live from washington, this is bbc news. syrian rebels say they are entering the capital, damascas, as reports say president bashar al—assad has left for an unknown destination. south korea's president avoids impeachment over his brief declaration of martial law, but questions remain about his future. storm darragh rages across the uk, leaving two people dead and hundreds of thousands of people without power. and paris's notre—dame cathedral is reborn, with donald trump and volodymyr zelensky among world leaders marking the moment. hello, i'm helena humphrey. we begin with a rapidly developing situation in syria, where rebel fighters say they are entering the capital, damascus.

residents in the city say they are hearing gunfire, and reports say president bashar al—assad has left damascus by plane for an unknown destination. opposition forces rapidly moved south towards damascus from aleppo and the key strategic crossroads of homs. the head of the rebel advance has said his forces have taken full control of homs in the last few hours. other opposition factions are converging on the capital from the south, having taken control of daraa province. there have been signs the government's control over damascus is slipping. this footage from the suburbs shows protesters toppling a statue of assad's late father, who founded the ruling dynasty. a few hours ago our security correspondent frank gardner filed this report. they think they've won already. these are syrian rebels in the south of the country, in daraa, part of a pincer movement that is closing in on the capital, damascus. more celebrations today in the north, in the city of hama. the rebels�* advance

across the country has been lightning—fast. and outside the strategically vital city of homs, islamist—led rebels are streaming towards the city centre, reportedly freeing hundreds from the prison there. of syria's president, bashar al—assad, there is little sign. this does now feel like the dying days of the al—assad regime, a family dynasty that has held syria within its brutal grasp for more than half a century. but where is the syrian army in all of this? because they mostly seem to be surrendering or defecting. but tonight syrian state television did put out a video with the impression that the al—assad regime is still very much in charge. the reality is syria's army is weak. without enough support from russia, iran and hezbollah, it has been unable to hold back the rebels. we do have some pictures of the syrian army. here they are today crossing the border into iraq to get away from the fighting. assad had really been absent, and this tells you a great deal about psychological warfare.

it seems to me that the opposition has already won, because they have really won the psychological warfare against the regime itself, and the syrian army does not really seem to be standing up. bashar al—assad was last seen on sunday, meeting his backers from iran. but that country has been weakened by conflict with israel and can no longer give him the support he needs. the assad regime has murdered, gassed and tortured thousands of its own people, but a big question mark now hangs over what comes next. as his rule crumbles around him, many fear what could follow for syria. frank gardner, bbc news. i spoke in the last few hours with rim turkmani. she is a syria research director at the london school of economics. she opposes the assad regime and gave me her thoughts on the unfolding situation.

because of your position, you have not been able to return to syria. were we to see the assad regime fall, would you then be able to return? do you have hope of that now, watching what we are seeing unfolding? absolutely, for the first time, i hope i will be able to make it back to my country after ten years — no, 1a years. last time i was in syria was in 2010, shortly after the uprising started. snd i openly declared my opposition on the side of the syrian people, and since then i was not allowed in the country. i was put on one of those lists of people who are wanted for arrest. and now i feel like, yes, i can actually go back. i can take my kids back and show them their country.

they grew up out of syria. i have talked to them about it but they don't know it. and i'm just still in disbelief that this is happening, and they're going to know what syria is and they're going to relate to it. and i'm going to go and visit my mother's grave. i'm going to see my childhood house. i'm going to see my aunts. i can't believe it. this is history unfolding in front of us, and it's just incredible. please don't give it to hts. please, please don't just focus on hts. they are a terrorist organisation despised by all syrians. focus on us, on ourjoy, on our hopes, on all the civil society that saved the country. this is where your attention should be. and the ongoing whitewash for al—golani should stop. he has a direct link with those who committed the 9/11 attack. he did notjust spend one day in al-qaeda, he was in al-qaeda for years and years. he was a leading figure in al-qaeda, and you don't change that skin.

