to read out the names of women who are murdered in a domestic situation. are murdered in a domestic situation-— are murdered in a domestic situation. what is so tragic, when we see on — situation. what is so tragic, when we see on the _ situation. what is so tragic, when we see on the news _ situation. what is so tragic, when we see on the news a _ situation. what is so tragic, when we see on the news a woman - situation. what is so tragic, when we see on the news a woman and perhaps— we see on the news a woman and perhaps too— we see on the news a woman and perhaps too much of her daughters have been— perhaps too much of her daughters have been killed, you then wait for the story— have been killed, you then wait for the story to — have been killed, you then wait for the story to unfold, they are looking _ the story to unfold, they are looking for somebody, it is a boyfriend _ looking for somebody, it is a boyfriend or a former boyfriend, then_ boyfriend or a former boyfriend, then the — boyfriend or a former boyfriend, then the story unfolds that there have _ then the story unfolds that there have been, time aftertime, there have _ have been, time aftertime, there have been— have been, time aftertime, there have been warning signs that have not been _ have been warning signs that have not been acted on. this is preventable crime. it's very rarely a bolt _ preventable crime. it's very rarely a bolt out — preventable crime. it's very rarely a bolt out of the blue. this is such a bolt out of the blue. this is such a good _ a bolt out of the blue. this is such a good initiative.— a good initiative. sorry to interruot. _ a good initiative. sorry to interruot. i— a good initiative. sorry to interrupt, i wondered - a good initiative. sorry to interrupt, i wondered if l a good initiative. sorry to - interrupt, i wondered if robert might acknowledge that, because you had fierce criticism for the new government, but this seems to be progress on the programme? this government, but this seems to be progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing — progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing to _ progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing to do. _ progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing to do. as _ progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing to do. as an _ progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing to do. as an mp, - progress on the programme? this is a brilliant thing to do. as an mp, i - brilliant thing to do. as an mp, i had horrific— brilliant thing to do. as an mp, i had horrific domestic violence cases in my— had horrific domestic violence cases in my constituency. some of it could have been— in my constituency. some of it could have been preventable. exactly as you have — have been preventable. exactly as you have just said. i think we tried to do— you have just said. i think we tried to do a _ you have just said. i think we tried to do a fair— you have just said. i think we tried to do a fair bit when we were in office. — to do a fair bit when we were in office. but— to do a fair bit when we were in office. but i_ to do a fair bit when we were in office, but i think this kind of initiative. _

office, but i think this kind of initiative, especially the 999 control— initiative, especially the 999 control rooms, i think that's really important — control rooms, i think that's really im ortant. , control rooms, i think that's really imortant. ,. , important. there is cross-party agreement _ important. there is cross-party agreement on _ important. there is cross-party agreement on this, _ important. there is cross-party agreement on this, what - important. there is cross-party agreement on this, what we . important. there is cross-party i agreement on this, what we need important. there is cross-party - agreement on this, what we need to do is accelerate it. one of the things i hope you're going to have in this new parliament is a cross party women's caucus which will turbo—charge progress. is party women's caucus which will turbo-charge progress.- party women's caucus which will turbo-charge progress. is elder is noddin: turbo-charge progress. is elder is nodding at — turbo-charge progress. is elder is nodding at you. — turbo-charge progress. is elder is nodding at you. i _ turbo-charge progress. is elder is nodding at you, i was _ turbo-charge progress. is elder is nodding at you, i was almost - turbo-charge progress. is elder is i nodding at you, i was almost bidding you goodbye, but we could be a queue sometimes of encouraging people to tell us their party political differences, but to hear robert and harriet tell us of a cross—party progress in this field, given your own role and everything you have said about your life for 25 years, do you think this is something that is progress tonight on the tv? absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in— absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in terms — absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in terms of— absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in terms of ndas _ absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in terms of ndas as _ absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in terms of ndas as well. - absolutely, and jess has been a huge ally in terms of ndas as well. and . ally in terms of ndas as well. and my experience _ ally in terms of ndas as well. and my experience in _ ally in terms of ndas as well. and my experience in westminster- ally in terms of ndas as well. and my experience in westminster in i my experience in westminster in terms _ my experience in westminster in terms of— my experience in westminster in terms of ndas _ my experience in westminster in terms of ndas has _ my experience in westminster in terms of ndas has been - my experience in westminster in terms of ndas has been very- terms of ndas has been very positive, _ terms of ndas has been very positive, cross—party. - terms of ndas has been very positive, cross—party. find. terms of ndas has been very positive, cross-party. and maria miller for the _ positive, cross-party. and maria miller for the tories. _ positive, cross-party. and maria miller for the tories. thank - positive, cross-party. and maria miller for the tories. thank you | miller for the tories. thank you very much indeed. a programme with

