
Israel strikes Beirut's suburbs to target what it calls drone production
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Representational image (Image: News18)
Beirut, Jun 5 (AP) The Israeli military struck several sites in Beirut's southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production Thursday, on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday.
The strikes, which hit eight buildings at four locations, marked the first time in more than a month that Israel had struck on the outskirts of the capital and the fourth time since a US-brokered ceasefire agreement ended the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November. (AP) GSP

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NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
China Expert Warns Of "Something Worse" Than Covid After US Fungus Smuggling Case
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A US expert warns of a potential agroterrorism threat after two Chinese scientists were charged with smuggling a toxic fungus into the US, suggesting it could lead to catastrophic consequences worse than Covid if relations with China aren't severed. New Delhi: A top US-based expert on China has warned of "something worse" than Covid if the United States is not careful, days after two Chinese scientists were charged with allegedly smuggling a toxic fungus into the US. Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, 34, allegedly conspired to smuggle into the US a fungus called 'Fusarium graminearum' that causes "head blight," a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice. The US Justice Department said the fungus is classified in scientific literature as a "potential agroterrorism weapon," and causes billions of dollars in losses each year. It causes vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock. The couple had previously conducted work on the fungus in China. Referring to the case, America's top expert on Chinese affairs, Gordon G Chang, told Fox News that the couple's action amounted to waging war against the US. Chang said that if the US does not take drastic steps like cutting off ties with China, it may be hit "perhaps with something worse" than Covid. The origin of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which caused the Covid-19 pandemic is a matter of huge controversy as some experts suspect the coronavirus was allegedly engineered in a Chinese lab. "In May 2019, the state media People's Daily, the most authoritative publication in China, carried a landmark editorial that declared a people's war on us. We are Americans, so we think we are entitled to ignore the propaganda of hostile regimes. But for a communist party, that phrase has great resonance. What they are doing with their strident anti-Americanism is creating a justification to strike our country. This means the couple, for instance, should be sent to Guantanamo," Chang told Fox News. "It was an attack on the United States at a time when China thought it was at war with us. Xi Jinping talks about going to war all the time, and he is mobilising all of Chinese society to go to war. So we can lose our country, even though we are the far stronger nation because we are not defending ourselves with the vigour and the determination that is necessary. "We have got to put this into context. In 2020, Americans in all 50 states received from China seeds that were unsolicited. I think that was an attempt to plant invasive species into the US. And then this year, Timu, the online Chinese retailer, sent seeds to Americans unsolicited. "The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China. And I know people think that's drastic, but we are being overwhelmed. We are going to get hit eventually. We are going to get hit really hard, not just with Covid, not just with fentanyl, but perhaps with something worse," the expert on China said. Change is the author of 'China Is Going to War' and several other titles. He has lived and worked in China and Hong Kong for almost two decades, most recently in Shanghai, as Counsel to the American law firm Paul Weiss and earlier in Hong Kong as Partner in the international law firm Baker & McKenzie.
