Lebanese protesters resumed blocking major highways on Tuesday in what they said would be a "week of wrath" demanding an end to a nearly three-month political vacuum.

Samer al-Khoury, a 29-year-old protester, said the protesters were giving the politicians 48 hours to form a new government.

Hundreds of angry Lebanese protested across the country on Tuesday in renewed rallies against the ruling elite they say has failed to address the economy's downward spiral.

Protesters blocked several roads and major highways starting ealry with the morning rush hour in the capital Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli, the southern city of Nabatieh and Mount Lebanon, they also denounced a class of political leaders they deem incompetent and corrupt.

Lebanon's representative to the U.N. Monday said the crisis-hit country has paid outstanding dues it owes the international body after it lost voting privileges because it was behind on payments.

"Lebanon paid its dues that were delayed (a) few days... and everything is back to normal," Amal Mudallali, the country's ambassador to the U.N., said in a post on Twitter.

Iranian security forces fired both live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting against the Islamic Republic's initial denial that it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, online videos purported to show Monday.

Videos sent to the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran and later verified by The Associated Press show a crowd of demonstrators near Azadi, or Freedom, Square fleeing as a tear gas canister landed among them. People cough and sputter while trying to escape the fumes, with one woman calling out in Farsi: "They fired tear gas at people! Azadi Square. Death to the dictator!"

Three leading international NGOs announced on Monday they are boycotting meetings that Saudi Arabia is holding with civil society groups ahead of hosting this year's Group of 20 summit, saying participating would lend legitimacy to a kingdom "trying to whitewash its dire human rights record."

As Saudi Arabia begins its first meetings this week to kick off the dedicated meetings for civil society within the G20 known as the Civil 20 or C20, Berlin-based Transparency International said it would decline its invitation to be part of the process.

A lawyer for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who fled to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan, said his client was questioned an average of seven hours a day without a lawyer present.

Takashi Takano said on his blog post the questioning continued through weekends, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The United Nations says seven countries are so far behind in paying their dues that they are losing their voting privileges in the 193-member General Assembly, including Venezuela and Lebanon.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday that three other countries — Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia — are also in arrears by the assembly decided in October that they can retain their vote until September.

Though former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is unlikely to stand trial in a real court, he has made himself a key witness in putting Japan's justice system on trial.

In his first public appearance after fleeing to Lebanon, Ghosn lambasted what he called unfair detention and bail conditions, saying he was presumed guilty and had "zero chance" of a fair trial in a system rigged against him.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday Iran appeared to be "standing down" after missile strikes on U.S. troop bases in Iraq that resulted in no American or Iraqi deaths.

"All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases. Our great American forces are prepared for anything," he said in an address to the nation from the White House.

Fugitive auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn vowed Wednesday to clear his name as he made his first public appearance since skipping bail in Japan.

"I'm here to clear my name," he said at a news conference in Beirut where he arrived nearly two weeks ago after escaping from Japan where he was facing trial for financial misconduct.