and five and a half years after being ravaged by fire, paris's notre dame cathedral emerges from the ashes. hello, i'm carl nasman. a battle is raging for control of syria's main northern city, aleppo. islamist rebels are on their third day of a lightning offensive, reportedly taking dozens of villages in the area. it's the first time in eight years the city hasn't been under the control of the syrian government, which is backed by russia. some reports now suggest half of aleppo may now have fallen. a civil war has been grinding on since government forces put down pro—democracy protests in 2011. in the city of idlib, which is an opposition stronghold, people set off fireworks to celebrate the advance of rebel groups.

syria and russia launched intense air strikes on the city and other areas controlled by the islamist group, hts — hayat tahrir al—sham — and other opposition groups. sources in the syrian military have told reuters that moscow has promised bashar al—assad's forces extra military aid to thwart the attempted takeover — which they say will arrive in the next few days. merlyn thomas and our bbc verify team have been tracking the situation. at bbc verify, we've been tracking the advance of rebel forces towards the city of aleppo in northern syria by looking at footage posted on social media. this is a video we verified which shows military vehicles moving along a road. it was shared by a media outlet affiliated with a rebel group which appears to be leading the advance. it was posted on telegram with a caption, "starting to enter the city of aleppo." and we have confirmed the location to be on the western edge of the city. you can see some

of the vehicles here. another video we verified appears to show men in military fatigues running through the streets. and we have geo—located these videos to a western suburb of the city of aleppo but can't confirm the identity of the individuals seen. about two km away from here, we've also verified another video which appears to show large crowds of people walking away from an area outside aleppo university. it's not clear who they are or where they are going, but you can see that they are carrying luggage. 12 years ago, a peaceful uprising against the president of syria turned into a full—scale civil war which continues to rage on. the conflict has drawn in countries from all around the world, devastated cities and killed civilians. the ancient city of aleppo has been a focal point of the syrian civil war captured by government forces in 2016 after four years of intense fighting. at bbc verify, we will continue to monitor the footage emerging

as the situation develops. earlier i spoke to the former us special representative for syria engagement, ambassadorjames jeffrey. it's significant both from the standpoint of syria but from the standpoint of the larger conflict that's been going on since october of last year. arguably, the last 20 years, between iran and its proxies including the assad government and an eclectic mix of countries and movements — the syrian opposition, turkey, israel and arab states. what's happening now is these rebel forces are either directly in some cases or indirectly in the case of the al-qaeda offshoot, under turkish support, launched attacks after a cease—fire that

had been in place, brokered by turkey and russia in 2020, broke down. there is finger—pointing on who it broke down, but this is a dramatic collapse of the syrian army. what would you make of the army, is it strong, is it able to repel this kind of attack? the syrian army has been weak for many years, it has not been effective against the islamic state in the desert south of the euphrates, it has not been unsuccessful combing resistance to its rain in south—west syria among druze and other movements. but there aren't many russian ground troops there, obviously obviously hezbollah qand the russian bombing is obviously not enough. hezbollah obviously an ally, been weakened in recent months after strikes by israel, do you think there's a link there in terms of what else

is going on in the broader region of what we are seeing happening right now in syria? absolutely. the problem is, and i have to caution, it'sjust like in your last episode you talked about georgia which has specific issues but is also part of the larger west versus russia, same in the middle east. you've got a general conflict that's been raging for over 20 years between iran and its proxies all through arab states and that reached a critical point again on october 7 a year ago. and now you're seeing an offensive being launched by various american allies with at best reluctant american support, but that reluctant support is enough in terms of diplomatic and military weapons deliveries to help both the turks in this case who are officially not involved but unofficially they had to have given some sort to have given some sort of green light to the opposition forces and of course israel which has turned its attention in recent weeks furthermore twos

and syria in order to stop weapons flows to allow hezbollah to reconstitute and break the cease—fire we just saw enacted, so this is all tied together, absolutely. to bring you the latest from georgia, syrian army has closed main roads in and out of the city of aleppo —— from syria. neighbourhoods have been overrun by those troops. as we heard ambassador james jeffrey say there, the conflicts in the middle east are tied together — so let's turn to lebanon — where a ceasefire between israel and hezbollah seems to be largely holding into a third day, though both sides have accused each other of minor violations. israel's military has warned lebanese residents not to return home to 60 villages near the israel—lebanon border. the leader of hezbollah, naim qassem, said on friday that the group is ready to help the lebanese army build up its defences. army troops are set to deploy across southern lebanon as part of the truce deal. in his first televised address since the ceasefire took effect on wednesday, qassem said hezbollah had won a "divine victory over israel".

