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Portugal's tax amnesty extended to December 30th

financasThe government decided on Friday to extend the deadline for the settlement of debts to the IRS and Social Security, the so-called tax amnesty, to the end of the year.

The special scheme includes the exemption of interest payments on outstanding amounts, of administrative costs, and a reduction to 10% for fines owed.

Algarve Casino workers to strike on New Year’s Eve

casinohotelWorkers at the Algarve Casino Hotel in Portimão have decided to call a strike on New Year's Eve according to their union.

That five-star hotel is situated above Praia da Rocha and the workers have called a strike to “pressure the administration” according to the union.

Six more people drowned as sports fishing boat sinks

seasIn the second sea tragedy in a week six people drowned and one was injured off the Costa da Caparica, south west of Lisbon. The six victims were fishing in the Costa Mesa area.

The boat carried seven and sunk at 19.37 on Saturday. One survivor managed to raise the alarm. The accident happened about 500 meters from the beach. The boat was coming from Espichel and heading towards Lisbon.

Christie's to auction BPN's Miró art collection

miroThe international auction house Christie’s is to handle the sale of 85 works by the artist Miró that belonged to the scandal hit BPN. The February auction in London will aim to shift the paintings that have been in state ownership since the expensive nationalisation of the Portuguese Business Bank (BPN).

"Christie's won the contest to handle the sale from three other international auction houses,” said Francisco Nogueira Leite, president of Parvalorem which holds the works on behalf of the public.

Constitutional Court rejects government's pension cuts

pensionerThe Constitutional Court unanimously has rejected the Portuguese government's pension cutting plans, citing a violation of the principle of trust in Article 2 of the Constitution.
 
The court has put the government in another budgetary hole as Passos Coelho’s regime wanted a 10% cut of the gross amount of pensions and in their overall value to save the exchequer approximately €728 million next financial year, as in the 2014 budget.

Portugal, the land of the bouncing cheque

gregorypeckThe Bank of Portugal reported today that the total value of bouncing cheques issued in 2013 to the end of November was €633 million.

According to the always cheerful December Statistical Bulletin published by the Bank of Portugal, both the number of checks that were returned for lack of money and the total amount, actually fell in the first ten months of 2013 compared to the same period of 2012.

Spain to put tighter control on women

spanishflagMoving the clock backwards, Spain is to reduce women’s ability to access abortions.

A more restrictive abortion law is to be introduced, the Spanish justice minister announced.

GNR officer commits suicide in Tavira

gnrlogoA GNR officer was found dead in the early hours of Friday at the GNR station in Tavira.

The young man, 25, used his own service weapon to shoot himself at between 06.00 and 07.00am when he was alone at the station.