Our regular look at some of the faces which have made the news this week. Above are The Statue of Liberty (main picture), with Christian Slater,Marilyn Monroe,David Millar and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

The Statue of Liberty has re-opened to tourists after being closed in the wake of the 11 September attacks. New York's iconic monument has had a long and fascinating history and is, more than ever, a poignant symbol of the American Dream.

It has taken three years, but the Big Apple's most famous pip is back on the tourist trail. In a spectacular ceremony, the city's best and brightest mingled with heavily-armed SWAT teams and slightly bemused holidaymakers in a typically over-the-top ceremony.

And New York's Governor, George Pataki, told the crowd, "This beacon of hope and liberty is once again open to the public, sending a reassuring message to the world that freedom is alive in New York and shining brighter than ever before."

New security measures are in place and visitors will no longer be able to stand inside the sculpture's crown but the re-opening is a significant step in bringing normality back to a city rocked by terrorist attack.

11 September 2001: Liberty stands tall amid the carnage

It has been almost three years since the fateful morning when a United Airlines' Boeing 767, swooped low over the statue, seconds before slamming into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

There was no more telling image that day than that of Liberty continuing her watch over the Hudson River while, behind her, much of Manhattan was swathed in a vast cloud of smoke.

To many Americans the fact that it stood, even after the Twin Towers had fallen, was both a comfort and a symbol of hope.

Liberty Enlightening the World, to give the statue its full title, was a gift from the people of France to mark the centenary of America's Declaration of Independence in 1886.

Designed by the sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, the 46m-high (151ft), 31-ton, copper statue was hung on a frame constructed by Gustave Eiffel. The pedestal upon which Liberty stands was paid for by Americans and brings the total height of the structure to an impressive 92m (305ft).

Gateway to the New World

Much about Liberty is symbolic. For instance, the 25 windows in her crown symbolise gemstones found on the earth and heaven's light shining over the world, and the seven rays coming out of the crown represent the seven seas and continents.

But it is the statue's position, overlooking Ellis Island Immigration Centre, which is most symbolic of all. It was through there that, between 1892 and 1954, the greatest wave of immigration in world history entered the United States.

The vast majority of the more than 12 million people who passed through Ellis Island's cavernous, barn-like Registry Room just got on with making a new life in a new country.

But some, like Irving Berlin, Bob Hope and US Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, became part of the very fabric of the American Dream which the statue symbolises.

New vision: The planned Freedom Tower is based on the Statue of Liberty

Emma Lazarus' sonnet, The New Colossus, written to raise funds for the statue, eloquently describes Liberty's purpose, as a beacon of hope for people around the world:

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

And, while the Franco-US relationship has had its ups-and-downs, most recently over the war in Iraq, the Statue of Liberty has continued to inspire people around the world.

The Chinese students who demonstrated in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 built their own Goddess of Democracy and the Latvian capital Riga boasts its own Lady Liberty, erected during a brief period of independence in 1935.

When New York's own 1776ft (541m) Freedom Tower, which replaces the World Trade Center, opens in 2009, the wheel will have turned full circle.

But, even though it may well be the tallest building ever erected, the new tower, which is based upon the Statue of Liberty, will have a long way to go to match the iconic status of its historic neighbour.

CHRISTIAN SLATER Hollywood star Christian Slater issued a rash statement this week. He announced he was missing the opening night of his British stage debut in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest thanks to a bout of chicken pox. The production was expected to be a favourite at this year's Edinburgh Festival. His doctor has advised him to rest up and the play will open as soon as he recovers. Full story

MARILYN MONROE Film icon Marilyn Monroe revealed on secret tapes that she had a lesbian romp with actress Joan Crawford. But, according to author Matthew Smith who's had exclusive access to the recordings, the star of Some Like It Hot found sex with a woman rather cold. "After I turned her down she got spiteful," said Monroe on a tape that was recorded when she was having therapy.

DAVID MILLAR Scottish cyclist, David Millar received a two-year ban this week after admitting to taking the banned drug EPO. He was also stripped of his 2003 world time trial title and fined �900. He has also been sacked by his Codifis team. At 27, he could still resurrect his career, but his future is in doubt. In a statement to police, Millar said "I drugged myself because I was a prisoner of myself, of fame and money." Full story

HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON Henri Cartier-Bresson, the legendary French photo-journalist regarded as the man who first made photography an art form, has died at the age of 95. With his trusty Leica camera, Cartier-Bresson travelled the world over half a century photographing ordinary people and, famously, capturing on film the "decisive moment". He inspired legions of photographers and employed many of the best at the Magnum Photo Agency he co-founded. Full story