TBILISI, Georgia — Seventy-five-year-old Marina Terishvili’s teenage son Mamuka was shot dead at a nationalist rally in Georgia in 1992. Now her other son, Giorgi, has been arrested for his role in protests against perceived Russian influence in their homeland.

Seven police cars pulled up at her house in the capital Tbilisi on Friday and took Giorgi, a 52-year-old taxi driver, into custody, she said.

He was placed in pre-trial detention for two months for “participating in group violence” according to a rights group and local media, and faces up to six years in prison if convicted, part of a broad crackdown on demonstrators who have clashed nightly with police for almost two weeks.

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association rights group said he had not yet entered a plea and Marina Terishvili said she did not know why he had been detained.

“I can’t deny that he went to the rallies, because he has a brother who died on Feb. 2, 1992, and he went there in honor of his soul,” Marina said, adding that Giorgi could not tolerate the idea that his younger brother had died in vain.

Mamuka was 17 when he was killed during the brief civil war that followed Georgia’s 1991 exit from the Soviet Union, which ended 200 years of rule by Russia.

Giorgi is among more than 400 people who authorities and rights groups say have been arrested during protests against government moves to delay the South Caucasus country’s longstanding bid to join the European Union.

Around 30 face criminal charges, mostly relating to allegations of “group violence” aimed at overthrowing the government. Among those jailed are two leaders of the country’s pro-EU opposition.

Rights groups say the crackdown is without recent precedent in Georgia, a country that had been seen as among the most pro-Western and democratic of the Soviet Union’s successor states.

Fireworks

Some protesters have thrown fireworks and other projectiles at police, arguing that they are defending themselves against tear-gas and baton attacks. The interior ministry said on Monday that more than 150 police officers have been injured.

The Georgian Dream party, which officials say won elections in October the opposition says were tainted by fraud, provoked widespread anger in the country of 3.7 million when it announced last month that it was suspending EU accession talks until 2028.

Georgian Dream says it favors a pragmatic policy with Russia, which backs two regions which split from Georgia after it left the Soviet Union. The party says its aim is to safeguard peace amid the war in Ukraine, which has been shattered by Russian invading forces since early 2022.

Western countries have condemned the crackdown, and the EU’s ambassador to Georgia said on Monday that it merits sanctions.

Georgia’s ombudsman Levan Ioseliani, an ex-opposition politician appointed by Georgian Dream, said on Tuesday that his office has visited 327 detainees, of whom 225 said they were mistreated and 157 had visible injuries.

Police reported finding fireworks and items for making petrol bombs at two opposition party headquarters. Both parties said the items had been planted.

At a briefing on Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the parties’ premises a “hotbed of violence” and said their attempt to seize power had failed.

Masked men in black

Gangs of masked men in black have begun attacking opposition politicians, activists and some journalists in recent days.

Opposition supporters refer to the gangs as “titushky,” a Ukrainian word for thugs who attacked opponents of a pro-Russian government before that country’s 2014 Maidan revolution which drove the president to flee to Moscow.

Two journalists from a pro-opposition television channel suffered visible head injuries in an attack on Dec. 7 captured in their live broadcast from a protest.

The same day, Koba Khabazi, a prominent member of the Coalition for Change opposition party, was left with extensive head injuries after being attacked inside the building that houses his party’s headquarters.

CCTV footage obtained by Reuters shows around 15 black-clad men entering the building and confronting Khabazi, who they push down a staircase, before punching and kicking him in the head as he lies on the ground, motionless.

Speaking to Reuters two days later, Khabazi, a 57-year-old former lawmaker, blamed the Georgian government for the attack.

“Of course, the government is behind this,” said Khabazi, his head still swathed in bandages. “This government is built on violence.”

Georgian authorities have said they are not involved in the attacks, and condemn them. Ruling party officials have suggested they are carried out by the opposition to frame Georgian Dream.
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VIENNA — Human trafficking has risen sharply due to conflicts, climate-induced disasters and global crises, according to a United Nations report published on Wednesday.

In 2022, the latest year for which data is widely available, the number of known victims worldwide rose to 25% above 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons said. A sharp fall in 2020 had largely disappeared by the following year.

“Criminals are increasingly trafficking people into forced labor, including to coerce them into running sophisticated online scams and cyberfraud, while women and girls face the risk of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence,” the report said, adding that organized crime was mainly responsible.

