The Rota Vicentina walking route between Santiago do Cacém, Sines, in the Alentejo and the Algarve's Cape St. Vincent has won European certification and is now one of the  ‘Leading Quality Trails - Best of Europe’ as defined by the all-important European Ramblers Association.

"This is a very demanding certification process that looks at several factors, including the quality and nature of the trails, the beauty of the landscape, safety, access, the information provided to hikers and the quality of the route’s signage, among many other” commented the Rota Vicentina management.

It has taken since 2014, but finally, legal representative of those depositors who lost at least €400 million in the cynical BES ‘commercial paper’ scam have got a meeting lined up with the Government, the Bank of Portugal and the Stock Market and Securities Regulator (CMVM) all around one table.

Lawyers representing the ‘Associação do Indignados e Enganados do Papel Comercial’ aka the totally pissed off depositors, said they are confident of getting a deal and that their clients’ money will be returned.

Portugal's communications regulator has imposed strict targets on MEO, NOS and Vodafone to widen their coverage for mobile broadband.

The National Communications Authority (ANACOM) decided to impose additional obligations on the three service providers to push forward the eventual plan to have national coverage.

The streets of Brazilian cities filled with people on Sunday as hundreds of thousands turned up to protest against the government.

Some 1.4 million demonstrated in São Paulo, capital of the country’s wealthiest state and the biggest city in Brazil, making it the largest protest ever seen in the city outstripping even that in 1984 against the dictatorship, according to military police.

The Portuguese are booking more holiday travel this Easter, according to travel booking agencies.

Foreign destinations have taken off after years of slow bookings with Brazil, the Caribbean, Miami and New York top of the international preferences.

Portugal’s PSP police force, the Polícia de Segurança Pública, has been told its fuel allowance this year has been halved as part of the 2016 State Budget.

This is the equivalent of just €495 per police car for the year and drew understandable complaint from those in charge of running this branch of Portugal’s various forces of law and order.

Italy is on course to becoming the second country in Europe to legislate against food waste which is estimated to be worth some €12 billion every year.

At present, shops, bars, restaurants or food companies who pass on excess food to charities must declare their donations in advance.

The Left Bloc proposal to abolish tolls on the Algarve’s Via do Infante motorway was defeated in today’s vote in the Budget and finance Committee.

The Bloquistas put forward 30 amendments to the 2016 State Budget but the tolls issue was voted out by the Socialist Party and the CDS People’s Party, with the Social Democrats abstaining.