The ever-increasing temperature and salinity level in the Guadiana River is driving away eels and lamprey while more exotic species are moving in to take their place.

Changes in the world's climate are having a direct effect on the Guadiana river that defines the Algarve’s border with Spain. More than a dozen new species have been detected in recent years, including the recent sighting of the Chesapeake blue crab' from the US along with fish, clams, jellyfish and prawns that, normally, should not be there at all.

Despite a long-standing political promise from the current prime minister that tolls on the Via do Infante pan-Algarve motorway will reduce over time until they are zero, there has been a January 1st increase in charges.

Infraestruturas de Portugal has decided that drivers on the Via do Infante motorway should pay more as from January 1st this year and has raised toll charges accordingly.

TAP has the most attractive cabin crews in the world, according to a British magazine.

'Monocle' has placed TAP in the prize-winning 'Tourism Top 50,' classifying it as the airline with the most beautiful cabin crews in the world - "friendly, welcoming and multilingual."

Portugal’s government has presented a new statute for 'small family farmers' - 93% of those in the agriculture sector are categorised as such.

The Minister of Agriculture, Luís Capoulas Santos, said today that new statute aims at creating, "a more favourable social and fiscal security system."

Portugal’s lawyers are seeking equality with political parties which shortly are to be exempted from VAT payments in new legislation currently under consideration by President Marcelo Rebelo da Sousa.

António Jaime Martins, President of the Lisbon Regional Council of the Portuguese Bar Association, says that, in addition to political parties, there are others that deserve "such VAT exemption by the State" - such as lawyers.

Construction work at the new Waste Water Treatment Plant at Companheira, on the west side of the EN125 road bridge over the Arade river near Portimão, is said to running smoothly and on schedule.

Águas do Algarve has issued a video to show an adoring public at what stage the work is at. (see link below)

The sperm whale that on New Year's Day ran aground on Monte Gordo beach, today washed up dead on the Ria Formosa island of Armona.

The Olhão Port Captain, Nunes Ferreira, was convinced the dead whale was the same one that earlier had been spotted in difficulties in shallow water at Monte Gordo.

Portugal’s President gave his New Year’s speech and made it clear that, although things look good economically, the tragedies of last summer’s fires left a gap in the government’s ability to respond to its people’s needs.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warned the Government that the tragedies and failures in tackling the fires can not be repeated and demanded of the António Costa government to look at "the many forgotten Portuguese" who live in the interior of the country.