strongly alice services be our guest at frankfurt and bought cd managed by from bought the this, the dw news line from berlin. excitement built in paris had of the reopening of notes for dom cathedral 5 years after a devastating fire foreign dignitaries arrive in paris to celebrate the success of the restoration. while the waves from the same also coming up, sir and rebel forces are widening their lightning assault in the syria, which reports that fighters are just 20 kilometers from the capital of damascus. enclosing in on 2 cities. remo commander has signed a bill guntee. so these were sled alliance was advancing on the southern gate of the capital rebels from already search the entire southern province on

and that was counting, gets underway and gone of as pulls clothes and a tightly contested presidential and parliamentary election are corresponded for bringing the weights the i'm aaron told me berlin, thank you very much for joining us. francis iconic notes with down because the funeral is finally reopening 5 years after i devastating fire the i conduct cathedral in the heart of paris. as undergoing painstaking renovation to restore its former glory. the occasion will be marked by an event this evening as president emmanuel mccall welcomes dozens of bullets leaders, and dignitaries, including us president elect donald trump. the printing president award winner zalinski back in april of 20. 19. the world watched in shock as

a fire slipped through the cathedral, getting these famous fire, causing multiples, and would work to cave in the main structure on the near really avoid the destruction. so let's cross over now to our correspondence. lisa lewis in paris. so lisa, you are right in the front, the notes with them cathedral. the reopening ceremony will start very soon. what exactly can we expect? well, as you said, the uh, you know, dozens of leaders have arrived at the cathedral over the past 10 or 15 minutes. we have seen them or trump arrives, we see mister villains do from recurring right for those think european and african leaders and they will be attending the opening. so when you have a, it's just about to start in the, at the cathedral behind me. it will be a republican caught a, with a phone on the history of not for them to tell you a be show you in. and also, i, you know, that's also going to be a box to the reconstruction, the restoration of the procedure. that would be

a tribute to all those but have contributed to say you add to restore the ca, feet, or 2 solid workers have worked on this autism. and that would also be a speech by french president him on my call. then there is a religious ceremony that is taking place here at sorts for them behind me, the archbishop will symbolically knock on the door with a stuff that was made of tim, but i was safe from the fire and then a choir would respond to that. that is the invalid response by not to go down to the county. well, come in the catholic church back into the cathedral. there's also a slightly similar ritual that will take place with the great oregon. that's one of the biggest organs in front with a 1000 costs that were polluted with lead doing before. and i needed to be a cleans one by one. but i now back and will be played again. that is what it has told me that we continue tomorrow. but for not as for tonight,

obviously the will attend. the sermon is here at cathedral at most of the study. now we do know that friends present mccaul met with us president donald trump and the cream presence. lucky mail is the lensky for trilateral talks. if you lose a palace, what do we know about this discussion so far? well, you know, the fact that it might not call in extended an invite to don't the from on that, that the us president elect, accepted that invites was already called a diplomatic to vice. some commentators here and now mr. valencia has also come to paris and we have her that for 3 hudson at trial actual talks. obviously, mrs. lensky will be pleading would have pleaded for a continuous support by the us in the floss against the russian nevada, in you cried. and that is really important as him on my call, you know, he wants to be picked himself as

a statesman on an international level who is bringing together different sites. he's talking to everybody. i know this is also some kind of similar of hope for him . a moment in the line, lot of things in, from domestic politics are not looking back or at the moment. you're very right. they of course, uh those tasks come after a very turbulent, weak in domestic politics. and france is french president a call hoping for a boost from the reopening of no to them. he certainly is. who said that actually in a tell him, i speak to him 1st and now she said, this will be a told of head of mind you. on wednesday, the french government basically clocks got ousted by a vote of confidence in parliament and on the budget for next year. and now emmanuel mccaul is struggling to find a new prime minister. he's holding talks with different policies, but whoever will be nominated by him, what have a very,

very difficult task as the parliament aus like just like the country really is divided by 3 blocks into. * with none of which has a clear majority, it was really difficult the government over the past months and we will see what would come out of that. but in my, my cards, hoping that at least this weekend with the reopening of, you know, the notes for them to tell the cathedral and monument that is known worldwide with the eyes. what's, what's happening here, that this will be at least a moment of respond for from right, that was due to his, lisa losing paris. thank you very much for your, a 40 serious, long time ruler. bush are all a side, is facing uprisings on multiple fronts. as the main revel offensive in the north, west continues to move toward damascus. opposition for factions in the south are closing in on the capital. these images on social media show. syrian protesters toppling a statue of the late president bush on all sides. father enjoy romano in the

southern suburbs of damascus. rebels have already searched the entire southern province of dar. in the north syrian rebels are patrolling the country side around the key city of homes as government forces dig into, defend the city, and president bush on all sides. 24 year old let's bring him dw reporter got seal harness for more on the situation. so gotcha, what exactly is the situation on damascus right now? erin, president bush auto, s a is facing the biggest challenge to his rule. he's ever faced. their closing and right now on 3 different runs the rebels from the north. they're coming with reinforcements through homes, from the south. you mentioned that uh uh, there's also some way that that they've captured and all these groups are coming together and heading north towards damascus. they've already captured certain parts in the outskirts and from the east,

