Despite the government's insistence that Portugal is undergoing an economic miracle, much of this is based on low wages and job insecurity.

Portugal’s largest inter-union group, the Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses (CGTP), has announced a demonstration in Lisbon on November 18th and has called on workers from the public and private sectors, young, retired and the unemployed to participate in "a great national demonstration" against job insecurity and low wages.

Current legislation bans dogs accompanying their owners visiting cafes and restaurants, even if it’s OK with the proprietor.

On October 10th, MPs are to debate a proposal from pro-nature and animals party PAN, the Left Bloc and The Greens to allow pets to enter catering establishments as well as guide dogs, which already are allowed in.

A Spanish company has ploughed up and destroyed a Roman bridge and a Roman villa in Beja in order to plant an almond orchard.

This is a further example of the destruction of archaeological remains to make way for agriculture as, in recent years, there have been several cases where olive groves, almond trees, vines, eucalyptus forests and pine trees have been seen as far more important than Portugal’s buried history.

Catalonia's President, Carles Puigdemont, has been forced to delay any declaration he is planning about the region's independence from Spain.

Madrid has made sure that any meeting of Catalonia's parliament on Monday would be illegal, leaving Puigdemont to make his expected declaration tomorrow, Tuesday 10th October, but a huge ‘anti-independence’ rally in Barcelona on Sunday has opened up a weak flank.

From June 6, 2018, the Algarve will have a direct air route to Verona, Italy, operated by Volotea, a first between the two airports, heralded as a "strategic action," according to the Algarve Tourism Association.

There has been a "trend of growth of tourism from the Italian market in the Algarve region, both in terms of holidaymakers and in residential tourism," said the association.

Albufeira council ranks third in the country when it comes to the degree of financial independence from the State, according to the Councils Financial Yearbook, 2016.

For ‘independence,’ read ‘property taxes,’ made up from rates income and the taxes received when properties are bought and sold.

In a weekend of savage wildfires, a rare and terrifying phenomenon was captured on film near Arganil, Coimbra, when a fire devil was created in the blazing countryside.

The whirlwind of fire, called a fire devil or fire whirl, generated wind speeds of over 100mph, see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ecxDbWNAw

The architects Miguel Reimão Costa and Jennifer Silva Pereira have won the Municipal Award for Architecture and Landscape Architecture 2017, promoted by Faro council.

The award, in the ‘Renovation’ category was for their proposal for Rua Rasquinho, no. 19, in Faro's old city.