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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst.

Qatar has hosted a flurry of meetings, including one between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and another

between top figures from Hamas and Turkey.

But the most urgent meeting, though, focused on Syria and the lightning advances by fighters there seeking to

topple the government. And Pira Zia Batrawe has more. The meeting brought together the Syrian

government's most important backers, Russia and Iran, with the fighter's main backer, Turkey.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the ministers called for ending hostile activities in Syria

and implementing a years-old UN resolution for a political process between the government and

opposition.

Lavrov said he cannot forecast what Russia will do militarily to support the Syrian government,

but that...

Guessing what is going to happen.

We are trying to do everything, not to allow terrorists to prevail, even if they say

that they are no longer terrorists.

It comes as fighters led by Ha'it Dahrir Shem inch closer to the Syrian capital after a blitz

on key cities in recent days.

Ayyabotrawi, N Pierre News, Doha, Qatar.

On a rainy night in Paris and nearly five years

after a massive fire severely damaged to the building,

the renovated Notre Dame Cathedral reopened its doors today.

The Archbishop of Paris knocked three times on the cathedral's massive doors, then pushed them open as a choir sang.

...