Successful offshore wind turbine test gives Portuguese consortium a leading position

offshorewindAn offshore wind energy project, with Portugal's EDP the lead partner, has been completed in a successful five year ‘live conditions’ test at sea.

The WindFloat structure, sited offshore near Povoa do Varzim, now will be towed back to port and a second wind energy structure will be substituted for further testing.

Faro-bound easyJet flight diverted due to 'hydraulic system problems'

easyjetAn easyJet flight destined for Faro has to divert to Manchester not long after take-off.

The captain reported "technical problems with the hydraulic system" soon after leaving Liverpool at 09:35 this morning.

Faro Council crematorium tender scrapped

candlesSociedade Funefaro Gestão de Crematórios Lda won a tender in 2011 to build a crematorium in Faro but has failed even to start work on the planned facility.

The agreement therefore has lapsed and the Council is entitled to receive compensation of €309,000 while it goes back to square one to see if there is a company that really does want to build a crematorium to serve the expatriate market.

Brexit could threaten expat life in Spain

8572British expats in Spain could forfeit their rights to live and work there if the referendum vote favours leaving the EU, Spain’s acting prime minister has warned.

Mariano Rajoy noted that forgoing free movement rights would be “negative for everyone”.

Turkey fuming over German vote on Armenia massacre

armeniaflagThe Turkish ambassador in Berlin has been recalled following a vote in the German parliament. Ankara also summoned Germany’s charge d’affaires to its foreign ministry.

The overwhelming majority of German MPs believed it was correct to describe the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces a “genocide”.

Algarve EN125 road-works to continue for another month

en125postThe Secretary of State for Infrastructure assured the Algarve that the road-works on the EN125 will be suspended, but not until the end of June - when the tourist season will be pretty much in full swing.

The guarantee was given on Wednesday by Guilherme d'Oliveira Martins in Faro at the opening of a long awaited roundabout and link to the north of Faro that allows access to the EN2.

C of E clergy shortfall feared

cemeteryThe Church of England could be running out of ministers as it faces up to its predicament of an ageing clergy.

About 25% of its ministers are over the age of 60.

VRSA council introduces tourist tax and parking meters

vrsa2Vila Real de Santo António council is to demand a tourist tax as from January next year, according to the mayor who would have imposed the tax this year, but for the complaints of hoteliers.   

Mayor Luís Gomes announced the delay during the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding for the creation of the Municipal Strategic Council for Tourism, a new body which will include representatives from the hotel and real estate sectors as well as from the council.