easyProperty is intent on shaking up the property market.

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou who introduced easyJet in 1995 is now tackling the market with the launch of easyProperty, and aspires to work his magic on it in the same way he did on travel.

All manner of European countries are getting involved in providing residence permits to non-Europeans in exchange for investment.

Now it is the turn of Bulgaria, where a passport could be obtained for as little as £150,000 without the need to reside in the country, according to an investigation conducted by the Daily Telegraph.

Stolen bank card fraud in Britain has jumped to its greatest level in eight years.

Cards that were lost or stolen in the UK resulted in losses of £58.9m last year, the largest figure since 2006.

Lisbon police have arrested six taxi drivers operating at Lisbon airport who were found to be working under the influence of drugs, and a further two for driving while over the alcohol limit. Two further drivers have been arrested for fiddling their passengers.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Command of the PSP in Lisbon, the two crooked taxi drivers were arrested for overcharging and their taxis have been impounded. The driversalready have been to court.

The boss of consumer champion DECO has accused the government of trying to turn taxpayers into tax collectors.

Jorge Morgado, the association’s secretary general, said the new lottery based on customers registering purchases in the hope of winning a car, is a ploy by the Ministry of Finance to turn taxpayer into a tax collectors - the reason to pay taxes is to have more social services and participating in a premium car lottery is not the way forward.

The average spend by motorcaranners is €50 a day over 42 days spent enjoying the Algarve, according to the chairman of the Algarve’s development body, David Santos.

"This is more than €6 million coming to the local economy in a year like 2013 when the Algarve registered an estimated 120,000 visiting motorcaravans. The number may increase in 2014, as the growth rate is estimated at around 15%," said Santos who added that their spending, "helps boost the local economy, especially outside high season as this type of tourism is mainly in the winter months and spring.”

An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 30 kilometres south-west of Albufeira, was registered on Saturday morning at 10.46 by the Seismic Network of the Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere.

The Algarve's Alcoutim council has voted on making a financial contribution to the Food Bank Against Hunger in the Algarve to esnure the poor of the area get supplies.

The decision to send a cheque for €5,000 resulted from a meeting arranged by the council between representatives of the local food bank and local institutions that help the poor. These bodies have been encouraged to apply for food aid for onward distribution.