The Left Bloc’s Catarina Martins has started to link Portugal's left-of-centre parties together and said today “there are possibilities of convergence between the Socialist Party, the Left Bloc and the Communist Party of Portugal."

"Negotiations are well underway," said Martins, after meeting with the Communist Party leaders today, adding that "Portugal is able to have a different government" and that "Passos Coelho and Paulo Portas will not form a government."

A group of MEPs has called on the European Commission, the European Banking Authority, the European Central Bank and the International Financial Action Task Force to investigate Isabel dos Santos’ investments in Portugal.

The Parliamentary Intergroup for Integrity and Transparency demanded an investigation into the purchase of Efacec and other investments in Portugal by the Angolan businesswoman whose business holdings widely are believed to have been funded by oil revenues and commissions paid to Angola's treasury but diverted by the president to further his daughter's business career.

The whole of Portugal has been placed on yellow alert today due to a forecast of heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds gusting to 80 km/h along the coast, and 100 km/h inland.

In the Algarve the warning includes high seas with southeasterly waves of 2 to 3 metres along the south coast.

The BBC is taking measures against the unauthorised use of its iPlayer service by actively blocking UK VPN services. The measures aim to prevent foreigner based users from accessing iPlayer without permission, but they're also blocking many legitimate UK citizens from surfing the Internet securely.

The BBC’s online catchup service iPlayer has been a great success, both in the UK and abroad.

The Economy Minister today announced that there are about 117,000 vehicles in Portugal affected by the emissions fraud committed by Volkswagen. These vehicles need to be corrected and he estimated these problems should be solved over the next year.

Previously the minister said that he had spoken with management at Volkswagen’s Autoeuropa plant at Palmela, later assuring everyone that the "vehicles produced in Portugal in recent years, do not have the special fraudulent kit incorporated. I have every reason to believe Autoeuropa."

The cost of tolls on Portugal’s formerly free SCUT roads has led to the closing down of 3,000 transport companies according to the Carriers Association, which fears the situation may worsen.

The implementation of tolls on the former free roads includes the Algarve’s Via do Infante/A22 motorway where high toll fees deter many trade and private drivers from using the east-west route.

Despite the political hiatus in Portugal, its banking sector has had the thumbs up from Moody’s as the ratings agency today changed its outlook for the sector from "negative" to "stable."

The agency reported a "modest economic recovery in the country" and market conditions that are benefiting Portugal’s banks.

Pires de Lima, Portugal’s Minister for the Economy seems not to have been paying much attention to the massive row over the taxi drivers’ nemesis, Uber.

In a feeble response when action is needed to sort out the confusing mess, Pires de Lima's ministry today ‘seeks clarification’ from the app-based personal transport provider.