Children accounted for 38% of detected victims, compared to 35% for figures for 2020 which formed the basis of the previous report.

The latest report showed adult women remain the largest group of victims, representing 39% of cases, followed by men at 23%, girls at 22% and boys at 16%.

The most common reason by far for women and girls being trafficked was sexual exploitation at 60% or more, followed by forced labor. For men, it was forced labor and for boys, it was forced labor and “other purposes” in roughly equal measure.

Those other purposes include forced criminality and forced begging. The report said the growing number of boys identified as victims of trafficking could be linked to rising numbers of unaccompanied minors arriving in Europe and North America.

The region of origin that accounted for the largest number of victims was sub-Saharan Africa with 26%, though there are many different trafficking routes.

While improved detection could account for the growing numbers, the report said it was likely a combination of that and more trafficking in general.

The biggest increases in cases detected were in sub-Saharan Africa, North America and the ‘western and southern Europe’ region, according to the report, with migration influxes being a significant factor in the latter two.
…

At a landmark hearing Tuesday on climate change law at the United Nation’s top court in The Hague, Britain argued that only existing climate treaties should have any bearing on a state’s obligations to address the crisis, echoing calls from other big economies.

Small island states have told the court that global warming poses an existential risk, arguing that international human rights laws must apply, in addition to any negotiated climate agreements. Such an outcome could pave the way for compensation claims against big polluting nations.

The hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is one of several legal cases that has the potential to reframe global climate change negotiations.

Some 99 countries are participating in the two-week hearing at the ICJ, making it the largest case in the court’s history. It has pitted small island nations against big polluters and fossil fuel producers.

At the heart of the case is whether international law obliges nation states to prevent climate change and pay for the damage caused by their greenhouse gas emissions.

Britain argued that the only legal obligations are derived from existing climate treaties such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, which set a target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

“The climate crisis can only be met by states working together,” British Attorney General Richard Hermer told the court on Tuesday. “The most constructive, the most concrete, and thus the most legally effective way is through the legally binding agreements setting out states’ obligations to tackle the challenges of climate change. … At the heart of the global response to climate change is the landmark Paris Agreement.”

‘Escape accountability’

Critics accused Britain of trying to avoid legal responsibilities.

“The United Kingdom laid out contemptuous arguments in front of the International Court of Justice with one key goal: escape accountability and responsibilities for decades of climate harms,” Sébastien Duyck, a senior attorney at the Washington-based Center for International Environmental Law, said in a statement sent to VOA.

“By claiming that the Paris Agreement contains the sum total of States’ legal obligations on climate change, the U.K. effectively asked the Court to ignore both science and history: decades of fossil-fueled emissions, and the ample evidence that they knew far too well that such conduct would push the world to the brink of a catastrophe,” Duyck added.

Island states

Small island and coastal states, led by Vanuatu, have argued that rising sea levels caused by global warming threaten their existence — and therefore international human rights laws must be relevant, in addition to the binding agreements made in negotiated climate treaties.

“The conduct responsible for this existential harm cannot, I repeat, cannot be lawful under international law,” Vanuatu Attorney General Arnold Kiel Loughman told the court last week.

The 15 judges will offer an advisory opinion that has the potential to reframe climate change negotiations, according to analyst Elena Kosolapova of the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

“The expectation is for the court’s advisory opinion to provide a clear legal benchmark and remove any ambiguity around countries’ obligations under international law. And U.N. negotiations would certainly benefit from legal clarity,” Kosolapova told VOA.

Global hearings

Scientists say climate change is driving extreme weather events around the world. That has put the spotlight on the rights of the communities affected.

The ICJ hearing is one of three international courts asked to provide legal clarity on climate change.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights held hearings in Brazil and Barbados earlier this year and is expected to give its opinion on nation states’ legal obligations in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, judges at the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled in May that greenhouse gas emissions are subject to international law, and that all states are obliged to limit global warming and protect marine environments.

“If a state fails to comply with this obligation, international [legal] responsibility would be engaged for that state,” Judge Albert Hoffmann explained at the time of the ruling.

Small island states praised that advisory opinion, claiming it gave teeth to climate change laws.

