Fuel rise sparks riots in Algeria
Riots have erupted in the Algerian town of Birine, south of the capital, during protests by youths against a rise in gas prices.

Up to 5,000 people went on the rampage in the town on Monday, setting fire to public offices and using burning tyres to blockade main roads.

The inhabitants of the town say they blame the mayor for corruption and widespread unemployment in the region.

Police have been drafted in to protect key offices.

On Saturday, the price of butane gas in the region, one of the poorest in the country, went up from 170 dinars (£1.18, 1.7 euros) to 200 dinars (£1.39, 2 euros) per canister.

Butane gas and fuel oil are used as the main source of fuel to heat homes and cook food in Algeria's remote mountain areas.

The BBC's Mohammed Arezki Himeur says violent protests in the region are common following the 2001 protests in which some 126 people were killed in the Kabyle district, east of Algiers.