More women have contacted the bbc, saying that they were assaulted by the late Mohammed Al fayed when he was the boss of the Luxury Department Store 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. 0ur Correspondent simonjones has this report and a warning that it contains descriptions of sexual violence. He owned one of the most famous stores in the world. He loved being in the limelight. But some of Mohamed Al fayeds former workers have described him as a monster, a sleazebag, a predator who would use his power to stop them speaking out. Now more women are having their voices heard. One who were calling melanie has asked to remain anonymous. I was sexually assaulted by being groped by Al Fayed at his Park Lane apartment. It was late in 2007. At the time she was in her 20s and in herfirstjob. She reported what happened to the met last year. The police then told me that they had intended to arrest him. They had enough evidence. But they couldnt because he was unwell. Al fayed died in August 2023 Aged 94. Melanie contacted the bbc following an investigation which spoke to more than 20 women who said they were sexually assaulted by the billionaire. Five said they were raped. He tried to rape me more than once. And he pushed me in and onto the bed so that i couldnt move. You know, he was 79, nearly 80, and i was 15. The metropolitan police says its aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years in relation to Mohamed Al fayed. It says each allegation was investigated and, where appropriate, advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service. But those investigations did not lead to any charges. Al fayed owned harrods between 1985 and 2010. In 2008, he was questioned by police over allegations made by a girl whom hed first met when she was 14. Prosecutors decided not to take action. Police received advice from the Crown Prosecution Service again in 2018, 2021 and 2023. Its not clear how many women those cases related to. He was never taken to court. Other women only felt they could come forward after his death. The current owners of harrods say they are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al fayed, and that today it is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by him. They say the store has a process available to women who say they were attacked by Al Fayed, adding. It has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. The legal team representing many of the women the bbc has spoken to will set out its next steps at a News Conference later today. Simon jones, bbc news. For more on this, lets speak to our correspondent azadeh moshiri. We expect a statement today, what is it likely to contain . We expect the lawyers to set out their legal claim against harrods for failing to provide a safe system of work for their employees. The bbc has also gathered evidence that at the time of these allegations, harrods not only failed to intervene but covered up the allegations of abuse. I am in front of harrods, the Press Conferences not due to start for another hour or so. 0ne for another hour or so. One woman told the bbc that walking through this iconic building behind me was a test of whether she was ready to speak to the bbc. Now the bbc has testimony from more than 20 former employees that reveals a pattern of Sexual Abuse and Predatory Behaviour by Mohamed Al fayed. As for harrods, they had said they are utterly appalled by the allegations, they sent their sympathy to the victims and also said they had set up a process allowing them to settle these claims quickly in order to avoid lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. But this is also a story about power, many of the women say they are speaking today now because Mohamed Al fayed has died but also after his portrayal on the Tv Series the crowd, a portrayal they saw as too positive and not how they would want him to be remembered because this man literally held the keys to the castle behind me and that instilled fear in terms of how they felt about speaking of these allegations. His portrayal on the Tv Series the crown. They were silenced, not any more. Crown. They were silenced, not any more any more. This is not ust about any more. This is notjust about what happened any more. This is notjust about what happened in i any more. This is notjust about what happened in london, there are international aspects . There are international meets . There are international asects . ,. , ~ aspects . Yes, Mohamed Al fayed conducted business aspects . Yes, Mohamed Al fayed Conducted Business Around aspects . Yes, Mohamed Al fayed Conducted Business Around the i conducted business Around The World. Some of the allegations against him are said to have happened in paris, st tropez, Abu Dhabi and therefore lots of this also has to do with the fact that many of the women involved were personal assistants to Mohamed Al fayed so travelled with him Around The World, and also stated some of his homes. This is notjust confined to london, this is a global story too. Azadeh moshiri, thank you. 0utside Harrods for us. We expect a Press Conference later, perhaps within the next hour or so and we will bring you that live when it happens. Lets turn to the Middle East now, where israel has launched fresh Air Strikes across Southern Lebanon in what Security Sources there say are some of the most intense bombings since the start of the Gaza War in october. These are the latest pictures of israeli strikes on the Southern LebaneseBorder Village of rihan. The Israeli Military says its warplanes struck hundreds of hezbollah sites, including a weapons storage facility. It all comes after the leader of hezbollah proscribed as a Terrorist Organisation by some western governments gave 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 that they could amount to a Declaration Of War. Daniel de simone reports. With this weeks deadly explosions in lebanon, the conflict between Israel And Hezbollah has entered a dangerous new stage. Hezbollah� s leader gave his first response to the blasts