many similarities throughout the half hour. i will tell you what is in the papers. financial times, the snp 500 breaks record as investors pile in. and also there is more in the financial times about hezbollah. pm forced to defend himself after the leak of sue gray's pay ahead of the leak of sue gray's pay ahead of the party conference, questions for the party conference, questions for the pm over mohamed al—fayed's six abuse, says the daily telegraph. and on the right—hand side, the bag of style. this season's designer picks, robert, if you are interested. and in the i, more on the middle east. the guardian is leading on hezbollah, rallying around sue gray by mps, and then the hard—hitting

intervention in the daily mail. i am completely in control, says keir starmer there. christian fraser is here tomorrow. until then, sleep well. good night. you are watching bbc news. we start in the middle east where israel has launched fresh air strikes in southern lebanon. security sources say this is some of the most intense bombing since the start of the gaza war in october.

these are the latest pictures of israeli strikes on the southern lebanese border village of rihan. it all comes as the leader of hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation by some western governments, was giving his first public reaction to the wave of attacks across lebanon. at least 37 people have been killed and thousands injured by exploding pagers and walkie talkies. hassan nasrallah described the attacks as a massacre and said it could be called a declaration of war. our chief international correspondent, orla guerin, has this report. israeli fighterjets swooping low over beirut this afternoon, dominating the skies and sending a message to hassan nasrallah... booms ..breaking the sound barrier as the hezbollah leader was making

a televised address. that's something israel likes to do. and before he spoke today, a wave of israeli attacks in southern lebanon — perhaps the heaviest since the gaza war began. this footage appears to show some of the latest strikes. israel says it was targeting rocket launchers. hassan nasrallah said today that israel had dealt a major military blow with attacks on tuesday and wednesday. "the enemy," he said, "had crossed all red lines." first it was pagers exploding, then walkie talkies blowing up at funerals.

hezbollah's communication system may have been the target, but a lebanese minister told us the attacks — widely blamed on israel — break international law. minister, are you saying that these attacks are a war crime? i think they are. you know, i think that the whole world could see that these attacks occurred in markets, they occurred in hospitals, they occurred in people driving their cars. these were not people who were at the battleground, fighting. in its stronghold in south beirut, hezbollah is still mourning its dead, killed on and off the battlefield. they are getting ready here now for the funeral of another fighter. hezbollah has been hit hard this week, notjust in terms of the dead and the wounded, but the attack on its communication systems was a major humiliation. there's anger here, and there's uncertainty. many are wondering what might come next.

haja miriam said, "we can expect anything from israel, but we are prepared, both men and women." as for the wounded, she said, "we pray god will heal them. i would donate my own eyes for all of those who lost theirs." so far, it appears those killed this week were foot soldiers in hezbollah, which is classed as a terrorist organisation by the uk and the us. hassan nasrallah says the enemy has declared war and hezbollah won't stop until israel does. orla guerin, bbc news, beirut. the foreign secretary david lemi has called for an immediate cease—fire between both sides and urged all

british nationals to leave lebanon war commercial flights are still available. he was speaking after a meeting with his french, american and italian counterparts in paris. we are all very, very clear that we want to see a negotiated, political settlement so that israelis can return to their homes in northern israel and indeed lebanese can return to their homes, and that's why tonight i'm calling for an immediate cease—fire from both sides, so that we can get to that settlement, that political settlement, that political settlement that's required. more women have contacted the bbc saying that they were assaulted by the late mohamed al fayed when he was the boss of harrods. more than 20 women who worked for him have already come forward as part of a bbc investigation accusing the egyptian billionaire,

