Germany’s construction minister, Horst Seehofer, wants to help protect tenants by making it more difficult to sell converted apartments, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.
Mr Seehofer is proposing to introduce a threshold of at least two-thirds of the flats in an apartment building having to be sold to tenants or their family members for any conversion plan to gain government approval, the newspaper said. Tenants in Germany have a right of first refusal if an apartment building is divided into flats for sale.
In Berlin, legislators have imposed a rent freeze for five years after a property boom caused rents to double over the past decade, but property owners have asked Germany’s highest court to overturn the move. Researchers at the Ifo Institute in February warned that such restrictions would encourage landlords to withdraw properties from the rental market when they become vacant and sell them.
As many people do not have the money to buy the apartments they live in, tenants are protected against eviction for at least three years after a conversion.
The bill, proposed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ally from Bavaria’s Christian Social Union, also obliges owners of undeveloped land to build residential properties. In the future, cities and municipalities would be able to insist that one or more residential buildings are part of a development, if the plan allows for it and the area in question has a tight housing market.
Within Germany’s governing coalition Mr Seehofer’s plans are controversial. Lawmaker Jan-Marco Luczak from Merkel’s Christian Democrats said property formation must remain a central element of government policy. Real estate lobby group GdW said the planned changes wouldn’t help to accelerate the planning process.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
HOW TO WATCH
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Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
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MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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