Algarve fisherman dragged under the sea by a cable

helicopter2Co-workers saw a fisherman get his leg tangled in a gear cable which dragged him over the side of the boat and under the water.

The captain of the fishing boat alerted the authorities and ordered the winding gear to be put in reverse to rescue the man but to no avail, the chances now of finding him alive are zero.

Faro to Tangier ferry link proposed

tangiersCan the almost forgotten dream of a sea link between Faro and Tangier be revived?

There were discussions 20 years ago but the project was shelved as the parties involved could not agree on the time of day, let alone to cooperate on such an important international trade and tourism project.

Albufeira Council alerts tourists to dangers of rockfalls

santaeulaliabeachFollowing last year’s publicity campaign mounted by Albufeira council as to the dangers of rockfalls at the area’s award-winning beaches, Albufeira council again is warning people to take sensible precautions.

Leaflets in both Portuguese and English will be distributed and an outreach programme at 20 of the 25 beaches in the Albufeira area will be put in place through July and August when the tourist influx is at its height, although the official bathing season starts next weekend.

Another bank pulls out of Portugal

bbvaLoss making Spanish bank BBVA is pulling out of Portugal in the wake of Barclays’ awkward announcement a week ago that it is to quit.

The decision was slipped out in Spanish daily newspaper El Pais which guaranteed maximum upset for the staff and customers in Portugal as the news filtered through earlier today with unions muttering about a “lack of respect.”

Burgeoning income tax receipts support government spending

moneydownthedrainThe Portuguese government’s income from property tax (IMI) grew 8.6% in 2013 due to the nationwide and somewhat overdue revaluation of the country's buildings to apportion sensible rateable values.


The overall taxation of Portugal’s residents increased 8.1% between 2012 and 2013 reaching an unprecedented €57,800 million making former Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar’s prediction of ‘massive tax increases’ spot on.

Eurozone economies on knife edge

eurozone2Growth across the eurozone registered just 0.2% for the first three months of this year.

The low growth has sent out a wave of fear that the region’s recovery may be faltering. The outcomes were half what analysts had expected.

More migrants try to get into EU

immigrantsboatThe number of people known to be attempting illegal entry into EU nations last year nearly doubled in just one year.

A total of 107,000 people were detected and reported to the EU's borders agency, Frontex, compared with 72,500 in 2012, Frontex said.

Finanças staff on 5% of debts collected

financasTax workers taxes will continue to receive 5% of the amount raked in this year by ‘coercive collections’ - tax foreclosure proceedings.

The percentage again was set at the maximum 5%, as in previous years, as the government shies away from threatened strike action from members of the Tax Workers Union.