The continuing case involving John Hodgson, the alleged aggressor in a violent incident that left a 23-year-old Portuguese man on a life support system in 2011, has been back in Portimão court.

Ricardo Teixeira suffered a catastrophic head injury and was in a coma for a week in Faro Hospital where later he was allowed to die as the life support machines were switched off as he was brain dead and would not recover, according to his medical team.

Companies in Europe have been given permission to monitor personal online communication their staff makes while at work.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that employers could look to see if employees were using working hours to complete the work for which they were hired.

The Novo Banco bond deal that saw investors stripped of €2 billion by the Bank of Portugal has been sharply criticised by those that lost hundreds of millions of euros, including PIMCO and Black Rock Inc.

It seem now that these huge US funds, and the individual and groups of private investors that held the doomed paper, have Portugal’s government on their side as the deal was done without reference to the Finance Ministry which has let slip that it opposes the move.

Marbella’s former mayor has pleaded guilty over tax fraud relating to the sale and development of a property previously owned by Sir Sean Connery and his wife.

Julián Muñoz is already doing seven years after having been convicted of running a scheme to grant building permits in return for bribes.

After its new American owners fiddled the recipe for Cadbury’s Creme Egg, the company has been hit by falling sales and multi-million pound losses.

The Creme Egg producers, Mondelez, challenged British palates by swopping the Dairy Milk content with a cheaper chocolate. Protests ensued, but the manufacturer did not crack.

Consumer rights organisation Deco has received dozens of complaints about a water filter company called Acquasul and has decided to let everyone know that this company should be avoided.

Customers have been charged hundreds of euros despite having cancelled water filter equipment supply contracts within the legal time limit.

France is looking to the key market of Chinese tourists and has announced plans to shorten the time needed to process visa applications for them.

The country two years ago whittled down the time frame from some 10 days to just 48 hours.

This time the drug was found by on the shore at Garrão Poente beach in the Loulé council area.

The 30kg bale was wrapped in a blue waterproof outer with red markings and had not been in the water for long. The find was made by an early morning walker who, for reasons yet to be explained, informed the local GNR.