Strike paralyzes Lebanon as economic conditions worsen

BEIRUT (AP) — A general strike by public transportation and labor unions has paralyzed Lebanon as the nation suffers through one of the world’s worst economic crises. Thursday’s protests come as the country’s ruling class has done almost nothing to pull Lebanon out of its meltdown, which is rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement. Universities and schools were closed all over the country and many people were not able to reach work because most of the country’s major highways and roads were also closed. A Human Rights Watch researcher has urged the international community to use “every tool at its disposal to pressure Lebanese policymakers to put in place” necessary reforms.