meanwhile, israel is continuing to hit targets in gaza, as part of its stated aim to eliminate hamas. people across gaza have mixed feelings on what the ceasefire in lebanon will mean for them. while some think the truce may be a step towards ending israel's bombardment where they are, others are worried that israel will in fact double down on gaza, with dire implications for civilians on the ground. victoria coates was deputy national security adviser during president—elect donald trump's first term. she explained how he was likely to respond to the conflict in gaza.

yes, and i think very important to remember i think president trump has been very clear, he wants a deal, and if hamas and the palestinian civilians who are holding those passages have any hope of a more productive relationship with the incoming trumpet ministration, they would be very well advised to let them go. possibly the day of the inauguration the way iran did in 1981, that is something the president takes extremely seriously and had a great record of hostage recovery during his first term, so i think that's going to be the top priority and winding up this war on terms that are favourable to israel, obviously. but getting the killings stopped and of course many of us in the first administration worked on for the peace through prosperity plan, i'm sure ideas like that will be back on the table if the palestinians wish to discuss it. people are back on the streets of georgia's capital, demonstrating against government plans to delay talks tojoin the european union. these are live pictures from tblisi where it's just past 3am. you continue —— can see two different views. it is best for the morning, skate excuse me.

earlier, thousands had gathered at the parliament building, into the leasee, weaving eu flags. they have refused a police order to disperse. critics say the ruling georgia dream party has tried to move the country away from the eu and closer to russia. 0ur russia editor steve rosenberg has more. i'm outside the georgian parliament building in the centre of tbilisi. there are thousands of anti—government protesters here setting off fireworks. protesters a re here. the other side, down the road, are the police. lots of police. long lines of police and water cannon, too. a few minutes ago, we saw the water cannon being used to try to disperse the crowds. people here are furious that this week their government suspended, they say until the end of 2028, georgia's bid tojoin the european union. and people here are angry because the aspiration tojoin the eu is enshrined in this country's constitution. so the protesters have been

accusing the government of kowtowing to moscow, being in the pay of the kremlin. it is very important for all the georgians to be here, for everyone to see, the whole international world, to see that georgians are europeans and we want europe. we want a better future, and we don't want to be part of russia anymore. you see what is happening. you can totally see how they are treating us, how they are treating the people who has a free will to be in europe. unfortunately, this is really disappointing. and the government who are making the decisions for us, especially when they are not representing a georgian people's will, it is really disappointing. this feels like a crucial moment for georgia because for more than 20 years, this country has been on a path to western integration towardsjoining nato and the eu, but that now seems to be on hold. mps have backed proposals to legalise assisted dying in england and wales

in a historic vote that could pave the way for a change in the law. it is the first step in giving terminally ill people the right to choose to end their own life. highlighting the magnitude of their decision, the result was met by mps not with cheers of approval, but with complete silence. it was a free vote, meaning lawmakers could vote with their conscience as opposed to following party orders. the bill passed with 330 mps in favour, and 275 against — a majority of 55. it'll now go to further rounds of debate. so, which other countries have assisted dying and what are the rules there? here's our medical editor fergus walsh. since mps last voted to reject assisted dying in 2015, there's been a dramatic rise globally in the number of countries changing the law. now, more than 300 million people live in jurisdictions where the state will help eligible people to end their lives. one of the first was oregon in the united states in 1997,

where it's available to terminally ill, mentally competent adults expected to die within six months. it must be approved by two doctors. patients self—administer the lethal dose. so it's very like the system being proposed for england and wales. but here, a high courtjudge would also need to approve it. two thirds of patients who die have cancer, around one in 10 have a neurological condition and one in ten heart disease. asked about their end of life concerns, nine in 10 worry concerns, nine in ten worry about losing autonomy. two thirds cite loss of dignity. four in ten worry about being a burden on family and friends. around one in three prescribed a lethal dose, don't use it. across the united states, assisted dying has spread to ten states, more than double the number a decade ago.

in 2016, canada introduced medical assistance in dying, initiallyjust for the terminally ill. in 2021, it was extended to those experiencing unbearable suffering. in 2027, it's due to be extended to those with a mental illness. a doctor or nurse can administer the lethal dose. what about europe? well, switzerland legalised assisted suicide in 1942. more than 500 britons have died at dignitas in the past two decades. the netherlands and belgium legalised assisted dying more than 20 years ago, where it's also permitted for children. austria and spain recently changed the law. in all these countries in europe, you don't have to be terminally ill to qualify. it's also now offered in new zealand and most parts of australia, but solely for the terminally ill. patients can self—administer

