live from london, this is bbc news. the rebel advance in syria continues at pace. they've taken control of hama, now they're closing in on the crucial city of homs. eight organisation see half the population in sudan are facing acute hunger. and as notre dame prepares for the official reopening, stunning images from inside the cathedral five years after the devastating fire. tens of thousands of people are fleeing syria's third biggest city, horns, fearing that islamist—led rebels will capture it in the latest stage of their surprise offensive.

reports say the militias may be just five kilometres outside the city as they continue their advance, after taking hama yesterday. the leader of the rebels says he wants an end to the assad regime and sought to reassure minorities they would be respected. the united nations says almost 300,000 people have been displaced in syria since the civil war was reignited last week. first, the rebels seized syria's second city, aleppo, before advancing south to take hama. taking homs would cut the main road leading from the capital, damascus, to the syrian coast, a stronghold of the embattled president bashar al—assad. his forces say they've been bombing rebel positions from war planes. let's speak to senior fellow at the foundation for defence of democracies and former israel national security adviser — doctor eyal hulata. tell me your reaction to watching these events unfold in syria. watching these events unfold in s ria. . , , ., watching these events unfold in s ria. .,, watching these events unfold in sria. .,, ., watching these events unfold in sria. ., “ syria. happy to be on the bbc. the events _ syria. happy to be on the bbc. the events are _ syria. happy to be on the bbc. the events are indeed - syria. happy to be on the bbc. | the events are indeed unfolding very fast. this all came as a surprise as you just said. from

an israeli perspective we are trying to stabilise a fragile situation as it is with lebanon and the ceasefire hopefully that will persist. and syria was relatively stable for years with assad being able to control or regain control over his country the civil war seems like falling into pieces. there are several different rebel movements and organisations working in sync with different agendas and intentions but they situation given that syria is a key sup; and of arms to seek to topple assad and it situation given that syria is a key sup; and intentions but they agendas and intentions but they seek to topple assad and it seems today this is more likely seems today this is more likely thanit seems today this is more likely than it was in any time i think thanit seems today this is more likely than it was in any time i think since thejoining of since thejoining of than it was in any time i think since the joining of the than it was in any time i think since the joining of the russians to stabilise syria at russians to stabilise syria at the height of the civil war. it the height of the civil war. it is amazing how quickly events is amazing how quickly events have moved through the court have moved through the court and even this week. i will talk and even this week. i will talk about your concerns in a moment about your concerns in a moment but in terms of the security but in terms of the security situation, you reference what's situation, you reference what's happening in lebanon and the happening in lebanon and the ceasefire. presumably this presumably this helps with that security ceasefire. presumably this helps with that security situation given that syria is a situation given that syria is a

key supplier of arms to key supplier of arms to hezbollah?— key supplier of arms to hezbollah? ~ ., ., ., ~' key supplier of arms to hezbollah? ~ ., ., ., ~ ., hezbollah? we tend to look at the short-term _ hezbollah? we tend to look at the short-te longer— hezbollah? we tend to look at the short-te longer term - overlook the longer term issues. if syria destabilises, this is for the this is not good for the reason. not that i think assad is a good ruler, he butchered his people and is a war criminal but to your point about lebanon, it is true that iran used syria for many years to funnel arms and other equipment into hezbollah. 0perated quite freely, syria tried to prevent that. the structure of the ceasefire arrangement with the lebanese has a component that events smuggling of arms through the syrian borders into lebanon. it is not certain who exactly will verify that, the idea for problems to happen will continue to happen. if the

islamist rebels back to the tax gain control over the northern passage, in the short—term it might mean iran is less free to transport arms but over time, i think the stability in syria would allow all of the bad actors to try to find opportunities and use whatever they can as stronghold...

opportunities and use whatever they can as stronghold�* the good for the syrians of the neighbours. this is not good for stability, this will definitely have a spill—over on israel. the fact that what we're seeing is the idea of putting more forces in focusing on the syrian border, trying to make sure this does not spill—over, i think that is a good thing to do at the moment. israel will not intervene, it's not for us to play with. we will need to be careful to make sure the strongholds are not for the hans commissary has chemical. 0ne for the hans commissary has chemical. one of the countries with the most expensive chemical industries in the region. think what would happen if this falls in the hand of is the lists backed by no one, looking to create a caliphate just on israel cross border. this will not be good. i don't want to wish assad regains control. i hope destabilises in a way that it does not fall

