Portugal’s prime minister argued today that the countries of the European Union have a duty to welcome refugees and criticized those member States that complain and protest against the idea of taking them in.

"When we, who live in a richer continent with more opportunities for human beings to develop - the European Union - we hear voices complaining and protesting against the idea that Europe has the duty to welcome these human beings, we can not help but feel shocked and angry," said António Costa at the inauguration of the third and largest refugee shelter in the country, at São João da Talha in Loures, at the northern edge of the Greater Lisbon area.

The Portuguese 'Coletes amarelos' movement, copying the 'gilet jaune' demonstrators in France, is holding a series of national protests on Friday, December 21, that includes gatherings in Faro and Portimão.

In the regional capital, the demonstration is scheduled to take place next to the Forum Algarve roundabout, while in Portimão, the group will meet in Praça 1.º de Maio, both events starting at 7:00 p.m.

The Santa Casa da Misericórdia in São Brás de Alportel is preparing a celebration to mark the 106th birthday of Maria da Conceição Brito, a locally-born member of the nursing home.

Maria da Conceição Brito came into the world in 1912, ten years before Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral made the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic and two years before the slaughter of millions of soldiers began, in the trenches of WWI.

Castro Marim Council plans to close down its municipal services company, NovBaesuris, and will take over the employment of the 38 staff members affected.

The company has been forced to close after the Court of Auditors rejected the Council's 2012 efforts to rejig the accounts and operate within new regulations.

The European Commission has presented an "urgent action plan" to mitigate the impact of Brexit in case of non-agreement, or ‘hard Brexit,’ which is looking increasingly probable.

Brussels wants to ensure the continuation of ‘certain’ air services between the UK and European Union countries for a period of one year.

Lagos Council has joined the uproar against the closure of the Post Office in Praia da Luz.

The municipality has requested a meeting with the Minister of Infrastructure so that Councillors can request in the strongest terms that the CTT branch stays open.

A group of Portuguese workers were housed in a work camp in Tipperary, Ireland, during the construction of the N7 motorway in Ireland.

The terrible conditions they suffered in 2007 and 2008 has been recognised by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart in Ireland's High Court, who said the workers were "treated appallingly by their employers" and that "it beggars belief that their ordeal could have lasted for so long."

Portugal’s Minister of the Sea has played a blinder in Brussels, obtaining agreement that the commercial fleet can catch 131,000 tonnes of fish in 2019. This "historic maximum" for fish quotas is more than has ever been agreed.

Ana Paula Vitorino said today that, “We have very good news for Portugal, for our fishermen and fishing owners, with a 24% increase in total catches, reaching 131,000 tonnes."