and we have more on this on the bbc news website. we continue to hear multiple reports of gunfire in damascus. rebels are saying they are entering the city. of course, those rebels opposed to the rule of president assad of syria, who now, according to reports, has left the country for an unknown destination. all of this coming after so many years, of course, since the arab spring and the uprising, which started in the middle east, in tunisia, and saw many other nations also have democracy protests as well. we have reaction from around the world on that webpage. we will be speaking to quitaiba idlibi shortly in the programme, but now we will take

a look at the situation in south korea. south korean president yoon suk—yeol will not be involved in foreign or state affairs prior to his early departure. this was confirmed by the leader of yoon�*s ruling party. south korean prosecutors have arrested former defence minister kim yong—hyun over his alleged role in president yoon suk yeol�*s declaration of martial law. this comes as opposition mps vow they will continue efforts to impeach yoon. on saturday he narrowly survived an attempt to oust him by just a handful of votes. tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the country's parliament, calling on president yoon to resign. he declared martial law earlier this week, only to reverse just a few hours later amid widspread public and political outrage. our correspondent, laura bicker reports. k-pop music plays. mass protests can feel like pop concerts in korea, even when they're calling for the impeachment of a president. young and young—at—heart sang

together, united in the hope that yoon suk yeol will be removed. the president suddenly declared martial law late on tuesday night, and the country's elected politicians were forced to battle their own military to overturn it. today he said sorry, to try to save his career. translation: i sincerely apologise to the citizens i who were likely alarmed and disturbed by these events. the crowds still cried for his removal, but soon they realised the president's own party would not vote to impeach him, and the singing stopped. translation: what i believed and thought as democracy - and freedom, it all collapsed in a single moment. i'm very angry, but now is the time for each person to rise and come out here with us. the lawmakers — they should represent the people, not the president.

and we're very angry, we're very upset. we are not going to back down until he is impeached. in contrast to the crowded streets, the seats of the ruling party sat empty as they boycotted the vote. all efforts to get them to return were in vain. this was not the result that they were hoping for. president yoon might think that he can stay on for another two years as a lame—duck president, or his party might think of other ways to get rid of him. but south koreans have proved themselves to be resilient and determined protesters, and these demonstrations are only going to get louder and larger. with one last plea, the crowd pushed forward towards the parliament gates, calling on mps to get back inside and vote.

the people of south korea are now challenging the politicians and, disconsolate but defiant, they have vowed to return. laura bicker, bbc news, seoul. joining me live now to discuss the situation in south korea is gi—wook shin, director of the korea programme and shorenstein asia—pacific research center at stanford university. welcome to you. thank you very much for being with us. i want to begin by asking you about the latest that we are hearing, that the south korean president will not be involved in foreign or state affairs. what do you make of that? what does that tell us about this situation? well, frankly, i do not know what that means in practice and whether it is going to work or not. i am

whether it is going to work or not. iam more whether it is going to work or not. i am more sceptical about what they are trying to do. what do you mean by that? in my view, the ruling _ what do you mean by that? in my view, the ruling party, _ what do you mean by that? in my view, the ruling party, the - view, the ruling party, the ppp, they are trying to buy time, and that's why they boycotted the impeachment. but how they are going to maintain mr yoon? how they are going to maintain mryoon? even how they are going to maintain mr yoon? even though they say he will not be involved in foreign affairs, in reality, what's going to happen? and then there will be more and more protests by people. so even though they are talking about an orderly resignation by president yoon suk yeol, i don't know how long they can hold. eventually, sooner or later, he will have to go. that's my assessment. 50

later, he will have to go. that's my assessment. so youth that the demonstrators - that's my assessment. so youth that the demonstrators who - that's my assessment. so youth that the demonstrators who are | that the demonstrators who are coming out onto the streets may make it the case that he has to leave, when, in the coming days, weeks? leave, when, in the coming days. weeks?— leave, when, in the coming days, weeks? maybe not in the cominu days, weeks? maybe not in the coming days. — days, weeks? maybe not in the coming days, but _ days, weeks? maybe not in the coming days, but once - days, weeks? maybe not in the coming days, but once again, l coming days, but once again, the main reason why the ruling party boycotted voting on the motion to impeach him was trying to buy time. and they are trying to make some arrangements so that they can keep yoon in for a while and then let him go. but what i am saying is that i don't know if such a plan is going to work out, because i don't think the korean people will have patience to wait for the plan to work out. and the opposition have already said that they are

