Travellers to UK detained at passport control for showing false documents

passportbulgarianBorders Police at Faro airport have been on the ball with four travellers arrested carrying false documents.

The Aliens and Borders Service (SEF) announced that its officers arrested four foreign nationals, trying variously to board flights to England, Scotland and Ireland.

Monchique's Medronho Festival - 'quality, not quantity'

medronhoMonchique council is continuing its support for the local 'medronho economy' by putting on a two day Medronho Festival starting on April 1st.

Mayor, Rui André said, medronho, the local spirit made from the fruit of the strawberry tree, is one of the rural council's local products that is included in a strategy to produce 'quality, not quantity.'

Portugal sets up task force to lure post-Brexit investment

londonIn a move that could be construed as in indecent haste, Portugal’s government has set up a task force to ‘lure investment away from Britain’ following the British public’s desire to leave the European Union.

In the swirl of Brexit fog that surrounds every news item and opinion on what will happen, when and to whom, the Portuguese have decided to that many companies in the UK are pondering a shift of jobs and investment to continental Europe, and that many apparently are “thinking that London risks damaging its status as Europe's biggest financial centre after Britain formally began its divorce from the European Union on Wednesday.”

Galp ready to start drilling - rumours abound over Repsol-Partex contract cancellation

oilAljezurImageAs rumours swirl across social media that the Repsol-Partex offshore southern Algarve oil exploration contracts have been cancelled, the top man at Galp says he is in nor great rush to start drilling off the west coast in the Santola bloc off Aljezur.

Gomes da Silva said his Galp-ENI consortium is ready to start and, with the April-June good weather window approaching, management is waiting to get approval of the documents submitted to the government for the final go-ahead.

Local council election day announced

4794The government has named the day for local council elections. Sunday, October 1st will see voters choose their councils.

The Minister of the Presidency, Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, made the announcement after Thursday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers to name the date “for holding the general elections for representative bodies of local authorities.”

Left Bloc pushes government for explanation on Aljezur oil exploration and extraction licence

oilrigatseaThe parliamentary group of the Left Bloc asked the government on Thursday for the report on the public consultation on the granting of the licence for the exploration and exploitation of oil in the Alentejo Basin.

The Santola concession, signed to the Galp-ENI oil consortium in 2007, covers an area off the coast of Aljezur and has triggered, like all the other concessions, fierce opposition from environmental groups, the general public and other bodies such as the mayors’ group AMAL.

Bottled gas users are paying 'double the price' of households with a mains supply

gasThe Economy Minister has said that a study by the Competition Authority will lead to lower bottled gas prices later this year.

The Minister, Manuel Caldeira, said that a study by the Authority warns of the lack of competition in the bottle gas market and will lead to the implementation of price reduction measures later this year and that the government’s objective is the lowering of gas prices.

Dijsselbloem chickens out of meeting to explain his 'beer and women' comments

jeroneJeroen Dijsselbloem has been invited to a European parliament session on April 4th but, fearing severe criticism to his “beer and women” comments about southern European nations’ use of Community funds, has said he is busy that day.

There is increasing pressure for Dijsselbloem to resign after his controversial statements about the Southern countries and the invitation to parliament by MEPs was answered with "Thank you for the invitation, unfortunately I am no longer available on that date."