Insulting a tax official in Portugal for some may be justified, cathartic and satisfying but now is illegal and attracts a fine or a prison term of up to five years.

The 2015 State Budget comes with some interesting nuggets hidden in the small print as next year’s increasingly uncompromising plans for the collection of taxes from everything in Portugal with a pulse comes with some heavyweight powers for those who have chosen to toil in the tax department’s customer-facing offices.

The construction industry in Portugal remains deeply challenged.

Across the eurozone, there was a slight decrease in activity of -0.3% in August compared to August of last year.

Nineteen years after a botched surgical procedure a clinic successfully has had its fine reduced from €172,000 to €111,000 as the woman in question ‘was over 50 at the time and sex isn’t so important after 50.’

The patient's gynaecological problems required surgery at the Alfredo da Costa Maternity clinic in Lisbon, surgery that went dramatically wrong leaving the patient with a 73% permanent disability and irreversible injuries that prevented her ever from returning to a normal sex life.

British supermarkets will never return to their historic profit margins of 5%, according to predictions made by ratings agency Moody’s.

Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and Asda, in their competitive price war against the well-known German discount stores, will have to keep reducing their prices which will result in lower profit margins.

Portugal’s National Public Health Council met yesterday and set in motion a series of key actions and information alerts for health professionals and airport staff to identify, isolate and treat any victims of the Ebola virus that end up on Portuguese soil.

Emergency drills and an information campaign will run alongside more training and information for health professionals, airport workers and  the general public.

In an alleged breach of Portugal’s environmental obligations, Brussels has stated an action in the European Court of Justice for Portugal’s failure to purify wastewater in Vila Real de Santo António (pictured) and Matosinhos near Oporto.

Brussels has requested that a fine be issued of €4.4 million plus a daily sum of €20,196 until the standards are acceptable.

Faro council is planning to replace the city’s palm trees, many of which have been killed by Red Palm Weevils which have been allowed to spread due to a lack of planned chemical spraying.

The mayor want the palm trees replaced by coconut palms and other resistant species so that Faro-s public areas can retain some amount of exotic greenery.

Two Ukrainian men, aged 39 and 45, have been arrested on board their British registered yacht off the coast of Sagres with what police describe as a massive haul of cocaine, 599 Kilos of the white powder packed securely on board.

The men have been remanded in custody and according to the police, the drugs were bound for the European market.