The hearing at the ICJ is due to finish on Friday. The judges are expected to take several more weeks to issue their opinion.
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Russian officials said Wednesday that Ukrainian aerial attacks caused damage in two regions along the Russia-Ukraine border.

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that a drone attack caused a fire at a factory that was later extinguished.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it destroyed 14 Ukrainian aerial drones launched in overnight attacks.

In the Rostov region, acting governor Yuri Slyusar said Wednesday a missile attack damaged an industrial facility and more than a dozen cars at the port of Taganrog.

Slyusar said on Telegram that preliminary information indicated no one was hurt in the attack.

In Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said Wednesday the death toll from a Russian missile strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia a day earlier had risen to six people, with another 22 wounded.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the attack that his government was talking with allies about getting additional air defense aid.

“Right now, we do not have enough systems to protect our country from Russian missiles,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.  “However, our partners have these systems. Once again, we reiterate: air defense systems should save lives, not gather dust in storage facilities.”
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday said it transferred the $20 billion U.S. portion of a $50 billion G7 loan for Ukraine to a World Bank intermediary fund for economic and financial aid.

The Treasury Department said the disbursement makes good on its October commitment to match the European Union’s commitment to provide $20 billion in aid backed by frozen Russian sovereign assets alongside smaller loans from Britain, Canada and Japan to help the Eastern European nation fight Russia’s invasion.

The disbursement prior to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January is aimed at protecting the funds from being clawed back by his administration. Trump has complained that the United States is providing too much aid to Ukraine and said he will end the war quickly, without specifying how.

The $50 billion in credit for 30 years will be serviced with the interest proceeds from some $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets that have been immobilized since Russia invaded in February 2022. The Group of Seven democracies have been discussing the plan for months and agreed on terms in October, prior to Trump’s election.

President Joe Biden’s administration initially sought to split the $20 billion loan in half, with $10 billion to be used for military aid and $10 billion for economic aid, but the military portion would have required approval by Congress, a task made more difficult by Republicans’ sweeping election victory. With Tuesday’s transfer, the full amount will be devoted to nonmilitary purposes.

The Treasury said the funds were transferred to a new World Bank fund called the Facilitation of Resources to Invest in Strengthening Ukraine Financial Intermediary Fund. The global lender’s board approved the creation of the fund in October with only one country, Russia, objecting.

The bank, whose charter prevents it from handling any military aid, has run a similar humanitarian and economic intermediary fund for Afghanistan.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen personally oversaw staff executing the wire transfer of the $20 billion to the World Bank fund, a department official said.

“These funds — paid for by the windfall proceeds earned from Russia’s own immobilized assets — will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support as it defends its country against an unprovoked war of aggression,” Yellen said in a statement.

“The $50 billion collectively being provided by the G7 through this initiative will help ensure Ukraine has the resources it needs to sustain emergency services, hospitals and other foundations of its brave resistance,” she said.
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December 11th will mark 30 years since the beginning of the First Chechen war. The initial Russian assault on Chechnya signaled not just the start of a merciless conflict that killed tens of thousands of civilians in Chechnya, but also the end of Russia’s liberal dream. 

As Russia’s first war after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the First Chechen war served as a prologue to other conflicts unleashed by the Kremlin, including the war in Ukraine. The bloody campaign continued with varying success until the end of August 1996, followed by Second Chechen war, which cemented Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power.  

Experts spoke to VOA Russian on the lessons of the Chechen wars and their tragic consequences for Russian democracy. 

See full story here. 
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On this year’s International Human Rights Day on Tuesday, human rights organizations representing Chinese dissidents in exile from Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet held a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in London. The organizations called for accountability for China’s human rights violations and demanded that the British government confront Beijing’s ongoing abuses.  

They urged Britain to end its economic activities with China to avoid complicity with an authoritarian regime and take stronger action to hold China accountable. Additionally, they called on the current Labour government to impose sanctions in response to the human rights situation in Hong Kong and to uphold its commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.   

See full story here. 
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that “only decisiveness” can bring Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end and bring lasting peace.

Days after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said working together to bring an end to the war is the top priority, and he expressed gratitude to Trump “for his strong resolve to bring this war to a fair end.”

The Ukrainian leader further said he told Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin “fears only him and perhaps China.”

