The Algarve’s tourist authority and its mayors’ group, AMAL, are now partners in the project "Atlantic by Bike - a unique cycling tourism destination for sustainable growth", in which the transnational EuroVelo 1 Atlantic Coast Route is the basis for promoting tourism.

The Portuguese partners of this project, which brings together 18 entities from seven countries, "will manage a total budget of €350,000 over 36 months," around 75% of the total budget for the Algarve.

Politically driven past decisions to sell or bail-out Portugal’s failing and failed banks had saddled taxpayers with long-term obligations that successive governments must account for in the annual State Budget.

Remember BPN? It is a bank that no longer exists but is still going to cost taxpayers €641 million next year. More recently, there’s Banif which was sold to Santander Totta but somehow will cost taxpayers €372 million in 2018.

Another step forward has been taken in the long-running battle for islanders’ rights, with parliament unanimously approving a deal for those living in the settlement of Culatra, who soon will be able to apply for a licence to stay put.

Islanders in this tight-knit community will soon slumber in peace, untroubled by further threats of having their houses knocked down and will be able to carry on with their way of life that, although seen by Lisbon as unconventional, is as Portuguese as it gets.

One man died this afternoon off Pedra da Agulha beach, near Praia da Arrifana in Aljezur, after falling into the sea as he fished from a rock with two other people.

His companions threw themselves into the sea to try to rescue him, but they ended up having to fight for their lives and later were rescued from the rocks by an Air Force helicopter.

Many refer to the former prime minister as 'Engineer,' but José Sócrates is not an engineer, according to the Order of Engineers, which should know and today decided to issue a clarification "because people keep asking."

"In view of the unprecedented number of requests and enquiries that have recently been addressed to this professional association from its members and from members of the public, the Order of Engineers has decided to issue a clarification stating that José Sócrates is not, and never has been, inscribed in the Order of Engineers."

The electricity supply company, EDP could be held responsible for starting the July 17th fire in Pedrógão Grande, which went on to kill 65 people.

Two independent reports, one commissioned by parliament and the other by the Ministry of Internal Administration, have concluded that EDP failed to cut back trees and maintain the land below its electricity cable network as it ran through a strip of forest in Pedrógão Grande. Identified in the reports are two ignition points, both of which are where power lines are too close to trees.

The two victims of yesterday’s car crash on Almancil’s Troto bypass have been identified as a British couple who had been on holiday in the Algarve.

The head-on crash at dawn on Thursday morning, happened as the Britons were returning to Faro airport to catch their return flight.

In the second high-profile resignation relating to the fundamental mishandling of Portugal’s two devastating summer fires, Colonel Joaquim Leitão send in his letter of resignation today which was accepted by the prime minister.

Joaquim Leitão had been in charge of the National Civil Protection Authority for about a year and in recent months had under increasing pressure due to evident failures in his handling of the fire-fighting forces at Pedrógão Grande in July and during last weekend’s firestorm that devastated areas of central and northern Portugal.