Portugal’s traffic police have been as busy as ever catching drunk drivers and those who think it acceptable to zoom around while using their mobile phones.
This year so far, GNR officers have stopped more than 27,000 drivers for using mobiles, 2,000 were caught in the Algarve region.
With an official crackdown on corruption in place, Chinese gamblers have been turning away from Macau in favour of a small casino in Vietnam.
The casino on the beachfront in Danang is privately owned and its offer of discretion is attracting some of China’s wealthiest gamblers who can place bets worth at least HK$1 million (C119,000).
Overall, November was pretty balmy in Portugal, some areas even registered a heat wave and the overall lack of rainfall made the Algarve the best place in Europe to spend holiday time.
The Portuguese weather service reported that November "was characterised as a very dry month and hot, with a mean daily maximum air temperature of 18.58 degrees Celsius, much higher than normal. This was the fifth highest since 1931 and the highest in the last 34 years."
To the cheery delight of many doctors and nurses working in the Algarve’s public health service, the director of the Hospitals of the Algarve is to be replaced; Dr Pedo Nunes' four years are up and the likelihood of working happily under a Socialist administration were neglibile.
Dr Pedro Nunes, a former chairman of the Medical Association who ran the Hospitals of the Algarve group from Faro hospital, has long been criticised for his brusque management style and his ability to upset and enrage many of those working under him at Faro, Lagos and Portimão hospitals and associated clinics.
Spain is likely to rescind its policy on dubbing foreign TV programmes in favour of subtitles.
The objective is to boost the nation’s proficiency in languages, most notably English.
The anti-toll protestors are revisiting the Guadiana Bridge on December 8th to meet up with their equally vociferous Spanish counterparts.
The protest next Tuesday at 10 am is to mark four years of tolls on the Algarve’s Via do Infante motorway and has been organised by CUVI, the anti-tolls group that has local Left Bloc MP João Vasconcelos as its figurehead.
A new parliamentary committee for health has agreed to pay an urgent visit to the Algarve due to the poor situation of the region’s medical services.
"Hospital services in the Algarve are dire. Obviously we need to look as a top priority at the Hospitals of the Algarve where, despite the service delivery and professional pride of doctors and nurses, various services and specialties in Faro, Portimão and Lagos simply are not functioning," said MP Luís Graça, speaking for the Socialist MPs representing the Algarve region; António Eusébio, Fernando Anastácio and Ana Passos.
Citizens of Finland may soon be receiving €800 tax-free every month from the government.
This national basic income would replace all other benefits and would be paid to adults whether or not they have any other income.