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First Post
44 minutes ago
- First Post
Iran says spies acquired big haul of 'sensitive' Israeli nuclear files
Iran has claimed it has obtained a large cache of sensitive Israeli documents, including files related to Israel's nuclear programme, through a cyberattack on an Israeli nuclear facility. The revelation comes amid renewed tensions over Iran's own nuclear ambitions. read more US intel suggests Israel preparing for possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities: Report. Image: Reuters Iran's state media claimed on Saturday that its intelligence agencies have obtained a large number of sensitive Israeli documents, including some related to Israel's nuclear plans and facilities, according to Reuters, citing sources. The report said the documents were taken during a cyberattack on an Israeli nuclear research centre last year. Iran is choosing to reveal this now amid rising tensions over its own nuclear programme. 'Although the operation to obtain the documents took place some time ago, the large volume of materials and the need to safely transfer them into Iran required a news blackout to ensure their secure arrival,' state-run PressTV reported, quoting unnamed sources. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The sources also said the collection is so vast that reviewing the documents, images, and videos has taken a significant amount of time, PressTV added, without sharing specific details. In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israeli agents had seized a large archive of Iranian documents, showing that Iran had done more nuclear work than previously known. Former US President Donald Trump had threatened to bomb Iran if it didn't agree to a nuclear deal with Washington. However, reports say that in April, Trump blocked an Israeli plan to strike Iranian nuclear sites, preferring to seek a diplomatic agreement. Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that halting uranium enrichment would go '100 per cent against' the country's interests, rejecting a key US demand in the ongoing nuclear talks.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
War rooms. weapons and secrets: What Israel's military found beneath a hospital in Gaza's Khan Yunis
Israeli Defence Forces have claimed they uncovered a Hamas tunnel beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza. In a detailed statement released on Saturday, the military said the tunnel system was extensive and included 'numerous findings such as command and control rooms, weapons, and additional intelligence materials.' The footage—captured during a special operation by the IDF's 36th Division and shared on the social media platform X—shows an underground complex with multiple rooms. The operation involved soldiers from the Golani Brigade, the elite Yahalom Unit, special forces and was guided by the Intelligence Directorate. According to the IDF, 'Hamas continues to exploit hospitals in Gaza for terrorist purposes, cynically exploiting and endangering civilians.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo — IDF (@IDF) The IDF believes the tunnel was used by Hamas operatives to plan and coordinate attacks on Israeli forces. It comes after similar claims made in 2023 when Israeli troops said they uncovered a Hamas tunnel beneath Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest medical facility. That hospital is now nearly destroyed after sustained Israeli bombardment. Both Hamas and hospital staff have previously denied using medical facilities for militant operations. Live Events Visual proof released as part of wider military campaign The video shared by the IDF gives a rare look into what it says is Hamas's underground infrastructure. It appears to show reinforced bunkers, stored weapons, and evidence of military planning. The Israeli military has consistently maintained that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure—including schools and hospitals—as shields for militant activity. However, these claims remain deeply contested on the ground, with medical personnel denying any such collaboration. Still, Israel has continued to press its campaign in southern Gaza. This latest discovery reinforces what the IDF says is a pattern of Hamas using sensitive sites to mask its operations. Senior Mujahideen leaders killed in joint operation Alongside the tunnel discovery, the IDF also announced it had killed two senior members of the Mujahideen organisation in Gaza in a joint operation with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA). 'As'ad Abu Sharaiya, head of the Mujahideen terrorist organisation in Gaza, and an additional Mujahideen terrorist Mahmoud Muhammad Hamid Kuhail, were eliminated earlier today in a joint IDF & ISA operation,' said the IDF. Both men were allegedly involved in the 7 October 2023 assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz. The IDF stated that Abu Sharaiya was 'one of the leaders of the massacre and was directly involved in the abduction & murder of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, Nattapong Pinta and an additional foreign national who is still held captive by the terrorist organisation and in the abduction of the couple Gad and Judi Haggai.' The Israeli military further claimed that Abu Sharaiya was 'responsible for recruiting terrorist operatives in Judea and Samaria & in Israel, advancing and carrying out terror attacks against Israel and IDF troops.' War continues with mounting death toll The conflict erupted on 7 October 2023 when Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Some were later freed in exchanges during brief ceasefires. Eight were rescued by Israeli forces, and dozens more were found dead. In response, Israel launched a broad military offensive across the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Health Ministry , over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, including large numbers of women and children. The war has displaced nearly 90% of the territory's two million residents. While short ceasefires allowed for limited exchanges of hostages and prisoners, these pauses were fleeting. Fighting resumed quickly after each truce. Since 18 March, when Israel resumed its offensive after a temporary ceasefire, Gaza officials say at least 4,402 more people have died. The Israeli military's repeated claims about Hamas's use of medical sites continue to fuel international debate. These latest revelations from Khan Yunis may intensify calls for scrutiny, but they also highlight the war's deepening complexity. While Israel cites security concerns, the cost to civilians remains devastating. With no durable truce in place and both sides accusing the other of war crimes, the humanitarian toll grows. Inside Gaza, daily life has all but collapsed. Electricity and medical aid remain scarce. The displaced continue to live in overcrowded shelters—or worse, without any shelter at all. This war, now in its ninth month, shows no clear sign of winding down.