Douro wine producer Eurico Figueiredo submitted a wine label with the logo ‘Que se Lixa a Troika’ (Screw the Troika) which was refused by the Douro and Port Wine Institute, thus guranteeing worldwide publicity.

The label was rejected as it could damage the ‘prestigious designation of origin’ of the Douro wine region and was viewed by the institute as offensive, which would ensure a ban under the existing wine labelling rules.

The pilot of the crashed Mozambique Airlines has been accused of downing the flight ‘intentionally’.

The episode on November 29 killed all 33 people onboard when the flight hit torrential rains and crashed in the swamps of Bwabwata National Park in Namibia.

In the changing nature of its war against drugs, the US state of Colorado is to become the first to license shops for selling cannabis.

People will be able to buy up to one ounce (28 grams).

According to Eurobarometer, 96% of Portuguese see the current economic situation as negative and 57% believe it will deteriorate further next year.

The Autumn Barometer from the EC was published on Friday and shows a slight increase in the confidence of European citizens in the future of the union with only the southern countries remaining pessimistic.

The government decided on Friday to extend the deadline for the settlement of debts to the IRS and Social Security, the so-called tax amnesty, to the end of the year.

The special scheme includes the exemption of interest payments on outstanding amounts, of administrative costs, and a reduction to 10% for fines owed.

Workers at the Algarve Casino Hotel in Portimão have decided to call a strike on New Year's Eve according to their union.

That five-star hotel is situated above Praia da Rocha and the workers have called a strike to “pressure the administration” according to the union.

In the second sea tragedy in a week six people drowned and one was injured off the Costa da Caparica, south west of Lisbon. The six victims were fishing in the Costa Mesa area.

The boat carried seven and sunk at 19.37 on Saturday. One survivor managed to raise the alarm. The accident happened about 500 meters from the beach. The boat was coming from Espichel and heading towards Lisbon.

The international auction house Christie’s is to handle the sale of 85 works by the artist Miró that belonged to the scandal hit BPN. The February auction in London will aim to shift the paintings that have been in state ownership since the expensive nationalisation of the Portuguese Business Bank (BPN).

"Christie's won the contest to handle the sale from three other international auction houses,” said Francisco Nogueira Leite, president of Parvalorem which holds the works on behalf of the public.