Public sector corruption soared in Italy to more than €4 billion in the first ten months of last year.

The shameful figure, a new record, was confirmed by Italy’s financial police.

The UK’s County Council in Lincolnshire refused to give in to a ransom demand of just £350 and immediately found its computer systems in a lock-down which lasted nearly one week.

The demand was for an initial $500 in the digital currency Bitcoin but that amount would increase over time if not paid.

A parting gesture of unbridled generosity from the previous government run by Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, saw three directors of the National Authority of Civil Aviation receive huge salary increases in the last days of the government.

The rises, thoughtfully backdated to July 2015, were around 150% for Luís Ribeiro, Carlos Salgado and Lígia Fonseca, respectively the president of the ANAC Board of Directors, the Vice President and a Director.

DBRS, the Canadian agency has warned of the negative consequences of the as yet unresolved argument between the Portuguese government and Brussels.

The agency is said to be the most important rating agency for Portugal and is  following closely the dispute between the government and the European Commission over the 2016 State Budget draft.

Germany’s Chancellor Merkel said it is expected that most refugees from Syria and Iraq will return to their home countries.

As the German population becomes more restive and fearful of the consequences of Merkel’s open-door policy, it appears she has taken steps to placate her increasingly vocal critics.

Golden Visa investment in 2015 was half that of the previous year with a spend dropping to €466 million, according to data from the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF).

Precisely, in 2015 the Permits for Investment Activity involved a spend of €466,259,798 representing a decrease of 49% compared to €921,314,178 in 2014.

A number of pharmaceutical manufacturers have agreed to cooperate to develop drugs to counteract the growing threat to human lives of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

For some time it has been known that bacteria are not being killed off by the present range of available antibiotics.

Three months after the November 1st  floods devastated downtown Albufeira last year, the repair work to its public spaces and roads is close to completion and the council has announced its plans to prevent a similar situation happening again.

While keeping its fingers crossed until 2020, the council is preparing “an efficient drainage plan.”