Violence resumes in Northern Ireland

Violence has again resumed on Belfast's streets ahead of an emergency meeting of the Northern Ireland Assembly, with a bus hijacked and set on fire and a photographer attacked, Report informs, citing TASS.

The scenes on Wednesday evening followed several nights of unrest in loyalist communities amid tensions over the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol in the UK and EU's Brexit deal and the police's handling of alleged lockdown breaches by Sinn Fein at the funeral of republican Bobby Storey.

Police said the bus was pelted with petrol bombs at the junction of Lanark Way and Shankill Road in west Belfast, while stones were thrown at officers and a press photographer was assaulted nearby.

Crowds of up to 500 people gathered as the incident unfolded.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the violence.

He tweeted: "I am deeply concerned by the scenes of violence in Northern Ireland, especially attacks on PSNI who are protecting the public and businesses, attacks on a bus driver and the assault of a journalist.

"The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality."