The Beirut International Airport, the only international airport in Lebanon, has been busy handling passengers in recent days amid rising regional tensions.
At least 15 countries, including the United States and France, have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid traveling to the country.
Crowds of people are seen waiting at the departure hall for check in to leave the country, while there are still some coming back from abroad to get together with their family members in the turbulent time.
"I come back to Lebanon [from Dubai] for a holiday. All people around me told me not to go back to Lebanon, but this is my hometown, and I want to come back as I miss my parents. The flights have been adjusted frequently. I was supposed to come back yesterday, but it's postponed to today," said Rebacca, a passenger returning to Beirut.
Confrontations between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel rose recently after the latter accused Hezbollah of attacking a football pitch in the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights, killing a dozen people. Israel retaliated by launching three missiles last Tuesday evening in Beirut's southern suburbs, killing Fouad Shokor, Hezbollah's top military commander, and seven civilians.
According to Lebanon's national news agency, the Israeli army launched multiple rounds of attacks on the Lebanese side of the temporary Lebanon-Israel border on Tuesday, causing many casualties.
On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the Israeli side of the temporary border was attacked by rockets and drones from the Lebanese side, which triggered air defense alarms in many places and caused many injuries, and the Israeli army hit Lebanese Hezbollah weapons depots and other targets.
Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday vowed a strong and impactful retaliation to the assassination of its senior military commander, Fouad Shokor, Al-Manar local TV channel reported.
Nasrallah also threatened to attack factories in northern Israel, each according to Nasrallah, worth billions of U.S. dollars.
Beirut airport sees busy season amid rising regional tensions
To celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, south China introduced to visitors baby panda Mei Zhu, the daughter of Meng Meng, the oldest sister of the world's only surviving panda triplets, and prepared a series of activities on Friday.
Mei Zhu, aged only 87 days, is in good health and just began teething. But the baby panda always gets a bit cranky after milk feedings, and requires panda keepers to spend around half an hour to calm her down.
"As a young panda, her digestive system is still developing, and excessive activity after feeding can lead to digestive issues. She is quite energetic now. If she found any strangers entering her enclosure and they wanted to, for example, pet her, she would be quite defensive, due to her self-protection instincts," said Chen Siming, a wildlife conservation expert.
Another star panda in the zoo, Guo Qing, also received his present, a pile of mooncake-shaped wowotou (a type of steamed corn bread). Guo Qing was of good appetite, which amused many of his fans.
"I am here just to see her. I drove 38 kilometers just to watch her mischief. She is very famous for that, always causing trouble when her keeper is not around," said a visitor.
The koalas are also welcoming guests. Totaling over 70 koalas in the park, more than 40 of them were presented to visitors by their keepers. The chubby animals constitute a big family of eight generations, with the youngest being 2 years old and the oldest reaching 19, much older than the average lifespan of the species.
"We've sent technicians to Australia to learn how to feed the Koalas, pick up veterinary and health care skills. With our valuable experience gained through years of raising the koalas, we are able to provide them good environment, food, and medical care. As a result, the average lifespan of the troop is getting longer," said a koala keeper.
In addition to these highlights, Chimelong Safari Park is also planning a series of animal enrichment events and sharing stories of the animals with the visitors during the Mid-Autumn Festival vacation.
Safari park in Guangzhou presents baby panda to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
