Germany took in 890,000 refugees last year, not the widely reported 1.1 million, as confirmed by the country’s interior minister.
Thomas de Maizière told a press conference on Friday that the true figure for asylum seekers entering Germany last year stood at “around 890,000”.
Portugal’s president has refused to sign off the new banking secrecy law that allowed the Tax Authority access to accounts containing €50,000 or more.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said the proposed change in the law would be patently inappropriate due to the sensitive process of consolidation in the Portuguese banking sector, the need not to undermine the confidence of depositors and investors, and the likelihood of the taxman displaying ‘an excess of zeal.’
The fate of Portugal’s collection of Joan Miró paintings finally has been decided by the Prime Minister António Costa - the collection will be on permanent display at the Serralves museum in Oporto.
The collection became famous for the on-off auction plans in 2014 which saw Philip’s in London finally deciding a sale was too risky as the Portuguese State seemed unable to confirm that it had clear title to the 85 works.
The price being paid by the State for the silence of Olhão mayor António Pina’s surely now ahs peaked with the latest a bung of €2 million, in aid of a local development, already causing dismay to residents.
The dock area, near the island ferry ticket office, where the artisan fishermen and small marine tourism businesses currently moor their boats, is to be turned over to the wealthy yachting fraternity with space for 220 shiny vessels paying for the priviledge of of mooring, but this is just part of a larger project that includes the destruction of one of the city's landmark twin parks.
Spain’s Socialist party is in turmoil in the wake of the political malaise engulfing the country.
Its leader, Pedro Sánchez, claims that he remains in charge, despite an attempted coup on Wednesday which saw more than half the party’s executive committee resign.
Germany is to face the European Commission over discrimination on its autobahn tolls.
On Thursday the commission announced that it is taking Germany to the EU Court of Justice because of the planned toll that will hit foreign drivers more than German ones.
Of Portugal’s victims of domestic violence, 15% percent are male and until now they have had no safe place to turn to for help and support.
The Algarve now has the first official shelter in Portugal for male victims of domestic violence and abuse, a pilot project that will be managed by the António Silva Leal Foundation.
The auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon, Nuno Brás, has reported that Pope Francis confirmed a jorney to Portugal in May 2017, "but only to Fátima," to celebrate the centenary of the apparitions.
Nuno Brás said that confirmation was given on Sunday as he greeted the Pope at the end of the Eucharist that ended the Jubilee for catechists in the Vatican.
