DAMASCUS -- Rebel groups entered the central Syrian city of Homs Saturday night as government forces moved to reposition around the city, war monitor and local media reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions have taken control of several neighborhoods in Homs.

Police forces in the central prison of Homs opened the gates for the prisoners and released all of them, said the Observatory. (Syria-Homs-Rebels)

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PARIS -- Five years after being devastated by a fire, the restored Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral officially reopened on Saturday with a grand inauguration ceremony attended by world leaders, believers, and non-believers alike.

The ceremony began with a tribute film, honoring all those who played a role in the rescue and restoration of Notre-Dame. "Thank You" was projected in multiple languages on the cathedral's iconic facade. (France-Notre Dame-Open)

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THE HAGUE -- Four bodies have been recovered from the rubble of an apartment building in The Hague, the Netherlands, which partially collapsed following a major explosion on Saturday morning, Dutch police confirmed.

The identities of the victims have not yet been determined. Earlier in the evening, one survivor was rescued from the debris and transported to the hospital by ambulance. Efforts to locate additional victims are ongoing. (Netherlands-Explosion)

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DAMASCUS -- Syria's Interior Minister asserted on Saturday that a "very strong security cordon" surrounds the outskirts of Damascus and cannot be breached, countering recent claims of shifting front lines amid the ongoing conflict in the country.

In a separate statement, Jassem al-Mahmoud, deputy governor of Rural Damascus province, told Sham FM radio that there is no truth to reports of army withdrawals from several towns and villages near the capital. Instead, he said, forces are redeploying and regrouping within the areas rather than pulling back entirely. (Syria-Damascus-Conflict) Enditem

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