Albanian PM blames 'foreign hands' for escalating anti-government unrest

Protests in Albania's capital Tirana turned violent for a fourth day on Friday as thousands of student-led demonstrators again took to the streets to demand education reform and call for the government's resignation. Prime Minister Edi Rama called for calm and blamed so-called foreign hands for the days of violent unrest. Demonstrators piled and burned trash bins to block the roads and hurled stones at police, who responded with tear gas and a water cannon. Since Tuesday, violent demonstrations have gripped Tirana, with thousands of protesters calling for Rama to step down over poor university conditions and high tuition fees. Protests also spread to several other cities as students held university boycotts, marking a significant escalation after months of anti-government protests in the country.