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
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.
“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.
He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.
Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.
The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.
Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.
International
Brazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed on Monday the identities of three of the six victims killed in a helicopter collision that occurred the previous morning in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
All three identified victims are Brazilian nationals: the pilots of the aircraft, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza, and music producer Lucas Brito.
The identities of the three foreign victims have not yet been officially confirmed. They include U.S. singer Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim—known online as “Gaspi”—and Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, all of whom were listed on the flight manifest.
According to police, forensic experts from the Legal Medical Institute have already collected DNA samples in order to identify the foreign victims, whose bodies were severely burned.
One of the helicopters crashed into a private parking lot, triggering a fire that destroyed around twenty electric vehicles. That aircraft was carrying the pilot and four passengers, including the three foreign nationals.
The second helicopter, which had only the pilot on board, crashed approximately 100 meters away from the first impact site.
Rio de Janeiro’s deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, stated that both helicopters were operating transport flights toward Angra dos Reis on the Rio coastline and toward the mountainous region of the state.
Oliver Tree, 32, was in Brazil as part of an international tour. The artist, known for songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” had performed to a large audience in São Paulo a week earlier and was scheduled to continue his tour in Europe.
Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim, 23, had built a following of more than two million on social media platforms, gaining popularity for humorous and often controversial video productions that had occasionally been removed by hosting platforms.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
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