Category: World

Donald Trump joined 40 world leaders at the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral after a five-year renovation. The restoration of the historical monument cost 700 million euros and was completed earlier than expected.

US President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Paris on Saturday to join other world leaders at the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in the French capital, noting its surprisingly rapid recovery half a decade after the devastating fire, reports UNN with reference to AFP.

President Emmanuel Macaron cites Notre Dame as an example of French creativity and resilience, but its revival so soon after the 2019 fire that destroyed its roof and spire comes at a difficult time for the country.

The media notes that Macron has achieved great success by attracting Trump to the rediscovery, on his first foreign trip after the election.

The president-elect is due to hold talks with Macron and possibly also meet with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, one of dozens of other world leaders arriving in Paris that day.

But the sense of national achievement in restoring Paris' beloved symbol has been undermined by political upheaval that has left France without a proper government and in a budget crisis.

According to media reports, Macron hopes that the first full-fledged service inside Notre Dame and the presence of about 40 world leaders in Paris can evoke a fleeting sense of pride and unity — as it was at the Paris Olympics in July and August.

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The rediscovery "is proof that we can do great things, we can do the impossible, and the whole world has admired us for it twice this year," Macron said in his televised address on Thursday, referring to the widely praised Olympics.

However, during a visit with television cameras last week, he somewhat dispelled the intrigue behind the reopening by showing the freshly cleaned limestone walls of the cathedral, new furniture and a vaulted wooden roof carved from ancient oaks selected from the best forests of France.

The renovation cost about 700 million euros ($750 million), funded by donations, and the reopening took place within five years, despite forecasts that it could take decades.

The workers had to overcome problems related to lead pollution, the COVID-19 epidemic and the death of the general in charge of the project during a hiking trip in the Pyrenees last year.

Russian occupation forces bombarded a village in the Vasylivka district of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on the morning of 7 December, killing a man.

Source: Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration

Details: It was specified that the Russians had hit the village of Prymorske with artillery.

A house was destroyed in the attack, and the man, 65, was killed.

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In the Moscow clubs "sisters" and Bizarre, security forces conducted raids, during which visitors were laid on the floor. Law enforcement officers were looking for "representatives of non-traditional orientation" as part of the fight against "LGBT propaganda".

In Moscow, security forces raided the sisters and Bizarre clubs, reports UNN with reference to rossmi.

According to Mash, "several dozen guests were laid face down on the floor." The police were looking for" representatives of non-traditional orientation, "Izvestia reported.

Last week, on the night of November 30, security forces raided Mono and Sumach bars, as well as the Arma club (formerly Mutabor). Visitors were also forced to lie face down on the floor, their documents were checked, and detentions were reported. The Russian Interior Ministry explained the raids as a fight against "LGBT propaganda".

Organized tours for the LGBT community: in Moscow, the director of a travel agency is accused of extremismNov 30 2024, 08:30 AM • 18837 views

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that the second batch of F-16 aircraft from Denmark has arrived in Ukraine.

Source: Zelenskyy on Telegram

Quote: "This is an example of leadership in defending lives that sets Denmark apart.

The aircraft from the first batch, provided by the Danish people, are already intercepting Russian missiles, saving our people’s lives and our infrastructure. Now, our air shield has been further strengthened. If all partners were as determined, Russian terror could already have been made impossible.

I am heartfeltly grateful to Mette (Frederiksen, Danish PM), her team and the entire Danish nation."

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The Georgian Interior Ministry detained 48 people during the dispersal of a protest rally in Tbilisi, including a journalist and a politician. The Ombudsman stated that there are no legal grounds for interfering in a peaceful rally.

The Georgian Interior Ministry announced the administrative detention of 48 people during the dispersal of a protest rally in Tbilisi on Saturday night, reports UNN with reference to "News. Georgia".

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The detainees are charged with disobedience to police demands and disorderly conduct (articles 166 and 173 of the code of administrative offences).

According to media reports, Mtavari journalist Beka Korcia is among those detained. The lawyer said that the special forces "grabbed" him when he was walking along Javakhishvili Street towards the Galaktioni Bridge after the dispersal on Rustaveli.

Tsotne Koberidze, a member of the Coalition for change, was also arrested. The politician said that he was soon released – Koberidze formally remains a member of the Georgian parliament, his application for refusal of his mandate has not yet been granted.

Koberidze says that during the arrest, the security forces beat him and made humiliating comments. "They took a photo with me and laughed: "we are rooting for you. Well, when Will you save the country?". Then they took me to Chichinadze Street, put me in the middle and beat me there, beat me for about a minute. Then the police treated me well," Koberidze wrote on his Facebook page.

It is known about the detention of former Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia Zurab Alavidze and his son.

The media spread footage of a middle-aged woman who tearfully spoke about the detention of her 19-year-old son with severe epilepsy. She said that she warned the security forces about the young man's illness and asked not to detain him, but she was ignored. Soon, the people's defender of Georgia said that the young man was released after the intervention of his staff.

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The interior ministry says that the police were forced to start dispersing the rally due to the aggressive actions of individual protesters. They allegedly fired fireworks at police and parliament, threw stones at employees and insulted them.