who died last year, of multiple counts of rape and attempted rape during his 25—year reign at harrods. many claim that during that time, the company helped cover up allegations of abuse. our correspondent helena wilkinson has this report, and a warning that it contains descriptions of sexual violence. when mohamed al fayed took over harrods, he quickly embraced his high—profile role and the status that came with it. to his customers and the celebrity guests, he was all charm, but to many of his female employees, he was a different man, a predator. we've heard testimony from more than 20 of al—fayed's female ex—employees. i think mohamed al fayed is a rapist. i think he's a serial rapist. gemma worked as al fayed's personal assistant for two years. just didn't know which way to turn. so i'd bought a small dictaphone that i had in my pocket. and these are the transcripts from those recordings. one of them was in paris, in his

residence there, villa windsor. i said, "i just want to go to sleep on my own. "mr fayed, i don't want to. mr fayed." and he kept saying, "relax. please, relax. " not long after this incident, gemma says al fayed raped her. in 2009, gemma contacted a lawyer, who told harrods she was leaving herjob on the grounds of sexual harassment. she didn't feel able to disclose the more serious allegations at the time. they agreed to pay a settlement if she signed a non—disclosure agreement. there was also one other condition — material was to be destroyed. it was shredded in front of us, including tapes i had of him. someone from hr was present for the shredding of all of the evidence i had. i thought i'd lost the transcripts, but actually what i did have was the transcriptions sent to my lawyer in my sent items of my email account.

in a statement, the current owners of harrods said they had watched the documentary and expressed sympathy towards the victims. earlier today, they said they were utterly appalled at the allegations and said that employees who were his victims had been failed, for which they sincerely apologised. they also said that the harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by al fayed. since this morning, the bbc has been contacted by other former employees who alleged they too were attacked by al fayed. this woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, we are calling melanie. i was sexually assaulted by being groped by al fayed at his park lane apartment. it was late in 2007. at the time, melanie was in her 20s and in herfirstjob. last year, she told the police. the police then told me that they had intended to arrest him. they had enough evidence. but they couldn't because he was unwell. tonight, the metropolitan police

said they were aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years. each one was investigated and no charges resulted. there were several attempts to expose al fayed before his death, but it is only now that many of the survivors feel able to speak publicly about the abuse they experienced. helena wilkinson, bbc news. if you have been affected by anything you have heard in our coverage of this story, you can find direction on where to get support by searching for bbc action line. the prime minister has insisted he is completely in control as rows continue within government about his chief of staff, sue gray. during a series of bbc interviews ahead of the labour party conference, sir keir starmer was pressed on a range of topics, including questions about his most senior aide and whether a labour donor should be buying

clothes for him. our political editor chris mason was watching. it's a bit like speed dating, this, really, isn't it? yes, it's a long list. you have onlyjust started. we've onlyjust started, we're going all over the united kingdom. a day of non—stop scrutiny for keir starmer. 26 back—to—back interviews, including 15 with bbc colleagues from across the uk. this is the prime minister's chief of staff sue gray. last night, i told you about the rows within government about her, her pay, her influence is cheesing off many of her colleagues, and they're telling us about it. why is your chief of staff being paid more than you? i'm not going to get into discussions about individual salaries of any members of my staff. i'm sure you wouldn't expect me to. with all these briefings against you, are you the one that's in control here? look, i've got a team here at number 10 and around the cabinet table who are utterly determined and focused on the change that we were elected to bring about. but clearly there are people

who are very unhappy within your team and i'm wondering whether you have a grip on that and whether you are the one in control here. i'm completely in control, i'm focused, and every day the message from me to the team is exactly the same, which is, "we have to deliver." brief respite, then a blizzard of other questions. are you going to be the prime minister that cancels the north—south divide? people in sussex are stuck| in trafficjams and you have cancelled their bypass. you've frozen investment for the levelling up fund that was promised to places like south shields, newcastle, billingham and kendal. what is going on? i think levelling up is really important, but i don't want it to be a slogan that is not delivered. back to the national picture, and the prime minister'sjudgment. here he was with his wife victoria when they first arrived at number 10 in july. we now know a super—rich labour donor who had a downing street pass has bought them clothes and even glasses for sir keir. why don't you buy your own suits? some people are asking that question out there. why does the prime minister need to get his wardrobe sponsored?

