Two holidaymakers have been treated for chlorine inhalation at an Albufeira hotel following an error in the handling of chemicals used to treat the swimming pool water, according to the District Command for Relief Operations (CDOS).

The episode occurred by the pool where a member of staff incorrectly mixed the chemicals needed to keep the water free of bugs. He mixed hydrochloric acid with chlorine at the side of the pool which caused a cloud of potentially lethal gas which he and two nearby guests inhaled.

Portugal has been found to be the fifth most peaceful nation in the world.

The Global Peace Index (GPI), released this week by the Institute for Economics and Peace, shows that Portugal outshone nearly all other nations on earth, including Switzerland (7th), Canada (8th) and Japan (9th).

At the end of May the lifeguard situation at Portugal’s swimming beaches was not looking good as many beach business concession holders lacking the necessary lifeguard cover in order to be able to operate within the law.

The Algarve’s beaches were said to have more cover in place than at beaches in other parts of the country with the head of the Institute of Lifeguards, Nuno Leitão, saying that there were 3,000 more licensed lifeguards than there are jobs.

Portugal’s Finance Minister Mário Centeno was at the Harvard Club in New York earlier this week at the start of a roadshow to ‘attract investment.’

Centeno informed his audience that Brussels ‘trusts Portugal’ due to the country’s political and fiscal stability and its intention to implement reforms to make Portugal an attractive country for investment.

The Committee for Finance and Admin is not happy with the written replies from Miguel Relvas about the Efisa Bank affair and wants him to come in person to explain himself.

The Efisa investment bank was sold in 2015 for €38.3 million to a company of 'Angolan and Portuguese investors' approved by the Bank of Portugal.

Portugal’s Crédito Agrícola has introduced a new system that allows staff to open new accounts for individuals and small business owners simply by scanning the details and signature as on their Citizen Cards (Cartão de Cidadão).

The new CA Express service scans the card and signature which is enough proof required for opening and running a new account. The Portuguese Citizen’s Card or Portugese passport can be used and verified when making transfers or carrying out other in-branch activities.

Nearly half the people in Germany have reservations about the European Union, according to a multi-nation survey by the Pew Research Center.

The poll found that 48% of German residents viewed the EU unfavourably.

The largest palm grove in Europe is a Unesco World Heritage Site which is now being threatened with the notorious red palm weevil.

More than 200,000 date palms are in the grove in Elche, a city lying a few kilometres southwest of Alicante. The Palm Grove is one of the biggest in the world.