Protesters calling for economic and government reforms clashed with police in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan 18, leading to more than 300 injuries. The protests began in mid-October after the government proposed a tax on text messages. Protesters demanded that Prime Minister Saad Hariri resign, which he did on Oct. 29. As of press time, the Lebanese Parliament had failed to appoint a new prime minister.
Lebanon has one of the worst economies in the world, a currency with very low value and an unemployment rate of nearly 40% for people 35 and under.