News Porto.

The critical thinking assembly, Metabolic Rifts is the first funded project by the municipal programme "Criatório" and it will begin 14 October, in Serralves. The purpose of this project is to foster critical thinking and to sustain transversal practices and discourses in visual and performing arts. The starting point will be at Serralves Auditorium, at 2.30 pm.

Wild animals are safely released to their natural environment in Porto City Park. A hedgehog and a hawk were returned to nature, as part of various release and reintroduction programmes, under the celebration of World Animal Day, on 4 October.

The University of Porto, through its Social Action Services (SASUP), has launched a rehabilitation and reconstruction programme, the purpose being to improve the habitability conditions and streamline student accommodation in the city.

The Research Institute for Healthcare Research and Investigation (i3S) has announced today that a European project, in which i3S is part and that helps identify signs of genetic problems, namely cancers and hereditary neurodegenerative conditions, has won the Health European Award.

Harry Dean Stanton, American actor, musician, and singer, with a career that spanned over six decades, will be honoured at Teatro Rivoli, by Medeia Filmes, 10 October, starting at 6.30 pm.

The Biodiversity Gallery - The Live Science Centre hosts as of 17 October "a bit" of the largest "photographic ark" in the world, made of unique images of endangered species. The city of Porto welcomes the International project Photo Ark by photographer Joel Sartore, whose aims is to "connect the right people to commit with biodiversity of our planet and to protect it".

From 10 October to 31 December, the Customs Building in Porto will host the exhibition "The World of Steve McCurry", the multi prized North American photographer, globally-recognized for having photographed Sharbat Gula, "Afghan Girl", which made the cover of National Geographic magazine in June 1985.

Porto's Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa) plays host to the 1st Portuguese Congress of Entrepreneurship and Franchising, on 9 October. This event is organised by the Portuguese Franchising Association (APF) that also celebrates its 30th anniversary and gathers over 30 guest speakers, both national and international that will approach several issues on the sector.

In the context of a protocol signed between Teatro Nacional de São Carlos (TNSC) and Coliseu Porto, opera will again be on stage at Coliseu Porto. "Turandot", by Giacomo Puccini, is the first opera to reset the operatic tradition on 21 October in this iconic concert hall in the city of Porto.

Manuel Paulo Teixeira, architect who works the configuration of Porto public place, has always approached drawing as a "form of organising ways of thinking and communicating". In "cascata" (Cascade), Manuel tells tales of a much present landscape in our imagery. It is rather cinematographic. It is something that crafts the beauty of Porto at world level. Not many cities allow for this unique panorama view".