An elderly smallholder has been murdered in Guia, Albufeira.

Police were called on Thursday morning after Álvaro Paderna's body was discovered by his grand-daughter's husband.

Despite the old Passos Coelho coalition parties' opposition, last January saw legislation approved that allowed those being pursued for debts to the tax department to remain in their homes rather than be evicted and the property sold, often for a fraction of its market value.

The Algarve division of the all-powerful Portuguese Environment Agency has halted the groundworks going on in Lagoa that has seen thousands of cubic metres of earth piled on top of an environmentally sensitive wetland area, adopted by many rare species of bird.

The preparation of the site, supposedly for yet another supermarket in the oversupplied council capital, has caused outrage among environmentalists and members of the public who appreciate the wildlife haven so close to the city-centre.

Anti-corruption campaigner Paulo Morais said that drivers using the Algarve's Via do Infante motorway are paying twice the amount than drivers in Lisbon and Oporto are paying for their motorway use.

Morais also wants the disastrous PPP agreements looked at in the clear light of day as many of them contain illegalities, with others containing secret clauses that can not be revealed even to MPs.

Vila do Bispo council, led by Adelino Soares, is the most transparent municipality south of Lisbon, according to a new raking issued by the civic association Transparency and Integrity which is Portugal’s Transparency International representative organisation.

Nationally, the tiny western Algarve council has been ranked 13^th out of the 308 councils in the country.

The temperature is rising over the continued infilling of Lagoa’s ancient wetland area where it is rumoured that yet another supermarket is planned.

Protestors have been faced with zero cooperation from Lagoa council, which refuses to discuss the project despite legitimate questions being asked about the environmental aspects of the plan.

The Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure has presented what it terms as a new investment plan for roads and infrastructure, a spend of €180 million spread over the next four years.

The spending will be on road links to and from business and industrial parks. Twelve such parks have been selected where the access roads will be improved to allow businsses to use the sites to better effect.

Under attack today in parliament, the prime minister said that "the Minister of Finance did not lie" about an alleged deal with Caixa Geral directors.

Opposition MPs accused the finance minister of having lied to parliament when he denied the existence of an agreement between the government and António Domingues that Domingues and other directors did not have to present their declaration of assets to the Constitutional Court