Since October 2009, Portugal's circuses have not legally been able to acquire new animals.
After five years of struggle, circus owners have pointed the finger at the lobbyists who 'attacked circuses' in the 2009 law which did not legislate against bullfighting and performances with dolphins.
In Britain’s mercurial housing market November saw the number of houses sold fall below 100,000 for the first time in a year.
A total of 98,490 residential properties were sold last monthy, according to HM Revenue and Customs data, the lowest level since November last year, when 99,320 homes changed hands.
Christmas has come early for hospital chiefs across Portugal as the Minister of Health, Paulo Macedo announced that he is transferring nearly half a billion euros to those hospitals that have run up huge debts, many of which are technically insolvent as businesses, despite functioning as hospitals.
The money, €455.2 million, will be divided between the 18 worst performing hospitals in the country, effectively penalising those that are run efficiently and within budget.
The Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos has called it a day, withdrawing her bid for Portugal Telecom SGPS after the Securities and Exchange Commission said that she had to increase her €1.35 per share offer, and PT's board made clear its preference for the French Altice group’s offer.
A spokesman for the Angolan billionaire announced that the dos Santos company Terra Peregrin will withdraw from the takeover bid for Portugal Telecom SGPS noting also that the PT board had opposed its approach.
Despite headlines of an economy returning to health, the number of UK retailers in “significant” financial problems has soared by 54% over the past year.
A total of 24,251 retailers in the UK are struggling, with food and clothing chains two of the worst-hit groups, professional services consultancy Begbies Traynor revealed in its research.
GNR traffic police are to ‘strengthen control’ on Portugal’s roads to cope with the increase in traffic during the Christmas period.
Operation ‘Natal Tranquilo’ is the deceptively cuddly name for a rota of GNR patrols and roadside checks with a daily average of 1,300 officers on the job with financial targets to meet.
Curators at the ancient site of Pompeii have been welcoming back hundreds of stolen artefacts which the thieves have decided to return, sometimes after decades.
The superintendent of the World Heritage site, Massimo Osanna, said: "We have been receiving hundreds of packages with hundreds of fragments now for years.
The President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, said today that "it is an illusion" to think that the country’s problems can easily be solved as he spoke out against the "fear of change" and encouraged policy makers not to be afraid to act.
In a rare example of presidential sparkle, Cavaco Silva spoke at the annual meeting of the Council of the Portuguese Diaspora, saying "Portugal is still in front of a large very demanding challenge. Portugal continues to face severe restrictions and will have high demands placed upon it the future. It is an illusion to think that the country's problems are solved."
