French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a visit to a social housing building site Thursday to highlight his work on this key election issue - but according to builders at the site, many of the ‘workers’ Sarkozy met on the tour had been bussed in.
Housing is becoming a major issue in the French election campaign. Yesterday, the different candidates presented their plans to make it easier to put a roof over one's head in France. But during this very meeting, François Hollande was flour-bombed, raising serious security issues for French candidates.
Eric Cantona is back. The former football star-turned-actor is not putting his boots back on, but diving into the French presidential campaign. Also on the show, the ruling Conservatives have made it clear - they will not hold back when attacking Socialist favourite François Hollande, especially if they believe he is "flip-flopping".
If media reports were to be believed on Tuesday, football legend Eric Cantona was going to be the celebrity spanner in the 2012 French presidential election works. But his bid is more a call for social housing to be a core issue in the campaign.
With Chinese economic growth dropping to a still enviable 9% this year, some nonetheless wonder if a slowdown is on the horizon. The most telling signs are coming from the housing market, where it is becoming more and more difficult to buy property.
Greece, Italy, Ireland and now Spain are among those countries who have seen their governments change hands as the debt crisis wreaks havoc across the continent. Is anyone capable of coping with a crisis of this scope? In the UK, an employment scheme is getting job-seekers to work 30 hours a week for free, just to keep their unemployment benefits. Finally, find out why Spain has been left with over half a million empty houses.
Brazil's police moves in to take back the favelas from the drug lords, two years ahead of the football World Cup. Also, Cuba overturns a 50-year ban on property sales - we look at the latest signs of reform under Raul Castro. Finally, with gaffes, scandals and roller-coaster approval ratings, the US Republican race is keeping us all entertained.
There’s anger in Haiti as locals say UN forces helping to rebuild the country after last year’s earthquake are actually doing more harm than good. Also, we meet a homeless young man who is fighting American authorities so he can live in his car. Finally, we head to Brazil for a special report on homophobia. Charities say discrimination is rife and some 200 homosexuals were killed last year alone.
What is the role for Turkey after the Arab Spring? At an Istanbul meeting, politicians, diplomats and experts discussed Turkey’s growing influence in the region and its relations with Europe. Also, our correspondents in Greece examine why the country's second biggest landowner, the Orthodox Church, doesn't give a penny to the state. Finally, housing rental prices are rising in Berlin and its inhabitants say it's all down to gentrification.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been out on the streets of Israel protesting for change. Three weeks ago, mass protests began by ordinary people angry about the high cost of living particularly for accommodation. Today, tent cities have grown up in major towns including Tel Aviv.
