British people over the age of 55 are now able to obtain a forecast of what they can expect to receive from their state pension when they retire.

The estimate is based on people’s current National Insurance record.

Members of the International Platform against the continuation of tolls on the Via do Infante and their supporters met up on the Guadiana bridge on Saturday afternoon in the largest anti-tolls protest yet seen.

Over 50 vehicles from Spain and Portugal were driven in slow procession by protestors to the car park on the Portuguese side of the Guadiana bridge for speeches, expressions of solidarity and good humoured but serious discussion about the tolls and the damage they are continuing to cause to the economies in the Algarve and Andalucia.

An expert witness in the Meco beach tragedy where six university students drowned in December 2013, has cast serious doubt on the version of events given by João Gouveia, also known as ‘Dux’ who was the only one of the group left alive.

An expert in drowning from the Institute of Legal Medicine does not believe that the sole survivor of the tragedy had been in the sea where the other six youngsters perished.

The large accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has denied that it promotes tax avoidance schemes.

A committee of MPs singled out PwC for providing tax avoidance structures “on an industrial scale” in a report published on Friday after having held hearings last year.

Lovers of pesto may have to start paying more for it as pine nuts, always a pricey commodity, are about to rise further in price.

After blight and bad weather reduced the crop, a black market in Italy has sprung up.

Just when it was all looking so positive for the Algarve’s recovering hotel sector, the January figures show that the average occupancy rate per room fell 4% last month.

Turnover dropped 1.6% compared with the same month 2014, with an occupancy rate of 27% compared to 31% a year ago when the recession was biting deeper.

A Dutch citizen suspected of kidnapping a minor has been arrested in Albufeira.

The man was arrested after roadside GNR officers had found that an International Arrest Warrant in his name was pending, according to the Faro GNR command, which said that a minor also in the vehicle had been taken into the care of the authorities.

As water customers in Loulé continue their battle with Inframoura over what they claim are outrageous water charge increases, the relatively poor residents of Olhão now have found out what the recently announced water charges will be for 2015, and customers are furious.

With basic domestic water charges in Olhão rising 32% and commercial basic usage charges rising 46% it is no wonder that many customers are at their wits end and have sharply criticised the new charges imposed by mayor António Pina.