PARIS — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. first lady Jill Biden are among global dignitaries expected in Paris Saturday as the city’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral reopens five years after a massive fire.

Trump’s visit to Paris is expected to be his first foreign trip since winning the election last month. U.S. President Joe Biden is not expected to attend.

It has taken five years, 2,000 artisans and workers, and hundreds of millions of dollars to restore the medieval Gothic masterpiece. It was nearly destroyed during a fire in April 2019.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the restored cathedral Friday and said the reconstruction workers had participated in an unprecedented project.

Macron will join the archbishop of Paris, along with Catholic and other dignitaries, for official opening ceremonies Saturday. The cathedral will open its doors to the public on Sunday as part of weeklong reopening events.

Even covered with scaffolding and closed to visitors, Notre Dame has attracted hordes of tourists during the years of reconstruction. Manuele Monica, a visitor from Italy, said, “I can understand why people in the past created buildings such as this one, because it’s so huge. It’s really tall — like it’s going up in the sky.”

The event offers a short reprieve for France, which is facing pre-Christmas strikes, soaring debt and an uncertain political future.
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NATO chief Mark Rutte said Tuesday he is confident that whatever military aid allies can supply to Ukraine in the coming months will be provided, as he warned that Russia is again using the onset of winter as a weapon in its war in Ukraine.

Rutte told reporters in Brussels ahead of talks with NATO foreign ministers that there is a priority on protecting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and ensuring Ukrainian forces have the air defenses necessary to defend against Russian attacks.

In addition to the war in Ukraine, the foreign ministers are also discussing what Rutte said was an “escalating campaign” of Russian hostile actions toward NATO countries, including acts of sabotage and cybercrimes.

Ukraine’s military said Tuesday it shot down 29 of 50 drones that Russia launched in its latest round of overnight attacks.

The intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy and Ternopil regions, the Ukrainian air force said.

Officials in Kharkiv reported damage to a business from a downed drone, while officials in Sumy said Russian shelling damaged several buildings.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it shot down 24 Ukrainian drones overnight, and another 11 drones early Tuesday.

Officials in Russia’s Ryazan region said a drone damaged four houses, but caused no casualties.

Ukrainian drones were also shot down over the Rostov, Bryansk, Belgorod, Krasnodar, Kursk and Kaluga regions, the ministry said.
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Beijing — Business sentiment among German companies in China is at an all-time low, a German business lobby group said on Wednesday, as they face rising Chinese competition and a slowing economy.

Over half of German companies said conditions in their industry had worsened this year, the German Chamber of Commerce in China said citing a survey, while only 32% forecast an improvement in 2025 – the lowest since records began in 2007.

“This year has been difficult for the majority of German companies, prompting a downward adjustment of their business outlook,” said Clas Neumann, chair of the German Chamber of Commerce’s east China chapter, while adding that 92% of German companies planned to maintain their operations in the $19 trillion economy.

Germany is China’s biggest European partner, and prominent German firms with large investments in China include automakers Volkswagen as well as BMW and auto parts supplier Bosch.

The German survey comes just a day after a British sentiment survey of companies operating in China painted a downbeat picture.

While foreign direct investment, seen as a signal of confidence in China, represents only 3% of the country’s total investment, it has been falling for two straight years.

The chamber said investing to keep up with local competitors was the primary motivation for 87% of the 51% of German companies planning to step up their investment in China over the next two years, an annual eight percentage point increase.

The chamber also said that companies were, for the first time, reporting that they were contending with a “Buy China” trend, with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s self-sufficiency drive “Made in China 2025” resulting in local customers opting to buy from local producers.

An official factory activity survey released on Saturday showed that new import orders for parts and components used in finished goods fell for an eighth consecutive month in October, while new orders expanded for the first time in seven months.

The chamber called on Berlin to place more emphasis on Beijing as a partner and revise its China strategy to better align with German industry’s desire to invest more in localization in China, over boosting exports to the market.

Berlin opposed the European Commission’s tariffs of up to 45.3% on Chinese-built electric vehicles in an October vote. German automakers have heavily criticized the EU measures, aware that possible higher Chinese import duties on large-engined gasoline vehicles would hit them hardest.