the lethal dose or ask a health professional to do it. campaigners here who want assisted dying promise that the safeguards in england and wales will be the tightest in the world. but opponents say the experience of other countries show it will be a slippery slope, putting the vulnerable at risk. plenty more on that story on our website as well. ukraine's president volodymr zelensky has suggested there could be a ceasefire with russia if government—controlled territory in ukraine is given nato membership. that is regardless of whether russia immediately hands back areas it has seized. in an interview on friday, mr zelensky said: "if we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the nato umbrella the territory of ukraine that we have under our control, and then ukraine can get the occupied territory back in a diplomatic way." russia this week attacked ukraine's energy infrastructure for the second time this month, leaving millions of people

without power as winter arrives. as temperatures drop, our diplomatic correspondent paul adams has been given rare access to one of the country's damaged thermal power plants. how do you work in a place like this and not despair? for the third winter in a row, ukraine's power plants are under attack. the missiles and drones that land here wreak absolute havoc. translation: we can't keep up with the restoration work. - we don't have time to restore the main equipment, let alone the roof and walls. everything gets destroyed again from one strike to the next. we've agreed not to identify the plant, or say when it was attacked. nothing that might help russia to plan its next assault. but at a time of year when people most need heat and light, ukraine's ability to generate power hangs in the balance. how much more of this kind of damage can ukraine's energy infrastructure withstand ?

from one end of the country to the other, plants like this have been hit over and over again. with winter approaching, it's a real struggle to keep the grid working. and so once again, ukrainians get used to life in the dark. power cuts bringing misery to kyiv�*s high rise apartment blocks. but in the third winter of this war, necessity brings solutions. in one basement, electricity is stored, the building's 700 residents all chipping in to buy this hi—tech system. it all means relief for natalia, who lives on the 19th floor. happy enough to cook in the dark when she knows there's hot water in the pipes and the lift works. translation: it's - a very strange feeling. i'm happy i can go downstairs with my dog in the lift. i don't have to walk down in the dark, that

i have water in the tap. it scares me just how happy i am to have these basic things. and dealing with basic things, it seems, makes for great comedy. in a film about to be released, a fractious group of residents bickers over the purchase of a generator. plenty ofjokes, but a simple message, too. of course, we wanted to underline and to raise and to show that, 0k, everything is possible. we can do everything we need. we can go through this winter. the only thing we need is to unite. this is it. ukrainians have survived two winters. they'll find a way to get through a third. but russia's attacks on the energy system have been more destructive than ever. the country has lost a huge chunk of its generating capacity. european and american donors are helping, but the system is on the edge of collapse. everyone here expects further attacks. russia, they believe,

has been stockpiling missiles forjust this purpose. pauladams, bbc news, ukraine. polls have closed in ireland's general election after a three—week campaign. an exit poll suggests a very tight race between the three main parties. voters will elect 173 members to the parliament, with one seat automatically awarded to the outgoing chairperson of the house. the outgoing government is a three party coalition of fianna fail, fine gael and sinn fein. for more here's our ireland correspondent chris page. the general election count starts at 9 in the morning and the exit polls suggest it will be tight, tense and very unpredictable. the poll indicates that sinn fein has a very narrow lead but it's very close indeed between the three main parties to be the prime minister or taoiseach.

simon harris who's been in the job for just seven months, his main coalition partner, also taoiseach earlier in the government term, her party has been the main opposition group since the last general election, during that time, and it will push hard for a referendum on irish unity by 2030 if it did take power here in dublin. but even if sinn fein were to win the most seats in the irish parliament for the first time, it could well still have an uphill task in assembling a coalition of other left—wing parties which would, and a overall majority. and trinity college dublin put sinn fein on 21.1% and fina gael on 19.5%.

we should get the actual first preference, the total number maybe by tomorrow evening but then the accounting will move on into sunday transfers will come into play on the margins between victory and defeat for these 174 seats could be very small indeed. to south america, where colombia has intercepted a semi—submersible packed with drugs in the pacific ocean, in what the country's president has described as "perha ps colombia's largest—ever seizure of cocaine in transit". it is one of several vessels intercepted at sea during a six—week operation which uncovered a new pacific trafficking route from south america to australia. more than 400 people were arrested in the operation, which involved security agencies in the us, brazil, spain, and other countries. the colombian navy says the seizures have deprived drug cartels of more than $8.4 billion. let's turn to some other important news

around the world. rescue efforts are continuing in eastern uganda, where the number of people confirmed to have died in landslides triggered by heavy rains has risen to 20. more than a hundred people are still missing after the landslides buried dozens of homes in the mountainous region of bulambuli on wednesday. the ugandan army has intensified search and recovery efforts, while the government is urging residents in the area to relocate, saying the area is too dangerous. sweden has formally asked china to cooperate with its investigation into the severing of two data cables in the baltic sea. a chinese ship, the yi peng 3, is suspected of causing the damage. the swedish prime minister ulf kristersson said investigators were determined to search the vessel to find out what happened. the chinese ship has been anchored in international waters near denmark since the cables were severed last week. china has denied involvement in sabotage. an inquiry has found that a new zealand navy ship which crashed into a coral reef where it caught fire and sank last month had been left on autopilot. the crew of the survey vessel assumed it was under manual control when it experienced

