Notre Dame Reopens Five Years After Fire

The archbishop of Paris re-opened Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday by symbolically knocking on the doors and entering the 12th-century landmark which has been restored after a devastating fire in 2019.

Wearing new designer vestments and carrying a staff cut from one of the roof beams that survived the inferno, Laurent Ulrich joined hundreds of VIPs inside the Gothic masterpiece for a two-hour ceremony.

Ulrich commanded the cathedral to "open your doors" and he entered the magnificently-restored edifice.

US President-elect Donald Trump sat on the front row as guest of honour next to French President Emmanuel Macron, with invitees marvelling at the freshly cleaned walls, new furniture and state-of-the-art lightening installed as part of the cathedral's overhaul.

Outside, small crowds of Parisians and tourists braved wet weather and high winds to witness the renaissance of a beloved monument which came close to being totally destroyed by the inferno that toppled its roof and spire.

"I find it really beautiful, even more so now that the spire has been restored," Marie Jean, a 27-year-old dentist from southwest France, told AFP outside.

The reconstruction effort has cost around 700 million euros ($750 million), financed from donations, with the re-opening achieved within a five-year deadline set by Macron despite predictions it could take decades.

Workers had to overcome problems with lead pollution, the Covid-19 epidemic, and the army general overseeing the project falling to his death while hiking in the Pyrenees last year.

It is "a cathedral like we have never seen before," Philippe Jost, who took over as project manager last year, told Franceinfo radio, adding that he was proud to "show the whole world" a "great collective success and a source of pride for all of France".

Saturday's service will feature prayer, organ music and hymns from the cathedral's choir.

A public concert planned in front of the cathedral featuring Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang and possibly US singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams had to be pre-recorded on Friday night because of the stormy weather.

- 'Do the impossible' -

Held up as an example of French creativity and resilience by Macron, Notre Dame's renaissance so soon after the fire comes at a difficult time for the country.

The sense of national accomplishment in restoring a symbol of Paris has been undercut by political turmoil that has left France without a proper government since last week when prime minister Michel Barnier lost a confidence vote.

Macron is hoping the re-opening might provide a fleeting sense of national pride and unity -- as the Paris Olympics did in July and August.

The scale of the immense security operation also recalls the Olympics -- with some 6,000 police officers and gendarmes mobilised.

The re-opening "is the proof that we know how to do grand things, we know how to do the impossible" Macron said Thursday in a televised address to the country.

He is set to address the congregation during Saturday's ceremony.

Trump show?

Macron has scored a major coup by attracting incoming US president Donald Trump for his first foreign trip since his re-election.

Another 40 heads of state and government are also present, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who was given a round of applause as he entered Notre Dame, as well as British heir to the throne, Prince William.

Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the presidential palace shortly before the ceremony, with future US military support for Ukraine's war effort against Russia's invasion expected to have been discussed.

Trump has vowed to force an end to the nearly three-year Ukraine war when he takes office, sparking fears in Kyiv that he will force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia which Zelensky is resisting.

"It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that," Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for talks with Macron.

One surprising absentee on Saturday was Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.

He sent a message addressed to the French people which is set to be read out.

The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation by prosecutors, who believe an accident such as an electrical fault was the most likely reason.

On Sunday, the first mass with 170 bishops and more than 100 Paris priests will take place at 10:30 am (0930 GMT), followed by a second service in the evening at 6:30 pm which will be open to the public.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Survivors Of Jiribam Massacre Seek Death Penalty For "Kuki Militants"

Family members of six people from the Meitei community including three children who were kidnapped and killed in Manipur's Jiribam narrated what they called the "horror" of November 11.

Telem Uttam Singh, who lost his two children and wife; Telem Mongyai Meetei, who lost his elder sister and mother, and Yurembam Sandhiya Begum, who lost her two sisters, told reporters in Delhi they want the government to ensure death penalty is given to the "Kuki militants" who kidnapped and murdered their family members.

The Manipur government in a cabinet resolution has called the perpetrators of the Jiribam massacre "Kuki militants".

"There must be 30 of them, all of them carrying guns. They surrounded our village. I managed to run, and from a distance saw my mother being dragged away by the Kuki militants in an autorickshaw," Sandhiya told reporters in Meiteilon, translated into English by a rights activist.

The three family members told reporters they want the government to ensure the death penalty is given to all the Kuki militants involved in the Jiribam massacre. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the case. All the six were internally displaced people who were living in a relief camp in Jiribam's Borobekra, after their houses in the district bordering Assam were set on fire by Kuki militants earlier this year.

"How much pain do we have to endure? We lost our homes first. Then they came to kill us in the relief camp. Who kills a 10-month-old baby? They are worse than animals," Telem Uttam Singh told reporters, and broke down and cried.

The six from the same family were Yurembam Rani Devi, 60; Telam Thoibi Devi, 31; Laishram Heitonbi Devi, 25; Laishram Chingkheinganba, 3; Telam Thajamanbi, 8, and Laishram Langamba, 10 months old.

