live from london. this is bbc news. a syria war monitor says rebel fighters are advancing towards the country's third city homs. rush—hour trains are delayed across britain this morning because of a "nationwide fault" with a communications system. calls from the leader of his own party to step aside — pressure on south korea's president grows, after he declared martial law this week. that pressure also been reflected in the streets with huge protests scheduled for

tomorrow in an effort to oust president yoon with an impeachment tomorrow. tens of thousands of people are fleeing syria's third largest city homs in fear that islamist—led rebels will press on with their advance, with one war monitor saying they are already just five kilometres outside. the rebels seized hama to the north yesterday — the second major blow to president bashar al—assad, who lost control of the strategic city of aleppo last week. this footage shows rebels, entering the city,

apparently unopposed. the un says fighting the un says fighting has displaced more has displaced more than 280,000 people in the north—west than 280,000 people in the north—west of the country. of the country. the united nations secretary the united nations secretary general, antonio guterres, general, antonio guterres, called the reignited war called the reignited war a collective failure a collective failure of the international community. of the international community. 0ur correspondent barbara plett usher is monitoring the situation from beirut. bring us up—to—date on what we know about this latest advance. well, what we have got is statements from the rebel operations centre saying they have advanced significantly from hama and passed through two main towns and they're now about five kilometres from homs itself. they have posted video on their channels showing them in a town close to

on their channels showing them in a town close tc to homs, for slow any advance to homs, for example bombing a bridge on the main road to try to prevent them moving forward. if what we are hearing from the rebels and the war monitor are correct, that has not deterred them at they're at the gates of homs, they're at the gates of homs, the third largest city in syria. the third largest city in s ria. ~ . . ., ., syria. what have we heard from the syrian _ syria. what have we heard from the syrian army? _ syria. what have we heard from the syrian army? i _ syria. what have we heard from the syrian army? i will- syria. what have we heard from the syrian army? i willjust - the syrian army? i willjust repeat that question, do continue.— repeat that question, do continue. ., . continue. the syrian defence minister had _ continue. the syrian defence minister had said _ continue. the syrian defence minister had said that - continue. the syrian defence minister had said that for. minister had said that for example in hama when the forces

withdrew, that this was a temporary tactical move, they were doing so to save civilian lives and they were still in position and suggesting there would be a counter strike. but that didn't happen. the focus has been on homs. apparently without too much success. i think one thing we can definitely say is over the past week the advance has happened so quickly on major cities, the army has been exposed, it is weak and perhaps weaker than perhaps the rebels expected. that has to do with the state of the army itself. it has been widely reported that the troops are demoralised and they haven't been paid much and it has to do with the fact that bashar al—assad allies russia and iran which have been propping up and were significant sources of military power, russian air strikes for examples and iranian militias

such as hezbollah which is now occupied with the war with israel. all these factors seem to have indicated the army is pulling back or unable to stop the advance. having said that, homs is a strategic city. it is a cross roads city where the main routes around the country converge. it is on the road to damascus and the coastal area. we will see if the regime can get together a defence of the core of its power as the rebels, and stop the rebel advance. so far they have been able to seize territory an at extraordinary speed. ? hundreds of thousands _ extraordinary speed. ? hundreds of thousands of _ extraordinary speed. ? hundreds of thousands of people _ extraordinary speed. ? hundreds of thousands of people have - of thousands of people have been displaced?— of thousands of people have been displaced? that's right, some of them _ been displaced? that's right, some of them from _ been displaced? that's right, some of them from homs. i been displaced? that's right, l some of them from homs. this been displaced? that's right, - some of them from homs. this is the members of bashar al—assad