targeting his members. Translation Crime Wars or Declaration Of War . You can call it anything, and it deserves those words. He said hezbollah wont Stop Fighting until israel stops targeting gaza. As he spoke, israeli Fighter Jets flew low over beirut and carried out Air Strikes in Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah fired multiple rockets into israel. Israels Defence Minister reiterated the goal of returning 60,000 israelis displaced by the Rocket Fire to their homes, but how it can be achieved is unclear. Translation in the new phase of the war, there are significant opportunities, but also significant risks. Hezbollah feels persecuted. The sequence of our Military Actions will continue. Despite calls Around The World for a De Escalation in this conflict, the opposite appears to be happening. Daniel de simone, bbc news, jerusalem. Lets speak to our middle East Correspondent in beirut, hugo bachega. What is the Situation Today after all of these Air Strikes overnight . It after all of these Air Strikes overnight . After all of these Air Strikes overnight . It is a very tense situation. Overnight . It is a very tense situation, many overnight . It is a very tense situation, many people overnight . It is a very tense situation, many people are l situation, many people are concerned we could be seeing the beginning of a much wider israeli offensive against hezbollah, so obviously earlier this week we saw those two days of attacks, pagers and Walkie Talkies used by hezbollah, there was Panic And Confusion and chaos all across the country. And now yesterday late at night dozens of hezbollah targets being hit by this wave of israeli Air Strikes, one of the most intense Air Strikes by the Israeli Military in this conflict. 0bviously Israeli Military in this conflict. Obviously this happened just hours after that speech Hassan Nasrallah in which he reacted for the first time in public to the attacks which happened in lebanon. As expected there were some strong words against israel, he promised to react to those attacks but i think it was very interesting that still the indications where hezbollah is not interested in an escalation in this conflict. It is a very difficult situation for hezbollah because what happened here was humiliating for the group, it was a major Security Breach but at the same time the group needs to be seen to be given response, but it also knows that any kind of major reaction is likely to spark a major war with israel and we know israeli authorities are saying that if the situation here is not the Escalated they will use Military Force to push hezbollah away from the border. If the situation here is not the Escalated. If the situation here is not the Escalated. If the situation here is not the Escalated. Lots of work to understand the Escalated. Lots of work to understand how the Escalated. Lots of work to understand how the understand how the Walkie Talkies and pages went off in the way they did. What is being done to protect people from further potential attacks of that type . Of that type . This is one of the key concerns, of that type . This is one of. The key concerns, everybody of that type . This is one of the key concerns, everybody is really scared that these attacks may continue, that War Via electronic devices might explode. 0ne via electronic devices might explode. One person said she was changing her Lab And Card to an international one because she was concerned her phone might explode. Lots of people are concerned here. Yesterday we went to a suburb of dave of beirut which is a Hezbollah Stronghold and people were checking out kit, our cameras and phones, so this shows you the Anxiety And Concern following those attacks which caught everybody by surprise. Hugo bachega in beirut, thank you very much for the moment. Lets speak to our middle East Correspondent in jerusalem, Yolande Knell. What are the Israeli Military is saying about what they had struck overnight . Struck overnight . They are sa in struck overnight . They are saying they struck overnight . They are saying they hit struck overnight . They are saying they hit about struck overnight . They are saying they hit about 100 i saying they hit about 100 launch sites and put them out of action and in the process they head to about 1000 of these Barrel Launchers that they said were ready to be fired at northern israel, they say they have Hit Other hezbollah infrastructure too and this is one of the most heavy periods of bombardment since the war. We have had the Cross Border exchanges of fire between Israel And Hezbollah going on between the in parallel to the Gaza War. Footage has emerged from one occupied West Bank Town showing israeli soldiers pushing dead bodies off a roof following a raid on thursday in which at least five palestinians were killed. I have two warn you that the footage we are about to show you contains distressing images and you might find it upsetting. In this footage that at the moment we have not managed to independently verify, so it carries that warning, israeli soldiers are seen dragging several dead bodies and throwing them from the roof of that building. In the same incident soldiers were also seen using Theirfeet Incident soldiers were also seen using their feet to push the remaining bodies off the roof and in a statement the idf called it a serious incident that does not coincide with idf values and expectations. The idf says it is now revealing that incident. It is just another Example Injerusalem of the tensions and the many fronts on which we see israel fighting at the moment. Yes, and tensions are really running extremely high in the West Bank. This was a raid which lasted for many hours, it is a town which is close tojenin in the north of the West Bank and what we heard from journalists who were biased that there was a Drone Strike in which at least one person was killed in a car and what we heard from journalists who were there is that there was a Drone Strike. Israel said it the counterterrorism rate. In this Footage Shot from several different angles, Notjust One video that came out, you can see there are these soldiers that push the bodies off the Roof Top and reports that military bulldozers were used to scoop up the bodies and take them away after they have been dropped from that height. What we have heard from Local Palestinian Official says that in total there were seven palestinians killed and a number injured too. There were Gun Battles and other confrontations with israeli special forces, they say, confrontations with israeli specialforces, they say, that took place during this rate. Studio Yolande Knell in jerusalem, thank you very much. