São Brás de Alportel Council starts water project in hillside villages

water2São Brás de Alportel Council is starting a project to analyse the consumption of water, which "is a precious asset for the population, but one that is increasingly scarce due to climate change and drought."

The Council has been working on water efficiency since last October when it started its Municipal Water Savings Plan which has led to this latest stage.

BBC heeds advice not to appeal Cliff Richard ruling

bbcThe BBC has decided not to appeal against the judgment in the Cliff Richard case and thus has halted the drain on legal fees funded by TV licence payers.

South Yorkshire police raided Sir Cliff's home in Berkshire in 2014 as part of an investigation into a historical sexual assault allegation.

Algarve is 'too expensive' for many British holdaymakers

beachPescadoresAlbufeira“Of course the British market worries us because it is one of our main markets," said Ana Mendes Godinho, the secretary of state for tourism when questioned about the sharp decline in UK visitors to Portugal, especially to the Algarve.

Turismo de Portugal and Godinho launched a plan in June to ‘combat seasonality’ in the Algarve and Madeira, an initiative that Godinho explained is a, "very tactical" marketing campaign, with the aim of strengthening Portugal's presence in the United Kingdom, as well as in other key markets markets but this will not fill the empty summertime hotel beds.

Portuguese on credit-fuelled spending spree

4775Either, Portuguese households suddenly have become better off this year, or the banks have returned to the 'good old days' of handing out personal loans, without being too fussy as to the recipient.

Banks and financial institutions provided close to €3.7 billion in consumer credit in the first half of 2018, a record and an average of €20 million per day in a country whose population is just over 10 million people.

TAP ditches 'free flights for politicians' deal

tap2TAP has ditched its free air travel scheme for top-ranking politicians.

"TAP is working with the government to establish new rules on the conditions to be applied to the travel of public servants, to be adopted shortly," read the rather stiff notice from the airline this morning.

Duarte Lima finally faces jail

duarte limaPortugal’s Public Prosecutor had ordered the immediate arrest of Duarte Lima so he can start serving a six year jail sentence. The same applied to Lima’s partner in crime, Vítor Raposo. Both were picked up today.

The former PSD MP, Duarte Lima, was instrumental in a land deal using over €40 million, borrowed from the former Banco Português de Negócios.

Lack of new naturist beaches restricts growing market

nudistbeachOne of the Algarve's niche tourism sectors faces frustration and restriction due to the lack of beaches where users can strip off.

Eight years after naturists breathed a sigh of relief that a new law has expanded the number of beaches that could be used for au naturel beach activities, not a single new naturist beach has been authorised.

Parchal Church elevated due to increasing number of attendees

crucifix1Many villagers in Parchal had the opportunity to attend a ceremony that saw the elevation of their community church from a vicariate - a church ministered to by a vicar – to a parish all of its own.

The Christian community of Parchal in Lagoa gathered on Wednesday, August 15, at a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of the Algarve himself, D. Manuel Quintas.