Albania

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 struck rural areas in Albania early Saturday southeast of Tirana, the capital, injuring four people and damaging about 100 houses, authorities said.

The Defense Ministry reported that four people were injured from falling walls at their homes and about 100 houses, many uninhabited, were damaged. The injured were sent to a local hospital.

12 May 2019; DW: Several thousand demonstrators took to the streets of Tirana on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, clashing with security forces at several points across the city.

TIRANA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Albanian opposition parties' rally held in the capital Tirana on Saturday evening turned violent when the supporters clashed with police in front of the prime minister's office and the parliament building.

Albanian opposition parties urged supporters to join the protest, asking Prime Minister Edi Rama and his cabinet to resign and early parliamentary elections to be held.

9 Apr 2019; DW: One man was shot dead and four others were arrested in Albania on Tuesday, following a high-stakes robbery at the Teresa Rinasi International Airport, just north of the capital Tirana.

Armed robbers wearing masks stormed the airport runway in the afternoon and stole millions of euros from an Austria Airlines flight. The robbers managed to gain access through a gate reserved for firefighters.

TIRANA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Albania's economy grew by 4 percent in 2018, former Minister of Finance and Economy Arben Ahmetaj said on Friday.

"Consumption and investments remain the main generators of economic growth, reflecting on the consumer confidence and Albania's economic growth, thanks to the reforms we have undertaken over the past years, as well as the appropriate fiscal consolidation," Ahmetaj said.