The Algarve’s 6th Birdwatching Festival held in and around Sagres has been declared a resounding success as the organisers welcomed over 1,000 participants from 20 countries.

The main business of the four day event was the number of bird species spotted, with 150 different observed during the early October event which outshone last year’s with Vila do Bispo council, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds and eco-organisation Almargem, all delighted at the outcome.

The October 2014 animal rights law at least has given the authorities a framework within which to investigate and if necessary prosecute those who "without reasonable cause, inflicts pain, suffering or any other physical abuse to a companion animal…”

Animal rights groups and those that look after abandoned and mistreated pets may be cautiously optimistic that in a country that seems to take forever to achieve change, there have been 98 crimes registered against animals and 4,536 fines in the first year of the law’s operation.

Castro Marim, opposite Ayamonte on the Portuguese side of the border with Spain, is soon to take full advantage of the leisure opportunities available on the Guadiana river and is building a floating harbour to link the town to the river.

The €92,000 project is part of the new Cross-border Cooperation Programme between Portugal and Spain, the budget for which is funding 75% of the cost.

Nearly 880 million people travelled by air in the European Union in 2014, a far higher number than the 503 million who reside in the EU.

This represented an increase of 4.4% over 2013 and 17% over 2009.

An international network illegally distributing TV signals via satellite has been caught and shut down in an operation involving police in Brazil and Portugal.

The Judicial Police and the Brazilian authorities say they have dismantled the international criminal organisation that was dedicated to the unlawful distribution of satellite TV signals through ‘card-sharing*.’

Vila Real de Santo António council has announced that it is opening up a free car park for 1,200 vehicles in response to local concerns that its new parking meter scheme will deter shoppers from visiting the city.

A total of 1,800 metered car parking spaces now exist in the centre of Vila Real de Santo António which has upset traders keen to encourage shoppers.

Portimão leads the nation as the council that takes the longest time to pay its suppliers - six years.

There remain 71 councils that take longer than 90 days to pay companies that supply them with goods and services, reversing the improving situation at the end of 2104 when only 62 councils were this late in paying.

A Spanish princess has learned that her trial is to begin on 11 January.

Princess Cristina, 50, will be in court charged with two counts of being an accessory to tax fraud.