The Minister of Culture, Graça Fonseca, owns part of a company that had direct contracts with public entities for a total of €988,000.

One of these contracts was with Lisbon Council, where Graça Fonseca was a Councilor.

“It will not make any sense to buy a diesel car," said the Environment Minister, adding that, "It is very evident today that anyone who buys a diesel car, in four or five years its not going to have much trade-in value."

João Pedro Matos Fernandes explained that the equivalent cost of buying an electric car will be very close and that, if it is charged at home, the price per kilometre is 15% of the cost of running a diesel.

Despite being aware of the economic failure of the Portimão to Madeira ferry service, the honorary consul of the Kingdom of Morocco, based in Albufeira, continues to insist that a ferry link between the north African country and the Algarve is a splendid idea - which it is but no one is prepared to subsidise it.

Tangier is all set to host any new ferry service, with Faro and Portimão the two options in the Algarve. This maritime link is, apparently, one of Morocco's top priorities, and one to which the government is "deeply committed."

Lagos Council has launched its own collection of climate change actions, having looked at the effects that climate change already is having on the municipality.

The 'Municipal Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change' has been approved in a Council meeting, and assesses the short, medium and long-term effects of climate change in order to minimise the natural, social and economic impacts.

The announcement was given by the country’s Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, Matos Fernandes. Two kinds of auction will be held for Photo-Voltaic systems: for large-scale projects granted a feed-in premium tariff, and for smaller solar parks awarded a fixed tariff, writes Emiliano Bellini at PV Magazine.

“The first tenders for solar energy will be defined between March and April, and then will be launched in June.”

Albufeira Council is funding a project to liven up the drab junction boxes that plague the Algarve’s towns and villages.

The electricity junction boxes, those awful grey things that have been imposed even in the region’s historic centres, have been subject to sporadic livening up in the past but Albufeira has taken 32 of them and is funding an artist to paint them with images that in some way reflect the city’s history.

The Algarve soon is to have a trail biking centre in Barão de São João, Lagos, which will open during the Feira do Folar held between 19 and 21 of April.

The new center is in the Cultural Centre of Barão de São João, located near the start of several biking trails.

Drone owners wishing to legalise their equipment in compliance with the decree-law requiring registration and insurance, which came into force on July 28 last year, have found out that this is impossible.

The electronic registration platform is not yet available despite the law making it compulsory to register drones of over 250 grammes and to have civil liability insurance for drones above 900 grammes.