Two Left Bloc MPs have emphasised the need for central government to fund the fire fighting service from the State Budget, rather than leave it to councils which may use monies raised by Civil Protection supplements to fund other services.

In today’s statement, the bloquistas Cecília Honório and Helena Pinto argue that additional demands for money to fund civil protection services in some municipalities, such as in Portimão, are simply an "attempt to raise revenue for those municipalities on the brink of bankruptcy" and not "to fund any sort of service."

The Union of Judicial Officers estimates that there are 500,000 cases that are not yet appearing on the new Citius computer package that was introduced in an effort to speed up Portugal’s court systems.

A survey of 130 bailiffs indicated several flaws in the new system introduced first on September 1^st, and then again in early October.

The parliamentary enquiry into the collapse of BES is almost certain to run out of time and its members will ask for an extension to next May

Today’s list of those the parliamentary enquiry members have called is a Who’s Who of the great and maybe not so good, all 26 of them, including Finance Minister Maria Luís Albuquerque.

Saudi Arabia needs more doctors and a healthcare group has sent recruitment consultants to Portugal to sign up 30 more doctors on tax-free salaries of up to €11,000 a month, plus free housing.

The offer from a "prestigious multinational group of hospitals" has already attracted 200 applicants.

Consumer champion DECO today accused the government of overcharging tens of thousands of property owners with inflated rates bills.

DECO estimates €244 million is being needlessly squeezed out of hard-pressed home owners as rateable values fail to reflect actual property values and are not updated automatically by Finanças which easily could use data including the age of the property when calculating Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis, or rates.

An ambitious project is under development to import solar energy from Tunisia to the UK and other European destinations.

The TuNur project, a partnership between British investor Low Carbon, Nur Energy and Tunisian investors, is hoping to win a contract from the British government.

The plight of the Big Four supermarkets, the financial scandal encircling Tesco, and the rise of the discounters are mentioned in the media on a daily basis of late.

The Office for National Statistics has issued a timely analysis on changes in the food retail sector over the last decade.

The seasonal 'healthcare points' on the Algarve’s beaches this summer were a welcome addition to the region's appeal as a safe and secure family holiday destination with 9,500 people making use of the service.

The 32 health points were used by tourists and locals alike, most of whom luckily needed only minor medical aid, according to a summary from the regional heath service management team.