Portugal’s Minister of Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, is in the Algarve and rather bravely has announced that the roadworks on the EN125 can resume by the end of the year, or early 2017, and may indeed be finished as early as next summer but it all depends on the successful renegotiation of the contract with Rotas do Algarve Litoral.

"We are currently concluding negotiations with the concession holder. I wish to close these by the end of the year, so work can restart," explained Marques who is in the Algarve to meet the region’s mayors and business leaders to showcase the possibilities for European funding for the region.

Britain’s high streets are changing as a result of the changes in consumer shopping habits.

In the first half of this year, an average of 15 stores closed every day. At the same time, the number of new shops opening was at its lowest level in five years, according to a new report on Britain’s retail sector.

Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1992 in an amicable divorce, resulting in the two independent countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic soldiered on with its name until six months ago when the country’s leaders adopted the sleeker name of Czechia.

The path has been opened for acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to resume power in Spain after his rival party decided to no longer block his way.

The Socialists (PSOE) voted on Sunday to let a minority government led by Rajoy rule the country.  The party’s executive committee’s decision was based on an outcome of 139 votes in favour against 96 opposed.

Judicial Police officers have tracked down and arrested a 26-year-old man for robbing and killing Delmira Miranda, an 83-year-old Faro pensioner, in her own home last Sunday.

The man also is suspected of kicking in the door, beating and robbing a 95-year-old women, this time in Olhão last Saturday. This victim was rushed to Faro hospital where her condition remains ‘serious’.

A car plunged over a cliff near Sagres on Saturday night, October 22, almost breaking in two on the rocks below.

Emergency services were alerted in the evening and rescue service personnel were lowered 50 metres to a ledge where the mangled vehicle lay - with a body still inside the twisted metal.

Two hours of torrential rain brought Faro to a standstill this afternoon with the Citizen’s Shop and market shut down due to water pouring in and endangering electrical systems.

The worst downpour was at around 2pm that caused traffic to halt as streets flooded, especially between the downtown area and the market.

Portugal’s Communist Party MPs have accused the socialist government of going back on electoral promises about demolitions on the Ria Formosa islands: there are now just three days to go before the bulldozers are back.

The communists simply want to know whether Prime Minister António Costa will or will not stop the demolitions as he promised to do before he was elected.