Category: News

On Saturday, the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, officially reopened the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, which was badly damaged by a fire in 2019. He made a special entrance by knocking on the doors, wearing beautiful new vestments and holding a staff made from a beam that survived the fire. Inside, hundreds of important guests gathered to celebrate the restoration of this incredible 12th-century building.

Among the guests were US President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, who enjoyed the newly cleaned walls and modern lighting that has been added. Outside, many Parisians and tourists stood in the rain and wind to see this beloved monument come back to life. “It looks even more beautiful, especially with the restored spire,” said Marie Jean, a 27-year-old dentist from southern France.

Rebuilding Notre Dame has cost around 700 million euros (about 750 million dollars), funded by donations. The project was completed in just five years, even with challenges like lead pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Philippe Jost, who took over the project last year, expressed pride in the successful restoration, calling it a great achievement for all of France.

The reopening ceremony included prayers, organ music, and songs from the cathedral’s choir. There was supposed to be a public concert featuring talented musicians Lang Lang and possibly Pharrell Williams, but it was completed the night before due to bad weather.

President Macron celebrated Notre Dame’s reopening as an example of French creativity and determination, especially during tough times. He hopes this event will bring a sense of pride and togetherness to France, similar to what the Olympics did earlier this year.

Macron successfully invited Trump for his first trip abroad after being re-elected, along with 40 other leaders. They discussed important issues, including military support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. While Pope Francis sent a message to be read at the event, he was not there in person.

The cause of the 2019 fire is still a mystery, but officials believe it may have been an accident, like an electrical fault. On Sunday, the first mass since the fire will happen at 10:30 AM, with many bishops and priests attending, followed by another service in the evening open to the public.

South Korea’s Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun, has been arrested for his role in declaring martial law earlier this week. This made troops surround the Parliament and brought soldiers onto the streets of Seoul.

On Wednesday night, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, claiming that opposition parties were threatening the country’s democracy. This was a big deal because it was the first time in over 40 years that martial law was used in South Korea. Many people were scared by this sudden move, both in South Korea and around the world.

However, just a few hours later, President Yoon canceled the martial law after facing strong criticism from the National Assembly and protests from the public. The martial law lasted only about six hours and ended early Thursday morning.

The day after, President Yoon accepted Kim Yong-hyun’s resignation, as opposition parties began the process to impeach both him and the president. Recently, it was reported that Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested and is facing restrictions on travel while the investigation continues.

In response to this situation, South Korea’s defense ministry suspended three high-ranking commanders involved in the martial law operation.

Although there was an attempt to impeach President Yoon, it was unsuccessful. Most lawmakers from Yoon’s conservative party did not participate in the impeachment vote. This result might lead to more protests from the public, as many South Koreans support the idea of impeaching the president.

Yoon’s declaration of martial law has been criticized even by members of his own party. They fear they might lose the presidency to opposition parties if they support the impeachment. To impeach Yoon, they needed at least 200 votes in the National Assembly, but the opposition could not gather enough support. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the situation “very regrettable,” saying it was a shame for South Korea’s democracy.

Opposition parties might try again to impeach Yoon after the next parliamentary session opens. There are fears that Yoon may not be able to finish his remaining two and a half years in office because of the damage to his leadership. Some experts think that more members from his party might join the opposition if public pressure continues to grow.

This Saturday, Notre Dame Cathedral in France will officially reopen for the first time since a terrible fire almost destroyed it in 2019. The restoration of this beautiful 861-year-old building took just five years, an incredible achievement considering it took nearly two centuries to build. This event is also good news for French President Emmanuel Macron, who pushed for the quick restoration amid his political troubles.

On this special evening, many important world leaders and local worshippers will come together inside the cathedral to celebrate. Guests include President-elect Donald Trump, First Lady Jill Biden, Prince William from Britain, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, making a total of around 1,500 attendees. Due to strong winds expected in Paris, the opening ceremony will now take place inside instead of outside as planned.

Notre Dame’s rector, Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, emphasizes that the cathedral is “more than just a French monument” and symbolizes unity and hope. “What seemed impossible has become possible,” he said.