“We know that America has the capacity to accomplish remarkable things—things that others have not been able to achieve,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “To succeed in ending this war, we need unity—the unity of America, Europe, and everyone in the world who values security—as well as strong positions and guarantees for peace.”

Zelenskyy’s comments come amid questions about the level of U.S. support for Ukraine as U.S. leadership transitions from President Joe Biden’s administration to a new Trump term next month.

The United States under Biden has led efforts to organize billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine, including ammunition and air defenses to defend against Russian attacks.

Trump said after the meeting Sunday that there should be an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

Some information provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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Russian state media say Moscow has granted asylum to ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who reports say landed in Moscow after escaping from Damascus Sunday. The Kremlin was a key supporter of Assad in his government’s brutal attempts to defeat rebels, and that memory may make it difficult for Moscow to regain its foothold in Syria, which until a few days ago appeared unshakable. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina
…

The collapse of the Syrian regime and the influx of thousands of families into Kurdish areas, particularly in Derik, has led to an economic crisis in these regions. As a result, the value of the dollar has risen sharply, significantly impacting the livelihoods of both local residents and newly arrived immigrants.

View the full story here.
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Turkish warplanes launched three airstrikes near the Qara Quzaq Bridge, a strategic bridge that connects the eastern Euphrates to the western Euphrates. The strikes, targeting Kurdish security forces, resulted in the deaths of one member of the Internal Security Forces and two traffic police officers.

These strikes, along with ongoing attacks by Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups on areas governed by the Kurdish Autonomous Administration, have heightened fears and unrest among civilians. Ridwan Bezar, a freelance stringer based in northern Syria, provides a detailed video report of these developments.

View the full story here.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he is open to the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the country’s war with Russia.

“Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic resolution would save more lives. We do seek it,” the Ukrainian president said Monday at a joint press conference in Kyiv with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz.

Zelenskyy also said he is open to the possibility of foreign troops being deployed to Ukraine to help his country end its war with Russia, a conflict that has been ongoing for nearly three years.

“But before that, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO,” Zelenskyy said.

On his Telegram channel, the Ukrainian leader said the deployment of troops to Ukraine would be a step forward for the Eastern European country’s quest to join NATO.

Zelenskyy’s openness to a negotiated end to the conflict with Russia and the presence of Western troops in Ukraine coincides with Russia’s recent gains in Ukraine and the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump met with Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he plans to call U.S. President Joe Biden soon about Ukraine joining NATO.

“He is the current president, and a lot rides on his opinion. And there is no point in discussing with President Trump something that is not up to him today — while he is not yet in the White House,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump has said he wants the war between Russia and Ukraine to end quickly and has called for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.

However, Zelenskyy told the New York Post that while Trump wants a ceasefire, the two leaders have not discussed any details about that arrangement.

Merz, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s challenger in the upcoming German election, said at the joint address with Zelenskyy that the “basic consensus” in Germany is that Germany will continue to supply Ukraine with military aid.

In his meetings with Zelenskyy, Merz did, however, note that Germany’s position on Ukraine differs from the stance that France, the U.S. and the U.K. have taken on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Our position is clear, as is that of my parliamentary group: We want to put your army in a position to reach military bases in Russia — not the civilian population, not the infrastructure — but the military targets from which your country is being fought,” he said.

“With this range restriction, we are forcing your country to fight with one hand behind its back,” he said.

Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 18 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks.

The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytsky, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage.

Ukrainian air defenses also shot down two Russian guided missiles, the military said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday its air defenses destroyed 13 Ukrainian aerial drones.

Most of the drones were shot down near the Russia-Ukraine border in the Belgorod and Rostov regions. Two of the drones were destroyed over Astrakhan, located about 200 kilometers from the border.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
…

Turkey is one of the principal backers of some of the Syrian rebels who ousted Bashar al-Assad and a likely winner as Ankara seeks to gain influence in the country. However, analysts warn much will depend on whether a stable government emerges after Assad’s departure. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.
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BERLIN — Germany and several other European countries said Monday they are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals because of the unclear situation in their homeland following the fall of Bashar Assad.

Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday that more than 47,000 applications are currently pending. It said it would reassess the situation and resume decisions once things in Syria have stabilized.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Sonja Kock noted that asylum decisions take account of the circumstances of each case, which involves assessing the situation in the applicant’s country. She said the migration authority has the option of prioritizing cases from other places if a situation is unclear, as it currently is in Syria.

