In front of an audience of 1,600 people at Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Foundation, the well known Nobel Laureate in Economics, Joseph Stiglitz, always with a smile, analysed the past and future of world economies.
After 50 years of economic growth and welfare in the post-war period, the richest 1% since 1988 got 60% more wealth at a loss to the poorest, and with increased inequality, especially in the US and the Eurozone, "in Portugal it’s all got worse since I was here 15 years ago," said Stiglitz.

A Christian plan to promote peace by taking a statue of Our Lady of Fátima from Portugal to Syria has been postponed because of the dire state of affairs in Damascus, but it has not been cancelled altogether.

The largely sectarian war between Shia and Sunni Muslims over the past four years has killed 200,000 and displaced 11 million Syrians, including many Christians caught up in the conflict.

Unlike birds and other creatures that migrate in an orderly and timely way, the mass movement of humans is shambolic.

We used to wander about freely hunting and gathering in small tribes. As human populations grew and greeds as well as needs became greater, the more developed tribes sent explorers forth to look for opportunities among vulnerable communities abroad. Invaders and colonisers followed.

Francisco Bivar Weinholtz was appointed as the new Honorary Consul for Norway in the Algarve this past Thursday at the Alvor Praia Pestana Hotel. The event had the presence of the Ambassador of Norway Ove Thorsheim, and his wife, Mrs. Anne Egge Thorsheim.

Several local entities and a group of Norwegian Nationals living in the Algarve attended.

Hindus are urging Portugal to welcome Roma brothers and sisters with open arms if they decide to migrate fleeing discrimination and poverty in Romania and Bulgaria.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that since Romanians and Bulgarians could work anywhere in European Union starting January 1st, Portugal and other host nations should be more sympathetic to Roma coming from these countries, and give them all the help they needed to settle down in new home.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has joined the White Ribbon Campaign, the world’s largest initiative that reaches out to engage men and boys in standing up against violence against women.

Notable men across Europe are demonstrating their support and commitment to speaking out against violence towards women through their engagement in the White Ribbon Campaign. EIGE will join the campaign this year on 29 November (17:00 EET) through its social media.

The European Commission has referred The Netherlands to the EU's Court of Justice for failing to notify measures to stop discriminating against pensioners who live abroad when paying out an allowance for elderly taxpayers.
This results from a discriminatory condition under Dutch law for entitlement to the 'koopkrachttegemoetkoming oudere belastingplichtigen' (purchasing power allowance for elderly taxpayers).

Senior politicians, diplomats and industry leaders from around the world gathered at VILA VITA Parc last month (Nov 2012) for a high-level conference to discuss transatlantic relations after the US elections.
Speakers and guests at the conference - organised by the German-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation - included Paulo Portas, Portugal’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, Eka Tkeshelashvili; the former Spanish Foreign Minister, Ana Palacio; Elmar Brok, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament; the former German Defence Minister, Volker Ruehe; Klaus Welle, Secretary General of the European Parliament; and Danny Diaz, the US Republican Party’s national spokesman.