the important thing in all this is that we follow the rules, which is really important to me, and make the declarations so that everything is transparent. this is what scrutiny looks like. no—one has ever said governing is easy. prime minister, across our region, there are lots of protests, some small, some large, against pylons, against substations, against solar farms... the bank of england has decided to keep interest rates add 5% after cutting them for the first time since 2020 from five and a quarter percent last month. the decision by the monetary policy committee comes as prices continue to rise slightly faster then the bank's target level, with the latest inflation rate remaining at 2.2%.- with the latest inflation rate remaining at 2.2%. inflation has come down _ remaining at 2.2%. inflation has come down a — remaining at 2.2%. inflation has come down a long _ remaining at 2.2%. inflation has come down a long way - remaining at 2.2%. inflation has come down a long way and - remaining at 2.2%. inflation has come down a long way and we l remaining at 2.2%. inflation has - come down a long way and we were able to cut rates in august, but our job is to make sure that inflation

is sustainably at the 2% target. there are still some pressures. we have seen inflation is still elevated. we are now on a gradual path down. best the good news. i think insurers are going to come down, i am optimistic on that front, but we need to see more evidence. of course we will be looking at this on every meeting. a team of scientists say it is "beyond reasonable doubt" the covid pandemic started with infected animals sold at a market, rather than a laboratory leak. they were analysing hundreds of samples collected from wuhan, china injanuary 2020. the results identify a shortlist of animals — including raccoon dogs, civets and bamboo rats — as potential sources of the pandemic. some prisoners released early last week to try to free up space in overcrowded prisons have not been fitted with electronic tags to monitor their location, despite that being a condition of their release. more than 1700 prisoners were let out last week, thousands more will

be released in the next months. the government has blamed the company that provides the tags and is understood to have held urgent talks tonight. oursenior understood to have held urgent talks tonight. our senior uk correspondent scenic contention reports. —— sima kotecha. our recent visit to hmp pentonville, a crowded jail like many others up—and—down the country. last week, the government let 1,700 people out from multiple prisons to make more space. but now some of those released have told the bbc they have not been tagged when they should have been, like this offender who was inside for drug offences. he agreed to speak to us as long as we didn't reveal his identity. i'm supposed to be tagged on day one of coming out ofjail within a matter of hours of leaving the place. without that tag on my leg, nobody is watching me. tags are used to monitor the whereabouts of offenders who are given a curfew when released to minimise the chances of them reoffending. that's three probation officers

we have now spoken to who say this has been a problem for some time now. they are concerned that if these people are not tagged, they could pose a threat because nobody knows what they are doing or where they are. the government said the company which manages the tagging, serco, is to blame for the delays. tonight, the prisons minister james timpson said... meanwhile, serco have said... ultimately, this is the responsibility of the government. the blame could be pointed at them if the untagged reoffend.

if you're a dangerous person and you're not tagged, there is nobody keeping track of you. as far as i can tell, no one cares. i've been ringing them every day for a tag and nobody has turned up. sima kotecha, bbc news. new underwater footage has new underwaterfootage has been released of the wreckage of the tight end submersible. a public hearing has heard from a passenger who took a trip on titan a year before it suffered a catastrophic failure on its dive to the wreck of the titanic, killing all five people on board. our science editor rebecca morelle has more. the remains of the titan submersible, in pieces, lying 3,800m down on the floor of the atlantic ocean — the footage released by the us coast guard, who are trying to establish exactly what went wrong. this is a full—scale model of oceangate's submersible. the wreckage came from the back section of titan. you can clearly see the tail cone.

