The spotlight is back on Italy as the number of migrant arrivals there has overtaken those in Greece for the first time in nearly a year.

According to Frontex, the EU border agency, 8,370 migrants landed in Italy compared to some 2,700 in Greece.

Recents heavy seas, tides and strong winds have left a trail of damage and destruction along the Algarve’s eastern coastline.

Tides across the eastern Algarve stripped sand from beaches leaving concessions in ruins, equipment swept away and buildings exposed, especially in the Ria Formosa area of barrier islands.

Portugal, a net recipient of EU funds, has agreed that raising additional taxes to fund the European refugee programme is a good idea but will avoid any measures that will cost Portuguese taxpayers any money.

Additional fuel tax and a Eurobond issue have been floated as ways to finance the cost of the refugee problem with Portugal's Minister so far keeping his opinion muted.

A second litter of lynx has been located in the Guadiana valley area as the project to reintroduce the threatened species to Portugal and Spain reaches stage two.

The lynx kittens have been spotted and recorded by animal experts at the Institute for Conservation of Nature and Forestry (ICNF).

Pedro Passos Coelho’s Social Democrat Party (PSD) owes EDP thousands of euros but mysteriously the party premises have never had electricity supplies cut off.

EDP Comercial appears to have treated the PSD differently to other of its customers who would have been cut off for non-payment of their bills.

The citizens of six Portuguese cities are breathing air with pollution levels in excess of the fresh air standards set by the World Health Organisation.

Half of the dozen Portuguese cities analysed in 2014 by the WHO failed two tests of airborne pollution and one municipality failed both.

The bodies of a German couple was found on Wednesday morning in Botelhas to the the north west of Castro Marim.

The grim find was made at 10.30 on Wednesday by a local man attending to horses, one of which started to behave strangely and refused to continue along a path beside which the two bodies were discovered.

It will be no great surprise to readers that the tax burden shouldered by Portugal’s population has been increasing; by 4.4% in 2015 compared to the year before.

The total take by the State's Tax Authority remains below the European Union average of 39% of GDP. Portugal’s taxpayers were relieved of 34% of GDP, a whopping €61.9 billion in a country of just over 10 million people.