going to bring a motion to impeach him every week, and with the growing public anger and demonstrations, there will be more and more pressure on the ruling party members. find the ruling party members. and what do you — the ruling party members. and what do you think _ the ruling party members. and what do you think the international community is making of this? because, of course, i am sure you remember, of course, the scenes of the president here in washington, dc meeting with president biden. reportedly he has some memorabilia on his desk from that time given to him by biden saying the buck stops here. watching all of this unfold, what do you think, for example, washington makes of south korea as a partner right now? i washington makes of south korea as a partner right now?— as a partner right now? i think this is really _ as a partner right now? i think this is really bad _ as a partner right now? i think this is really bad for— as a partner right now? i think this is really bad for south - this is really bad for south korea. the us is going to have a new president next month, and it has to deal with a new prime minister injapan as well, and now career is facing a vacuum

in power or a crisis in political leadership. so i don't know how korea can handle foreign affairs, not only washington but tokyo, beijing, pyongyang and so on. i think in the first day or two i was not so much worried about the situation, but now i am getting more and more worried about the situation and the future of korea. , . ., situation and the future of korea. , ~ ., ., situation and the future of korea. , . ., ., ., ., korea. director of the korea programme _ korea. director of the korea programme at _ korea. director of the korea programme at stanford - programme at stanford university, thank you very much for being with us.— i return to our top story, the reports of rebels in syria advancing, they say, on the capital, damascus, at the same time that we've also got reports that the syrian president, basharal—assad, has left syria on a plane to an unknown destination as those rebels say that they are entering the capital.

joining me live now to discuss is qutaiba idlbi, seniorfellow and head of the syria initiative, rafik hariri center and middle east programmes at the atlantic council. thank you so very much for being with us tonight. as we were just discussing their, those reports of rebels advancing on damascus. i would like to begin by getting your reaction to what we are seeing and also what you are hearing from people you are speaking to the ground in syria, how they are feeling at this moment. just to say here that we are not talking about rebels now advancing to damascus. talking about rebels inside damascus right now. the footage we are seeing on social media, reports on the ground from family members, from people watching, and also videos posted online, show rebels in the main headquarters of the syrian tv and radio, and also rebels getting into the presidential palace. it's an amazing moment

for all of syria, all of syrians. it is unbelievable that after 14 years of bombardment, of imprisonment, torture, and more importantly, after the world abandon syria for over six years now, in one week, in ten days, syrians have been able to take over most of the country. more on that, of course. a lot of syrians are in this unbelieving moment, trying tojust comprehend what this unbelieving moment, trying to just comprehend what has just happened in the last ten days, but also trying to realise what will be the fate of bashar al—assad after almost more than 60 years of the ruling of the assad family. find ruling of the assad family. and what do they — ruling of the assad family. and what do they think that could be, then? you are mentioning those fighters advancing on key government areas, which is not something we have been able to personally confirm at the bbc right now. but if they are advancing towards those government areas, what do you anticipate could happen in the

coming hours, essentially, if we are to see damascus falling here? 50 we are to see damascus falling here? �* , we are to see damascus falling here? f . ., we are to see damascus falling here? �*, . ., ., we are to see damascus falling here? fl. ., ., ~ here? so it's clear that assad and top officials _ here? so it's clear that assad and top officials have - here? so it's clear that assad and top officials have left - and top officials have left damascus a while ago. earlier indications, as they occupied homs, the third—largest city, has concluded, we have received a lot of footage of damascus of security personnel, of police and the army dropping their uniforms and completely withdrawing out of the city. reports coming from the city, from damascus, spoke about orders coming to officials to not come to their official duties, and to those who are serving with the military, that they have basically a free release out of the army. so there are clear indications of something big happening in damascus. but the way that basically everyone is leaving damascus, it's very clear that