The evening will include important religious ceremonies, speeches, and beautiful music. The archbishop will reopen Notre Dame’s grand wooden doors, tapping them three times with a wooden staff made from the burnt wood of the cathedral’s roof. Crowds will gather along the Seine River, where people like Huguette Euphrasie will pray for loved ones while they watch the ceremony on large screens.

In the cathedral, the organ, which has been silent since the fire, will play again with the help of talented musicians. There will be a concert featuring famous artists, celebrating the cathedral’s rebirth.

The reopening is especially significant since the world is facing many problems, including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Dumas believes Notre Dame offers a comforting presence and is a symbol of unity.

The reopening also comes during a tough time for President Macron, whose government recently faced major challenges. The event will give him a chance to highlight this positive achievement for France.

The area around Notre Dame will be secure as many gathered to witness this global event. Large screens along the river will help the public feel part of the celebration, and Notre Dame is expected to attract millions of visitors each year, showing its enduring importance to people all over the world.

Prince William, the UK’s royal, is visiting Paris to help celebrate the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. While there, he will meet with Jill Biden, the outgoing First Lady of the United States, and Donald Trump, the President-elect.

Trump arrived in Paris for his first international trip after winning the election. He is excited to attend the special ceremony at Notre Dame, which was damaged by a fire in 2019. French President Emmanuel Macron invited several world leaders to this important event.

Trump landed at Orly Airport early in the morning and will have a meeting with Macron later in the afternoon. There are also talks about him meeting with Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, due to concerns about Russia’s actions in the region.

During the ceremony around 6:00 PM GMT, Trump is expected to join many other leaders to celebrate the cathedral’s restoration. He praised Macron for his efforts and stated it will be a wonderful day.

Despite their previous disagreements, Macron is keen to make this visit special for Trump, just like he did in 2017. However, not everyone wanted to attend; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen decided to stay back due to a disagreement with Macron.

Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth is threatening to sue a woman who accused him of sexual assault unless he gets appointed as the top official at the Pentagon. His lawyer, Tim Parlatore, said they are looking into a civil extortion lawsuit against her if she doesn’t back down.

In 2017, the woman told the police that Hegseth assaulted her in Monterey, California, while he was speaking at a Republican event. Hegseth claims their encounter was consensual. Although she believed she was drugged and attacked, no charges were brought against him. They eventually reached a settlement and signed a nondisclosure agreement (NDA).

Hegseth’s lawyer claimed the woman broke the NDA by sharing false information about Hegseth, which, if it harms his job prospects, could justify a lawsuit. Hegseth’s lawyer mentioned that since the NDA was violated, it might no longer be valid.

Hegseth has faced several accusations since leaving Fox & Friends Weekend, especially after Trump nominated him for the Pentagon role. He is also accused of heavy drinking while working with veterans’ organizations and at Fox News. Although Hegseth’s mother once emailed him about mistreating women, she later defended him on TV.

Despite these issues, Trump continues to support Hegseth, who is actively seeking the backing of Republican senators for his Defense Secretary nomination.

A worrying new illness, named “Disease X,” is hitting the Democratic Republic of the Congo hard. Since late October, it has made nearly 400 people sick and caused 79 deaths, mostly among children under five years old. Health workers in Congo are working all the time to find out what causes this disease.

The sickness, first found on October 24 in the Kwango province, shows symptoms like fever, cough, breathing problems, headaches, and tiredness. Authorities were only notified about it on December 1. Jean Kaseya, a health official, said this delay could be dangerous because a lot can happen in five to six weeks.

Health experts think the disease might spread through the air, especially since it appeared during a time when many people have the flu. Tests are being done on patient samples in a lab far away in Kinshasa, with results expected soon.

This outbreak is raising worries about a new deadly disease that could spread like COVID-19 did. Earlier this year, another virus called mpox spread across countries, leading to major health alerts, even though it mostly stayed in Africa.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is helping Congo with teams of experts to monitor and control the situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also sending important medicines and tools to help understand how the disease spreads.

To keep everyone safe, health officials in Hong Kong started checking travelers coming from African cities, while Japan is warning people not to travel to the affected areas