Background mutterings over accentuated increases in house prices have this week been brought to the fore. In a new report, the Bank of Portugal warns the situation threatens the country’s financial stability. And it lays the blame firmly on foreign investors.
Says Expresso, “the dynamic has been very much powered by tourism and the intervention of non-resident investors”.
A unique study on an international level to determine the impact recreational diving has on marine ecosystems in artificial reefs was carried out for the first time using a sunken ship off the coast of Portimão. The findings were published last week in the Journal of Coastal Conservation.
This study was conducted using the ‘NRP Oliveira e Carmo’ corvette which was sunk on October 30, 2012 to become part of the underwater park Ocean Revival in Alvor, Portimão.
There is shock and disbelief in Albufeira this week where residents of the embattled Roja Pé apartment block received 23-page letters informing them that their apartments are indeed illegal and will have to be demolished.
This is a long-running story which almost three years ago looked like having a happy ending (click here).
Given ample warning that his visit to the CCDR HQ in Faro would be met by anti-oil protestors, environment minister João Pedro Matos Fernandes appears to have changed his plans.
At the ‘last minute’ yesterday (Tuesday), banner-waving demonstrators realised he wasn’t coming.
With elections around the corner, the PSD Opposition has released a new manifesto:, “Politics for Infancy”. Designed to encourage families to reproduce, the major ‘carrot’ is a phased series of payments to every family amounting to €10,000 per child. Says party leader Rui Rio, the idea is to scrap the current child benefit system - which only benefits a few - and help everyone, irrespective of income.
Ryanair had to cancel 1,100 flights in May due to workers' strikes, French air traffic control playing up again, a lack of staff and weather problems.
A company statement admitted that these cancellations affected more than 200,000 of its passengers and called on the European Commission to take immediate measures to avoid any ‘force majeure’ during the coming peak summer months.
One-third of anaesthetists trained in Portugal have chosen to go private or move abroad.
Over the past three years, 145 specialist anaesthetists were trained in Portugal with only 99 then joining medical teams at NHS hospitals.
Caixa Geral de Depósitos, owned by the people for the people, is to shut a further 75 branches by the end of June.
Caixa's bank closure plan lists 77 sites due to axed, but no final decision has been made for two of them.
