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Last day of Nigel Jackson's trial for Alcalar murder

jackson1The third hearing of the trial of Briton Nigel Jackson heard the prosecution summing up its damning case aganst the former taxi driver.

Nigel Jackson stands accused in Portimão court of murdering his partner Brenda Davidson, burying her in the garden of their house in Alcalar, while pretending she was away receiving medical treatment.

Civil Service call national strike

farocamaraThe government workers union today announced a national strike, the first substantial test of the strength of António Costa’s new Socialist government.

The National Federation of Unions of Workers in Government Service announced the strike for January 29th unless the government immediately reduces their weekly hours to 35 hours, as he has promised.

Spain’s black truffle crop is world’s largest

truffelsBetween the coast of Valencia and the mountains of Teruel lies Gúdar Javalambre, a remote arid patch of the interior which is on its way to becoming the truffle capital of the world.

The cultivation of ‘black diamonds’ is beginning to transform the local sparsely populated rural economy. Only around 9,000 people inhabit about 24 towns and villages in a region which has seen little investment and steadily declining population.

Portugal to export live octopus to Japan

octopus2Olhão council reports that the Transpolvo project to send live octopus to high value foreign markets in the Far East is nearly complete and the results are looking good.

Portugal’s Institute of the Sea (IPMA) has carried out tests to see if octopus can be transported over long distances while still alive and kept at low temperatures.

Portugal's service sector boom

algarveshoppingLast year, more than 37,000 companies were created in Portugal, but 15,500 closed down.

In 2015, Portuguese companies did get better at paying their bills on time. Last year, 19.9% of companies paid within the agreed period, an improvement of 2.5% compared to 2014.

EU slams another corporate tax deal

eurozoneAs the EU continues to clamp down on “sweetheart” tax arrangements, it has found an “excess profit” tax scheme in Belgium to be illegal.

It has obliged the country to recover €700 million in illegal tax breaks.

Wine tourism make slow progress across the Alentejo

vinesTwo years and hundreds of interviews later, the regional tourist board for the Alentejo and Ribatejo is to present its Operational Plan for Wine Tourism, but only in draft form.

The development of wine tourism can now be discussed with local wine and tourism businesses in the Ribatejo and Alentejo regions as a template for further expansion in this niche tourism sector.

Mein Kampf reprint sells out

hitlerbookWith an initial print run of 4,000, newly-published copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf sold out as soon as the book went on sale in Germany on 8 January.

Advance orders for the 2,000 page annotated text in two volumes were more than 15,000.