into the wrong hands. thank ou. into the wrong hands. thank yom thank _ into the wrong hands. thank you. thank you. _ half of sudan's population is facing acute hunger. that's according to the head of medical charity medecins sans frontiers. christopher lockyear says the civil war that began in april last year has created the country's worst humanitarian crisis in decades. he is in the south western darfur region where there are reports of malnutrition and a refugee crisis on the border with chad. we can speak to him now from darfur. tilney a little more aboutjust how bad the situation is. you have touched _ how bad the situation is. you have touched on _ how bad the situation is. you have touched on a _ how bad the situation is. you have touched on a few- how bad the situation is. 7m. have touched on a few of the key points. what's happening in sudan is a war on people. that has resulted in a deliberate man—made humanitarian crisis. at least one third of people in sudan are suffering from acute

hunger and there is something like 11 million people who have been displaced. what we're seeing is an excruciating need to scale up humanitarian assistance and allow supplies to come in to the darfur region of sudan that also into the east of sudan.— of sudan that also into the east of sudan. we're seeing some pictures _ east of sudan. we're seeing some pictures of _ east of sudan. we're seeing some pictures of the - east of sudan. we're seeing some pictures of the aid - east of sudan. we're seeing i some pictures of the aid work you are involved with. i have been listening over weeks and months to so many aid agency spokespeople struggling quite often to describe what they are actually seeing and dealing with adequately. to be able to describe it. do you show that way as well? it's difficult to find the words? it’s way as well? it's difficult to find the words?— find the words? it's a horrendous _ find the words? it's a j horrendous challenge find the words? it's a i horrendous challenge to describe what's going on a nutshell. in central darfur, i'm sitting in hospital now,

the stories from this hospital over the last few months have completely horrific. just in july this hospital was ransacked and looted, almost totally inoperable. there was shooting and fighting in the hospital, a surgeon operating at the time was shot in the crossfire. in another incident, in the same operating theatre, the solar panels of the roof of the solar panels of the roof of the operating theatre were stolen as there was a cesarean section ongoing to deliver a baby. miraculously, both the motherland child survived and were put into recovery ward and what i would say, since then, the last i into 1, the situation what i would say, since then, as they were in the recovery the last i into recovery uation what i would say, since then, the last i into recovery ward1 what i would say, since then, the last i into recovery ward and they were in 7 they were in the 7 they were in the recovery as they were in the recovery were, the bed was stolen were, the bed was stolen beneath them and they were put beneath them and they were put on the floor. we have seen on the floor. we have seen attacks on health care like attacks on health care like this, hospitals throughout the this, hospitals throughout the country since this war has country since this war has started and at the hands of started and at the hands of both parties to this conflict. both parties to this conflict. what i would say, since then, what i would say, since then, the last month, the situation the last month, the situation

in this teaching hospital has completely turned around. it has been resupplied, it has been rehabilitated, the staff are back. there is secondary health care, complicated health care in the paediatric and neonatal, the operating theatre is functioning again. it is entirely possible to bring humanitarian systems into this area of darfur. there are complications in other parts of darfur and it's entirely da rfur and it's entirely possible darfur and it's entirely possible and we're still in need of a massive scale up just around the corner from here. you are absolutely right in terms of that last phrase because as i said at the start of the introduction, half the population facing acute hunger. the alarm has been sounded so many times over the last few months. what is actually preventing making much quicker progress? b, preventing making much quicker rouress? �* , ., ., , progress? a number of factors, it is not simple _ progress? a number of factors, it is not simple to _ progress? a number of factors,

it is not simple to describe - progress? a number of factors, it is been imple to describe - progress? a number of factors, it is been a |ple to describe - progress? a number of factors, it is been a very :o describe - progress? a number of factors, it is been a very horrific ibe - has been a very horrific conflict including hospitals as ijust conflict including hospitals as i just described. conflict including hospitals as ijust described. it is also about scaling up and bringing in supplies cross—border from chatis in supplies cross—border from chat is one example. the crossing which i crossed to just two days ago has been open since august but the amount of supply the amount of food alone, through the borderers vastly inadequate. an average of five trucks a day crossing that border, and the camp where we are working with famine was declared in august, we estimate 400 bucks per month. little and the 10 million other people in darfur. it's a question of cross—border assistance and of leaving aid around, from a territory overseen by one of the warring parties going into

another. finally, it is also a question of what looked like fairly benign administrative impediments, visas, travel permits, a possibility to move authorisation around, but these are administrative tools which are administrative tools which are being used to restrict aid at the behest of the warring parties. it at the behest of the warring arties. , ., ,. , parties. it is often described as a forgotten _ parties. it is often described as a forgotten crisis, - parties. it is often described as a forgotten crisis, it - parties. it is often described as a forgotten crisis, it is . parties. it is often described as a forgotten crisis, it is so | as a forgotten crisis, it is so good to have you on the programme and articulate what you are doing. and how some progress at least is being made. thank you forjoining us. protesters and members of parliament, are camping out, at the south korean national assembly — before saturday's vote on whether to impeach president yoon. hundreds of people are outside the building in seoul. they're concerned that the president — who this week temporarily declared martial law — could try again, to subvert civilian rule. mps voted, unanimously, to reject martial law —

