Burglars were preparing to flee the country with €149,000 in cash

burglaryA well-organised team of burglars that have caused misery to householders have been arrested as its members were preparing to flee the country.

Three men and a woman, suspected of carrying out a spate of break-ins across the Algarve in recent weeks, were arrested on Wednesday, June 14, by criminal investigation officers from Portimão’s GNR base.

Portimão council to replace burnt-out €122,000 fire truck

firePortimão council is to replace the firefighting truck that was burnt-out in the June 12th fire near Marmalete, Monchique.

The council is in talks with the Municipal Civil Protection Service and the Volunteer Firefighters of Portimão to replace the €122,160 truck that was handed over to the fire service in 2014.

Lagoa: council-owned company lost over €100,000 last year, even though it was not trading

querencaThe council owned company that has run the loss-making Fatacil annual fair in Lagoa has been under pressure for years to explain how such a popular event consistently manages to lose money.

When the current council administration took over, Lagoa’s mayor, Francisco Martins, said in 2013 that Fatasul was to undergo a full audit covering the past three years in an attempt to bring some clarity to the staggering €700,000 in debt accumulated by Fatasul.

Algarve records its 16th road crash victim so far this year

INEM125A motorcyclist died on the Algarve's EN125 yesterday afternoon when his bike hit a car.

Bruno Gonçalves, 35, from Fuseta, died instantly after the collision in the Quatrim area of ​​Olhão.

Portugal reduces IMF loan by €10 billion

imfPortugal’s planned €10 billion payment to the IMF shows that the financial rescue of the country has been a "success story," according to German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schauble.

"I sent the request from Portugal to the German parliament, which has to approve it, but I am sure there will be no problem. This shows that the assistance programme for Portugal is a success story," Schauble said on the way to today's meeting of euro-zone finance ministers.

Luxembourg 'tickets to Portugal' scammer avoids jail

airbusA Luxembourg travel agency boss who ripped-off hundreds of customers who bought return flights to Portugal has avoided jail, has to pay back €45,000 and has been fined €5,000.

The Luxembourg court heard that the travel agent cheated Portuguese immigrants with the promise of 'cheap flights to Portugal.'

Caixa Geral's new 'bank on wheels' - 2,000 staff need to go

caixageralWhile Portugal's MPs try and uncover the documents and files needed to see exactly what did go on at the State-owned bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the new management is pushing ahead with cost savings by closing branches and shedding staff.

A voluntary terminations programme has been added to the existing early retirement package to speed up the reduction in staff numbers which is going well, albeit at significant cost.

TAP flight in drone near miss over Lisbon

airplane2A TAP flight, with 100 or more passengers on board, narrowly missed a drone on Wednesday evening as it was coming in to land at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport.

The near collision was at 700 metres above the ground on a flight path taking the Airbus over the 25th April Bridge.