The Algarve’s main hotel association has stated that the amendments to the way property rates are determined "penalises the Algarve’s tourism economy."

The amendments in the decree published on Monday will have "a direct impact on tourism in the Algarve, including residential tourism" warns the Association of Hotels and Resorts in the Algarve (AHETA), in a statement responding to the so-called ‘sunshine tax’ that will hit owners of south facing properties with pleasant views by an estimated 20% rise in their annual rates bill.

The government formally has renewed the operating licenses for about 1,000 shellfish nurseries in the Rias Formosa and Alvor, giving operators a further six years of unthreatened activity.

The measure announced by the Minister of the Sea on a visit to the Algarve, is part of a long-overdue aquaculture plan for the sector and those involved now are able to apply for and access EU funds to develop their businesses and improve productivity."

The Galp furore continues with the head of the CDS-PP, Assunção Cristas demanding that parliament fully discusses the ‘tickets for favours’ trip, while accusing the prime minister of hiding away until the dust has settled.

Cristas says the prime minister’s attitude to revelations that three secretaries of state went on a trip paid for by Galp to watch the Euro2016 football "is inadmissible."

Novo Banco has started to sell off non-core assets with two deals in two days helping to reduce liabilities and boost the loss-making bank’s cash position and capital ratios.

The sale of a 40% stake in road toll operating company Ascendi leaves Novo Banco with €240 in cash and the other seller, Mota-Engil with €360 million by reducing its shareholding from 60% to a minority stake.

Italy has begun to tackle its problem of food waste with a series of incentives to change behaviour.

The country is estimated to waste some five million tonnes a food every year. A new law adopted by its parliament on Tuesday aims to save about 1 million of those tonnes by judicious use of “doggy bags”.

French champagne producers are trying to outfox the effects of climate change on their crops.

Already over the course of the last 20 years the French harvest has had to take place two weeks ahead of the traditional schedule. Even then the grapes are larger and the alcohol content has gone up by about one degree.

Galp, the Portuguese energy company deeply involved in the current oil exploration row and in court over its refusal to pay the ‘extraordinary energy contribution’ of over €100 million, treated three of Portugal’s top politicians to Euro2016 tickets and travel to and from France by privately charted aeroplane.

The three politicians stupid enough to think this acceptable, are:

Don’t worry about paying fines for travelling without a ticket on Portugal's public transport system, the government has not collected a fine for nearly three years.

The amount of uncollected fines now tops €50 million as not a single fine has been collected in two years and eight months while the government ‘continues to study solution’ to replace the old methods of collecting overdue amount and penalties applied to fare-dodgers.