The measurement of ‘actual individual consumption’ as charted by Eurostat shows the material welfare of households.
The widest disparity was found to be from Bulgaria at the lowest end where households had access to a mere 51% of material goods in the EU to cushy Luxembourg with consumption soaring 41% above the EU average.
The Algarve now has a network of authorised motorcaravan sites with the launch of the Algarve Motorhome Support Network (RAARA).
The network was launched in Espiche last week and the tourist board has produced a leaflet for travellers which lists the parking sites and offers some useful hints.
Portugal’s government is satisfied with the Paris deal on climate change that calls on everyone to reduce damaging emmissions.
The Secretary of State for Environment said today that the document calls on all countries to contribute in a legally binding manner.
The Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos appears not best pleased the she has been included in the Transparency International list of the 15 cases that most symbolise corruption in the world.
The daughter of the president of Angola has issued a statement released by Fidequity* which commented -
"Isabel dos Santos is an independent businesswoman and a private investor, only representing her own interests. The investments Isabel dos Santos has made in Angolan and Portuguese companies are transparent and have been made through transactions based on the arm's length principle, involving external entities such as banks and reputable law firms."
A series of tax measures brought in by the British government has prompted one of the country’s largest buy-to-let landlords to sell their entire property portfolio of 900 houses.
Fergus and Judith Wilson, former maths teachers, plan to sell the properties, all in Ashford, Maidstone and Folkestone in Kent, and realise £250 million.
Lisbon’s Expo area already has seen property prices above pre-crisis levels at over €6,000 per square meter. In downtown Oporto there has been a 60% rise in prices since 2009.
In the Algarve, prices also are more expensive, partly due to "strong demand from the British and French, thanks to tax incentives" offered by the government.
Sir Richard Branson has said that he is buying back a 400-acre estate on the island 13 years after he sold it.
The sale of the Son Bunyola estate was prompted by a row over planning permission with the local council. Former merchant banker Christian Hore purchased it in 2003.
The fabled Koh-i-noor diamond, which has been in the possession of the British Royal Family since 1850, was once the largest known diamond in the world.
It is one of the centrepieces of the Crown Jewels.
