entry points from Spain, but clarified that the measure would not affect Spanish or European citizens traveling to Italy.
The additional checks will specifically target non-European citizens arriving from Spain, according to the ministry.
The measure will remain in effect for one month starting Saturday, authorities said.
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares responded to the Italian announcement through a statement on X, as European governments continued discussions over the consequences of the migration crisis.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
EU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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