It will be galling for many of Portugal’s residents, who sit and wait for the start of their court cases, to hear the Prime Minister António Costa opine that things are going so well in Portugal’s justice system.

The PM considers that justice is "faster" and "closer to the people" than of late and that “the changes that have been introduced allow for a significant improvement in the overall performance of the system."

MPs who do not submit a declaration of income or assets risk losing their mandate, according to a proposal presented Monday by the Socialist Party in another attempt to increase transparency in Portuguese politics.

This amendment to the Statute of MPs includes follows the amendment that an MP may not accept gifts of a value over €150.

Tavira’s Cine-Teatro António Pinheiro is to be completely renovated and redesigned to establish a 360-seat venue which also will cater for 600 people at events.

The work, to start in April at latest, was agreed by the council and contracts now can be drawn up.

A private detective accused of exploiting the search for Madeleine McCann has been found dead.

Kevin Halligen’s company, Oakley International, was taken on by Kate and Gerry McCann to help search for their missing daughter.

An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale, described as "very strong" by the IPMA, occurred today, 12 kilometres under Arraiolos in Portugal and was felt in numerous locations in the Spanish region of Extremadura, including Mérida, Badajoz and Cáceres.

The earthquake was logged at 11:51, with a second event four minutes later measuring 2.5 on the scale.

Alongside the rise in Portugal’s tourist figures last year, museum entrance numbers increased - by a laudable 8.1% - as tourists sought out monuments, palaces and museums cared for by the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage.

The overall headcount was 5,060,780 visitors to Portugal's monuments and museums last year with the most popular site being Lisbon’s Jerónimos Monastery which attracted over a million people, up 7.9% on the year before.

Ryanair’s new cabin bag policies come into effect from today, January 15th, 2018.

The changes to cabin-bag policy has triggered sporadic outbursts of anger in some Ryanair passengers, but the carrier insists that the policy benefits travellers as "departures will be more punctual."

Portugal's archaeologists want to see a National Archaeological Plan put in place and for each council to have a resident archaeologist.

Keenly aware of the recent destruction at a farm in the Beja district, where contractors destroyed a Roman bridge, an aqueduct and a villa, archaeologists have launched a petition to preserve the country’s heritage.