France celebrated the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday at a special church service that featured a standing ovation for the firefighters who saved the 12th-century landmark from destruction during a 2019 blaze. A two-hour service attended by incoming US president Donald Trump among other world leaders began with the archbishop of Paris knocking on the doors of the cathedral three times. "Notre Dame, model of faith, open your doors to bring together the far-flung children of God in joy," archbishop Laurent Ulrich commanded, banging with a wooden staff crafted from a roof beam that survived the inferno five years ago. Trump could be seen sitting 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 lighting installed as part of the overhaul. In a short speech, Macron expressed the "gratitude of the French nation" for the restoration work, achieved at frenzied speed over the last five years. France had "rediscovered what great nations can do -- achieve the impossible", he said. One of the most moving moments came when firefighters in their protective gear walked through the congregation to thunderous applause as the word "Merci" ("Thank you") was beamed on the intricate facade and famous belltowers of the Gothic masterpiece. Small crowds of Parisians and tourists braved wet weather and high winds outside to witness the renaissance of a monument, which came close to collapsing due to the intensity of 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 cost around 700 million euros ($750 million), financed from donations, with the re-opening achieved within a five-year deadline 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. Saturday's service featured classical music, the cathedral's choir as well as the "re-awakening" of the 8,000-pipe organ which is considered the voice and soul of the cathedral. A televised public concert planned outside 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. 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. He scored a major coup by attracting Trump along with around 40 heads of state and government, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who was given a round of applause as he entered Notre Dame. 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 end the nearly three-year Ukraine war when he takes office on January 20, sparking fears in Kyiv that he will force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia. "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 and weighed into a row about whether the place of worship and tourist attraction should remain free to enter. The "immense" numbers set to visit Notre Dame should be welcomed "generously and free of charge", he said, clearly opposing a proposition from the French culture ministry to charge for entry. 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. adp-sjw/jjAllspring Multi-Sector Income Fund Announces Dividend of $0.07 (NYSEAMERICAN:ERC)
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis slated to make season debut on Monday night vs LA Clippers
A mum who fears she has been scarred for life after having dodgy face fillers is backing the Mirror ’s fight to crack down on cosmetic cowboys. Samantha Lougher, whose face erupted in giant pus-filled boils, is the latest victim of an unregulated aesthetic industry to support our campaign . The 58-year-old mum from Cheshire, said she can no longer look in the mirror after she had some ‘botox’ on her fine lines on her chin. Sam, who is a full time carer to her mum, was left with huge boils around the injection site which turned into abscesses. “It’s crazy. It has messed up my life, I don’t want to go out any more, I don’t want to go anywhere. It’s been horrendous, the worst thing ever,” she told The Mirror. “I feel like it has ruined me. I don’t want to look in the mirror, that’s how bad it is. I say to my daughter all the time ‘I just hate my face’. I don’t see anything else.” Samantha told how she went with her friend who was having some Botox in a room at the back of a hairdressing salon and decided she’d have some done too for £170. She wanted to look her best for her childhood friend’s wedding in Spain and had filler before with no problems. But this time she was left with pus filled abscesses and missed her friend’s wedding - too upset to leave her hotel room. Recalling the work she had done, Samantha said: “I did it because I was going on holiday to Marbella. I wanted to get rid of a few fine lines on my chin. “I signed something on her phone and she put some numbing cream on and started to inject the filler. She injected about ten times and I remember thinking ‘I didn’t realise there were that many lines?’ I felt that it was really painful, which is not normal. My friend even said ‘I can see you are in agony’. “When I got out it bruised straight away and felt really hot. The redness just went into blisters and huge boils all around my chin area, and they were just full of pus. I still went on holiday but didn’t go to the wedding and sat on my own crying. I never went out. The Mirror's three cosmetic demands 1. Cosmetic operations such as liposuction, surgical face lifts and surgical eye lifts, should only be carried out by properly trained surgeons on the General Medical Council specialist register. These surgeons should have UK Board Certification in Cosmetic Surgery for their area of practice. 2. All operations and high risk procedures must be surgically safeand carried out in clinics and hospitals inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 3. Make it a legal requirement for beauty clinics who offer non-surgical interventions to have malpractice insurance. “I called the woman because I was worried and she said it would go down and to put a cold compress on it and pop the blisters. She also told me to stop taking the aspirin I was on. ” It is suspected the needle the ‘aesthetic practitioner’ used was dirty or the area was not cleaned properly. Talking about the Mirror’s call for more regulations in the cosmetic surgery world , she said: “I think it is a brilliant idea after what’s happened to me. My face is scarred now for life. “People are dying because there are people who don’t know what they are doing. I only went with a few fine lines, I’m so sorry I went now. This was August and I’ve still got lumps in my face. “I can’t look in the mirror and it’s still bad, I can feel people looking. It’s like I’ve got bad acne scars .” After going to her doctors and having antibiotics she went to see one of the UK’s leading aesthetic doctors, Dr Ed Robinson, to help put it right. He is also backing the Mirror campaign and fears she was given contaminated filler or needle, or the skin was not cleaned prior to injection. Dr Ed is continuing to treat the scarring and said: “I support the Mirror’s campaign because the lack of regulation in the UK aesthetics industry has allowed clinics to thrive which do not carry out these procedures to the meticulous standard required for safe patient care. This patient received substandard care and an avoidable complication. “She also received inappropriate medical advice - she was advised to stop aspirin by a non-medic for her clotting disorder. Patients are often drawn in by clinics which look safe due to their marketing and social media followers. “The prices these clinics charge are very low and are indicative of using poor quality products which are often not sourced from pharmacies. We are seeing a dramatic increase in filler-related complications as dodgy practitioners who are non-medical cut corners to extract profit from their patients. “Urgent regulation is required from the government to protect patients and the NHS which increasingly has to pick up the complications from aesthetics.”