More broadly, German officials said it’s too early to tell what the fall of Assad will ultimately mean for the many Syrians who sought refuge in Germany in recent years, particularly in the mid-2010s.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said it’s not yet possible to predict “concrete possibilities to return” and “it would be unserious to speculate about this in such a volatile situation.”

Her ministry said that, as of Oct. 31, there were 974,136 Syrian nationals in the country, the majority of whom had some kind of refugee or other protected status.

In neighboring Austria, Chancellor Karl Nehammer also tasked his interior minister with suspending decisions on current asylum applications by Syrians, the Austria Press Agency reported.

“It is important to first establish facts, to put asylum and family reunion procedures on hold,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. “We need to wait until the dust settles, so we can see what is happening, what the next points are.”

Sweden’s Migration Agency said it will also pause decisions on Syrian asylum cases, arguing that it isn’t possible at present to assess applicants’ reasons for seeking protection. It didn’t specify how long the pause would last, but said a similar decision was made in connection with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

In Finland, the director of the Department for International Protection at the Finnish Immigration Service, Antti Lehtinen, told public broadcaster YLE that decisions have been suspended there, and he can’t immediately estimate when they will resume.

In Norway, the Directorate of Immigration announced a similar decision, saying that it has put asylum applications from Syria on hold “until further notice.”

France says it was considering following Germany’s example.

“We are working on a suspension of ongoing asylum files from Syria,” the French Interior Ministry said. “We should reach a decision in the coming hours.”

The ministry said 450 applications from Syrian citizens are pending in France.
…

Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 18 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks.

The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytsky, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage.

Ukrainian air defenses also shot down two Russian guided missiles, the military said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday its air defenses destroyed 13 Ukrainian aerial drones.

Most of the drones were shot down near the Russia-Ukraine border in the Belgorod and Rostov regions. Two of the drones were destroyed over Astrakhan, located about 200 kilometers from the border.
…

PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral, its air thick with the smell of incense, hosted its first Mass on Sunday since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcended religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris’ resilience.

Beneath the glow of traditional chandeliers and modern spotlights, which illuminated its intricately carved stonework, the cathedral emerged reborn, its grandeur restored after five years of reconstruction.

For Catholics, it marks the revival of the city’s spiritual heart, a place where faith has been nurtured for centuries. For the world, it signals the rebirth of one of global heritage’s most famous landmarks.

The event was both solemn and historic. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich presided over the morning Mass, including the consecration of a new bronze altar.

The liturgy was attended by 2,500 people, including French President Emmanuel Macron — enjoying a brief respite from France’s political tumult and economic troubles — clergy, dignitaries and a few lucky members of the public who stood in long lines to enter. Nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part, along with one priest from each of the 113 parishes in the Paris diocese, accompanied by worshippers from these communities.

Macron, in line with France’s strict division of state and church, did not take communion.

Notre Dame’s journey from ruin to resurrection was defined by extraordinary craftsmanship, nearly $1 billion in global donations and a collective, unyielding determination to rebuild.

After the Mass, faithful attendees, priests, nuns, and other guests lingered in the cathedral, their awe evident. Many took pictures and selfies in front of the altar, the baptistery, and vibrant rose windows, their joy mingling with reverence. Others knelt to pray at chapels dedicated to saints, savoring a spiritual intimacy many had not experienced since the fire.

Later Sunday, the cathedral opened its doors to members of the public who secured reservations last week for the first fully public Mass. The Associated Press learned that tickets for this service were claimed within 25 minutes, underscoring Notre Dame’s enduring appeal.

What’s more extraordinary is that this is taking place in a country with a strong emphasis on secularism and a low rate of church attendance.

The public watches from a distance

Public viewing areas along the Seine on Sunday morning drew hundreds of people who wished to witness the historic moment from afar, although their numbers were likely subdued by rainy and miserably cold weather conditions.

Retired engineer Claude Lancrenon, watching from a viewing area, expressed both awe and disappointment.

“There is so much security,” he said, gesturing toward the barriers. “Yesterday, that seemed appropriate. But today, I had hoped it would be more open so we could approach the cathedral. I still hope we’ll be able to get closer.”

