Over 100 hundred workers at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Vilamoura have yet to receive their Christmas subsidy pay for 2013, according to their trade union, the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores da Industria de Hotelaria, Turismo, Restaurantes e Similares do Algarve (STIHTRSA).

The regional union coordinator, Tiago Jacinto, explained that there are more than 100 employees at the Crown Plaza Hotel that have not yet received their contracted payment and that he has requested as a matter of urgency a meeting with the hotel administration.

The European Commission says the UK is treating expats like “second class citizens” by denying them the vote.

Britain is “punishing” its expatriates for leaving the country by denying them the right to vote, the European Commission has said.

When Spain’s interior minister claimed the government was receiving divine intervention, an opposition party asked for clarification.

Jorge Fernandez Diaz, the minister, recently said that he was certain that Saint Teresa of Ávila was “making important intercessions” on Spain’s behalf “during these tough times”.

St Teresa, a Carmelite nun who died in 1582, is a popular saint in Spain.

Malta has revised its ‘golden passport’ scheme after coming under pressure from the EU.

The country had been planning to sell its passports to any non-EU national investing at least €1.15 million in its Individual Investor Programme (IIP).

Vila do Bispo council is to create a caravan park next to the Fortaleza de Sagres, an internationally recognised national monument.

The Vila do Bispo council budget for 2014 included a budget for running a caravan park in order to increase the safety of caravans by offering a ‘dedicated and protected parking area,’ but now reveals this is to be next to the iconic monument.

In the past 9 months over 60% of Portugal’s ‘gold shops’ have closed due to the tumbling gold price across international markets, according to a report from Golden Broker.

The fall in price from $1,600 per ounce to $1,200 per ounce between March and June 2013, accompanied by increased high street competition, are said to be the main factors that caused these fly-by-night businesses to shut up shop.

The concession for the operation of three of the four bar units on the riverfront by the Avenida dos Descobrimentos in Lagos was signed this week by the municipal company, Futurlagos.

The concession for the operation of the three bars on the roof of the car park on the riverfront was awarded after a public tender, initially launched in 2012 by Futurlagos Empresa Local para o Desenvolvimento, which holds the powers to grant leases and to exploit the commercial potential of this commercial area.

Four officers from New Scotland Yard arrived in the Algarve on Wednesday 29 January to meet Policia Judiciaria (PJ) investigators. The British team is keen to interview three local suspects that are key to the ongoing Madeleine McCann case.

The British officers want to continue their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann from Praia da Luz in 2007 and need to discuss with PJ officers the feasibility of arresting and questioning the three suspects, and ask for local assistanceas the British have no right to arrest anyone in Portugal.