Nine civil society organisations of the Meitei community in a statement on Saturday said the "premeditated, planned cold-blooded murders after taking the six civilian hostages were an act of terror."

"Jiri massacre was not a fight between two communities or a riot where mob violence affects both sides in the heat of the moment. The Kuki militants travelled 200 km to Manipur's Jiribam with the sole intention of attacking a relief camp of the Meitei community. Shockingly, instead of condemning the heinous act, Kuki civil society groups played the victim card in front of the national media, and did not even give the basic dignity to the dead by claiming the Kuki militants were 'village volunteers'," they said in the statement.

"Who would kill a 10-month-old infant in cold blood, after kidnapping her family? What objective has the Kuki militants achieved by kidnapping and murdering an infant? What is the agenda behind releasing the picture of them in captivity before murdering and dumping the bodies in a river? Is it to cause maximum trauma to the family and incite hatred?" they said.

The civil society groups are Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee, Meitei Alliance, Meitei Heritage Society, No. 7, Team Meitei Personalities, Manipur Students' Association Delhi, Manipur Innovative Youth Organisation Delhi, United Kakching Students Delhi, and Ningols United Progressive Initiative.

Ten "Kuki militants" were also shot dead by the security forces in Jiribam district on November 11.

Cycle Of Violence Began With Attack By Suspected Meitei Militants?

On November 7, a Hmar woman was killed and several houses were set on fire in Zairawn village by suspected Meitei militants. Her husband in a police case alleged she was raped before she was killed and their house was set on fire by the suspected Meitei militants.

Kuki civil society organisations have said the recent flare-up in Jiribam began after the "Meitei militants" attacked Zairawn village and killed the woman. They have also accused the Manipur government of keeping silent on that attack.

The Manipur cabinet in a statement on November 16, however, had said "Kuki miscreants" burnt several houses and attacked Borobekra police station in Jiribam district on October 19. This attack, and not the November 7 attack, led to a fresh cycle of violence, government sources have said.

There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis - a term given by the British in colonial times - who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar's Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

Who Is Your Successor, Mamata Banerjee Was Asked. Her Reply

Amidst the ongoing internal struggle within the TMC between veteran leaders and the younger faction, West Bengal Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said any decision regarding her successor would be made collectively by the party leadership rather than by her personally.

In an exclusive interview with a Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla, Ms Banerjee dismissed notions of individual dominance, asserting, "I am not the party; we are the party. It is a collective family, and decisions will be made collectively."

Asked about her potential successor, Ms Banerjee deflected the question with a counter-query, "Who is your successor?" She went on to clarify that TMC is a disciplined party where no individual will dictate terms. "The party will decide what is best for the people. We have MLAs, MPs, booth workers, this is a joint effort," she said.

On the ongoing debate about prioritising the younger generation or experienced leaders, Ms Banerjee maintained a balanced approach, stating, "Everyone is important. Today's newcomer will be tomorrow's veteran."

While TMC has not officially declared any succession plans, Ms Banerjee's remark comes amidst an ongoing debate over the old guards, considered loyal to Mamata Banerjee, versus the next-generation leaders, considered close to Abhishek Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee is TMC's national general secretary and nephew of Mamata Banerjee.

Ms Banerjee did not mince words when addressing the role of political consultants, taking an indirect jibe at I-PAC, which has been working as TMC's political consultant since 2019.

"Some strategists make surveys sitting at home and change them later. They can arrange things but not bring voters. It's the booth workers who know the villages and people who actually win elections," she remarked, adding, "They are like artisans who do their work in exchange for money. But elections aren't won by them."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Muhammad Now The Most Popular Name For A Baby In Great Britain, Data Shows

427 years after William Shakespeare wrote it for the first time in the great "tragedy" Romeo & Juliet, England is asking the quintessential question - "What's in a name?" - And this time wondering what significance that question might hold in another 42.7 years.

The Department of Statistics in the United Kingdom has revealed in its latest dataset that Muhammad is officially the most popular name for a newborn boy in England and Wales. More than 4,600 babies were registered with that name in 2023 - the highest for a boy. Muhammad was the second-most popular name in 2022 as well.

Noah, once the most popular name in UK, came a distant second this year, according to the Office for National Statistics or ONS.

But the staff at Great Britain's statistical office has in-fact been observing the trend for a while now. Jotting down the most popular names in the UK, besides other important statistics, it revealed that Muhammad has been among the top 10 names for baby boys since 2016.

Adding to the cheer, the Department of Statistics said that other spellings of the name Muhammad - namely Mohammed and Mohammad - also made the top 100 list for England and Wales. This, the ONS explained, is because it considers each spelling as a separate name.

George, Harry, and Charlotte are no longer popular names for children in the UK, the data showed, adding that Elizabeth and Charles are also not a favourite among young parents.

The nine other top names for newborn boys in Britain are - Noah, Oliver, George, Leo, Arthur, Luca, Theodore, Oscar, and Henry.

For newborn girls, the ten most popular names in Britain in 2023 were - Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Lily, Freya, Ava, Ivy, Florence, Willow, and Isabella. The top three names for girls have remained unchanged for a third consecutive year.

