The workers council at Novo Banco is in urgent discussions with the management over restructuring plans to dismiss 500 staff. Nearly 500 employees already have left through voluntary redundancies and retirement but the target of 1,000 has not been met.

Workers' representatives have warned management that it does not accept the proposed mass lay-off of staff and issued an appeal to bank employees: "We call on all staff not to sign any documents without referring to the national committee of workers or their union."

The confusion continues at TAP. David Neeleman announced on Monday that the airline urgently needs the money from a proposed bond issue of €150 million and that he already has arranged for his €120 million contribution to be injected this week.

The government claims to be unaware that these funds are inbound, despite being a 50% shareholder in TAP, and has no plans to inject the balance of €30 million as outlined in the original bond issue plan.

Germany has launched a special return scheme, called an “humanitarian aid programme”, to use cash as an enticement for migrants to return to their homeland.

At the same time, the German parliament agreed tighter asylum rules in an effort to halt the unparalleled influx of refugee arrivals. The measures include restrictions on family reunions and easier procedures to expel foreigners convicted of criminal acts.

A hovel in Olhão, home to a mother and daughter, also is home to a colony of sizeable rats which on Sunday attacked the occupants who had to be hospitalised.

An elderly lady, 85, lived surrounded by garbage, feces, urine and rotting food. She was the first to be attacked by the rats and first to go to Faro hospital for treatment.

The ban on recreational fishing from the beach during daylight hours between Vilamoura and Vila Real de Santo Antóio will be dropped from the legislation.

The Minister of the Environment has responded to the Left Bloc request that the proposed ban on recreational fishing during the day should be removed, mainly on the grounds of silliness.

The budget carrier Transavia France has been named as the Best Budget Airline in Europe.

Transavia is run by Air France. It had an overall score from passengers of 7.47 out of 10, according to the website Flight Report, which compiled the data.

In an announcement almost designed to further infuriate Loulé water company Infralobo’s already incandescent customers, the company proudly has announced that it has been awarded IS0 9001: 2008 in recognition of the "rigour employed in its work and the orientation of the company to ensure customer satisfaction."

"Throughout the process leading to certification of its Management System, Infralobo had the opportunity to internally organise a range of methodologies that safeguard the character of the work, thus ensuring the optimisation of services provided to its customers," the company gleefully reported.

Lending to British property buyers has hit its highest level since the Great Recession took hold in mid-2008.

Mortgage lending in January soared 38% compared to the same month in 2015, reaching £13.6bn, according to the British Bankers’ Association.