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. The European Union says it will provide 11 Billion to help countries hit by severe flooding. Storm boris destroyed buildings, bridges and roads across parts of central and eastern europe. In italy, more than 1,000 people in the North Eastern region of Emilia Romagna have been evacuated. Two people have been reported missing. Lets show you some of our live pictures from these particular parts that have been affected. Wejust particular parts that have been affected. We just mentioned Emilia Romagna in northern italy, you can hopefully see when the Picture Angles down the clear rep they are trying to mount in the face of so much devastation after Storm BarraStorm Boris swept through. Lets take you to budapest where we had seen extremely high water levels still subsiding to reveal the true extent of the destruction wrought by this storm. Lets speak to our Correspondent Davide Ghiglione in rome. News must be immensely welcome that the European Union will make this money available . Yes. Make this money available . Yes, that is what make this money available . Yes, that is what people make this money available . Yes, that is what people are that is what people are wondering now because the weather is better today, it has stopped raining this morning, Rescue Operations are still underweight because, as you say, two people are still missing, but i think people now are starting to worry about what comes next, what happens next. We saw a very rapid increase over the last few years of extreme events like floods, but also heatwaves and storms. This is becoming the new normal, unfortunately, for several villages and towns in italy. This region specifically, Emilia Romagna in northern italy, was hit by Heavy Floods only 16 months ago, floods which claimed 16 lives and because back then billions worth of damage. The local population is still recovering from last year. I am sure they will be relieved to receive the funds from the European Union because also let your mind our audience that thatis your mind our audience that that is a very important agricultural hub in italy. How much cooperation agricultural hub in italy. How much cooperation is agricultural hub in italy. How much cooperation is there between neighbouring countries, because Weather Systems do not respect national boundaries. Indeed. We have seen storms moving across europe, even across continents, over the last few years. We were just in greece about one years ago when another storm hits Greece And Europe last year, it then moved to libya. I think it is really important for authorities to talk to each other and work together, especially because what we see here on the ground is that people, especially small villages and local mayors, are really struggling if they have to deal with such weather events on their own. Davide ghiglione, thank you very much. Davide ghiglione with the latest from rome. Lets take it back to budapest where we have seen along the River Danube near the hungarian Parliament Building sandbags stacked by the building a jewelled so the entrance to the metro stations with the building submerged because of those high levels of water we have seen as the floodwaters poured through the capital. The city of springfield in ohio hit the headlines last week when Donald Trump wrongly claimed that immigrants from haiti were eating pet cats and dogs. Now the republican candidate says hes planning to visit springfield on the campaign trail. City leaders say theyd prefer him to stay away and some residents are worried about far right activists gathering there as they try to cope with the impact mr trumps remarks have had on their city. 0ur North America editor Sarah Smith is in springfield. 0n the menu today, it is beef stew, as some of springfields haitian Population Line up for a free meal along with other hungry residents. Have a blessed day its the haitians who have been the target of completely false stories about eating pets, as Donald Trump is relocating his anti immigration campaign from the southern Border And Right into the heart of american cities with large immigrant populations like springfield. Over 60 Million viewers heard donald Trump Repeat a baseless rumour about animals being stolen. In springfield, theyre eating the dogs the people that came in theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating. Theyre eating the pets of the people that live there. The consequence in springfield has been far right white supremacists the proud boys marching through the streets and schools and hospitals have been targeted with bomb threats, spreading fear through the city. Translation everything he says, itsjust the new firestorm. This haitian man feels so intimidated he doesnt want his face to be shown as he describes his life in springfield now. Translation im scared to go out with my kids because i dont want them to be victims if someone decides to attack me suddenly. I feel unsafe literally everywhere at home, on the street, and especially when im out with my kids. Automated voice please press 5 if you dispute this denial. Many of the haitian arrivals need help with translation, and the huge influx of up to 20,000 migrants in one small city has caused tensions and strained resources. Many residents are not hostile but say it needs more help to assimilate people. We have been overrun with the haitians who have come in and we