Tight security — akin to that of the Paris Olympic Games — reflected the importance of the occasion, ensuring the safety of dignitaries and the public alike.

Nathalie Martino, a retired event organizer visiting Paris, recalled the anguish of watching the cathedral burn.

“I cried so much that day,” she said. “And now, here I am. I had to come. It was something I needed to do.”

A sacred space reborn

Sunday’s Masses follow Saturday evening’s ceremonies in which Ulrich symbolically reopened the cathedral’s massive wooden doors by striking them three times with a crosier crafted from charred beams salvaged from the fire. As the doors swung open, choirs filled the air with song and the cathedral’s great organ — silent since the fire — resounded with majestic melodies.

Inside, the restoration reveals a cathedral transformed with now-gleaming limestone walls cleaned of centuries of grime. The restored stained-glass windows project dazzling patterns of color across the nave.

“No one alive has seen the cathedral like this,” said the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Notre Dame’s rector. “It is more than restored — it is reborn.”

The consecration of the new altar was a pivotal moment in Notre Dame’s return to full liturgical life.

The altar houses relics of five saints tied to Paris, including St. Catherine Labouré and St. Charles de Foucauld, continuing a centuries-old tradition of embedding sacred artifacts at the heart of worship spaces. The consecration, involving holy water, chrism oil, incense and prayer, transforms the altar into a sacred centerpiece of the cathedral.

That was the most moving moment of the day for Marie Capucine, 37, a consecrated virgin representing her Parisian parish of Saint Germain des Prés at the reopening.

She recalled the day the fire raged, and the ‘’communion in prayer all over the world” for the cathedral to be saved.

“That shows that the Church gathers, no matter whether people are believers or not, it says something to the world, something beautiful,” she concluded.

A moment of unity

The reopening of Notre Dame is also a moment of cultural and national unity. Macron, who vowed to restore the cathedral within five years after the fire, called the project “a jolt of hope” for France, a nation often divided by political crises.

Challenges overcome

The path to restoration was fraught with challenges. Lead contamination forced work to pause, and the COVID-19 pandemic added delays. Yet the project, overseen by architect Philippe Villeneuve, has been hailed as a triumph of human ingenuity and collective resolve. Cutting-edge fire prevention systems, including thermal cameras and a misting system, have been installed to safeguard the cathedral’s future.

Villeneuve described the effort as “restoring not just a building but the soul of a nation,” emphasizing the personal and national significance of the work.

A sacred future and an ‘octave’

With its spire once again piercing the Parisian sky, Notre Dame is poised to reclaim its role as a global beacon of faith and art. The cathedral, which previously welcomed 12 million annual visitors, is expected to draw 15 million in its new chapter.
…

TBILISI, Georgia — Tens of thousands of people joined an 11th straight day of protests in Georgia on Sunday after the governing party moved to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union, while a separate demonstration decried violence against Georgian journalists covering the rallies.

Police have been using increasing force in their attempts to curb the demonstrations, which have centered on the parliament building in the capital, Tbilisi. Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas every day to disperse the rallies, beating scores of protesters who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital’s central boulevard.

At Saturday night’s demonstration, reporter Maka Chikhladze and her colleague from the independent Pirveli TV channel were targeted by a violent mob, Chikhladze told The Associated Press.

Chikladze said her colleague managed to capture footage of men dressed in black who were beating demonstrators before they turned on the pair, violently pushing Chikhladze to the ground. She later told AP that her colleague sustained a head injury and had his camera stolen.

Chikhladze charged that Georgia’s government was using bands of thugs to deter people from attending anti-government rallies, an allegation denied by representatives of the Georgian Dream party.

On Sunday, several hundred media workers marched down Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue before putting up posters of colleagues they say had been assaulted while doing their jobs.

“Our colleagues are beaten, injured, some remain in hospital in serious condition,” TV Pirveli anchor Ekaterine Mishveladze told AP.

In a separate incident Saturday, AP journalists saw several masked men violently tackle a protester attempting to enter the offices of an opposition party, Ahali. The man, Koba Khabazi, lay slumped on the ground while his attackers repeatedly kicked him. He later showed AP his head injuries.

Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in the disputed Oct. 26 election, a vote widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s EU aspirations. The opposition and the pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with neighboring Russia’s help and have boycotted parliament sessions.