this is largely intact. it housed the onboard electronics. the footage shows the discovery of the rear dome. it was covered by the tail cone. next to that is the titanium end ring. itjoined the dome to the hull, which was made of carbon fibre. it's the part of the sub where the passengers were. they were on a journey to see the titanic that turned into tragedy. those who died were british explorer hamish harding, suleman dawood and his father, british pakistani businessman shahzada dawood, french diver ph nargeolet and stockton rush, oceangate's ceo. good morning. could you please stand and raise your right hand? at the public hearing, renata rojas, who was on the support ship, was asked how the passengers were as they left for the dive. i saw five people smiling, looking forward to theirjourney. they were alljust very happy to go.

and that's the memory i have. nobody was really nervous. they were excited about what they're going to see, "make sure you have your camera," that type of thing. renata had paid for a place on the sub herself to see the titanic in 2022. the sub had technical problems, but did complete the dive successfully. i knew what i was doing was very risky. i never at any point felt unsafe. but significant concerns about titan's design have been raised during the hearings, which continue. rebecca morelle, bbc news. it's almost 200 years since the london evening standard newspaper was first published. the decades it was first published. the decades it was a staple part of the evening commute in the capital, but today marks the last time it will be

printed daily. victoria holland has the story. do you think london will lose something? edi do you think london will lose something?— do you think london will lose something?_ i l do you think london will lose i something?_ i read do you think london will lose - something?_ i read it something? of course so. i read it every evening- _ something? of course so. i read it every evening. everything - something? of course so. i read it every evening. everything in - something? of course so. i read it every evening. everything in it. i something? of course so. i read it| every evening. everything in it. the same old story. for— every evening. everything in it. the same old story. for nearly - every evening. everything in it. the same old story. for nearly 200 i same old story. for nearly 200 ears, same old story. for nearly 200 years. the _ same old story. for nearly 200 years, the evening _ same old story. for nearly 200 years, the evening standard i same old story. for nearly 200| years, the evening standard has reported on the events, big and small, that have shaped londoners lives. it cornered the capital's commuter market, even when it faced competition from other london papers. in its heyday, it published five editions a day and was a rival to many of the national newspapers. it was very important, i think, in covering london stories. it was a london newspaper. it was terrific to work for it. you have to get up at

six in the morning, you work flat out into lunchtime, you go down, you see it go to print, you watch the printers taking it up, you hear the machines rumbling the life, and you pick up your morning's work on your way back to the office. but pick up your morning's work on your way back to the office.— way back to the office. but daily seclusion has _ way back to the office. but daily seclusion has dropped - way back to the office. but daily seclusion has dropped by - way back to the office. but daily seclusion has dropped by nearly 600,000 in the past five years alone. he lost £80 million over a similar period. like much of the newspaper industry, changes to the way we live and work have had a big impact. people have got more choice than ever about where they get their news from. smartphones, there's wi—fi on the tube, and the pandemic fundamentally changed commuting in london. all of that has forced the evening standard to reconsider its future. the standard became a free newspaper 15 years ago but print costs and paper costs have continued to rise, so now it'll have a printed additionjust to rise, so now it'll have a printed addition just once a week. it'll be renamed the london standard and mean dozens ofjob losses. mar; renamed the london standard and mean dozens of job losses.— dozens of “ob losses. may be the standard dozens of job losses. may be the

standard lost _ dozens of job losses. may be the standard lost its _ dozens of job losses. may be the standard lost its usp. _ dozens of job losses. may be the standard lost its usp. the - dozens of job losses. may be the | standard lost its usp. the weekly standard, they are trying to target it more as stuff londoners, that essential news, hopefully more in—depth analysis, what is going on in—depth analysis, what is going on in the city, so hopefully people will still get that and feel like thatis will still get that and feel like that is a london paper. in will still get that and feel like that is a london paper.- that is a london paper. in an article in _ that is a london paper. in an article in today's _ that is a london paper. in an article in today's final - that is a london paper. in an article in today's final daily, | that is a london paper. in an i article in today's final daily, the editor... we will continue to reflect this is the greatest city in the world. we will soon doubt if they think he succeeded. and of an era there. let's take a look at some of tomorrow morning's front pages. we start with the guardian, leading with the latest on the situation in the middle east, with hezbollah valving retribution for the latest wave of explosions of hand—held devices in lebanon. the i also covers the story, warning the region is stepping closer to an all—out war. i am still in control, the