steering problems in samoan waters and did not follow standard procedures to check this was the case. all 75 people aboard were evacuated safely. but the vessel is slowly leaking oil into the ocean. french president emmanuel macron toured paris's notre—dame cathedral live on tv, giving the public a first look inside the building since much of it was destroyed or damaged in a major fire in 2019. the cathedral has been completely renovated, years of soot were cleaned up, giving the space a new look. andrew harding sent this report. the scaffolding has come down. and like a burns patient shedding her bandages, notre dame is revealed today — whole again after years of delicate surgery. inside, the cathedral is a dazzle of light. the ash, debris and centuries of accumulated grime all gone. france's president emmanuel macron ushering in the cameras

this morning for the first time since the fire and revelling in a risky promise kept — to rebuild this broken miracle of stone, glass and timber injust five years. remercier d'abord. macron thanked the team responsible for saving the soul of france. translation: we were told it wasn't possible, _ that it was crazy. we'd do it wrong. but you came together with determination and you achieved what seemed impossible. it was late on april the 15th, 2019, that notre dame burst into flames. it's still not clear if a cigarette or an electrical fault was to blame. the spire's collapse prompting a global groan of anguish and then a collective flood of generosity. the french state, which owns the cathedral, hired 2,000

craftsmen using new and ancient technologies to patch up the gargoyles, restore the famous bells, clean acres of stained glass, and carve 1,200 oak trees to replace notre dame's mediaeval roof beams. the grand opening may be a week away, but for the workers, this is the time to celebrate. for all of us, we are very proud today to have been lucky enough to work on this cathedral. for france, it's the symbol of france, of paris. of all the french people that were crying in 2019. and now this is a new way for all the french people. this is a profound, rousing moment for all of france at a time of deepening political polarisation. the rebirth of notre dame is a reminder of what this society can achieve when it pulls together, and when

the money is right. the tourists are now waiting for their chance to see the inside of a building not only rescued but transformed. andrew harding, bbc news, paris. it will officially reopen for tourists on december seven there in paris. i'm carl nasman, and washington. stay with us, plenty more coming up on bbc news. hello. this is the weekend when november turns into december, but it's not going to feel like it weather—wise. in fact, it is going to feel very mild, often cloudy. there will be some rain, equally a little bit of sunshine. now, we've got a frontal system that has been pushing its way eastwards. behind that, a south—westerly flow, a very mild but moist south—westerly flow, so, yes, there will be a lot of clouds, some mist and murk in places, but this very mild air

is working its way northwards across all parts of the uk. so a mild start to saturday morning, but with a lot of cloud, some mist and murk, particularly for coasts and hills in the west, few spots of rain through the day, parts of northern england, northern ireland and scotland, equally a few brighter spells north—east wales, northeast england, north—east scotland, areas with some shelter from the breeze. but look at the temperatures — 13—15 degrees, very mild indeed for the last day of november. it will be quite windy out there, those winds actually strengthening across western parts as we head into the evening ahead of the arrival of this frontal system that will push its way eastwards overnight. bit of showery rain running ahead of that. so, some outbreaks of rain through the early hours of sunday morning. again, it's going to be really very mild, temperatures holding up in double digits for most as we head into the second half of the weekend. so here goes our frontal system, pushing its way eastwards during sunday. that is going to bring some outbreaks of rain. sunday, probably the wetter of the two weekend days for england and wales,

as these outbreaks of rain push eastwards. scotland and northern ireland seeing sunny spells and showers, that brighter but showery regime spreading to most areas before sunday afternoon is done. still very mild, 12—14 degrees. but we will see a bit of a change as we move out of sunday and into monday. we do start to pick up these northerly winds, which for a time, will bring something colder southwards across the uk, but that is unlikely to last all that long. we see frontal systems returning from the atlantic. from midweek onwards, things will turn milder, but they will also turn quite a lot more unsettled, with some wet and potentially very windy weather to end the week. so next week looks like this, briefly turning a bit colder, milder again later, but more unsettled.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme.

lara: this week, we're taking a look back at some of our amazing adventures with al. spencer: now, how would you like to meet one - of the most popular and highest earning instagram models? well, you can't — because she doesn't exist. but we go behind the scenes with the team that created her. lara's sniffing around the scientists who are bringing historic smells back to life. so i guess ijust put my nose in here. and spencer looks at the latest ai features on phones and tablets. but are they top quality or a bit rubbish? he laughs. ok, it got rid of the bin! and put another bin there. we'll also meet the actors who say their voices have

been manipulated by ai.