The Food Bank Against Hunger in the Algarve continues to find innovative ways to feed the poor. The programme has seen its collection of paper converted into cash that has enabled 85 additional tons of food to be distributed through the 'Paper for Food ' campaign since it started in January.

"The campaign is still continuing and the Algarve Food Bank is in second place nationally, just behind Lisbon," said the President of the charitable organisation, Nuno Alves who said that in the Lisbon area there are around 2 million people, while in the Algarve there are only between 400-450 thousand.

Algarve MP Paulo Sá has questioned the government about its unfulfilled promises of dredging the river Guadiana to enhance navigability and develop tourism, at least as far as Alcoutim.

The dredging was scheduled to be finished this year, but as the year is nearly over and there are no signs of any dredgers, he rightly has concluded that this is yet another promise made to the Algarve in the heat of passion, a region that is left again waiting at the altar.

JJW Hotels & Resorts, owned by Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, has revealed a plan to completely refurbish the much loved Dona Filipa Hotel in Vale de Lobo with the aim of "maintaining the position of the hotel as one of the best luxury properties on the market ."

To Mohsen Al Jaber , Director of Innovation at JJW,  "this is the right time to invest in the future of the property and ensure that it will continue to offer the highest standards of comfort and elegance that our guests deserve."

It is estimated that €150,000 will be saved in year one if all the water leaks can be stopped in the water supply system in Castro Marim.

A new report has been commissioned in an agreement reached between the council and a company called Hubel which specialises in solutions, equipment and the undertaking of works for the supply and treatment of water.

The deputy prime minister is in Russia this week and has taken the opportunity to tell the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the gathered press what a good idea the Portuguese ‘golden visa’ scheme is for those Russians with €500,000 to spend on a house in Portugal which goves them free European access within the Schengen area.

Russia is currently second only toChina in the uptake of these valuable visas.

The ratings agency Fitch stated today that Portugal will get access to financial markets next year, but the option of arranging a ‘precautionary’ line of credit with its lenders would make the country look more stable.

In this way Portugal should be able to avoid a second bailout and should also escape a full scale debt restructuring if by taking early precautions investor jitters are calmed.

Statistics released today by the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) show 79,291 new unemployment registrations during the month of October, 4.7% more than in October last year.

Although this is a decline compared to September this year when 80,176 newly unemployed were registered, the figures are rather too close to the 80,462 new signees in September 2011 which broke an unenviable 13 year record.

A new strain of viral haemorrhagic disease is ravaging Portugal’s population of wild rabbits and has put at risk the 2014 release of Iberian lynx.

According to the Secretary of State for Nature Conservation, Miguel de Castro Neto, the first releases were due to go ahead in the first half of 2014 but if this now was to happen there is a serious risk that the lynx will not survive.

"In the Alentejo, for example, populations of wild rabbits have reduced by 80% this year due to the illness” according to wildlife expert Pedro Esteves from the University of Oporto who is leading the team that has identified the new DHV -V2 variant.