Altice to open technology 'incubator' near Olhão

alticeLogoThe head of Altice Portugal, Alexandre Fonseca, has been in the Algarve, spreading the munificence of the international telecoms company.

Fonseca said that, among other initiatives, Altice Portugal will sign a collaboration agreement with Faro's University to "promote the capture and retention of talent in the region, as well as the development of academic projects of public interest or business that boost the regional economy."

Cristiano Ronaldo accused of 2009 Las Vegas rape

ronaldoCristiano Ronaldo has been excluded from the Portugal football squad for international matches due to an investigation into rape allegations reopening this week.

The 33-year-old Juventus footballer has denied accusations made by Kathryn Mayorga that the superstar player raped her in a Las Vegas hotel nine years ago.

State Budget - discount transport deals restricted to Porto and Lisbon

oportoAlgarve MP, Cristovão Norte, had highlighted further inconsistencies in the government’s transport policy, complaining that the new raft of discounted bus services, available only to residents in Porto and Lisbon, fail to include similar groups in the Algarve .

The Government is to include, in the 2019 State Budget, a discount scheme costing €90 million for public transport in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto.

ANA's rip-off airport charges 'damaging competitiveness'

LisbonAirportAirline Associations have challenged the charges levied by the French-owned Portuguese airport operator, ANA.

Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have demanded the Portuguese government endorses a way forward for lower airport charges by re-negotiating the concession agreement granted to ANA.

French visitors boost September's Algarve hotel figures to above 90% occupancy

tivoliThe Algarve hotel occupancy figures for September are through, showing a year-on-year rise of 2.9% to an impressive 91.1%.

According to the data from AHETA, the Algarve hoteliers’ association, the growth was mainly due to the number of Portuguese nationals choosing to come to the Algarve for their late summer breaks.

'Demolition Man' loses top job at Portuguese Environment Agency

sebastiaoTeixeira‘Demolition man’ Sebastião Teixeira, who was forced out of Polis Litoral Ria Formosa in October 2016, to the cheery delight of Ria Formosa islanders, held on to his job as president of the Algarve’s division of the Portuguese Environment Agency.

This agency has been busy scraping the region’s clifftops bare of ‘dangerous sections’ and notably installed a new sea barrier at Dona Ana beach in Lagos, turning what once was described as ‘the world’s most beautiful beach’ into ‘an environmental crime.’

Galp now charging for late bill payments

galpLogoGalp Energia seems determined to continue its decline in the corporate popularity ratings. Not content with its determination to start drilling for oil of the pristine Alentejo coastline, the energy company has started charging €2 for every late payment made by its domestic customers.

Galp is a supplier in the so-called ‘deregulated’ gas and electricity market and unilaterally has decided that €2 per late bill is a good way to increase its profits.

Tejo tributary runs red with illegally dumped tomato effluent

tomatoA further example of Portugal’s food processing sector flouting environmental laws has been published on a news website.

A video shows the discharge of tomato concentrate into a tributary of the Tejo, already blighted from pollution from pulp mills and other processing plant.