Opposition protests gained new momentum after the Georgian Dream’s decision last Thursday to put the EU accession talks on hold.

Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rallies and beat scores of protesters, who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on Rustaveli Avenue.

The crackdown has drawn strong condemnation from the United States and EU officials. Speaking Thursday at a ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced what he described as the brutal “repression of those calling for their country to stay on the path to closer ties with Europe.”

Mamuka Mdinanradze, leader of the Georgian Dream party, condemned mob violence against protesters during a news briefing Sunday, and denied any connection with the government.

The office of Georgia’s rights ombudsman issued a statement Sunday criticizing Georgian police for “failing to take adequate measures” to ensure safety during the demonstrations.

President Zourabichvili, who plays a largely ceremonial role, refused to recognize the official election results and contested them before the Constitutional Court, which rejected her appeal earlier this week.

The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that the country meets the bloc’s recommendations but put its accession on hold and cut financial support in June after the passage of a “foreign influence” law that was widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms.

The law requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.
…

IZIUM, Ukraine — Hopes for victory, a swift end to the war and prayers for their loved ones’ survival or return from Russian captivity are among the wishes scattered throughout letters sent to a volunteer group by Ukrainian children living in front-line areas.

While the volunteers, who are named reindeer after the magical beasts that pull Santa’s sleigh, cannot fulfill many of these dreams, they strive to deliver on the simpler ones, such as requests for power banks to help families endure outages, bicycles, books, and even pets.

Every winter, the volunteers travel to heavily damaged cities to deliver gifts and ensure that, despite the war, Ukrainian children can celebrate the holiday season just like their peers around the world.

This year, the group received 2,310 letters, according to project manager Inna Achkasova from the NGO Ukrainian Frontiers, who launched the St. Nicholas’ Reindeers initiative in 2015.

The children’s wishes are published on the project’s website. Donors affectionately known as magicians then choose a letter and buy the requested gift to make that child’s dreams come true. The reindeer then deliver those gifts.

“Children are those who have no choice whatsoever. No one asks them whether they want to stay or leave,” says project psychologist Kateryna Shutalova. “What happens to them is never their choice. And this makes them the most vulnerable.”

But every child gets only one childhood, even if it’s shaped by war. That’s why, in their letters, the horrors that have impacted their lives coexist with wishes similar to those of children everywhere.

“My father is in captivity, and I live with my mother and brother,” one boy wrote in his letter. He continued: “I love playing football and practice it professionally. I want a leather football.”

Volunteers sift through all the letters, enduring the tragic stories of each child, to sort and deliver the gifts correctly. Among the writers are children who have lost loved ones to shelling, endured Russian occupation, seen their homes destroyed, have parents serving on the front lines, or were forced to flee to escape the war. 

“What struck me wasn’t their wishes but how deeply children feel the need to tell their stories,” Shutalova says.

Wearing reindeer antlers, the volunteers set out on their journey on Dec. 6, when Ukraine celebrates St. Nicholas Day. Their journey is expected to last until mid-January.

On a frosty morning in Kharkiv, covered by the season’s first snow, a team of volunteers departs in two buses filled with gifts, headed for the formerly Russian-occupied city of Izium, around 55 kilometers (35 miles) from the front line.

At first, when the celebration has started, the children observe cautiously, their expressions somber, but that mood doesn’t last. With each activity, they became more cheerful and engaged.

One of them is 9-year-old Alina Soboleva, who remains detached despite the volunteers’ efforts. She watches the festivities unfold with a quiet gaze. Her grandmother, Svitlana Lokotosh, explains that Alina has been withdrawn since witnessing the deaths of her mother and other grandmother in a shelling in the courtyard of their home.

Alina had been watching through the window as her mother spoke on the phone. When the shell struck, a fragment hit her mother in the neck. Her grandmother rushed outside to help and was killed by another shell.

In her letter, Alina asked for two pet mice. She said it was her dream.

“Our only wish is for peace and quiet,” says Lokotosh, who took Alina in after her mother’s death. “So the children don’t have to be afraid.”

Shutalova explains that parents often find it hard to talk to their children about the war. They’re either afraid, lack the emotional resources, or are overwhelmed by their feelings.

“But for children to process what they’ve been through, they need to talk, play, and express those emotions,” she says.

