Albanian PM blames ‘foreign hands’ as student protests intensify

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama accused “foreign hands” of fueling student-led protests, while insisting they did not reflect people’s hardships or legitimate aspirations. For a fourth consecutive day, riot police clashed with demonstrators outside the education ministry in Tirana, where thousands of young people protested government corruption and poor university conditions. Protests spread to Elbasan, Shkodra and Korca, as police used water cannon and tear gas and demonstrators threw rocks. Police said 160 people were detained on Thursday evening; protesters are demanding Rama’s resignation and electoral and education reforms.