The EU has opened up the possibility of increased use of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe.

Only one type of maize, MON 810, is currently allowed to be grown commercially in the EU although some countries ban it.

The air operator eventually chosen to run the new service between the far north of the country and the Algarve can receive up to €650,000 this year.

Next year the budgeted subsidy for the Bragança-Portimão service is €2.6 million and in 2018 the figure is €1.95 million, all excluding VAT.

Germany finally has managed to balance its budget for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Strong tax revenues and exceedingly low interest rates which brought down the cost of meeting its debts enabled the country to reach this goal.

Six thousand signatures, two thousand more than the minimum needed to trigger a parliamentary debate, have been collected in a protest against the proposed privatisation of Portugal’s national airline, TAP.

The signatories express their "total disagreement" with the current sale process and call for the "maintenance of TAP Group in the public sector."

The German anti-Islamist group, Pegida, has opened a branch in Spain, it has claimed.

It was launched on Twitter on 8 January, the day after the deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris in which 12 people were assassinated.

Portugal's tax authority has failed to understand why six motorists have been let off fines for travelling on formerly free SCUT roads without paying tolls.

The administrative court in Braga recently annulled the six fines in a landmark case cheered by many motorists and legal experts but the tax authority may appeal to the higher court to get these decisions reversed.

The eco-vandal is back and seemingly irrepressible as development plans for two hotels and resort accommodation on sensitive land in the Ria de Alvor, Portimão have been released for public consultation.

Aprígio Santos owns shares in Butwell Trading and Investment Services SA which owns the Quinta da Rocha estate on the banks of the Alvor estuary. Butwell is registered in the free zone of Madeira and is a subsidiary of Imoholding which is owned by Aprígio dos Santos.

IKEA Portugal has slipped out a notification that, following its expansion plan it today has started the land cleaning process at the site between Loulé and Faro where it plans to build a large shopping development.

According to the Swedish company, 'this is the first step of the construction process of a project that includes an IKEA store and a shopping center, which will allow the creation of 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, for a total investment amount of €200 million.’