An Israeli airstrike hit a Lebanese residential area in central Beirut on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and causing significant destruction.
The attack on the Al-Bashoora neighborhood was part of a deadly wave of overnight Israeli strikes that stretched from the Lebanese capital through the country's southern and eastern parts, which left at least 27 dead and an specified number wounded, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
The strike caused extensive damage across the neighborhood, where a 10-storey building collapsed and many vehicles were wrecked.
Lebanon has been drawn into the Middle East conflict since March 2 when the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group launched rockets towards Israel, the first time that such attack has taken place since a ceasefire was declared in November 2024, in response to the joint United States-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has since become the deadliest front in the U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran embroiling the entire region.
As crews worked to clear slabs of concrete and debris of collapsed buildings in the attacked Al-Bashoora neighborhood, a resident condemned Israel for indiscriminately striking civilian targets.
"We were at the Abu al-Fadl cafe -- it's a well-known spot where we gather and stay up late -- when they warned the building's residents to evacuate. As usual, we took the women and children and moved them to a nearby building, where they spent the night. They claim it's a strike against Hezbollah, but there's no Hezbollah presence in this area. They say Hezbollah is hiding money there, but why would they put money here, especially after this area was already targeted in the 2024 war? They are lying," he told China Global Television Network (CGTN) in an interview in the vicinity of the smoldering ruins.
As of Wednesday, the intensifying Israeli strikes have killed nearly 970 people, wounded over 2,400 others, and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes across Lebanon, said the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
In the face of the deadly strikes, another resident of the Al-Bashoora neighborhood sent a defiant message to the U.S. and Israeli leaders.
"Our message to [U.S. President Donald] Trump is this: we will defeat you and we will defeat the West, because you will not be able to defeat us. The people of the South cannot be defeated, no matter how many fleets, tanks, and aircraft you bring. In the end, we are the rightful owners of this land, and we will defeat you. No colonizer has ever set foot here without us driving them out. They cannot remain on our land. Even if the entire U.S. fleet comes to Beirut, we will defeat them," he said.
Israeli airstrike kills at least 10 in central Beirut residential area
Israeli airstrike kills at least 10 in central Beirut residential area
The upcoming 6th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in south China's tropical island province of Hainan is set to focus on six key emerging consumption hotspots, while its concurrent 2nd Hainan Free Trade Port Global Industrial Investment Promotion Conference will roll out a structured promotion framework, according to senior provincial economic and commercial officials on Wednesday.
The 6th CICPE is officially scheduled to take place from April 13 to 18 in Haikou, Hainan's capital, with a premium boutique positioning that will bring together global high-quality consumer resources, renowned enterprises, and buyers and sellers from home and abroad, with a focus on debut products and supporting events including new product launches and international fashion weeks.
The expo's exhibition layout and supporting events have been meticulously designed to capture the latest trends in China's consumer market, with a clear focus on high-potential emerging consumption areas driving the country's consumption upgrading, provincial officials said at a press conference.
"In terms of exhibition display and the event's design supporting activities, we've closely focused on the six major new types of consumption -- going green, intelligence, health, digitalization, IP, and cultural tourism, to present a panorama of new consumption scenarios, new business formats, and new models featuring technology empowerment, cross-industry integration, and experience upgrading," said Zeng Rong, chief economist and spokeswoman of the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development.
Alongside the CICPE's consumer-focused exhibitions, the expo's concurrent 2nd Hainan FTP Global Industrial Investment Promotion Conference will act as a dedicated platform for global industrial and trade cooperation, with a structured event system to deliver targeted results for enterprises at home and from abroad.
"To ensure the conference's timeliness, we have adopted a '1+12+N' event format: 1 comprehensive promotion conference to showcase Hainan's favorable policies and quality projects, 12 exclusive promotional events for our advantageous industries including biomedicine, deep-sea operation, aerospace and green low-carbon, plus a series of year-round investment and trade activities. No matter whether your enterprise is based in China or overseas, we will bring cooperation opportunities right to you," said Li Zhiping, deputy director general of the Hainan Provincial Department of Commerce.
The CICPE is China's only national-level consumer goods-themed exhibition and the largest of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, acting as both a core platform for showcasing high-quality domestic and international consumer goods and a key window for China to demonstrate its commitment to high-level opening-up.
This year’s event will feature Canada as the Country of Honor and Shanghai as the Guest Province of Honor, with the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center as its main venue, two dedicated sub-venues in Sanya and Boao in the province, a one-stop Buyer Service Center for purchasers.
New consumer products expo to spotlight six key emerging consumption trends: officials
New consumer products expo to spotlight six key emerging consumption trends: officials
