Albania: Protesters in Albania's capital, Tirana, hurled petrol bombs, stones and fireworks at police on Tuesday night, as clashes continued for the eighth consecutive day during demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds attempting to approach government headquarters. Demonstrators also set fire to litter bins to use them as barricades, while officers responded to the violence amid escalating unrest.
The protests, fuelled by anger over perceived government corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education standards, have spread across Tirana and other cities.
Demonstrators have set fire to government buildings and banks, smashed shop windows, and pulled up pavement stones to throw at police. They have also repeatedly clashed with security forces as demands for better university conditions and action against corruption have intensified.
According to the authorities, around 300 people have been injured in a week of clashes, more than half of them police officers.
On Tuesday, Rama blamed a "hybrid war" for fuelling the unrest in the country.
The violence began last Tuesday and peaked on Saturday, when thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Education Ministry and hurled rocks at riot police. Officers responded with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets.
The latest unrest follows months of largely peaceful protests over the summer against a luxury coastal development backed by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The demonstrations pose the biggest challenge yet to Rama, who has governed Albania since 2013 and won a fourth term in office last year.(With inputs from AFP via PTI/Reuters)