The statistical office also said that new entries to the list of top 100 baby names include Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya for girls, and Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi for boys.

It further noted that the time of year also played an important part in parents choosing a name. In the month of December, Holly, Robyn and Joseph were more popular, whereas names like Summer and Autumn were popular in their respective seasons.

Data revealed that pop culture also played a big part in how baby names were chosen. The most popular celebrity names for babies include music artists Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey, baby names from the Kardashian-Jenner family such as Reign and Saint, and movie stars such as Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy.

The statistical office said that the top names for boys had much higher counts than those for girls. This is because, there are many more unique names for baby girls as compared to baby boys. The pool of unique names for girls are over 35,000 in count, while for boys the pool, including variations of the same name, stands at 29,560.
 

Prohibitory Orders In Ambala, Delhi Braces For Snarls As Farmers Plan March

1. The foot march to the Parliament building Delhi is expected to begin at 1 pm tomorrow from the Shambhu border protest site.
2. This would be the second footmarch planned this week. On Monday, farmers from Uttar Pradesh attempted a march to Parliament. They were stopped in Noida, but the march caused massive traffic snarls on both sides of the border.
3.  The farmers have gathered under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), seeking legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price of crops, among other things.
4. Besides MSP, they are demanding farm debt waiver, pension for them and their labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
5. They have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
6. The prohibitory orders, which ban the gathering of four and more people, automatically bars any procession on foot, vehicles, or other modes.
7. Central paramilitary forces have been deployed on the Haryana side of the border along with multi-layer barricading. Senior police officers have reached the border to assess the security situation.
8. In a hearing earlier this week, the Supreme Court said while peaceful protest is a democratic right, farmers should not obstruct highways and cause inconvenience to the people.
9. "In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people. You all know that the Khanauri border is a lifeline for Punjab. We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong," said a benh of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.
10. On February 21, Shubhkaran Singh, a farmer from Punjab, died during a clash at Khanauri border when protesters tried to march towards Delhi. Teargas shells were also lobbed by the security forces.

Hours After Giving Birth, Mother Dies After Lift Falls In UP Hospital

A woman was being shifted from the operation theatre to the general room after she gave birth to a girl at a hospital in Meerut. Thirty-year-old Karishma was put on a stretcher and was taken downstairs, through a lift which fell after the belt snapped. She suffered serious injuries to her head and later died during treatment.

The shocking incident took place today at the Capital Hospital in Meerut's Shastri Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. People stuck in the lift started shouting for help, leading to a commotion in the hospital. Some tried to open the elevator but failed until a team of technicians came to rescue them.

The police said the injured woman was taken to a different hospital but later died due to the injuries. The doctors and the staff fled after angry relatives of the victim vandalised the hospital.

A police post is located in front of the hospital and cops in a few minutes, bringing the situation under control.

The baby girl has been kept in the nursery of another hospital. The woman was admitted to the hospital in the morning for a cesarean delivery.

A case has been registered against the doctor, manager and staff of Capital Hospital in Lohia Nagar police station of Meerut.

The Chief Medical Officer, Meerut, reached the spot and ordered the shifting of 15 patients from the hospital to another medical centre nearby. The Capital Hospital has been sealed by authorities.

The police and the CMO have formed a team to investigate the incident.

With inputs from Shyam Parmar

India vs Aus 2nd Test Under Threat? Adelaide Curator: "We're Expecting..."

Potential thunderstorms are forecast for the opening day of the India vs Australia day-night Test, starting on Friday, which is unusual for Adelaide at this time of the year. It will be India's first pink-ball Test in Australia since they were infamously bundled out for 36 at the same venue back in 2020 but Adelaide pitch curator Damian Hough maintained there were no demons in the pitch even back then. "I am not sure exactly on the timing of those storms coming through, but we're expecting to pull covers a bit on Friday. Hopefully it clears out on Saturday morning ... then it should be good for the remainder of the Test," he said. 

Hough said weather has a huge role to play in the the movement of the pink ball. "The ball hooping around has got nothing to do with the pitch. Under right conditions, right weather, the ball will move." 

"On the morning of day three, no one would have expected that Test match to finish in three days. That was just really good bowling from Australia...I don't think the pitch played a part in that," he said.

The history of pink-ball Test cricket shows that batting during twilight poses the toughest challenges for batters. While Hough didn't have definitive information, he felt the common view of twilight sessions being tough for batters was accurate.

"I just worry about the pitch preparation side of things, so I don't talk to the plaers in-depth about what they find challenging. But history suggests that the night time session tends to liven up a little bit in regards to if a new ball, or there's a declaration or they get them all out under lights in that last session with a couple of new batters.

"It seems to then take a bit more to get used to. If you've got a couple of players in, they can navigate through that a lot easier. I know that they found it hard in the early days to pick the seam and even with the spinners. So I know Kookaburra have done a lot of work in with the ball, but I don't know the finer details.

"I sort of just focus on my role within the game and preparing the pitch. I don't try to understand all of those other aspects of the game. Like, if I can get my side of it right with my team or then that plays a role in allowing the players to shine."

With IANS inputs