Household gas and electricity inspections scrapped

gasThe Government is eliminating several obligations related to the installation of gas and electricity in properties which to date have entailed significant costs for customers. 

Laws have been approved by the Council of Ministers that establish new systems for the installation of gases and electricity in properties while ensuring "safety will be fully assured."

Portugal blessed with two new Saints

PopeinCrowdPope Francis has makes saints of two Portuguese shepherd children on Saturday by announcing to the crowd of around 500,000 gathered at Fátima, "We declare the blissful Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto saints."

One hundred years ago, three children said they saw the Virgin Mary while tending their sheep. The Church sets the first vision as being on 13 May, 1917.

Portugal's Salvador Sobral wins Eurovision Song Contest

eurovisonSobralPortugal's Salvador Sobral has won the Eurovision Song Contest and ends 53 years of national embarrassment .

The bookies’ favourite sung, ‘Amar Pelos Dois’ at the competition hosted in Ukraine at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv.

'Fátima, fake news and black holes' by Len Port

fatimaWhile the media focus was on Pope Francis and the centenary celebrations of the miraculous apparitions at Fátima, a Vatican-sponsored academic conference was debating more scientific celestial goings-on.

Before getting on to revelations about the papal interest in cosmology and astrophysics, let’s recap on the more down-to-earth issues.

Cyber attack on Portugal ‘may have originated in Brazil’

fibreopticA virus that hijacks computer disks is affecting companies worldwide, not least in Portugal where large businesses such as PT, EDP, Santander and KPMG have been affected.

The National Center for Cybersecurity’s Pedro Veiga admitted that today’s computer attack is affecting companies worldwide and may have started in Brazil.

GNR officer who choked Finanças customer faces charges

FinancasChokeHoldThe off-duty GNR officer that attacked a customer in the Finanças office in Montijo, Setúbal has been made formal a suspect, or ‘arguido’, accused of abuse of power.

The attack, filmed by the victim and posted live on his Facebook page, shocked social media viewers yesterday as the soft-spoken Brazilian was choked until he passed out.

Gold and copper exploration to start in Alcoutim

goldnuggetThis latest stage of a prospecting project that has being going on for three years is part of a contract that allows Bolt Resources to drill for gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, tungsten, antimony and any other metals it might come across between 3 and 5.6 kilometres in depth.

Alcoutim Mayor, Osvaldo Gonçalves, said "We have been informed that these are five drillings to be carried out in parishes in Alcoutim, namely along the Foupana river and in the Palmeira area."

Lagoa's red painted streets cause local outrage

lagoaREDThe idiocy of local government again is to the fore as Lagoa council attempts to justify its decision to tarmac its streets and paint them red.

Thankfully, this childish activity has been limited to the area around the historic market square that has been subject to a long-running ‘intervention’ to make it more pedestrian friendly.