Worrying news for vinho verde drinkers as the early summer rain has caused many producers of the lightly sparkling Portuguese classic to predict a reduced harvest.

The normally happy spokesman for the Viticulture Commission of the Vinho Verde Region, João Garrido, commented, "The rain that fell in July caught some producers off guard, because we were at a stage when it doesn’t usually rain. These producers have found vines with attacks of blight and powdery mildew which will serve to reduce production."

On Thursday, detectives from South Yorkshire police raided an apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire owned by Sir Cliff Richard and removed some items for analysis. As a result, Sir Cliff was planning to return to the UK last night, cutting short his summer holiday in his Algarve home.

The 73-year old singer may be interviewed by police to answer questions in connection with a sex abuse claim dating to an alleged event in the 1980s at a Billy Graham rally and concert.

The 3,000+ GNR on traffic patrol this weekend have pledged to be 'particularly vigilant’ when looking out for drivers displaying ‘risky behaviour’ as an army of vehicles is driven to Portugal's coastal tourist spots for the summer hols.

This impressive total will patrol roads between Friday and Sunday, as part of 'Operation Hermes - Travel in Safety.'

Mulligan's Irish Pub and Soho Coffee at Faro airport are two new places where travellers can spend their inheritance.

The catering and food enterprise Moiagest Group has added the two new outlets at the airport with Mulligans attempting to be an authentic 'Oirish' pub aimed at "providing passengers at Faro with moments of relaxation before or after a leisure or business trip," according to a brief and mostly inconsequential press release.

It's now official, the Algarve's nurses, doctors and back-up staff all are going on strike on August 22nd.

In a press conference held today in Faro, the Algarve's regional coordinator for the Union of Portuguese Nurses, Nuno Manjua said that notice of the strike has been handed to the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve.

Amid the chaos and recrimination over the collapse of BES and the Espirito Santo Group, Portugal's treasury is pressing ahead with an issue of government bonds scheduled for next Friday, August 20th.

The two auctions of Treasury Bills with a value of €750 million and €1,000 million were announced today by the Management Institute of Public Credit (IGCP).

While Portugal and Spain defied the odds with unexpected growth in the second quarter of 2014, the euro region as a whole registered no growth compared to the first quarter.

Analysts say the area’s stagnation will put pressure on the European Central Bank to initiate further measures to boost the European economy, such as quantitative easing.

Of the eurozone’s 18 countries, Portugal, Greece and Spain are in deflation.

Figures just released from Eurostat show that Italy now is on the borderline when its inflation rate dropped to zero in July. The country has already returned to recession.