Volkswagen signaled last week that it was doubling down on its China investment by extending its partnership with Chinese partner SAIC by a decade, though it sold its operations in Xinjiang after years of mounting pressure.
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GENEVA — The United Nations on Wednesday sought $47 billion in aid for 2025 to help around 190 million people fleeing conflict and battling starvation, at a time when this year’s appeal is not even half-funded and officials fear cuts from Western states including the top donor, the U.S.

Facing what the new U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher describes as “an unprecedented level of suffering,” the U.N. hopes to reach people in 32 countries next year, including those in war-torn Sudan, Syria, Gaza and Ukraine.

“The world is on fire, and this is how we put it out,” Fletcher told reporters in Geneva.

“We need to reset our relationship with those in greatest need on the planet,” said Fletcher, a former British diplomat who started as head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) last month.

The appeal is the fourth largest in OCHA’s history, but Fletcher said it leaves out some 115 million people whose needs the agency cannot realistically hope to fund:

“We’ve got to be absolutely focused on reaching those in the most dire need, and really ruthless.”

The U.N. cut its 2024 appeal to $46 billion from $56 billion the previous year as donor appetite faded, but it is still only 43% funded, one of the worst rates in history. Washington has given over $10 billion, about half the funds received.

Aid workers have had to make tough choices, cutting food assistance by 80% in Syria and water services in cholera-prone Yemen, OCHA said.

Aid is just one part of total spending by the U.N., which has for years failed to meet its core budget due to countries’ unpaid dues.

While incoming president Donald Trump halted some U.N. spending during his first term, he left U.N. aid budgets intact. This time, aid officials and diplomats see cuts as a possibility.

“The U.S. is a tremendous question mark,” said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who held Fletcher’s post from 2003-2006. “I fear that we may be bitterly disappointed because the global mood and the national political developments are not in our favor.”

Project 2025, a set of conservative proposals whose authors include some Trump advisers, takes aim at “wasteful budget increases” by the main U.S. relief agency, USAID. The incoming Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment.

Fletcher cited “the disintegration of our systems for international solidarity” and called for a broadening of the donor base.

Asked about Trump’s impact, he said: “I don’t believe that there isn’t compassion in these governments which are getting elected.”

One of the challenges is that crises are now lasting longer – an average of 10 years, according to OCHA.

Mike Ryan, World Health Organization emergencies chief, said some states were entering a “permanent state of crisis.”

The European Commission – the European Union executive body – and Germany are the number two and three donors to U.N. aid budgets this year.

Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council, said Europe’s contributions were also in doubt as funds are shifted to defense:

“It’s a more fragile, unpredictable world [than in Trump’s first term], with more crises and, should the U.S. administration cut its humanitarian funding, it could be more complex to fill the gap of growing needs.”
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TBILISI, Georgia — Thousands of demonstrators in the Georgian capital converged on parliament again on Tuesday, venting outrage against the governing party’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union.

Like on five previous nights, riot police used water cannons and tear gas to push back the protesters, who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital’s central boulevard. Nearly 300 protesters have been detained, and 26 people, including three police officers, have been hospitalized with injuries.

“The more force they use, the angrier people become, because everyone they arrest has relatives, and everyone understands that this is injustice,” said Tamar Kordzaia, a member of Unity National Movement opposition group.

Kordzaia voiced confidence that the protesters will achieve their goal of calling new elections and joining the EU, noting that police on Monday “looked very tired. I am sure we need to withstand a little longer.”

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

Mass opposition protests sparked by the vote gained new momentum after the governing party’s decision on Thursday to put the EU accession talks on hold.

“We are fighting for our democracy, to protect human rights, human dignity,” said Rusudan Chanturia, who attended Tuesday’s protest.

Another demonstrator, David Jandieri, said the daily protests must continue until the demonstrators achieve their goal. “In fact, we do not have another choice,” he said.

Georgia’s Interior Ministry said Tuesday that 293 protesters were detained on administrative charges and five arrested on criminal charges.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has refused to recognize the official election results and contested them in the Constitutional Court, which rejected her appeal on Tuesday. Zourabichvili, who plays a largely ceremonial role, has declared that she would stay on the job even after her six-year term ends later this month to lead the opposition demand for a new parliamentary election.

The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that it meet 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. It 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.

The Georgian government’s announcement of the EU accession talks’ suspension came hours after the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing October’s election as neither free nor fair.

