Beirut Today

08/10/2025

A team of engineering students from the Lebanese American University (LAU) has created an innovative fire-detection dashboard that uses satellite data to identify wildfires in real time across Lebanon.

The system, developed by Joya Maria Saade, Christopher Zein, Georges Barhouche, and Joey Angeli, under the mentorship of professors Zahi Nakad and Gilbert Accary, integrates data from EUMETSAT and NASA Firms, providing fire updates every few minutes.

Municipalities and first responders receive instant notifications with precise fire locations, intensity levels, and access to a live dashboard, helping detect fires in their early stages.

The beta version of the system has been officially delivered to the Lebanese Civil Defense, marking a major step toward improving Lebanon’s wildfire response and prevention efforts.

07/10/2025

Waste management company Ramco has announced a suspension of its garbage collection services in Beirut, Metn, and Keserwan until further notice.

The company said the decision comes after the closure of the Jdeideh landfill, where waste from these regions is typically deposited. Ramco confirmed that operations will resume once the landfill reopens and work can continue normally.

07/10/2025

The Vatican has officially confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will make an apostolic visit to Lebanon from November 30 to December 2, 2025.

According to a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office, the visit comes in response to an invitation from the President of the Republic and Lebanon’s Church authorities.

06/10/2025

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been deported from Israel, along with 170 other activists, after being held for her role in the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla. 

While many detainees were deported, about 150 activists remain in Israeli custody. Some are reportedly on hunger strike and have alleged mistreatment during their detention. 

Thunberg arrived in Athens to a cheering crowd and immediately spoke out against what she described as arbitrary detention, stealing the spotlight back onto the humanitarian urgency in Gaza.

Image by Reuters

06/10/2025

Two parents were killed and one person injured when an Israeli airstrike targeted their car on the Zibdin road in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
The couple was on their way to pick up their children from school when the strike hit.

06/10/2025

Today, an Israeli airstrike struck a car traveling along the Zibdin road in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon.

05/10/2025

Lebanese singer Fadel Shaker, once one of the Arab world’s most beloved pop stars, has turned himself in to the Lebanese Army at the entrance of Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp after more than a decade on the run.

Shaker had been wanted since 2013 for his alleged role in the Sidon clashes, where supporters of cleric Ahmad al-Assir fought the Lebanese Army, resulting in dozens of casualties. In 2020, he was sentenced in absentia to 22 years in prison on charges of supporting a “terrorist organization” and inciting violence against the army.

His surrender reportedly follows coordination with Lebanese security authorities. Speaking after turning himself in, Shaker said he was innocent and that his “only goal is to clear his name and prove the truth.”

05/10/2025

Lebanon celebrates its new Miss Lebanon, Perla Harb.

04/10/2025

Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, but critics say it tilts heavily toward Israel and leaves Palestinians with vague promises. Hamas was given just three to four days to respond. Violence on the ground risks intensifying further as potential ceasefire nears.

Link below the full article.

Independent, community-based news

03/10/2025

Hamas has officially announced its position on U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan after holding internal consultations and talks with Palestinian factions and international mediators.

The group said it appreciates regional and international efforts to stop the war on Gaza, ensure prisoner exchanges, and allow humanitarian aid, while firmly rejecting occupation and the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Hamas confirmed its approval to release all Israeli captives, both living and deceased, through the exchange formula in Trump’s plan, and expressed readiness to enter immediate negotiations via mediators. It also reiterated support for transferring Gaza’s administration to an independent Palestinian technocratic body formed through national consensus, while stressing that broader political issues tied to Gaza’s future and Palestinian rights must be addressed through a national framework under international law.

Image by Reuters

03/10/2025

According to Reuters, the U.S. government has approved $230 million in assistance to Lebanese security institutions, $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces (ISF). The timing of the funding comes amid calls for reducing Hezbollah’s military power in Lebanon.

While the U.S. frames the aid as part of efforts to “disarm” Hezbollah, analysts caution that actual disarmament depends on Lebanon’s internal politics, Hezbollah’s resolve, and whether the country’s institutions can enforce changes.

02/10/2025

Across Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech and more, young Moroccans are taking to the streets calling for better healthcare, education, jobs, and an end to corruption. The protests were caused by anger over billions spent on FIFA 2030 infrastructure while basic services deteriorate.

The protests have alternated between peaceful marches and violent clashes. On October 1, at least two demonstrators were killed in Lqliâa near Agadir after security forces opened fire at a gendarmerie post. Authorities report more than 400 arrests and 263 injured security personnel, while protesters torched vehicles, vandalized banks, and threw stones.
They also hacked the countdown board for the Africa Cup in Tangier, altering public displays to amplify protest messaging.

The movement, often called GenZ 212, is also fueled by frustrations over political repression, normalization with Israel, and slow earthquake recovery in rural areas.