from the us coalition area down south ordering of rock. that's where there's also another offensive. so there's 3 different fronts, there's closing and in damascus. and it looks like it's only a matter of time. now you can show those pictures of these are mano in the outskirts of their masters, that is the blues minority as well. so it's not just the stuff either sham rebels that we're seeing now. but also other groups like the crews minority, has been protesting for over a year in other parts of syria. now it seems that they see an eminent fall of assets rule that they're also challenging his work in damascus itself. was he mentioned there, it sounds like president side is around, isn't all sides. where exactly does that leave his allies? that is indeed the case. and uh, before i get to his external allies, i want to talk about his closest allies internally. so a lot of syrian generals have already fled, sir, there's many reports of uh,

them fully to different areas. there were generals, which led to 11 on iraq as well. there's news that 2000 uh, syrian troops have now sort refuge and a rock. and so everybody's kind of realizing that the fall of a side is m and, and so they kind of want to redeem themselves at the moment by turning against him . perhaps we are seeing this on the front lines. there's many front lines suddenly collapsing. and the reason for this is they're trying to redeem themselves, or when the rebels come, they don't get executed for their actions in the past. so we're seeing his internal allies turn on him. and externally iran seems to have also changed it's narrative on the meeting. rebel group the hey, at the national h. d, as that is a dramatic about face in a war which has lasted almost 13 years. where does this leave this of the civilian

population? it's a lot of mixed feelings. on one hand, you have civilians fling right now from damascus towards the syrian toast. before that, we saw civilians fleeing from a level as well. a lot of kurdish, the kurdish population, tens of thousands, even a 120000. and some estimates are saying, on the other hand, you have political prisoners released from prisons after being there for decades, for petty crimes in the eyes of the regime like toppling the statute. acids, father. so there's many celebrations, many reunions of families who haven't seen each other for decades. and on the other hand, a lot of displacement and fear of what's next and fear of the unknown. i'm afraid, let's leave it there. and it was due to the reporter garcia on has thank you very much for your reporting. let's take a quick look at some other stories making headlines around the world. a motion to

impeach south korean president you and so you'll has failed after members of his party, boy kind of of foolish of opposition. lawmakers file being peach of an order in response to the president's marshal. along with expiration this week for the u. s. as apologize. for the public anxiety caused by his announcement in the united states, new york police. now believe the gunmen who killed the ceo of a major us health, i'm sure has left the city the f. b. i is offering a $50000.00 reward for information leading to his arrest, of a reaction to the killing expos, deep frustration with america's health care system and appeals court in the united states has upheld a law that could potentially bend to talk in the coming weeks the walk compels the platforms, chinese parent company by dance, to sound like the stake, the video sharing app. the u. s. government argues that the widely popular app poses a national security risk pulls up close and book counting is

underway and gone as presidential and parliamentary elections. the vote is largely a contest between the current vice president. well, i'm overdue for one of my me, of, of the ruling patriotic party. and john and john, money, ma, hama of the main opposition national democratic congress party. but many guardians fuel, the leading candidates, offered little hope for change as a country struggling with its worst economic crisis in a generation. she's the picture of a successful guinea and business woman, but julia lobby can't afford any luxuries. despite the blistering cra heat, she keeps her fond of utility bills of soaring and as a primary provider for her family. she must carefully balance conflict and survival . like many in gunners, middle class disposable income has shrunk me lots of sacrifices, whereby i need to buy myself a pair of shoes. i need to buy myself, maybe

a car to boost my business to do something. but at the moment you can't do that. so i may have to use my personal car to run my business, run my personal life, the price of gone up families struggling, high inflation, currency depreciation, and mounting national debt, tough tight in the group, one middle class, how schools pushing more people into poverty. as a country heads into its next elections to presidential candidates joined my hama and my home with the but with me a each claim they have the solutions to fix the economy. the top concern among voters here that wondering where the living conditions have been harsh. these days, even if you work hard, what you earn as income can't sustain you long because it's a struggle. i'm get when i place that. why would you put on drink? and many businesses, a barely surviving. like juliet's serial factory. she tells me supply costs keep

rising. a work has also faced high a bills at home, but julia can't afford to raise the pay. instead, she sometimes offers free food to take home julia some other grease works, the corn meal. she's here to help her daughter out, but she doesn't really have a choice. a farming google gun no longer produces an income. she can live on a new one without my daughter who's always pushing hard to keep us in business. it would be difficult for me and also for other workers to model of more ongoing selection in the next program at the top and next hour with our corresponded you did some money in upfront until then you're up to date, stick around up. next we meet. if it is willing priest who's persuading people to replace, meet in their diets with beacon alternatives, that's a reporter after a short break. and if you need more news on the go before, then you can always check out our website that you have the com or you can follows on social media where a handle is at the w news. i'm there until google and thanks for joining us. the

beautiful, my nephew, he read the city. we don't know what is going on. where is mohammed stop? ah! he fled from north any rock and became one of hundreds of migrants who vanish every year. somewhere in the no man's land lines between batteries and clear refugees become pools in a cru see a political config, missouri this i'm afraid i'll never see.