Both human animals and non-human animals are gifted with a nervous system, more or less developed, which allows them to feel and be conscious of their environment and to be able to distinguish what is pleasurable, dangerous, aggressive and painful, (writes Vasco Reis)

These beings all experience sensations, emotions and feelings in a similar manner. This being the case they can use the mechanisms of fight and flight, without which, they would not be able to survive. Therefore fear and pain are essential for survival.

The Secretary of State for Tourism has given the green light for a tourist tax in Oporto but wants to leave other councils to decide what is best for their particular markets.

In an interview on Antena 1, Ana Mendes Godinho said there will be no great tax grab from the tourism sector in the 2018 State Budget and that anyway, the market is growing, with more than 330 approved tourism projects with 1,500 companies involved and €600 million due to be invested as Portuguese banks now are prepared to take more risks in the sector.

Of the Spanish government’s three ships, contracted to dock in Catalonian ports to act as accommodation for thousands of Guardia Civil, one has been refused entry and the other two face a port workers’ boycott as the October 1st independence referendum date approaches.

The Mariano Rajoy plan is to flood Catlonia with military police to prevent the independence referendum form taking place. This follows raids on regional government offices and the arrest of at least 14 government officials involves in ‘illegal’ referendum preparations.

MAR Shopping Algarve, due to open next to the new Ikea store near Loulé, has missed its deadline for completion and management has decided to postpone its opening.

A press visit already was cancelled for September 21st, with a new deadline given as September 13, but this too has not been achieved.

Police investigators have found evidence of negligence by four entities in the deaths of 64 people, all victims of the June 2017 fires that started at Pedrógão Grande and swept through densely planted eucalyptus forests.

According to Correio da Manhã, the investigating PJ officers have a case against the Civil Protection agency, the GNR personnel who ordered motorists to use the EN236-1 and Ascendi, the company responsible for maintenance of the roadsides.

The Algarve region collected an exceptional haul of awards at the Publituris Portugal Travel Awards gala at the Bom Sucesso Resort, in Óbidos on Thursday evening.

The region received five top awards, namely - the Best National Tourism Region, the Best Resort Hotel, the Best Beach Hotel, Best Golf Course and Best Three Star Hotel.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Carlos Martins, has given the thumbs down to a proposal by Sifucel Sílicas SA to commence mining at Corte Pequena in the Monchique hills.

In a major victory for local environmental groups, many individuals and the fully supportive Monchique council under mayor Rui André, the environmental impact assessment, written by the applicant, was insufficient to outweigh the enormous ecological and social damage the mining operations were liable to trigger.

After months of collecting information on ‘the case of the missing €10 billion,’ the total amount transferred offshore while the treasury was asleep at the wheel, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a formal investigation and the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action in Lisbon is on the case.

The information gathering stage has been going on since February this year and by the summer, the Public Prosecutor's Office had collected enough evidence to open an investigation into the mysterious transfers of enormous sums to overseas accounts that strangely were not subject to inspection by the Tax Authority - a computer glitch was blamed.