do need help. The next administration will have the next administration will have to the next administration will have to figure something out. According tojesus, the Kingdom Of Heaven is for people who welcome immigrants. Pastor ruby is preaching Love And Understanding via facebook posts. I cant imagine being forced to leave my country by the type of violence thats happening in haiti and then come to a place like Ohio And Experience the kinds of things they are. It just. It breaks my heart. Most of springfields haitian residents are here legally, but Donald Trump is still threatening mass deportations. Donald trump is being mocked by his opponents for spreading untrue stories about the fate of pets in springfield. But at the same time he has also focused attention on immigration, his signature issue. And while he may be spreading fake news, at the same time he is convincing some voters that theyre in danger from the migrants who are living in towns and cities across america. So im going to springfield and im going to aurora. You may never see me again, but thats ok. Got to do what i got to do. Fear travels fast, and americans are already worried about immigration. Most trump voters do not really believe the tales of pets being eaten, and they will overlook his gross exaggerations if they feel someone is listening to their concerns. Sarah smith, bbc news, springfield, ohio. Japans Shohei 0htani has made mlb history. Hes become the first player to hit 50 Home Runs and steal more than 50 bases in a single season. That is president zelensky. It shall be start again, change, who is directing . Shall we do some sports, some Baseball News . Shall we start again . Japans Shohei 0htani has made mlb history. Hes become the first player to hit 50 Home Runs and steal more than 50 bases in a single season. I say this like i know what im talking about the la Dodgers Slugger completed the feat against the miami marlins. 0htani is the worlds highest paid athlete of any sport. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed he will meet president Joe Biden as well as both president ial candidates, harris and Donald Trump next week in the us. Mr zelensky will also address the un general assembly, which representatives of american Defence And Energy companies and the ukrainian community. Lets take you back to those extraordinary pictures of budapest in hungary where people were racing yesterday to build defences as the flooding was reaching its peak, as the River Danube rose. We are expected to be about 8. 5 metres above its normal peak on friday or saturday. Reaching the Parliament Building in the city. After our recent spell of summer like sunshine and warm for some others, things are about to change, especially across the southern half of the British Isles because the next few days brings the threat of big showers and thunderstorms. Cool and cloudy across the North East but warm sunshine for the North West. Three distinct zones of weather through the course of today and into the weekend. Looking at the Rainfall Accumulation between now and The End of monday, some areas could see over 80 millimetres of rain, particularly parts of east wales, the midlands, central and southern england, close to and southern england, close to a Months Worth of rainfall for some areas but not everywhere. Low pressure will move on from the Bay Of Biscay across the southern half of england and wales, especially by the time we get to sunday. Higher pressure holding on towards the north. Forthe pressure holding on towards the north. For the rest of today, low cloud, Mist And Murk for North East england and Northern Edge Eastern Scotland that for the bulk of scotland, Northern Ireland and North West include sunny spells, further south the threat of thunderstorms to the west midlands, wales, dorset and devon. 16 to 23 for most of us, Sunshine Holding On for East Anglia and the south east, always cooler along the North East coast. The low cloud, estherand cloud, esther and will drift further through the course of tonight and another batch of showers moves into the far south. Temperatures remaining in the Mid Teens in the south, could just get into single figures across the north of scotland and clearer skies. Tomorrow starts with quite a bit of cloud which had thin and bright break with sunshine developing, that the threat of heavy showers and thunderstorms, hail mixed in a potential downpours. There could be one or two elsewhere, temperature is about 16 to 23 on saturday, so fine in between the showers and sunshine in the north, which will be the picture on sunday. For Northern Ireland to Western Scotland sunny and warm, cool and cloudy around the North East coast, further south the showers and thunderstorms will be heavier and more frequent, there could be frequent hail and lightning. Things turn cooler and more unsettled into next week, a more autumnal spell of weather on the way. Goodbye for now. This is bbc news. The headlines. More women have contacted the bbc to say they were assaulted Ijy Bbc to say they were assaulted by the former boss of harrods, Mohamed Al fayed. The Bbc Research has found a number of identified russian fighters killed on the Front Line in ukraine has reached 70,000. Domestic abuse specialists will be employed in the uks Emergency Control rooms as part of a plan to halve violence against women. Of a plan to halve violence against women. Of a plan to halve violence auainst women. ,. ,. , against women. The germans have laced against women. The germans have placed targets. Against women. The germans have placed targets, but. Against women. The germans have placed targets, but. 80 against women. The germans have placed targets, but. 80 years placed targets, but. 80 years on from the placed targets, but. 80 years on from the battle placed targets, but. 80 years on from the battle of placed targets, but. 80 years on from the battle of arnhem, | on from the battle of arnhem, we speak to the last surviving Uk Glider pilots. Welcome. The number of identified russian fighters killed