On Monday, the EU reiterated its “serious concerns about the continuous democratic backsliding of the country.”

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgian Dream declared Tuesday that the government is willing to open EU accession talks if the bloc ends its “blackmail.”

“I want to remind European bureaucrats and politicians, including those who are artificially hindering our country’s European integration, to bring negotiations to the table, and we will sign immediately, on the same day, at that very moment,” he said.
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock this week repeatedly criticized China’s economic and military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, which she said is threatening peace in Europe. During a visit to China, she also pledged to stand up for Germany’s economic interests when it comes to electric vehicles, climate and security policy. VOA Mandarin spoke with analysts about what China’s muted response to her criticism may mean.

See the full story here.
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The FBI has charged Nomma Zarubina, a Russian national living in New York, with two counts of making false statements to FBI agents regarding her ties to Russian intelligence services.

According to the FBI, Zarubina sought connections with U.S. journalists, military personnel, and think tank experts on behalf of Russian intelligence agencies. Court documents reveal that she initially lied to U.S. authorities about her ties to FSB but later admitted to cooperating with FSB agents.

See the full story here.
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ABUJA, NIGERIA — Political analysts in Nigeria say the country needs to be careful after signing a series of agreements with France during President Bola Tinubu’s three-day visit to the European country last week.

Tinubu’s three-day visit to France was the first official state visit to Paris by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades.

During the visit, Nigeria and France signed two major deals, including a $300 million pact to develop critical infrastructure, renewable energy, transportation, agriculture and health care in Nigeria.

Both nations also signed an agreement to increase food security and develop Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

Tinubu has been trying to attract investments to boost Nigeria’s ailing economy. While many praise his latest deals with France, some critics are urging caution.

The deals come as France looks for friends in West Africa following a series of military coups in countries where it formerly had strong ties — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Ahmed Buhari, a political affairs analyst, criticized the partnership.

“Everybody is trying to look for a new development partner that would seemingly be working in their own interest, but obviously we don’t seem to be on the same page,” Buhari said. “We’re partnering with France, who [has] been responsible for countries like Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and the likes, and we haven’t seen significant developments in those places in the last 100 years.”

Abuja-based political analyst Chris Kwaja said France’s strained relationships with the Sahelian states do not affect Nigeria.

“That the countries of the Sahel have a fractured relationship with France does not in any way define the future of the Nigeria-France relationship,” Kwaja said. “No country wants to operate as an island. Every country is looking at strategic partnerships and relationships.”

France has a long history of involvement in the Sahel region, including military intervention, economic cooperation and development aid. Critics say the countries associated with France have been grappling with poverty and insecurity.

Eze Onyekpere, economist and founder of the Center for Social Justice, said Nigeria must be wary of any deal before signing.

“It is a little bit disappointing considering the reputation of France in the way they’ve been exploiting minerals across the Sahel,’ Onyekpere said. “They’ve been undertaking exploitation in a way and manner that’s not in the best interest of those countries. I hope we have good enough checks to make sure that the agreements signed will generally be in the interest of both countries and not a one-sided agreement.”

Nigeria is France’s top trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.

During the president’s visit, two Nigerian banks — Zenith and United Bank for Africa — also signed agreements to expand their operations into France.
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LONDON/LAS PALMAS, SPAIN — Record numbers of migrants arrived on Spain’s Canary Islands from West Africa this year, according to newly released government figures.

Some 41,425 migrants arrived on the islands between January 1 and November 30, according to the figures released Monday. The number surpassed the 39,910 migrants recorded in 2023, which also broke previous records. Most of the migrants are from Mali, Morocco and Senegal.

The islands lie in the Atlantic Ocean more than 100 kilometers west of Morocco and have long attracted migrants seeking a new life in Europe.

The latest figures were published as Spain outlines plans to offer visas to up to 900,000 undocumented migrants already in the country, while simultaneously clamping down on new arrivals.

Madrid announced plans to offer visas to 300,000 undocumented migrants every year for the next three years, allowing them to remain in the country to study and find work.

Spain needs young workers’ taxes to fund the pensions and health care of its aging population, according to the minister for migration, Elma Saiz.

