For those that continue to imagine that Angola’s dictatorship is benign and that Portugal should continue to trade, while in fact turning an increasingly blind eye to the corruption and state sponsored theft in its former colony, this New York Times video explains some harsh facts.

The dictatorship of José dos Santos has ensured that he and his cronies have amassed wealth beyond the wildest dreams of fantasists, stealing oil and diamond revenues while the country’s poor, especially its children, starve in filth and squalour. 

The head of Portugal’s ambulance service has admitted that the Algarve has suffered a lack of cover due to the closure of its Faro control centre in 2011.

Luís Meira, admitted yesterday that there is a shortage of ambulance staff in the Algarve, but stressed that the ambulance sevice has maintained operability” but only due to the extraordinary efforts exerted by staff in the region.

Bagão Félix, Finance Minister between 2004 and 2005, said that the transfer of the entire Caixa Geral de Depósitos pension fund to the Treasury was an emergency solution made necessary by pressure from Brussels on Portugal to reduce its year end deficit.

"The nationalisation of pension funds had already been carried out in other countries, such as France and Germany," Bagão Félix explained MPs at a parliamentary inquiry committee that has been hearing about recapitalisation plans for Caixa Geral.

A fresh settlement of $1 billion has been agreed between car manufacturer Volkswagen and the US authorities for compensation over the last 80,000 vehicles which were part of VW’s emissions-deceiving scandal.

The US Justice Department also said that a criminal investigation is continuing and charges may yet be filed against the auto giant, a situation which could result in more penalties.

A compensation package has been agreed for the victims of the Banco Espírito Santo rip-off whose were persuaded to move money in guaranteed deposit accounts to high risk investments in Grupo Espírito Santo companies which later failed.

The solution has been presented publicly in a ceremony attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa, who has been insistent that those affected should receive compensation.

Albufeira now has its own Animal Welfare Center, built as a result of funding from last year’s suggestions from the public for 'local projects.'

The new Centro de Bem Estar Animal has been opened by the mayor, Carlos Silva e Sousa, at Vale de Pedras which is close to the current council animal collection centre. The plan is that the two facilities will work together.

The crumbling and derelict Lota de Portimão building just after the bridge into Portimão is to be fixed up and once again used.

Portimão council has awarded local company Urbicial  (Construções e Engenharia Lda) the contract to fix up the eyesore in a €34,650 deal that will bring the building back to life.

Portugal’s favorite fish does not swim in Portuguese waters. Since the 16th century, Portuguese fishermen have sailed to Newfoundland in search of gadus morhua, more commonly known as codfish. The French call the bland-tasting fresh cod “cabillaud” and the more appetizing salted cod “morue.” In Portugal this distinction is superfluous because only the salted variety is appreciated. So, one word suffices: “bacalhau.”

Since cod has very little fat, once it is cured in salt, it keeps for a long time without becoming rancid. For this reason, dried codfish was often consumed by those who lived far from the coast in days of religious abstinence from meat like Christmas Eve.