A distressing topic for many caught in the unenviable position of having their houses and goods auctioned off to pay their debts but good news has been announced by the Justice Minister of a computerised auction system open to all.

Gone will be the days of dodgy deals with properties and goods being sold off cheap to those in the know. The new computerised system lets everyone know what is up for sale and when bids need to be in.

A national demonstration by taxi drivers against the incursion of Uber into their hallowed territory saw an estimated 120 drivers drive slowly into Faro this morning, supporting their colleagues in Lisbon and Oporto in a show of solidarity.

The claim is one of ‘unfair competition’ but Francisco Pereira of the Faro district of the Portuguese Taxi Federation admitted that Uber has yet to come to the Algarve but that the US company plans to later in 2016.

The derelict Silves Cork Museum and the Fábrica do Inglês site have been submitted as one for classification in order to protect the buildings and prevent commercialisation.

The bid for national classification has been submitted by the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) and was published in Official Gazette in mid-April.

Vila Real de Santo António council has announced that next week the refurbishment and development work at the Hotel Guadiana is to start.

The hotel has been ‘a building of municipal interest’ since 2010 but has been allowed to stand empty for years despite its prime position in the city and the building’s credentials - designed by architect Ernesto Korrodi and built between 1918 and 1921.

Madrid is getting tough on anti-social behaviour.

This month the mayor announced strict fines of €750 for dog owners who fail to clean up their dog’s excrement. The fine can be exchanged for a spell of hours cleaning up the capital’s streets on weekends.

News today was received with relief by Portugal's government that the DBRS ratings agency has left its credit rating for long term government debt at ‘BBB with a stable outlook’ , one level above 'junk' but enough to ensure the European Central Bank can continue to prop up the country's s finances by buying bonds.

The Canadian agency has held the grade for Portugal’s debt at BBB since May 2014 despite other ratings agencies dropping their assessments to ‘junk status.’

Portugal's National Statistics Institute today disclosed that in 2015 the proportion of births to unmarried mothers increased to over 50%.

Over five years the percentage has risen from 41% to 50% for mums that are not married. The Institute also revealed that this rise has been particularly influenced by the increase in the proportion of births outside marriage where the parents are not even cohabiting.

The government has announced that a reduction in tolls on the A22 is to go ahead, but is a bit vague about the date.

Minister of Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, said to Parliament that he wants to move forward with the reduction of tolls on the former SCUT roads in the interior of Portugal and on those where there is no suitable alternative road, such as the Algarve’s Via do Infante.