Ria Formosa - capsized dredger to be refloated this weekend - hopefully

DredgerArmonaSmallUsing inflatable balloons, work will start on Saturday morning to right the dredger that capsized in the Ria Formosa lagoon near Armona this Tuesday.

Olhão’s port captain, Nunes Ferreira, said operations will commence at 09:00 and, if all goes according to plan, the 80-metre dredger will be righted on Sunday or Monday.

Deco says Portugal's banks have “no known legal basis” to block bitcoin transactions

bitcoinsPortugal's consumer watchdog, Deco, has claimed that the country’s banks have “no known legal basis” to block bitcoin-related transactions.

Banco Santander Totta, is stopping bitcoin-related transactions and has claimed that cryptocurrency exchanges are non-regulated financial products.

Oporto Appeal Court overrules Bury St Edmunds 'abduction' claim

justiceA Portuguese mother, who had been living in the United Kingdom, fled to Portugal with her daughter after she was threatened by her Polish ex-partner and feared for her own and her daughter’s safety.

An appeal court ruling in Oporto means that the mother can have stay with her four-year-old daughter in Portugal.

Loulé Post Office closed down today as part of a programme to increase CTT profits

cttvanLisbon, Sintra, Barreiro, Aveiro and Águeda all saw at least one post office shut today, January 20th,  as part of CTT's restructuring plan which already has led to the closure of the Arco da Calheta outlet in Madeira. In the Algarve, the secondary Post Office in Loulé also was shut down.

A Post Office spokesman said that "services provided at these eight access points are now being provided by other access points that are an average of 1,000 metres from the previous ones."

Driving licence points system - only 24 drivers banned in 18 months

breathalizerOnly one in 37 offenders has lost points from his or her driving licence, since the new points-based system started.

The primary reason is that the legal system takes an average of three years to sort out each appeal and reach a final judgement.

Pedrógão Grande fire was 'started by an electrical discharge' - concludes report

FireLeiriaSmallCarsAt least seven further defendants have been identified in a prosecution resulting from the great fire of Pedrógão Grande, last summer.

The investigation finally is over and has concluded that an electric discharge did cause the flames that turned into an inferno, killing at least 64 people and injuring at least 200.

EDP and Ascendi both have denied any role in starting the blaze which has been blamed on an electricity cable touching a tree.

Second fatality in less than 24-hours on the Algarve's 'road of death'

INEM125A motorcyclist died on Thursday afternoon, January 18th, following a collision with a good vehicle on the EN125. The victim was a 27-year-old man

The accident happened around 15:00 in the Troto area of Almancil.

Government sends in the goats to help forest tidy-up

forrestThe Government is sending in the goats this year as part of its determination to clear forests of dangerous and inflammable scrub.

Herds of munching quadrupeds will be used in a pilot project, announced the Secretary of State for Forests, Miguel Freitas, explaining that the Government also will be funding the use of machinery to cut back scrub.