Lopetegui came into the game under pressure following some poor displays from the Hammers in recent weeks but they earned a hard-fought victory to end the Magpies’ three-game winning spell. Despite a promising opening from the hosts, Tomas Soucek headed West Ham in front before Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s first goal for the club after the break wrapped up victory. Lopetegui was pleased with his side’s display following a “tough match”. He said: “I am happy for the three points and am very happy against a good team like Newcastle, who have good players and a fantastic coach. “I think today was a tough match and we were able to compete as a team. “I think we deserved to win. Today they had many moments in the first half, but I think the second half we deserved to win and we are happy because you have to do these kind of matches against this type of team if you want to overcome them.” Newcastle started brightly and had plenty of chances in the first half especially, but the visitors responded after the break by retaining possession well. The win eases the pressure on Lopetegui, whose West Ham side face Arsenal on Saturday, and he believes the victory is an important feeling for his players. He said: “I think the only thing that is under our control is to play football, to improve, to defend well, to convince the players we are able to do better. “Today we did, but I think the only thing we can do is to do the things that are under our control, not today but every day. “So we had to keep with this mentality, but above all let me say we are happy for the players because they need this kind of feeling as a team to believe that we are able to do well as a team, to put the best for each player of the team.” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe admitted defeat was a missed opportunity for his side. The Magpies missed a series of chances in the first half, including efforts from Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, before Alexander Isak blasted a chance off target. Anthony Gordon also rolled an effort just wide of the post after the break and Isak headed wide of goal. Three points could have seen Newcastle move into the top six and Howe admitted his side need to learn from the match. “Yes, massive because the league is so tight that a couple of wins and the whole picture looks very different,” Howe said. “We’ll kick ourselves tonight because we knew the opportunity we had, a home game, Monday night, a great moment for us potentially in our season, so we have to learn from that and come back stronger.”Van Lith scores 17 to help No. 11 TCU women beat Brown 79-47
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana civil court judge on Monday halted state agencies' plans to forcibly clear homeless encampments in New Orleans. Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien issued a temporary restraining order blocking state police and two other agencies from evicting homeless people from their encampments in New Orleans or seizing their property without following city laws and due process. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry had called earlier this month for the City of New Orleans to remove a large encampment before Thanksgiving and warned he would intervene if the city did not comply. “If a judge believes that people have a right to be on whatever public space they choose, maybe that judge should have them move into her chambers and courtroom," Landry said after the judge issued the restraining order Monday. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Sgt. Katharine Stegall said the agency’s legal team and the state Attorney General’s Office are reviewing the order. State police have “promptly halted activities” and are “complying with the restrictions” of the order, Stegall said. Landry and New Orleans officials have repeatedly clashed over how to address the issue of homelessness in the city. New Orleans City Councilmember Lesli Harris said Monday that directing more resources towards moving homeless people into stable housing was “infinitely more effective than punitive sweeps” of encampments. “Coordination between the government and service providers on the housing of people is imperative, and continuously moving people only makes it that much harder to house them,” Harris said. But the governor has pushed to clear homeless encampments. In late October, Louisiana State Police, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Transportation and Development converged on a homeless encampment under a highway to remove and relocate dozens of people prior to pop star Taylor Swift’s concerts in the nearby Superdome. Some people who had been away at the time of the clearances returned to the area to find they had lost their personal property including family heirlooms, identification documents and medication, according to testimony in court documents. City officials and advocates for homeless people decried the evictions and said they disrupted ongoing efforts to secure long-term housing for these individuals because they became harder to locate. A judge later granted a temporary restraining order preventing more clearances but declined to extend it beyond early November after lawyers representing the state police indicated in court that removals tied to the Taylor Swift concerts had ceased. But on Friday, homeless people began receiving flyers from state police officers ordering them to leave their encampments within 24 hours, according