Buildings in rubble, deadly silence: Beirut turns into ghost town amid Iran war
India Today
Once bustling with life, Beirut's southern suburbs now stand deserted as Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions push thousands to flee amid the widening Iran war.
The streets of Beirut’s southern suburbs lie eerily silent. Buildings stand battered, windows shattered and entire neighbourhoods deserted as the widening war between the US, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28, spills into Lebanon, turning parts of the Lebanese capital into a ghost town.
In Dahiyeh — a densely populated suburb of Beirut considered a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah — Israeli airstrikes have left a trail of destruction. Entire blocks show signs of recent bombardment, with debris scattered across roads that once bustled with life.
Standing amid the ruins, India Today TV reported from Dahiyeh, a site of one of the latest strikes. A residential building lay heavily damaged after being hit by the Israeli Air Force just hours earlier.
The area had barely begun recovering from the destruction of October and November last year, when Israel carried out heavy bombardment during clashes with Hezbollah before a ceasefire briefly halted the fighting. But with the war between Iran, the US and Israel entering its second week, the suburb has once again become a primary target.
Thousands of residents have fled in large numbers after Israeli forces warned people to evacuate the area. Entire neighbourhoods have emptied almost overnight. People have moved to open fields, shelters and any available safe space outside the bombardment zone.
Even central Beirut has not been spared.
Amid the widening US, Israel–Iran war, the cyber front intensifies as the Handala hacker group claims attacks on US companies and Israeli intelligence-linked figures.
A post about a software developer's salary in Bengaluru and savings amount has started a conversation among X users about how to save wisely.
The profiles of at least three of China's leading nuclear, missile and radar experts were scrubbed from the website of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the country's most prestigious academic body. This comes as a series of purges under Premier Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign have decimated the upper echelons of China's military and scientific community.
The aircraft had also been used by senior Iranian officials and military figures for both domestic and international travel, and for coordinating with allied countries, the Israeli military said. Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport has resumed flight operations after a temporary suspension of about seven hours caused by a drone strike near a fuel tank facility.
A government school teacher's gesture of buying a new uniform for an orphaned student has received widespread attention after a video of the act was shared on Instagram.
A father travelling with his toddler addressed fellow passengers ahead of a flight, asking for patience and understanding if his child became unsettled.
The lottery system for a segment of Green Cards, known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa programme, has been restarted. However, the stricter rules being enforced by the US won't impact Indian Green Card aspirants. Here's why.
Instead of putting an end to rumours, the video has triggered another wave of speculation about Netanyahu's fate. Several users on 'X' (formerly Twitter) have claimed that the video posted on 'X' was an AI-generated deepfake.
US jets strike military facilities near Iran's Chabahar free trade zone
The video, recorded inside the train coach, shows the compartment littered with snack packets, water bottles, soiled spoons and bedsheets scattered on the floor.
The US is planning to deploy a third aircraft carrier in the Middle East amid the war with Iran. Aircraft carriers, one of the most expensive defence systems, are floating military bases that project power. Here's how aircraft carriers are used and where India stands.
Donald Trump warned that Nato could face a 'very bad' future if member states fail to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and to support Washington's efforts amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran.
When we look at Iran through the prism of religion and see a Shia Islamic country, we negate its thousands of years of rich pre-Islamic Persian culture. A dive into the world of Zoroastrianism and Vedas shows us how Indians and Iranians have been sharing languages, Gods, sciences and a sacred fire for thousands of years.