Protesters in Europe's youngest nation, the Republic of Kosovo, set fire to their government's headquarters in the capital of Pristina, on Saturday (Jan. 9). The seat of government briefly caught fire after the attacks. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, who rallying against a deal brokered by the European Union give Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority greater local powers and the possibility of financing from Belgrade.

No injuries have been reported, and firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to put out the flames.

Supporters of the opposition throw molotov cocktail at Kosovo...

Since September previous year the opposition has blocked Kosovo's parliament with tear gas, pepper spray, whistles and water bottles to protest the deals and their supporters have held violent protests in Pristina.

Opposition lawmakers threw gas bombs in parliament a few times, disrupting plenary sessions. The controversial deal, which includes an independent telecommunications system for Kosovo, was signed in August 2015 and dubbed a "landmark achievement" by the EU's foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini.

Kosovo broke away from Serbia in 2008, a decade after a conflict between Serb forces and Kosovo Albanian rebels.

The opposition argues that the agreement will increase Serbia's influence and deepen Kosovo's ethnic divide. It has so far received global recognition from about 100 countries.

Last June, in another unpopular development undertaken under worldwide tutelage, Kosovo agreed to set up a Special Court to try crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, after the 1998-1999 conflict, not excluding war crimes.