to a motion for relief filed on behalf of two homeless plaintiffs by the Southern Poverty Law Center and two other legal groups. The planned sweeps preceded the Bayou Classic football game on Saturday between Southern University and Grambling State University at the Superdome. “Your presence is considered a violation,” the flyers stated, according to the motion for relief. However, they were halted by the new temporary restraining order. On Dec. 3, the judge is scheduled to deliberate on whether to issue a preliminary injunction against the three state agencies. “The vulnerable people with disabilities who make up the vast majority of people living in the street deserve to be treated with sensitivity and compassion,” said Joe Heeren-Mueller, director of community engagement for Unity of Greater New Orleans, a homeless outreach organization. There are about 1,450 homeless people in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish, according to a January survey by the nonprofit Unity of Greater New Orleans. The city has committed to securing housing for these individuals by the end of 2025. Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
Holloway, No. 5 Alabama overwhelm South Dakota State with 19 3-pointers in 105-82 victory'Maha' defeat hits Congress's standing, INDIA bloc
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was hit on his throwing hand on the final play of an ugly first half, leaving his status uncertain Saturday in the Southeastern Conference championship game against Texas. Beck was hit by outside linebacker Trey Moore, forcing a fumble recovered by Anthony Hill Jr., who then lost the ball on an errant attempt to extend the play with a lateral as time expired. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
ESSENTIAL LINKS Top 20 | Important dates To watch: Teams | Players TOP 20 SCOREBOARD Saturday, Dec. 7 BIG NORTH Paramus Catholic (1-0) at High Point, 8pm MCSSIHL Parsippany Hills at Vernon (0-1), 4pm Montville at West Morris (1-0), 4:15pm Gill St. Bernard's vs. Roxbury at Sport Care Arena, 5:15pm Morristown vs. Randolph at Mennen Arena, 6:15pm Paramus Catholic (1-0) at High Point, 8pm Mountain Lakes (0-1) at Morris Catholic, 8:15pm NJIIHL Johnson vs. West Orange (1-0) at Codey Arena, 5:45pm Nutley (1-1) at Millburn, 7:45pm Oratory (0-1) at Frisch (1-0), 8:15pm SKYLAND Ridge (1-0) at Watchung Hills (0-1), 8:10pm
Oman’s central bank approves regulations for Banking Deposits Protection LawSudhanshu Rai And Puneet Sharma's BAIDA To Hit The Theatres In 2025; Details InsideNone
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By Conor Roche A familiar face for Celtics fans is on the cover of the latest edition of Men’s Health magazine. Celtics star Jaylen Brown donned the cover of Men’s Health ‘s Winter 2024 issue. Brown, who was shirtless on the cover, spoke with Men’s Health fitness director and certified trainer Ebenezer Samuel for the cover story, which was titled “Jaylen Brown vs. the NBA, Nike, and the World.” In the story, Brown shared some of his offseason workouts with Samuel. He also shared some basketball-related thoughts, who his heroes are, and disclosed new information about his relationship with Nike. Here are four things we learned about Brown from the Men’s Health profile, which can be read here . Jaylen Brown on the cover of Men’s Health https://t.co/HFCMv8Gnby pic.twitter.com/URMnvDv8hP Mavericks coach Jason Kidd created some headlines between Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals in June, calling Brown the Celtics’ best player. Kidd’s comment was viewed as a tactic to possibly create a divide by some with the Celtics getting a strong victory in Game 1 en route to their Finals win. At the time, Brown said he had “no reaction” to Kidd’s comment. After winning Finals MVP, Brown was asked about Kidd’s comment again by Samuel. “If you ask him, I think he meant exactly what he was saying,” Brown replied. “I think he honestly believed that was just his opinion.” Brown had a strong performance in Boston’s five-game victory over Dallas. He scored 20.8 points per game to go with 5.4 rebounds, five assists, and 1.6 steals per game in the series. But his greatest impact arguably came on the defensive end, where he was the Celtics’ primary defender on Luka Doncic. The Mavericks star shot just 40.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from distance while committing five turnovers when Brown guarded him, per NBA.com’s tracking stats. Kidd and Brown have also developed a relationship off the court. The duo, who are Cal alums, formed a partnership in August to bring XChange to Oakland. Brown formed Boston XChange with help from Jrue and Lauren Holliday earlier in the summer to help “empower underrepresented creators and entrepreneurs by providing the resources, support, and opportunities needed to thrive.” For much of his career, Brown has played second fiddle to Jayson Tatum on the Celtics. Ever since Kyrie Irving’s departure in the 2019 offseason, Tatum has led the team in scoring with Brown finishing second in the team in scoring in each of the last four years. As a result, Tatum has seemed to receive a greater share of the limelight than Brown. Comments like the one Kidd made during the Finals were also frequent before they won a title as some analysts felt Brown was good enough to lead his own team or thought the partnership between him and Tatum wouldn’t work. Brown told Samuel there were times when he thought he should be getting more than what