daily telegraph quotes sir keir starmer, as he's deals with the fallout from a row over one of his top advisers, sue gray, and her salary. meanwhile, the metro reports on the allegations made against the late mohamed al fayed. five women say they were raped by the former harrods boss, who died last year. in the times notes a £10 billion budget boost for the chancellor, rachel reeves, who has been told she must reverse course. the co—founder of the bbc natural history unit, which is behind blockbuster tv series such as planet earth, has died at the age of 95. tony soper originally worked as a cameraman. david cilento looks back at his life.

at home, he would often be found living with a polly guillemot. ever since i can remember, there have been animals in the house, sick ones, injured ones, lost ones. ortaking an injured hawk for a drive. the bird travelled beautifully. or in one programme, living for months in a rat infested derelict cottage in order to film seabirds. this is where you have been allthis, then, is it? yes, we have been here four months now. tony soper was a pioneer of wildlife television. indeed, it was tony who first suggested the bbc should have a dedicated wildlife team, which went on to become the wealthy have a dedicated wildlife team, which went on to become the world famous bbc natural history unit. one early programme he worked on was animal magic. but the funny voices were not quite his thing. tony soper was happiest out filming in the wild.

among those paying tribute today, sir david attenborough, who said he was one of the pioneers of natural history on television, the colleague who was, he says, kind, gentle, and extremely knowledgeable. tony soper, who has died at the age of 95. now it is time for the weather with ben rich. hello there. for some parts of the uk, there is a big change on the way weather—wise, particularly in the south, where on thursday we saw a lot of sunshine. temperatures in london got above 26 celsius. but we're watching this area of low pressure swirling up from the south, increasingly bringing some showers and thunderstorms over the next few days. and the rainfall is really going to accumulate. some spots could be looking at around a month's worth of rain

from these intense downpours and thunderstorms — however, only really in the south. further north, it remains largely dry. the best of the sunshine across north—west england, northern ireland, western scotland. eastern scotland, north—east england likely to be plagued by a lot of cloud, which will make it feel rather cool. and actually that cloud has been rolling its way a long way inland, taking its time to burn back towards the east coast through the day on friday, but it should do. staying quite murky, though, for parts of eastern scotland, north—east england. and then down towards the south of england, perhaps into the midlands, wales, we will see some of these showers and thunderstorms popping up, some of which will give a lot of rain in a short space of time. 23 degrees in london, just 15 if the cloud lingers there in aberdeen. and as we go through friday night, that cloud again rolls a little bit further inland. still the chance for some showers and thunderstorms rumbling around across the channel islands, getting back into southern counties of england. a mild night forjust about all of us, a mild start to the weekend.

and again on saturday, down towards the south, we'll see these showers and thunderstorms across southern counties of england into east anglia, the midlands, parts of wales. but for northern england, northern ireland, western scotland, we'll see some sunshine. eastern scotland, north—east england, still plagued by that cloud, perhaps the odd spot of drizzle. could be quite misty and murky around some of the coast, and temperatures, if anything, coming down a little bit from where they have been. and then into sunday, it looks like we'll see some slightly more persistent, heavy, thundery rain, again affecting southern parts of the uk, east anglia, the midlands, wales. further north from there, largely dry. best of the sunshine in the north—west, more cloud into the north east, so the pattern continues. but a change in the weather pattern next week. it does turn really quite unsettled. showers or longer spells of rain, could be quite windy, and it turns quite a lot colder as well.

time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk with me, mishal husain. pakistan is in the midst of a turbulent period, with a deep economic crisis, an ousted prime minister injail, and what rights groups have called an assault on dissent, including thousands of disappearances. my guest is lawyer imaan mazari—hazir, who has pursued the authorities over such cases and spoken out against the country's powerful army. she has herself faced arrest and now terrorism charges. how does she see the rule of law in pakistan and her country's future?