Our world in photos: December 6
Brooklyn Eagle Staff
December 6, 2024
FRANKFURT — A nest in Germany gets repurposed: Egyptian geese have occupied a stork nest after the storks migrated south, in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. In their seasonal migration patterns, Germany is often the “southern destination” for many geese. In winter, arctic geese migrate from as far away as Siberia and Scandinavia to Germany. (The Danish peninsula is directly north of Germany). They fly southward in a V-formation as far as the Lower Rhineland in Germany, winter in that region, and then begin migrating northward again in March.
Birds primarily use nests to incubate their eggs and nurse the hatchlings. Although some repurpose their nests, most bird species do not return to the same one, according to Birds and Blooms.
LONDON — “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”: The original ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz are displayed in London ahead of being offered for auction on Dec. 7, at Heritage Auctions in the U.S., Wednesday, Nov. 27, As of press time on Friday, the current bid was $812,500. The auction runs through Dec. 7. Dorothy is bequeathed the shoes almost immediately upon arriving in Oz when the Good Witch of the North magically removes them from the feet of the Wicked Witch of the East after Dorothy’s house falls on her.
According to some film archival records, this set of ruby slippers is one of four made during filming. One of these sets is part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection. The pair up for auction was reportedly stolen and later recovered.
PARIS — A restoration, a renovation, a bright new start: French President Emmanuel Macron, center left, and his wife Brigitte Macron, third right, visit the restored interiors of Notre Dame Cathedral, Friday, Nov.29, 2024, in Paris. The cathedral, almost destroyed in an April 2019 fire, underwent extensive renovation. Joining President Macron on a pre-opening tour was a group of journalists, including Associated Press reporter Thomas Adamson. “The meticulous restoration process involved cleaning over 42,000 square meters of stone — an area equivalent to roughly six soccer fields — using innovative latex peels to strip away centuries of grime without causing damage,” reported Adamson. It took 1,200 artisans working at the cathedral to restore the 800-year-old Gothic landmark, which is a World Heritage site.
When the fire broke out, international support came in immediately for the cathedral’s restoration — 10,500 Friends of Notre Dame de Paris donors in the U.S. and more than 50 countries outside of France raised $10.6 million that same year.
LAS VEGAS — Foul causes dramatic fall for airborne athlete: Alabama Crimson Tide forward Mouhamed Dioubate (10) falls to the court after being fouled by Rutgers during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Las Vegas. Alabama won the game 95-90.
The 6’7” Dioubate, who is originally from Queens, according to a team players’ roster, plays forward but is also a valued defender for the Crimson Tide.
MANHATTAN — The unsung heroes of live performance at every Macy’s parade — the marching bands from high schools and colleges across the country: The University of Massachusetts Minutemen marching band marches down Central Park West while participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, in New York. This ensemble, which made its Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade debut in 2013, returned on Thursday as one of 11 individual marching bands.
Also parading down Broadway was the Macy’s Great American Marching Band. One of the nation’s top honor marching bands, this group consists of 225 high school students — musicians, color guard members and dancers — selected by audition from band programs across the U.S.
BANGLADESH — Globally, religious expression appears more political than faithful: Hefazat-e-Islam supporters stage a protest after Friday prayers at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, demanding an immediate ban on International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. The prior day, Bangladeshi’s apex court declined to ban ISKCON, according to several Indian news agencies. However, on Friday, Bangladeshis renewed calls to ban the organization after a week of protests, during which a lawyer opposing the group was killed during a clash. ISKCON claims that false propaganda against the organization is inciting much of the violence.
Earlier this week, Bangladeshi Hindu leader Krishna Das Prabhu, representing the country’s minority Hindu population, was detained. Prabhu, who is associated with ISKCON, has been fighting for better security for his people and gained a reputation for crashing rallies and upsetting the Bangladeshi government. A photo showing Prabhu being moved to custody appeared Wednesday in this section of the Eagle.
IRELAND — Guarding the ballot box: Presiding officer Caroline Sharkey and Garda Ronan Steede look after a ballot box that is taken by boat to the Island of Gola as voters go to polls for the 2024 General Election in Ireland, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. The country’s 3.8 million voters are selecting 174 lawmakers to sit in the Dail, the lower house of parliament. The Associated Press explains that “under Ireland’s system of proportional representation, each of the 43 constituencies elects multiple lawmakers” through ranked choice, boosting the chances for smaller parties and independent candidates to win seats.
Independent candidates in the current election are well-represented and range from locals to far-right activists. They seem to be following the U.S. lead, voting for candidates accused of wrongdoings, such as reputed crime boss Gerry “the Monk” Hutch.
NEW ZEALAND — In all sports, it’s the airborne moves that attract the attentive photographer: Glenn Phillips of New Zealand dives as England’s wicketkeeper Ollie Pope knocks off the bails during play on the second day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
Cricket uses similar terms to American baseball, such as “umpire,” but is more complex. In fact, baseball draws its inspiration from cricket; the latter has 11 players instead of nine. There are four times as many fielding positions in cricket, the bats are flat and the field is different.
The catcher in baseball has a role similar to the wicketkeeper in cricket. Cricket players also catch the ball with their bare hands.
