Violent clashes as Albanian government cracks down on protests
Protesters in Albania have fought running battles with police, on a 12th day of anti-government protests. Police in the capital, Tirana, used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets after Prime Minister Edi Rama warned he would take strong action to quell unrest.
While Spain, Germany and the UK have all introduced laws protecting renters’ rights, Luís Montenegro’s centre-right government is empowering landlords As Storm Charles reached Portugal’s shores this week, flights were aborted, schools were closed, and the global Web Summit in Lisbon was forced to cancel a whole day of lucrative events. Since 14 October, echoing recent eruptions over housing in Spain, and the fierce student-led protests in France, Lisbon and Porto have become the focus for encampments and daily protests drawing people in their thousands.
The Minority has accused the government of prioritising its own expenditure over social protection, citing a 35% reduction in allocations for key interventions intended to support vulnerable households in the 2027 Budget. Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, said funding for programmes including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), school feeding and capitation grants would decline from GH¢3.46 billion in 2026 to GH¢2.26 billion in 2027.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke reconsiders the government's backpacker crackdown, but says it must still find a way to curb the surge in UK working holiday-makers who are permitted, under a free trade agreement, to stay for up to three years.
If the government wants to signal it's in touch with community concerns, walking through Hollywood-style velvet ropes and gold posts at parliament is probably not the best way to do it, writes Keane Bourke.
The exercise, being undertaken by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) and other relevant institutions, is intended to improve public safety and ensure compliance with regulations governing outdoor advertising. The Ministry has appealed to billboard owners, advertising companies and the general public to cooperate with the authorities to ensure the successful execution of the exercise.
The project aims to improve the motorability of the road and address hardships faced by commuters, says Ernakulam MLA