Madeleine McCann: German prisoner identified as new suspect in disappearance

52maddie investigationA 43-year-old German prisoner who travelled around Portugal in a camper van is now the focus of Scotland Yard's investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann 13 years ago.

Algarve tourism experts predict 30% occupancy over this summer

52tourism experts"Any dialogue you have with travel agents and hoteliers in the Algarve, if we think about June, July, August and September, we will be talking, at best, about 30% occupation or business level" estimated today, Pedro Costa Ferreira, president of the Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT), during a digital conference.

Loulé Council shoots down Vilamoura lake city mega-project

52lake cityThe Environmental Impact Study of the lake city mega-project in Vilamoura has received an "unfavorable opinion" by the Municipality of Loulé. The project has large environmental impacts, as it foresees the construction of buildings around four saltwater lakes, and also due to its large urban mass, from which 2400 beds would arise. The work would be developed in two phases and would be completed in ten years.

‘Whoever enters Portugal should test negative’, defends local MP as tourism floodgates reopen

52tourism floodgatesCristóvão Norte, an Algarvian MP for the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has defended that "there must be foreign tourism" to avoid unemployment and "many bankruptcies". However, in doing so, he also highlighted that it is essential to defend the Portuguese public from the spread of the virus, and thus it must be weighed more heavily in the debate.

Arab sheik-owned Algarve hotel workers strike over lack of pay dating back to March

51sheik strikeLocal workers at the JJW Hotels & Resorts Group, owned by Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, will be going on strike on 12 June due to overdue wages. The decision was taken this morning, unanimously, in plenary, at the hotel group's Portuguese headquarters at the Pinheiros Altos project, in Quinta do Lago.

Algarve orange producers see unexpected rise in business, safe from pandemic economic uncertainty

51orange treesThe COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly benefited the Algarve citrus industry with an increase in demand and prices, which is foreseen to benefit the total flow of production over the summer, said the president of the Algarve Citrus Operators Association (AlgarOrange).

The show goes on as theatres and cinemas reopen warily across Portugal

51cinema theatreTheatres, cinemas and other cultural venues across the country got the go-ahead to reopen this Monday as the country entered the third phase of its exit from lockdown - but many stayed shut, fearing audiences would not show up. The coronavirus pandemic was a bitter blow to the already fragile arts sector and performers are desperate to be reunited with their audiences, but reopening too soon could be counter-productive.

‘High risk of widespread wildfires across Europe’ this year, says EU crisis commissioner

51fire europeThe European Union expects dry weather to cause unusually widespread wildfires in Europe over the coming months, including in the central and northern regions that tend to be less at risk, the EU’s crisis management commissioner said this Tuesday. Something else to tick off the 2020 disaster bingo card?