And there was much rejoicing.
This was the scene in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, last week as a dispute over waste management policy in the halls of government has managed to spill over into the streets, leaving piles of garbage to accumulate.
Jamal Saidi / Reuters
At issue is Naameh landfill, to Beirut's south, the country's largest landfill. It was scheduled to close last week with no alternative designated. When the closure didn't happen as scheduled, its neighbors began to block trucks' paths into the dump.
Aziz Taher / Reuters
Normally, a landfill closure wouldn't become the disaster that this has, but Lebanon's government is notorious for its gridlock, a byproduct of competing factions for power among politicians representing Sunni, Shiite, Druze, and Christian power bases.
Hassan Ammar / AP
So when the Lebanese Cabinet met last Thursday to discuss the matter, no solution could be found, leaving the body to push off a decision until Tuesday.
Hassan Ammar / AP