“Spain has to choose between being an open and prosperous country or being a closed and poor country. And we have chosen the former. That is why there are already 2.9 million foreigners paying monthly Social Security contributions [taxes],” Saiz announced at a press conference in Madrid on November 19.

Saiz said that the government plans to “cut red tape” to make it easier for migrants to enter the labor market.

“We want to make it easier for foreigners to get a job suited to their professional profile and, at the same time, for companies to find the professionals they need,” she said.

The visas will be offered only to migrants already in Spain.

Simultaneously, Madrid says it is clamping down on new arrivals by striking deals with African states to curb migrant departures and increase offshore patrols. Spain has also called for the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, to resume patrols in the region.

Authorities have struggled to cope with the surge in migrant arrivals on the Canary Islands. Adult migrants are held in camps as they await transfer to the Spanish mainland, where their visa applications are processed. Children younger than 18 stay at shelters on the islands and are offered places in local schools.

Bocar Gueye, 36, who arrived on the island of Gran Canaria from Mauritania, told VOA that he was happy to have survived the journey.

“They will give the tickets [for travel to the mainland] to everyone, but it is not easy. Everyone will wait their turn. With all the difficulties we had at sea, I think that the rest, we can be patient,” Gueye said.

Tensions on the islands are growing, however. Residents of Las Palmas staged demonstrations in October against the increase in migrant arrivals. Many fear that the government’s plan to regularize the status of migrants already in Spain will encourage more people to attempt the journey.

“Right now, we don’t need immigrants to work,” said Rudy Ruyman, who helped to organize the protests on October 27. “What we need is to give work to the Canary Islanders and to the Spanish in general. We must take care of our land, of our people, of our children, and encourage Canarians and Spaniards to have children. Because if not, what will be left of Spain and the Canary Islands? We will lose our identity,” he told VOA.

The migration debate is shadowed by tragedy. The journey from Africa’s Atlantic coast to the Canary Islands remains one of the deadliest routes to Europe. Aid agencies estimate around 1,000 people die every month attempting the crossing.
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BUCHAREST — Romania’s hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) party wants to be part of a coalition government, its leader said on Tuesday, as the nation eyes a presidential runoff vote that will decide who appoints the prime minister.

Hard-right and ultranationalist parties, including AUR, saw a sharp surge in support in a parliamentary election on Sunday, and while they lack a majority they garnered more than 30% of seats in the legislature.

A Constitutional Court ruling on Monday cleared the way for a presidential runoff next Sunday that will pit far-right candidate Calin Georgescu against centrist Elena Lasconi, raising the possibility that the new head of state, who appoints the government, will share AUR’s views.

A Georgescu win in the presidential runoff would upend Romania’s pro-Western orientation and erode its backing for neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. Romania is a member of NATO and the European Union.

The court had ordered a recount of the first round of the election amid concerns over interference in the electoral process, but finally validated the result.

“As Romania’s second-largest party we … have the responsibility to come up with a credible vision,” AUR leader George Simion told foreign press.

“I would like to have a governmental coalition. If the next president of Romania nominates me as prime minister or asks our party to propose a name for prime minister [then we will].

“We will stay and talk with every political force in the Romanian parliament,” he said, speaking in English.

However Simion ruled out cooperating with the leftist Social Democrats (PSD), who came first in Sunday’s ballot.

Unity

The leader of the far-right SOS grouping, Diana Sosoaca, appealed for unity among nationalist parties on Monday, saying they should try to form a government even if it was a minority one. AUR and Sosoaca have previously clashed over policy and the latter’s pro-Russian statements.

A survey conducted by pollster CURS on Dec. 1 at polling stations showed Georgescu would win 57.8% in a run-off to Lasconi’s 42.2% among people who say they will vote. The survey polled 24,629 people after they cast their vote and had a margin of error of plus/minus 0.6%.

An admirer of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and a critic of the European Union, Simion has said he would stop military aid to Ukraine. He has opposed Holocaust education and gay marriage, and wants to recover territories that Romania lost during World War Two.

AUR has gone from being a fringe anti-vaccination group during the COVID-19 pandemic into Romania’s leading opposition force, appealing to the working class diaspora and young voters and building on popular discontent with mainstream politicians.

He says he is not pro-Russian, calling President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, and supports Romania’s NATO and European Union member status, though he condemns what he calls a “greedy, corrupt bubble” in Brussels.
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