Borders Service strike may delay flights from Portugal

airplane2Portugal’s Airports operator ANA, now owned by French company Vinci, has advised passengers to arrive on time on 23, 24 and 25 November due to planned strike action from SEF border control staff.

TAP has asked passengers to arrive even before the usual time to ensure they can get through passport control in time for their flights.

Algarve Stadium is now home to Gibraltar's national football team

footballFans in their hundreds watched Gibraltar make history at the Algarve Stadium in Faro as they played their debut as a UEFA member.

The game against Slovakia was secondary to the acceptance in May by UEFA of Gibraltar as a fully accepted European team, albeit one without a suitable stadium.

Spain has not allowed the Gibraltarians to use any venues on the mainland so it’s off to friendly, welcoming Portugal to play their matched until 2016 by which time their own facilities should be ready for top class matches.

Gold gangs busted in €60 million fraud investigation

goldIn a widespread police operation involving 131 search warrants, over €4 million in ill-gotten gains has been traced to bank accounts operated by dodgy dealers from 'Gold Shops' in Portugal.

In two weeks, three gangs have been pounced on, each involved in a swindle that would have cost the state upwards of €60 million in lost VAT.

On Tuesday nine people in two gangs were arrested in various parts of the country in an operation involving more than 300 investigators, policemen and tax inspectors.

Tavira salt protected by EC

salt‘Flor de sal de Tavira’ is now a product with a protected origin according to the latest list from Brussels.

The production of salt and ‘flor de sal’ is limited to three parishes in Tavira which now have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status after a request submitted to the European Commission in 2011 has now been granted.

Portuguese couples avoid the joys of parenthood

baby2012Portugal 'lost' 55,000 inhabitants last year as more deaths and fewer births shrunk the numbers.

Portugal has the second lowest birth rate after Germany, which combined with a ageing population and rising death rate, means the country’s population is continuing to shrink.

Youth Hostels again to shut this winter

youthPortugal’s Youth Hostels that have shown low occupancy rates will again close over the winter period, as happened for the first time in 2012, according to the Secretary of State for Sport and Yoof.

Emidio Guerreiro said the option taken last year with units with occupancy rates of less than 20% “improved the accounts” of Movijovem, the public entity that manages Portugal’s network of hostels.

Work to restart on the São Brás ‘north circular’

roadworksOne month after the new Mayor of São Brás, Vitor Guerreiro, started work he has signed the contract to carry on with the 2003 contract to finish off the road to the north of the town, which represents a spend of €700,000.

This project aims at "improving connections to the main roads of the town center and of the entire network of roads in the town."

Águas do Algarve denies asbestos claim at Tavira plant

water2Águas do Algarve assured the public today that "there is no asbestos in their infrastructure" and denied that there were any risks to public health after the Left Bloc raised the possible existence of asbestos panels in a treatment plant in Tavira.

The Left Bloc announced that it had "asked the Ministry of the Environment about the possible presence of asbestos in the panels of the settling tanks at the Tavira water treatment plant” a situation that would, if confirmed , "be a clear threat to public health."