The aftermath of Israeli strikes today in Beirut’s suburbs.
Credit...Ibrahim Amro/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Israel Targeted Hezbollah’s Leader in a Strike Near Beirut

Also, Hurricane Helene destroyed large swaths of the Southeast. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.

by · NY Times

The Israeli military bombed multiple residential buildings outside of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, today that it said sat on top of the central headquarters of Hezbollah. The strikes appeared to have been the most intense in the area since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began last October. Here’s the latest.

The target of the strike was Hassan Nasrallah, the cleric who has led Hezbollah since 1992, according to Israeli and American officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear whether Nasrallah had been killed.

Lebanon’s health minister said the bombing had caused the “complete decimation” of four to six residential buildings in the Dahiya, a group of crowded neighborhoods south of Beirut where Hezbollah dominates. At least two people were killed and 76 others were wounded, the health ministry said, though that toll is likely to rise because others are believed to be trapped under the rubble.

The attack came just after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel gave a defiant speech at the United Nations General Assembly, in which he defended his government’s handling of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and vowed to continue fighting despite international calls for a cease-fire.

For more: Israel’s new campaign against Hezbollah started with a raid in Syria.

Hurricane Helene destroyed large swaths of the Southeast

Helene crashed ashore overnight as a powerful Category 4 storm, bringing tree-snapping winds and devastating flooding to much of the Southeast. At least 41 people have been reported dead across four states, though officials said that toll would likely rise.

The storm left damage stretching from South Florida into the mountains of Appalachia. In the densely populated Tampa Bay region, neighborhoods were underwater; in southern Georgia, search teams pulled trapped residents out of damaged buildings; and in North Carolina, more than two million people were under flood warnings.

Take a look at scenes from Florida after the hurricane roared through.

Harris is visiting the border

Later tonight, Kamala Harris is set to make her first visit to the nation’s southern border since 2021, when President Biden assigned her the task of tackling the root causes of migration. She is expected to give a speech in Douglas, Ariz., where she will try to demonstrate her harder line on immigration.

The appearance is an attempt by Harris to directly confront an issue that polls show remains a major weakness for her.

On the campaign trail

The presidential election is 39 days away.

Eric Adams pleaded not guilty

Inside a Lower Manhattan courtroom this afternoon, Eric Adams, New York City’s mayor, pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations.

New York’s power brokers are still debating what should happen next. Jerrold Nadler, a congressman representing Manhattan, joined a host of Democrats who have called for Adams to resign. But Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove the mayor, said in a statement that she expects Adams to “find an appropriate path forward.”

In related news, Investigators seized a phone belonging to Adams’s chief adviser and served her with a grand jury subpoena.

More top news

TIME TO UNWIND

Remembering Maggie Smith

Maggie Smith, one of the finest British stage and screen actors of her generation, died today at 89. She won Academy Awards for her roles in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and “California Suite,” then became a megastar in her mid-70s as the acid-tongued dowager countess on “Downton Abbey.”

We looked back on her life in photographs, and picked out 10 great performances to stream.

How ‘Saturday Night Live’ came to life

No one knew it at the time, but the evening of Oct. 11, 1975, turned out to be a pivotal moment in television history: It was the night of the first episode of “Saturday Night Live.” That evening is now the basis of a new movie, “Saturday Night,” a fictional reimagining of the show’s first episode, directed by Jason Reitman. (Here’s our review.)

Ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary season, we turned to some of the writers, actors and performers who were there on that first night to ask about their recollections. “We were all prepared — at least I was,” Chevy Chase said.

Dinner table topics

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Cook: Get in the fall spirit with this tender pumpkin bread.

Watch: “The Bouncer” is one of this month’s best under-the-radar streaming picks.

Read: Here are seven new books we recommend this week.

Focus: Try to spend 10 uninterrupted minutes with this artwork.

Rest: Wirecutter has tested more than 130 pillows. These are their favorites.

Compete: Take this week’s news quiz.

Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.

ONE LAST THING

These professional designers swear by supermarket décor

On the final day of every project, Miles Redd and David Kaihoi, a pair of New York-based interior designers, always head to the grocery store. They believe that items like fruit, herbs, nuts and cellophane-wrapped flowers can be just as compelling as any fancy décor.

We followed them as they designed a room with fistfuls of mint, a dozen nectarines and a recycled glass water bottle. See how it turned out.

Have a resourceful weekend.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew

Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.