Retail sales in Portugal fell by 6% compared to August, but this was the first drop in the last six months.

Nevertheless, retail sales for 2013 so far are lower than purchases made in 2012.

The airline announced nine new routes, including Lisbon, which will operate this winter out of Stansted airport.

Now there will be flights to Comiso in Sicily, Fez and Rabat in Morocco, Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Germany’s Nuremberg and Dortmond France’s Bordeaux and Strasbourg.

Venice is to be protected from cruise ships by banning large vessels from entering the Venice lagoon.

The ban will be introduced immediately, with gradual increments until November next year at which time the largest vessels – more than 96,000 gross tonnes – will be diverted from the city’s historic centre.

Algarve hotel occupancy continued to rise in October with an overall rate of 60.9%, a full 7.9% above the 2012 figure for the Algarve’s battered hotel sector. This maintains the positive growth seen over recent months.

Hotels were 22% down on the September occupancy figure but this is predictable with staffing and stock levels adjusted accordingly.

By being late for an important meeting in Macau, Portugal’s deputy Prime Minister has been slated by the local press.

The Portuguese language newspaper Hoje Macau rated his two hour delay as "unspeakable" after a meeting with the Portuguese community alongside important Chinese political and business figures.

Remember the former Secretary of State for the Treasury, Joaquim Jorge Pais?  He was the ex-Citigroup boss who had a severe and worrying memory lapse over whether he was, or was not, in key meetings with former Prime Minister Jose Socrates’ team when they discussed the concept and mechanics of ‘Swaps’ contracts that have bedevilled Portugal’s publically owned companies ever since.

The Justice Minister Paula Teixeira da Cruz claimed today that she could produce a 15% increase in the current number of judges and a 19% increase in state prosecutors.

The minister was in parliament today explaining her estimates which she claimed will mean an increase in the "stability of the judiciary."

The price of almonds worldwide is predicted to rocket because of a shortage of honey bees.

The largest producer of almonds, the US, is suffering a drop of between 30% and 40% in the honey bee population which has impacted on production in California, where 80% of the world’s crop grows.