The Georgian Ombudsman, in turn, believes that at the time of the beginning of the crackdown, the action was peaceful and "there were no legal grounds for interfering with freedom of Assembly.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has updated information on Russian losses in the war against Ukraine. Russia has lost another 1,300 soldiers killed and wounded and two air defence systems over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 7 December 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses – ed.]:

• approximately 751,910 (+1,300) military personnel;
• 9,514 (+0) tanks;
• 19,535 (+17) armoured combat vehicles;
• 21,055 (+12) artillery systems;
• 1,253 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;
• 1,022 (+2) air defence systems;
• 369 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;
• 329 (+0) helicopters;
• 20,042 (+19) tactical and strategic UAVs;
• 2,857 (+0) cruise missiles;
• 28 (+0) ships/boats;
• 1 (+0) submarine;
• 30,948 (+49) vehicles and fuel tankers;
• 3,633 (+0) special vehicles and other equipment.

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The head of the OP stressed the importance of cooperation with the UK to strengthen Ukraine and European security. Yermak stressed the need for further training of Ukrainian brigades and strengthening sanctions against the Russian Federation.

Yermak stressed the importance of the UK's role in strengthening Ukraine and creating a sustainable European security system. This is reported by the head of the Office of the president of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, reports UNN.

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Head of the Office of the president of Ukraine Andriy Yermak stressed that London is one of the key partners in the formation of a safe and just world order.

Yermak focused on the need for further training of Ukrainian brigades and increased sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation. He stressed that a common plan for winning the war is not only a strategy, but also a common responsibility of all partners, which should end in a fair peace based on the rule of law.

He also expressed a proposal for deeper integration of Ukraine into the European security system. According to Yermak, strengthening cooperation with the UK will help strengthen the whole of Europe, ensuring a reliable future for a democratic world.

Ukraine and Made in Britain sign agreement on entering World MarketsDec 6 2024, 09:32 PM • 10674 views

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Ukrnafta, the largest Ukrainian oil company, signed a loan deal for €80 million.

Source: Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy

Details: The initiative envisions installing compact generators with capacities of up to 10 MW apiece in Ukraine's western and central regions, where there is now a serious lack of energy and heat.

Quote: "Since Ukrnafta is the largest producer of oil and gas in the country, as well as the operator of the largest network of gas stations, the company can use its own gas for energy generation and thus reduce the load on the country's energy system," the EBRD said.

The EBRD loan will be backed by investment grants of €9.5 million from the Netherlands and €12.5 million from the United States, which will be channelled through the EBRD Special Fund.

The financing arrangement between the EBRD and Ukrnafta was the first in the framework of the EBRD investment package for Ukraine, totalling more than €1.3 billion.

The package's finances will be used to implement initiatives aimed at restoring energy and transportation infrastructure, developing distributed generation, and improving energy efficiency.

In total, eight projects to help the public and private sectors will be funded through the EBRD investment package.

Background:

• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Board of Directors has approved investments in Ukraine totalling more than €1.3 billion.
• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) stated unequivocally that it would not lend financing to Ukrainian companies, particularly the DTEK energy company, that are controlled by oligarchs.

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Yun Sok Yule admitted a mistake regarding the introduction of martial law and control over the media due to the blocking of the work of Parliament by the opposition. The president promised to restore citizens ' trust and cooperate with the parliament to resolve the crisis.

South Korean President Yoon Sok Yule has apologized to Citizens for his decision to impose martial law. This is reported by Yonhap , reports UNN.

Details

In his televised address, he said that he understands the scale of the outrage and is ready to take responsibility for the consequences of this step.

Martial law was imposed in order to combat the anti-state actions of the opposition, which blocked the work of the parliament. The decision provided for the cessation of political activity, control over the media and restriction of public gatherings, which led to accusations of trying to suppress democracy in the country.

The president promised that this will not happen again, and stressed the need to restore citizens ' trust in the authorities. He expressed his readiness to cooperate with the parliament and society to resolve the crisis caused by his actions.

South Korean President lifts martial lawDec 4 2024, 12:27 AM • 17463 views

One of Russia's largest microchip manufacturers, Angstrem (Zelenograd), has been declared bankrupt.

Source: The Moscow Times

Details: The company has been put under observation, and the decision to declare the debtor bankrupt was made at the request of Zenit Bank on 2 December 2024. As the case file shows, the court ordered in November 2019 that RUB 1 billion (about US$9.94 million) in compensation be paid out to Zenit by Angstrem, but the plant has not done so in more than six years.

The plant was a landmark for Russia and was supposed to become the largest player in the production of microchips. It was supervised by Leonid Reiman, a former communications minister close to Putin.

He received US$1 billion in state funding – his company attracted a €815 million credit line from the Russian state development corporation and investment company VEB in 2008 to set up production of processors, smart cards, and electronic passports. The project was supported by the Russian government and the Security Council.

Having accumulated more than RUB 100 billion (about US$1 billion) in debts, Angstrem suddenly stopped paying back its loans. In 2014, Angstrom did not have the funds to continue its operation, the tax service said.

The tax service said Angstrem has 108 enforcement proceedings worth RUB 147.6 billion (about US$1.5 billion). It also has unfinished legal proceedings worth more than EUR 500 million.

Background: Russia has been circumventing sanctions by purchasing electronic components from Western companies for its missiles, paying twice as much for them.

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