Asylum seekers begin to leave

refugeeraftIncreasing numbers of asylum seekers in Sweden and Denmark are withdrawing their applicants and leaving.

Sweden received 160,000 refugees last year. The arrivals are facing waits of up to one year for the country’s migration agency to process the paperwork.

Banif collapse "was down to the Governor of the Bank of Portugal"

banifThe Assistant Secretary of State to the Treasury,  Ricardo Mourinho Félix, at last has had a formal platform to heap blame on the Bank of Portugal Governor, Carlos Costa, for the collapse of Banif and for its its bungled rescue which could cost the taxpayer up to €3 billion.

Ricardo Mourinho Félix reaffirmed his conviction that the Governor of the Bank of Portugal committed a serious error by not informing the government about the Banif negotiations he was involved in with the European Central Bank.

More finds at the Neanderthal cave network near Portimão

neanderthalcaveThe Neanderthal cave found at the site of Portimão’s new water treatment plan is proving to be an exciting find with a new entrance discovered outside the building area allowing researchers access to a network of tunnels and spaces created by the scouring action of water.

Professor Nuno Bicho from the University of the Algarve is delighted that, under the direction of the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Algarve, Águas do Algarve has offered to pay to install a gate to protect the recently discovered entrance so he and his team can work away carefully analysing artifacts in the cave where Neanderthal man lived between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago.

Guadiana bridge is "perfectly safe" despite broken support cable

guadianaThe Guadiana International Bridge linking Spain and the Algarve is at last to undergo repair and maintenance work later this year but the discovery that one of the steel cables holding up the bridge is broken has caused alarm.

Infraestrutura de Portugal says there is nothing to worry about but the local mayors are not best pleased that safety may be compromised, especially with the high traffic weight in the busy summer tourism season.

'Bin Laden' €500 note set to disappear

euromillions2The European Central Bank will stop issuing or distributing the €500 banknote from 2018.

The decision was taken on the grounds that the high-denomination currency is far too helpful to criminals and terrorists.

Climate change forecast leaves appalling legacy for future generations

sagresA new climate change study outlines the stark reality for Spain and Portugal where the increase in flooding, drought and forest fires now is inevitable.

A group of international scientists from various institutions, including the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, published the study that warns of the many threats to which Europe will be exposed in the coming decades due to climate change.

Vila Real launches tender for 'sports hotel'

vrsa2Vila Real de Santo António council has authorised a tender for the construction of a new sports themed hotel.

The municipality’s company VRSA SGU has published the tender for the hotel’s construction, operation and management at a site by the Santo António Sports Complex.

Italian court allows poor to steal small amounts of food

cheeseStealing food from a supermarket out of necessity should not be considered a crime, according to Italy’s supreme court.

The judgement has handed down in the case of a homeless man who was caught trying to take two pieces of cheese and a pack of sausages from a supermarket in Genoa in 2011.