tomorrow's vote could remove mr yoon from office. the national assembly is already considering launching a treason investigation against the president. 0ur correspondent laura bicker has been following developments in seoul, since the political crisis was triggered on tuesday evening. she sent us this update. this is the third day of protests, and as usual in korea, it turns into a bit of a party atmosphere. but they are growing in size. they are once again calling for his impeachment and in the next 24 hours, a vote will be held in the national assembly, which is just a few hundred metres from here. now, today, we've heard some extraordinary accounts of the night that he declared martial law. we have heard from the leader of his own party, who said that he had to be removed for the safety of the republic of korea. he said that he's seen new evidence that president yoon had planned to round up the members of parliament and

have them detained in a prison. we've also heard from the intelligence services that president yoon had given orders to round up the members of parliament to tie up loose ends. now, this relates to the fact that this is a president who is desperately trying to grip on to power. deeply unpopular and struggling to gain the support of his own party. it does seem, given the evidence that we've heard, that he wanted to somehow use martial law to overrule his own national assembly. so what we're seeing over the last few hours is a build up of pressure on the president himself, but he is showing no signs that he wishes to resign. earlier, there were rumours within the national assembly that he was going to come, going to apologise and going to resign. at that time, the members of parliament blockaded the door linked arms, calling again for him to be impeached. he did not show up. there is no sign so far that he's even going to speak publicly. meanwhile, as you can see, number of people who are coming out to try to call for him to be removed is increasing, and we're expecting these

crowds to grow in the next 24 hours ahead of that impeachment vote. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

iceland is often considered a great country for women, it tops world rankings in terms of gender parity. but it's also a country, with persistently high rates of gender—based violence, with about 40% of women, subjected to physical and sexual violence , significantly higher than the global average. for bbc 100 women, our gender and identity correspondent — sofia bettiza takes a look at the problem.

iceland has ranked as the most gender equal countries and there was the last 15 years. one of the secrets of their success — start early. at this nursery the girls and the boys are separated and they're encouraged to do things that are normally associated with the opposite sex. the girls are taught to be unapologetic and fierce. shouting. while the boys are getting in touch with their caring side. the idea is that they develop their personalities without the constraints of conventional gender stereotypes. iceland became the first country in the world to make it illegal to pay men more than women for the same job. and this push for equality also applies in the home. parental leave

here is 12 months. the mother and the father can split it equally. that's what katrin and fana are doing. they have five kids. have you everfelt, "oh, if i get pregnant things will be hard for me at work?" no. never. i've neverfelt, like, the pressure of not having kids because of my career. 90% of all fathers take paternity leave. research shows that after going back to work, they continue to be significantly more involved. when do you think that iceland will close the gender gap? my ambition is for iceland to be first to close the gender gap and hopefully by 2030. but are things as perfect as they seem? we have been marketedl as this feminist paradise, which we are not. at home, we are not any more safe than women l anywhere else in europe. singing. we are at a vigil to remember all the icelandic women

who have been killed by men. it just shows that even in a country that is supposed to be a great place for women, things are far from perfect. about 40% of icelandic women have been subjected to physical or sexual violence and because of that, the icelandic state is being sued for misogyny. we thought it was completely unacceptable that women were not taken seriously and we decided to use the european court of human rights to sue the icelandic state. now we're just crossing our fingers that we will win. do you think that the government is doing enough to tackle the issue of gender violence? no, i don't think any government is doing enough. as long as there is gender—based violence, we're not doing enough. it's as simple as that. sofia bettiza, bbc news, iceland.

the former beatles star, sir paul mccartney, has been honoured by britain's royal mint with a new collection of coins celebrating his career. the special £5 coins feature king charles on one side and a design containing references to sir paul's record—breaking career on the other. rebecca morgan, director of commemorative coin at the royal mint, told me how it came about. it's actually a really long process. not everybody can be on a uk coin. and there is a committee called the royal mint advisory committee that takes a short list of themes and you have to have a significant anniversary or have had a significant impact on britain's british culture or britain as a whole. well, there's no question about that in this case. tell me more about the design, because you have king charles on one side. is there any reason why sir paul's face is not on the other? can you have a face apart from the monarch on a coin? is that why you've chosen what you've chosen?

interestingly, you can't have a face of a living person on the other side of a coin. so if the person is deceased, they are able to have a likeness on the reverse of the coin. 1529 00:20:14,403 -