The iranian backed Group Hezbollah has confirmed that its senior military commander, Ibrahim Aqil, was among those killed in the attack on a building in the southern suburbs of beirut. Addressing the un security council, the israeli envoy Danny Danon didnt mention the attacks in lebanon but said his country would do whatever it took to defend itself. These are some of the latest pictures from beirut where Rescue Workers are continuing to search through the rubble of the suburban building destroyed by israel. Its military says it was targeting hezbollah� s elite radwan forces. It was israels third attack on the lebanese capital this year. Live to our correspondent injerusalem, daniel de simone. Bring us up to date with what we know on that Recovery Operation in beirut. The lebanese operation in beirut. The lebanese authorities i operation in beirut. Tue lebanese authorities say theyve been working through theyve been working through the rubble of this southern suburb of beirut to try and identify any survivors, anyone thatis identify any survivors, anyone that is buried beneath it. Theyve said today that theyre now saying, confirming that at least 31 people died yesterday in that Air Strike. They are saying that at least three of them were children and there were dozens of people injured. In the last 15 minutes the Israel Defense forces have said that 16 hezbollah terrorists were killed in the Air Strikes. As we were reporting one of them was Ibrahim Aqil. The israeli military is saying with in the last ten minutes that the idf is currently striking targets that are belonging to hezbollah. We had something similarjust after the air similar just after the Air Strikes. Similar ust after the Air Strikes. , similar ust after the Air Strikes. Similar ust after the Air Strikes. ,. ,. , strikes. In terms of what israel is strikes. In terms of what israel is saying strikes. In terms of what israel is saying can strikes. In terms of what israel is saying can you l strikes. In terms of what israel is saying can you bring us up to date as to these later strikes . Us uptodate as to these later strikes . ,. , strikes . The statement i ust read out is i strikes . The statement i ust read out is their i strikes . The Statement Ijust read out is their statement i strikes . The Statement Ijust| read out is their statement on what is happening at the moment. They say they are striking targets in lebanon at the moment as we speak. In terms of what they said about the Air Strike yesterday. They are regarding this as a major victory. They said they took out Ibrahim Aqil who has long been wanted by them and to the united states for his alleged role in bombings against the united states in the 1980s. This all comes in the context of an escalating conflict. The israeli War Cabinet set out a new goal. On the same day that that goal was set we saw those deadly Pager Explosions and then the Walkie Talkie explosions and then significant Air Strikes. The israeli government is talking about a new phase in this war. Theyve me moved the army. The whole trend is towards escalation. Theres a feeling of what next . Theres a feeling of what next . The goal of returning 60,000 people back home doesnt appear any closer. Yesterday, hezbollah fired rockets into northern israel. The leader of hezbollah said they will not cease fighting israel until israel ceases its aggression in gaza and the occupied west bank. There is a real sense of an escalating conflict. An escalating conflict. Daniel, thank you an escalating conflict. Daniel, thank you for an escalating conflict. Daniel, thank you for bringing an escalating conflict. Daniel, thank you for bringing us an escalating conflict. Daniel, | thank you for bringing us news from a fast developing situation there. Palestinian media say at least ten people have been killed in an israeli Air Strike on a former school in gaza city. The israeli military says the attack targeted a Hamas Command Room at the al falah school, which has been serving as a shelter for displaced civilians. The israeli military has received widespread international condemnation for attacking schools, Civilians Shelters and hospitals in gaza, which it says were Housing Hamas fighters. And we have a live Page Online with the very latest Reaction And Analyis from our correspondents across the region. You will find that on the Bbc News Website and app. A former manager of fulhams womens Football Team has told the bbc precautions were put in place to protect female players from Mohamed Al fayed when he owned the club. Mr al fayed, who died last year, has been accused of Sexual Assault by dozens of Women Who worked for harrods, which he sold in 2010. The Department Store says its utterly appalled by the allegations. Simonjones has more and a warning, his report contains descriptions of sexual violence. How widespread was Mohamed Al fayeds alleged offending . Dozens of women have come forward to say that they were sexually assaulted by him when they worked at harrods. Lawyers say they are also representing women employed by al fayed at The Ritz in paris. And now there are questions about the late billionaires 16 years in charge of fulham football club. A former manager of fulhams Womens Team says extra precautions were put in place to protect female players from Mohamed Al fayed. Gaute haugenes, who managed the side between 2001 and 2003, said members of staff became aware that he liked young, blonde girls. As a result, players were not allowed to be left alone with him. The club said it was deeply troubled by the disturbing reports relating to harrods, adding . Lawyers representing Al Fayeds accusers told a News Conference more and more alleged victims were coming forward. We dont at this stage represent any Women Who, for instance, sustained attacks at fulham football club, but our investigations are obviously ongoing. It is highly unlikely that there are not victims out there from these other places of work, wherever he went. There will be victims. One former Harrods Employee Spoke of what happened to her. Mohamed al fayed, my boss, the person i worked for, pushed himself onto me. I fell to the floor with him still on top of me but i managed to kick free. He just laughed at me. He then composed himself and he told me in no uncertain terms that i was never to breathe a word of this to anyone. Harrods said the Department Store today is a very different organisation from the one owned and controlled by al fayed between 1985 and 2010. It has reached financial settlements with the majority of people who have approached it since 2023. The Ritz Paris says it strongly condemns any form of behaviour that does not align with the values of the establishment. A man now branded a monster the legal team representing many of his accusers says it has not ruled out Launching Proceedings against Al Fayeds estate. Simon jones, bbc news. Counting has begun in sri Lankas President ial election. Its hoped the new leader can repair the countrys finances after its economic collapse two years ago, which sparked mass protests and toppled the government. read on live to our correspondent, Samira Hussain who is in colombo. Counting polls have now closed . Poles have now closed and they are going to bring