he got in Boston. “I’ve always had the understanding of a process, of a team, and I never really complained about it,” Brown said. “Have I thought I deserved more at certain points in my career? One thousand percent.” Brown didn’t specify what “more” meant in the interview. He had been the subject of trade rumors, though, in recent years, most notably being rumored as the centerpiece of a deal to acquire Kevin Durant in 2022. Obviously, the Celtics kept Brown. They later signed him to a supermax extension in the 2023 offseason that was the largest contract in NBA history at the time, which was surpassed by the extension Tatum signed in July. Now, Brown seems more secure in his role, telling Samuel that he’s “the leader of this team.” “It’s my job to bring the best out of everybody,” Brown told Samuel. “Sometimes it’s okay to take a back seat in order for other people to shine.” Brown told Samuel that he wants to have a legacy akin to the likes of Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, and Kobe Bryant. “Bill Russell, for what he spoke towards in terms of inequalities and justice for people of color,” Brown told Samuel. “Muhammad Ali, for his belief system, his faith, his charisma, his fearlessness — and his affirmation that ‘I’m the greatest.’ Kobe had that I-don’t-give-a-[expletive] attitude. Kobe’s confidence was real fulfilling, like he really thought that highly of himself — but also because he worked hard.” Brown has often shared his admiration for Russell, a Celtics icon. He was actually tardy for a Celtics practice so he could attend and speak at the City of Boston’s ceremony in renaming the North Washington Street Bridge after Russell in October. “Bill Russell transcends sports,” Brown said at the event . “I can speak on and on about his résumé, but his character, his demeanor, and how he handled himself through adversity, I think that speaks volumes, especially in a time like today. I think it’s very fitting that the bridge is getting named after him, because what a bridge does is bring people together. And the leadership of sports and the role that sports play in our society is bringing people together.” Brown has also been vocal in spreading awareness of off-court issues, similar to Russell. He drove from Boston to Atlanta to be a part of a protest at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. He’s also started off-court initiatives, like the aforementioned Boston XChange, to help reduce wealth inequality. Prior to the interview with Samuel, Brown hadn’t shared too much about his admiration for Ali and Bryant in the past. He actually has a tie to Ali, who his grandfather said he boxed against in training sessions . Brown boxed with his grandfather during the NBA’s shutdown in 2020 to remain in shape. But Brown has also spoken a lot about his faith in recent years, observing Ramadan late in the Celtics’ season on multiple occasions. He also performed Umrah as he made the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, with former Celtics teammate Tacko Fall in July. Ali was also Muslim, converting to Sunni Islam during his boxing career. As for his admiration for Bryant, Brown actually mentioned the Lakers icon as one of the inspirations for why he started 741, his performance brand, in an interview with Stephen A. Smith in October. “A lot of the reason why I started this shoe company is because I read an article around 2019 or so that Kobe was doing the same thing before he passed,” Brown told Smith . On the court, Brown and Bryant have some similarities. Before leading the Lakers to titles in 2009 and 2010, Bryant was also the second fiddle of a two-star tandem with Shaquille O’Neal. Bryant and O’Neal helped the Lakers win three championships in a row from 2000-02 before their falling out led to O’Neal being traded in 2004. Brown’s beef with Nike following his Olympics snub over the summer was one of the bigger storylines surrounding the Celtics after their title win. But he actually negotiated a shoe deal with Nike, along with Under Armor and Puma, after his deal with Adidas expired in 2021, according to Samuel. There was one hold-up that Brown had with Nike and each apparel brand he negotiated with, though, claiming none of them would allow him to design his own signature shoe. “They wasted my time,” Brown said. “They pretended that they would listen. Once it gets to the contract, they’re like, ‘Well, our superstars that we have here that are — that at the time were bigger than I was — this is the contract they have.’” Brown told Samuel that his approach in negotiations probably cost him “millions of dollars worth of deals.” He opted to launch 741 ahead of the Celtics’ regular season, releasing his first signature shoe, the Rover, shortly after. In September, Brown told reporters that he’s hoping the launch of 741 will help inspire other star athletes to do something similar. “My whole ideology is being able to create other options,” Brown said. “There’s a lot of guys who feel like they want to do other things, and they’re afraid, or don’t know how. As a Player’s Association rep, I listen to them. I listen to guys’ stories as they get older. I listen to guys’ stories as they transition through their career and they wish they had other options. “So, the solution for me was to start using my platform to create [those], spark others, and show them exactly how they can do it.” Sign up for Celtics updates🏀 Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season. Be civil. Be kind.