Explanation

After word got around in Lebanon that the government was planning to tax WhatsApp calls, thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of Beirut. The plan was to impose a 20-cent fee for a person’s first call of the day. The government of Lebanon had announced a $0.20 (£0.16) daily charge on voice calls made through WhatsApp and other apps. But it scrapped the plans hours later amid clashes between security forces and protesters. Thousands have protested, calling on the government to step down over its handling of an economic crisis.