community who are afraid that the islamist rebels will take revenge on them. although the leader of the rebels has said that won't happen. you have displacement in idlib, the long—term rebel stronghold, there you have had counter strikes from the russians and the syrians and people have been displaced there as well. thank you. let's speak to yezid sayigh, senior fellow at the malcolm h kerr carnegie middle east center. welcome to the programme. first, just to remind our viewers, tell us about who these rebels are and what their aim is. ~ ., , aim is. well there a is coalition _ aim is. well there a is coalition of— aim is. well there a is coalition of rebels, i aim is. well there a is| coalition of rebels, led aim is. well there a is - coalition of rebels, led by the core group which is the hayat tahrir al—sham, core group which is the hayat tahriral—sham, it core group which is the hayat tahrir al—sham, it is an old name for a syria liberation body that was affiliated

al-qaeda and now is more of a common variety islamist group which has shown sit has provided —— it has provided better governance than any other part of syria. that is quite striking. there several other islamist groups and non—islamist nationalist groups. some are allied with hayat tahrir al—sham. 0thers hayat tahrir al—sham. others which are assembled in the so—called syria national army, which is armed and backed by turkey. this whole coalition of forces has been undertaking this offensive. it is difficult to tell which exact group is now spearheading the offence to damascus. my sense is it is hayat tahrir al—sham. they were positioned closest in the idlib province and they're the ones clearly with a plan. you

province and they're the ones clearly with a plan.— clearly with a plan. you say with a plan. _ clearly with a plan. you say with a plan, what _ clearly with a plan. you say with a plan, what is - clearly with a plan. you say with a plan, what is their i clearly with a plan. you say i with a plan, what is their end game? is it to depose bashar al—assad? i game? is it to depose bashar al-assad?_ al-assad? i think that if they continue to _ al-assad? i think that if they continue to rack— al-assad? i think that if they continue to rack up _ al-assad? i think that if they | continue to rack up successes and the regime army crumbles before them, they will see no reason to stop. however, at that point i think what we will see is foreign powers, pretty much all of which have suddenly rallied to shore up bashar al—assad's regime. we have the united states and iran and russia, going through the united arab emirates, seem keen to keep bashar al—assad in power, at least in remaining parts of syria that he controls. if that starts to step up and some of powers and israel and jordan threaten to intervene, then the islamist

rebels may need to pause and work out some kind of negotiation and then we will see turkey play a role. another auestion see turkey play a role. another question many _ see turkey play a role. another question many of— see turkey play a role. another question many of our— see turkey play a role. another question many of our viewer i question many of our viewer will want the answer to is, why now? ., will want the answer to is, why now? . . ~ , ., now? the main backers of the bashar al-assad _ now? the main backers of the bashar al-assad regime - now? the main backers of the bashar al-assad regime are l bashar al—assad regime are otherwise occupied or have been hit. hezbollah has been dealt massive blows by israel in lebanon and pulled its troops from syria in the past couple of years. russia is fighting ukraine and has reduced its force in syria. iran has been under attack for a decade. this is perfect timing. also in the back ground there is a turkish negotiation with bashar al—assad trying to reach a deal to assure the turks that the kurdish rebel groups in north—east syria would be kept

from the turkish border. this negotiation has been going on with bashar al—assad and he has been refusing turkish demands. the turks at this point wanted to ratchet up the pressure and push bashar al—assad very forcibly. what remains to be seen is whether the asad regime will survive long enough for external powers to do anything or will crumble and there will be nothing forforeign powers to leverage. be nothing for foreign powers to leverage-— to leverage. thank you for takin: to leverage. thank you for taking us _ to leverage. thank you for taking us through - to leverage. thank you for taking us through some i to leverage. thank you for taking us through some ofj to leverage. thank you for - taking us through some of the issues on that story in syria. the leader of south korea's ruling party has said the country's president could put the public at risk if he stays in office and has announced that he should be suspended from his duties. the head of south korea's governing party has urged the swift removal from power of president yoon suk yeol,

