The number of victims of last year's fires in Portugal has risen to 112.

The Institute of Legal Medicine compared DNA samples given by the family of a missing man and has just confirmed that bones discovered in December belonged to Rui Costa.

The Prime Minister, António Costa, said this afternoon that he maintains and will continue to maintain all confidence in his Minister of Finance, Mário Centeno, even if he does end up being accused in the Benfica football tickets affair.

"I have every confidence in the minister of finance and in no circumstance will he leave the Government," said the prime minister - a phrase that usually is the kiss of death to politicians in trouble.

The Public Security Police will be checking dogs and their owners, in an operation lasting until Saturday, February 4^th, to verify that the new ‘dangerous dog’ laws are being followed, as well as current laws for all owners of companion canines.

The checks are focused on city areas and this ‘preventative action’ aims to boost awareness among dog owners that their pets must be on a lead when in public, they must be registered at the local Freguesia and their vaccination history must be up-to-date.

The Algarve has been chosen by the International Yacht Training course provider for a training centre between Faro and Olhão.

The provider aims to offer sailing and motor yacht courses that are approved by the Maritime Coastguard Agency UK to the RYA International Certificate of Competence level that allows sailors to navigate in any ocean.

The founder of Gestmin and largest shareholder in the privatised Post Office, CTT, commented in an interview with Expresso published this weekend, that his investment is "strategic" but that the business must be "unrecognisable" five years from now in order to survive.

Manuel Champalimaud claims his investment in the Post Office is not short-term, on the contrary, it is a long-term investment and that "we are in CTT to stay forever."

There are conditions attached to Celso Leal’s opinion, chemical castration should be applied only with the consent of the convicted man and must be reversible.

"It could never be imposed, because that would be unconstitutional," said the prosecutor in an interview with Público, currently the treatment is not provided for in Portuguese legislation.

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the Ikea furniture and furnishings store, has died in Sweden aged 91.

Kamprad concealed his fascist past until exposed in 1994, but this blip did not stop the Ikea stores concept making him of the world’s wealthiest men while he extolled a life of thrift and parsimony.

Portugal’s Finance Minister, Mário Centeno is being investigated on suspicion of committing the crime of receiving 'undue advantage' which is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment.

The Department of Criminal Investigation and Action in Lisbon carried out searches at the Ministry of Finance on Friday 26th January, after it had been granted a warrant.