no top officials are left in the city. i think the biggest question for everyone right now is where did bashar al—assad 90, is where did bashar al—assad go, and where are the top officials of the government? of course, there are so many questions about the transition in damascus, what's going to happen next, what form of government will actually control syria. those are all questions that need to be answered for syrians, but also for a lot of international watchers and regional governments who are waiting to see what will happen. this governments who are waiting to see what will happen.— see what will happen. as you sa , see what will happen. as you say. these — see what will happen. as you say, these huge _ see what will happen. as you say, these huge questions i see what will happen. as you i say, these huge questions that will need to be answered, but i just like to take a moment to zoom out and look at the broader picture in all of this, about how long this has been going on, since the beginning of the arab spring. i understand that there was an arrest warrant out for you from the assad government multiple times, and ijust want to pause and ask you, as we watch all of this unfold tonight, if you hadn't left, what do you think could have happened to you? i left syria in 2011 because

there was a third arrest warrant for myself. when i tried to hide away, the syrian government issued an arrest warrant for my 16—year—old brother to try to force me to deliver myself in. of course, eight years past that, they tried to help families of us hostages and western hostages held in syria. trying to find the fate of their relatives. the syrian government also knew about my involvement, and i heard that me and all of the members of my family were on a watchlist for the government. if i hadn't i would probably be in one of those photos that a photographer leaked out of syria that showed thousands of pictures of thousands of prisoners who were still under torture. ., ~ prisoners who were still under torture. ., ,, , ., prisoners who were still under torture. ., ~' , ., , prisoners who were still under torture. ., ,, , . torture. thank you very much for sharing — torture. thank you very much for sharing that _ torture. thank you very much for sharing that testimony. i l for sharing that testimony. i just want to also ask you, watching all of this unfold, talking about these living

questions, what about the prospect of hts, briefly, if you don't mind. how do syrians feel about that, regardless of how some may feel about the potential and of the assad regime. how do they feel about the future from here?— regime. how do they feel about the future from here? there are definitely a _ the future from here? there are definitely a lot _ the future from here? there are definitely a lot of _ the future from here? there are definitely a lot of north - definitely a lot of north syrians among the syrians, but a lot of watchers around the world, syrians, have noticed the change of behaviour from hts over the last six or seven years. definitely, as a group, it is far from being perfect. it is actually — even the ideal —— not the ideal ruler or party that will rule syria. but hts has done a good job of communicating, at least, a better picture of itself to the syrian people. i think what will come next, however, for many syrians, they know hts is not the only power on the ground. there are so many groups that will have to come

together to decide how they need to move forward. i think many are optimistic, though, because everyone is agreeing that there needs to be an agreement between all the parties on how the whole country needs to move forward. so many more questions to discuss, but for now, thank you very much for your perspective and insights tonight. thank you for being with us.— two people have been killed by falling trees as storm darragh brings severe weather to parts of the uk. 200,000 homes are without power, mainly in wales and northern ireland. a wind gust of 93 mph was recorded this morning in wales, and there has been travel disruption across rail networks and at airports. our wales correspondent hywel griffith reports. damage and disruption in the wake of storm darragh. after standing strong for almost 150 years, llandudno's pier couldn't cope with hurricane—force gusts of wind. we got up this morning to,

like everybody else, a nightmare, really. and to see the damage and how rough the weather's been has really shocked us. it's heart—wrenching. overnight, roofs were ripped off. the hope is that something can be salvaged from this chapel near newtown. fallen trees, closed railway lines and roads. here in lancashire, one claimed the life of a driver in his 40s. a second motorist was killed in birmingham this afternoon. in swansea, the occupants of this car were fortunate to get out unscathed. flights were cancelled. those already in the air were in for a bumpy landing. the winds may have eased, but the risks from storm darragh remain. persistent rain has triggered flood warnings right across wales.