who caused outrage earlier this week by declaring martial law. these are the live pictures from seoul outside the parliament today. you can see a large crowd has gathered with protestors and the media present too. we can see a large crowd gathering. south korea's main parties are holding meetings amid reports mps could bring forward a vote to impeach the president. meanwhile, south korea's defence ministry says it has suspended three senior commanders involved in the martial law operation. let's cross to seoul and our chief presenter steve lai is there outside the national assembly. yes, i'm on the grounds of national assembly. there are protesters behind the gates of national assembly. protesters behind the gates of nationalassembly. it protesters behind the gates of

national assembly. it is just just past 6pm in seoul. you mentioned the leader of the ruling people power party, han dong—hoon, he has withdrawn his support for president yoon and he has met with the president earlier. according to media reports we have been following, han said he had urged yoon to address the public. the president has not made any public appearance or statement since he withdrew that declaration of martial law on wed. reportedly he has declined to make a comment. we know the protesters will make their voices heard, as we can hear now, they will hold a big rally tomorrow. that is all leading up tomorrow. that is all leading up to this impeachment vote thatis up to this impeachment vote that is scheduled for 7pm tomorrow, although it could happen earlier. we are going to

get the thoughts of our asia reporter. there has been talk behind closed doors, are we closer to a resolution? we are still heading — closer to a resolution? we are still heading to _ closer to a resolution? we are still heading to a _ closer to a resolution? we are still heading to a climax - closer to a resolution? we are still heading to a climax of - still heading to a climax of this— still heading to a climax of this tomorrow, with this scheduled impeachment vote that is supposed to take place in a little — is supposed to take place in a little over_ is supposed to take place in a little over 24 hours. there has been — little over 24 hours. there has been a — little over 24 hours. there has been a lot— little over 24 hours. there has been a lot of activity in the national— been a lot of activity in the national assembly. we saw the leader— national assembly. we saw the leader of— national assembly. we saw the leader of the people's power party— leader of the people's power party say that he was going to sunbort— party say that he was going to support the opposition in their impeachment. he has been meeting _ impeachment. he has been meeting with his own legislators and has been having difficulty to persuade them to supriori— difficulty to persuade them to support the impeachment motion. it is support the impeachment motion. it is a _ support the impeachment motion. it is a fluid — support the impeachment motion. it is a fluid situation and very— it is a fluid situation and very odd _ it is a fluid situation and very odd that we are now, what, 60 hours — very odd that we are now, what, 60 hours since the lifting of

that — 60 hours since the lifting of that martial law order, but we have _ that martial law order, but we have heard nothing from president yoon. we don't know what _ president yoon. we don't know what is — president yoon. we don't know what is going on in his mind, but he — what is going on in his mind, but he has _ what is going on in his mind, but he has told the leader of his own _ but he has told the leader of his own party that its not time for him — his own party that its not time for him to— his own party that its not time for him to speak to the public or legislators yet. he seems to have _ or legislators yet. he seems to have some siege mentality there and he _ have some siege mentality there and he is — have some siege mentality there and he is holed in his office. we will— and he is holed in his office. we will have to see how this plays out. that impeachment vote, the opposition have 192 members of parliament and they need to pull across at least eight from the ruling party for that impeachment to go ahead. i'm joined by a former south korean army lieutenant. what is your view?—

korean army lieutenant. what is ourview? ., ., ., your view? you gave a good view of what is — your view? you gave a good view of what is happening. _ your view? you gave a good view of what is happening. the - of what is happening. the military has made it clear they will not support any further martial law activities. today was spent mostly on explaining the events of the day and in one word it was a very haphazard meeting, none of the commanders knew what their mission was. most of the soldiers knew nothing about their mission and we are fortunate that accidental incidents did not happen and no one was injured, or lost their lives. one was in'ured, or lost their lives. ., �* ., ~' one was in'ured, or lost their lives. ., �* ., ,, ., lives. you're talking about the revelations — lives. you're talking about the revelations that _ lives. you're talking about the revelations that we _ lives. you're talking about the revelations that we learned i revelations that we learned today about how those events that happened today about how thos