Since new laws criminalising most aspects of animal abuse took effect on October 1, 2014, there have been 249 complaints and six prosecutions.
The new law states that "whoever, without legitimate cause, inflicts pain, suffering or any mistreatment to a companion animal is punishable with imprisonment."
Growth of a mere 0.2% was registered in the eurozone in the third quarter of 2014.
But even this was better than the prediction of 0.1% growth or the actual 0.1% growth of the second quarter.
The economy minister, António Pires de Lima, today stated that the public service obligations of state airline TAP "will always be guaranteed" regardless of whether the state owned a stake or not.
The Economy Minister’s flight of fancy continued, "Flights to Guine-Bissau? Of course the future TAP shareholder must ensure these. Flights to the Azores and Madeira? Of course the future TAP shareholder must ensure these. Flights to Lusophone communities? It's all part of the specification," Pires de Lima told reporters at today's 3rd Franco-Portuguese Conference in Lisbon.
The 'fees and little taxes’ that seemed to amuse Economy Minsiter Pires de Lima, dismissing them as almost an irrelevance for Portugal’s citizens, have been analysed by Jornal de Negoçios.
The amount paid on average by each citizen in fees to the state, according to the State General Account and the General Directorate of Local Authorities, was €285 last year - hardly an insignificant sum.
Sweden is leading the way as the most cash-free economy on the planet.
All manner of businesses and even individuals have switched to accepting cards rather than cold, hard cash.
The financial sector in Portugal uses its political connections to influence public decision-making, especially around the government’s privatisation plans, without any restrictions or oversight, said Transparency International Portugal in the first comprehensive report on lobbying in the country.
In the report “Lifting the lid on lobbying: The influence market in Portugal”, Transparency International Portugal calls for more transparency as well as regulation of lobbying so that the public can access information on which companies or organisations are lobbying Portuguese decision-makers, how and why.
Italy was rocked by violent protests on Friday, as demonstrations were met by riot police and strikes hit the beleaguered economy.
The uproar was fuelled by pent-up rage over the unabated economic crisis and entrenched unemployment which has ensnared 42% of the country’s young people.
The Attorney General's Office has confirmed that the National Director of the Aliens and Borders Service (SEF) Manuel Jarmela Palos, has been arrested on corruption charges related to the 'golden visa' scheme. His new nick-name is 'Mr 10%' which, according to Correio da Manhã, was the commission level for certain visa applications that he authorised or fast-tracked.
Sending shockwaves through Portugal's murky and corrupt corridors of power, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Maria Antónia Anes, suffered the indignity of being arrested in the Ministry of Justice building and taken away by police for questioning.