falling on already saturated ground, the fear is that river levels will rise quickly. cars were close to being submerged as the river wye burst its banks. tonight, flood warnings remain in place. thousands of people are still without power. it looks like the worst part is over, but there's still very, very high winds, more rain to come, and people should be very, very careful. as the fourth named storm of the season keeps sweeping through, people around the country are left to count the cost. hywel griffith, bbc news, cardiff. five years after a devastating fire ripped through notre—dame cathedral in paris, it reopened in a lavish restoration ceremony on saturday evening. the colossal project, costing more than $700 million, has been completed in the time frame promised by french president emmanuel macron. world leaders descended on paris to mark the reopening. us president—elect donald trump and ukraine's president

volodymyr zelensky were there, meeting with mr macron before the ceremony. our paris correspondent andrew harding has more. cathedral bells toll. the famous bells ring out once more. then three knocks at the cathedral door, and notre—dame is officially reopened — some would say reborn. inside, no hint of the fire's damage. instead, gleaming limestone and a host of vips. prince william is here alone to represent the united kingdom, greeting donald trump, who seemed close to arm—wrestling the french president, emmanuel macron. applause inside for the firemen who tackled the blaze and saved much of the building, and a french "thank you" projected on the outside. president macron, weakened politically these days, sought to inspire and to unite. translation: we have -

rediscovered what great nations can accomplish — to achieve the impossible. this cathedral has shown us what a nation is and what the world should be. it was late on 15 april 2019 that notre—dame caught fire. an inferno spread, a watching world gasping as the famous spire collapsed. but the work of 2,000 crafts men and women, a flood of donations and a strict deadline have brought france's most beloved building back to life. before tonight's ceremony, time for a short meeting between macron, trump and ukraine's embattled leader, volodymyr zelensky. it certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now, and we'll be talking about that. organ music plays. but the focus tonight was on one building that has weathered centuries of storms

and has re—emerged, looking and sounding perhaps even better than new. stay with us here on bbc news. hello there. storm darragh has continued to pull out, now weakened as it moves into the near continent. however, it's brought a swathe of disruption across parts of the country, with damaging gusts of wind. part two of the weekend does look better. although it'll stay very windy, we should see some sunshine across northern and western areas, and it won't be quite as windy as what we had through friday night and saturday. however, the winds could still cause some travel disruption, particularly for the channel ferry crossing, so just stay abreast of the weather forecast and keep up to date with your latest local radio stations. you can see the system, then, pushing across the near continent, sitting over the low countries. still lots of isobars on the chart, so sunday will be a very windy day, especially so across more eastern and south—east areas in towards the channel islands, with gales here, further cloud and showery rain. wintry showers affecting northern scotland, but more in the way of brightness for western parts of the country — for northern ireland, wales, perhaps into western england. but when you factor in that cold northerly wind, it's going to feel

cold wherever you are, with temperatures through the day ranging from around 5—9 celsius. so it stays blustery through sunday evening and sunday night across large parts of england and wales, south—east scotland, especially strong towards the south—east into the channel islands, where we'll have further showers here. further north, though, high pressure begins to topple in. so for monday morning, it's going to be a cold start for scotland, northern ireland, with clearer skies here, light winds, some frost and some ice. a little less cold further south and east, but we'll have more cloud around and more of a breeze. but you can see the remnants of storm darragh pretty much fizzling out at this point. so we'll have more of a breeze again across the south—east corner, though nowhere near as windy as it has been. the further north and west that you head, closer to the high pressure. the winds will be much lighter with widespread sunshine here after that cold and frosty start. temperatures struggling to get much above three degrees, perhaps, through the central belt of scotland. further south, we're looking at 7—9 celsius.

but as we move deeper into the week, this area of high pressure dominates the scene, sitting across the uk, bringing very light winds and settled weather — quite a difference to what we've had at the weekend. it does mean, though, it will turn quite chilly, and with that benign air mass with very little wind, we could see quite a bit of cloud at times too. where skies clear at night, we're likely to see a return to some frost and some fog. that's it from me. take care.

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