Tavira was one of 32 municipalities in Portugal that reached the standard required to receive an ECO XXI award handed out by the Blue Flag Association of Europe.
Tavira exceeded the goals set in 2013 and won a flag, a medal and a diploma of good practice for its work towards sustainability at a local level, particularly relating to environmental quality, eco-awareness and education.
A man who dressed and acted like a tourist in order to get into hotel rooms and steal valuables has been arrested by the GNR.
Having nabbed the man who targeted hotels in and around Albufeira, GNR officers got four more names of men who now are wanted for robbery.
The danger period for forest fires in Portugal is officially over for 2014 and the numbers are in, showing that the cooler than normal summer helped keep the figure to 7,000 reported fires, the lowest for ten years.
The amount of land damaged by fire was lower too with a third less burnt this year than last but landowners still lost 19,021 hectares.
Portugal’s wolf population is on the increase, especially in the zone south of the Douro and north of the Tagus.
The chairman of Portugal’s Grupo Lobo, or Wolf Group, Francisco Fonseca said that the wolf population is increasing in Portugal in parallel to rises elsewhere in Europe.
The investigation that had been opened following a complaint that the Prime Minister Passos Coelho received money illegally from business Tecnoforma has been filed and no charges will be brought against the PM in this regard.
In a move that has left the PM’s detractors wrong-footed, the legal argument is valid. He can not be investigated for crimes or irregularities that could not possibly lead to a prosecution as the date they were allegedly committed is beyond the legal date for prosecution.
The UK’s Passport Office will revert back to the control of the Home Office following a “summer of chaos” when a severe backlog delayed receipt of new passports for thousands of Brits.
Home Secretary Theresa May also announced that its director, Paul Pugh, will not keep his job.
Card fraud in Europe soared to a record level in 2013.
According to the latest data, European card fraud losses hit €1.55bn last year – up by 6.2% between 2012 and 2013.
Passengers onboard flights will be able to use their mobile phones through take-off and landing, according to the European aviation regulator.
The regulator rules that use of the phones does not pose a risk to safety.