At the celebration, parents stand against the walls, smiling as their children laugh and play despite having endured so much at such a young age.

Among them is Anna Bolharska, a 32-year-old mother of two. Her father-in-law was killed, and her brother-in-law was injured during the occupation. In the spring of 2022, she and her children fled Izium amid relentless shelling, only returning after Ukrainian forces liberated the city in September that year.

“I don’t like to remember those times. We try to move forward because dwelling on it is too hard mentally,” Bolharska says. “We try not to remind the children and to keep them distracted.”

Her 9-year-old daughter, Myroslava Bolharska, dreams of becoming a veterinarian. In her letter, she asked for a guitar.

“During the war it seems everyone’s dreams have changed — to wish for the war to end,” she wrote.

The reindeers’ winter journey will take them to over 40 towns in the coming weeks. They hope to realize many dreams and bring joy to the kids, even though some of their wishes are impossible to fulfill.

“Some children wrote in their letters that they want their childhood back,” project co-founder Inna Achkasova says, adding that the reindeer volunteers aim to ensure that every child feels seen, heard and loved.
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Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel said his party supports the territorial integrity, democracy, peace, and stability in Syria following the departure of President Bashir al-Assad. Meanwhile, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party called for the Syrian people to work together to create a democratic constitution to end the civil war in Syria and achieve lasting peace.

See the full story here. 
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LONDON — London’s Royal Albert Hall, the gilded concert venue known for an annual Rule Britannia singalong, is preparing to host a different kind of spectacle: Sumo wrestling.

Camera shutters clicked furiously and reporters “Ahhhed” in delight Wednesday as wrestlers Daisuke Kitanowaka and Akira Fukutsuumi demonstrated a sideways stamp and put on an exhibition of heavyweight grappling to promote a tournament scheduled for next October.

It marks only the second time an elite five-day tournament will be held outside Japan. The first was in 1991 at the same venue.

Organizers are hoping to whip up the kind of excitement that was generated three decades ago, when the deeply ritualistic sport attracted sell-out crowds and a national television audience.

“It wasn’t just an event here at the hall,” said James Ainscough, chief executive of the Royal Albert Hall. “It became a national moment. People talked about it in the workplace. You could see kids acting it out each day in playgrounds the length and breadth of the country. So it’s a huge honor and a huge matter of excitement to welcome it back in 2025.”

A variety of factors, including a series of sumo wrestling scandals, the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed the sport’s return to London. But organizers believe the time is right because sumo is having a bit of a moment.

Two Netflix series have introduced audiences to the intricacies of the sport, which has roots stretching back 1,500 years. Earlier this year, Hanshin Contents Link opened a sumo hall in Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, that entertains foreign tourists with explanatory exhibitions and actual bouts.

Organizers of the London event say they hope to show Japan’s rich culture as well as its traditional sport that pits two huge men clad in very little against each other in a test of strength and technique.

On hand Wednesday was the winner of the previous U.K. tournament, Nobuyoshi Hakkaku, nicknamed “bulldog” by British fans in 1991. Now the chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, he reminisced about how the only thing that made him really nervous was preparing for a victory speech in English.

Japan’s ambassador to the U.K., Hiroshi Suzuki, also made an appearance, a reflection of the event’s importance to the nation. Organizers promised that spectators also would see exhibitions of Kabuki theater and other Japanese traditions.

But the main attraction were the wrestlers.

Kitanowaka and Fukutsuumi gamely tried to show off their sport. Clad in their mawashi, or ceremonial aprons, they faced off on a mat in front of several dozen journalists. The big men slammed into each other with an “oomph” as flesh slapped flesh. A grunt or two broke the silence.

No sweat was evident. It was over in a flash.

Then they went outside, dropping their robes and exposing their flesh to the frosty November air as they entered and exited a classic London black cab for photographers.

Nothing seemed to bother them. Not the cold. Not the demands to stand this way or that. As the concert hall loomed behind them, they did their best to be sumo diplomats.

“Sumo has a wonderfully intriguing collection of culture and ritual and sport and excitement,” Ainscough said. “And to bring sumo back to the Royal Albert Hall again doesn’t just create a sporting moment, it creates a moment where we can learn and be inspired by another culture and another set of principles to live by. It’s a moment where we can all grow closer together.'”
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