in counting injust half an hour or so. They are going to begin by counting the postal ballots. Then theyre going to move to the ballots which have been cast today. As you correctly pointed out there are 38 candidates who are all vying for president. Its a lot of potential people who want to be president. That means its going to take a lot longer to be counting those ballots. What they do here is you select your first choice of who you would like to see as president and then you move to your second and third choice. And because of how many people are running, there is a sense that its actually going to go to people is second and third choices. Which means that the Counting Process is going to take a while. We are not expecting results until sometime on sunday. Results until sometime on sunda. ~ ,. , sunday. When it comes to the results, this sunday. When it comes to the results, this is sunday. When it comes to the results, this is being sunday. When it comes to the results, this is being seen sunday. When it comes to the results, this is being seen as| results, this is being seen as an election to overcome the economic turbulence that Sri Lanka has seen recently. Absolutely, two years ago there were mass protests and those protests eventually overthrew the government at the time. It was in economic crisis that was sparked due to financial mismanagement by the government at the time. Fast forward to now and you have Sri Lanka which is under billions of dollars of foreign debt so that has really been passed on to everyday people. Taxis are much higher. The price of goods, everything from food and medicines, has become a lot more expensive. Really the selection in terms of issues is all about the economy. Which candidate people believe can ease the financial burden on people right now. Pm ease the financial burden on people right now. An election about the people right now. An election about the economy. People right now. An election about the economy. Thank i people right now. An election. About the economy. Thank you people right now. An election about the economy. Thank you so much. There are reports of explosions at a russian Ammunition Warehouse following a ukrainian Drone Attack. The site is in the Krasnodar Region, which borders russian occupied crimea. The russian Ministry Of Defence said it brought down 18 ukrainian drones in the Krasnodar Region overnight. From kyiv, our correspondent jessica parker, told us more. Let me run you through what weve heard from some official sources this morning, as those reports emerged of an Ammunition Depot inside russia being hit following a ukrainian Drone Attack. This appears to have been part of a wider ukrainian Drone Attack. So, the russian Ministry Of Defence have said there were around 100 drones that they were intercepting overnight, around 18 over the Krasnodar Region. And what the regional governor there has said is that one of those drones was intercepted. The debris fell to the ground, a fire began, and then there were detonations, explosions, and there have been some evacuations of residents nearby. No reported casualties at the moment. Weve been looking at some footage on social media, on telegram. Were working to try and verify that footage, but it appears to show large explosions, a ball of fire, a ball of smoke in the area. Now this, of course, is after On Wednesday morning, news emerged of quite a similar type of attack on an Ammunition Depot in a different region in the western region, another Drone Attack by ukraine which appeared to target a russian Ammunition Warehouse. So for kyiv, of course, although they havent officially commented this morning on these latest reports, Theyll Mark that up as a victory as they have ramped up Drone Attacks on russia. Although, of course, what they really want is to get permission to use western long range missiles to hit targets inside russian territory. And youve got to imagine that that is going to be top of the agenda as President Zelensky heads to the us next week, where among those hes going to meet will be the us president , outgoing president joe biden. It certainly will be the top of the agenda. Let 5 get some of the day 5 other news now. A new Zealand Pilot has been freed after more than 18 months in captivity in indonesias papua region. Phillip mehrtens was held by an armed faction of the West Papua national liberation army, after he landed a small commercial plane in a remote, mountainous area. Hes now having medical check ups. The us state of South Carolina has carried out its first execution in thirteen years, just days after the key Witness For The Prosecution proclaimed that the Death Row Inmate was innocent. Freddie owens had been convicted of killing a Shop Worker during an Armed Robbery in 1997. On wednesday, his Co Defendant in the crime, steven golden, told the State Supreme Court that owens had not been present when the robbery took place. But the court rejected a last Minute Motion for a stay of execution. Pope francis has criticised Police Action against protesters in his home country, argentina, where president Javier Milei has implemented an Austerity Plan to try to curb hyperinflation. In a video released by the vatican, the pope said he had seen video of police � repression� , as he put it, against workers and pensioners. This weekend marks the 80th Anniversary of one of the major allied military operation of the second world war. The objective of Operation Market Garden was to advance into german held territory in The Netherlands with a bridgehead over the lower rhine. The Mission Wasnt successful and many people were killed, but the allies did capture the area a few months later. Hundreds of paratroopers this morning jumped from planes above The Netherlands to re enact the operation. Our correspondent Anna Holligan is in arnhem. 700 paratroopers from eight nato nations are taking part in this drop, and it looks so peaceful now. But 80 years ago, this was the scene of some of the most ferocious fighting during the second world war. I have some experts with me who can explain just what this was like. So Al Murray you actually took part in a similar jump Re Enactment 20 years ago . Yes i did. Ijumped from a dakota, from a C 47 with a round parachute, as they call it, a round, um, from sort of 900ft. And i landed rather heavily on my backside. And so its etched in my memory. But, but this place was so different. It was so different because this place on on the afternoon of the 18th of september, 19114, it was what was called dzy. So its Drop Zone Y. Its one of the many Drop Zones that the british paratroopers were landing on. And when they landed that afternoon, it was contested. So the germans were fighting out of the Tree Linejust behind us. Um, The Heath was on fire. There was Machine Gun Fire going across the Drop Zone. And as the aircraft came in, as this fleet of dakotas came in, with 2000 paratroopers from fourth parachute brigade, there was a Bayonet Charge going on by the men of the seventh kings own scottish borderers, who were chasing the germans off the Drop Zone back into the Wood Line so these guys could land here safely. So it was a scene of really high drama and a scene that, that because the battle essentially