The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, has decided that Portugal should increase exports of goods, and warns that the country cannot become "tourism-dependent" so must diversify.

In terms of exports, "the country's progress has been remarkable in recent years," said the minister, adding that "in 2011, the exports of goods and services were worth 30% of the Portuguese GDP. In 2015 we exceeded the target of 40%. Are we happy? We are. Are we satisfied? No. We want more, we want exports worth more in terms of GDP and that the relationship between goods and services in these exports improves as well," said the minister, to an audience of 280 young people who are part of the ‘INOV contact’  programme.

Anyone owing UK tax on an overseas income could face a fine of at least 30% of the tax due, according to new draft legislation in Britain.

In addition, criminal prosecution could be pursued.

HMRC can have a look back of 20 years into the person’s tax affairs, meaning that penalties could mount for any previous failures to report.

The weedkiller Glyphosate is at the centre of an international row over the safety of its use.

The EU is due shortly to announce a decision on its continued use.

The continuing case involving John Hodgson, the alleged aggressor in a violent incident that left a 23-year-old Portuguese man on a life support system in 2011, has been back in Portimão court.

Ricardo Teixeira suffered a catastrophic head injury and was in a coma for a week in Faro Hospital where later he was allowed to die as the life support machines were switched off as he was brain dead and would not recover, according to his medical team.

Companies in Europe have been given permission to monitor personal online communication their staff makes while at work.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided that employers could look to see if employees were using working hours to complete the work for which they were hired.

The Novo Banco bond deal that saw investors stripped of €2 billion by the Bank of Portugal has been sharply criticised by those that lost hundreds of millions of euros, including PIMCO and Black Rock Inc.

It seem now that these huge US funds, and the individual and groups of private investors that held the doomed paper, have Portugal’s government on their side as the deal was done without reference to the Finance Ministry which has let slip that it opposes the move.

Marbella’s former mayor has pleaded guilty over tax fraud relating to the sale and development of a property previously owned by Sir Sean Connery and his wife.

Julián Muñoz is already doing seven years after having been convicted of running a scheme to grant building permits in return for bribes.

After its new American owners fiddled the recipe for Cadbury’s Creme Egg, the company has been hit by falling sales and multi-million pound losses.

The Creme Egg producers, Mondelez, challenged British palates by swopping the Dairy Milk content with a cheaper chocolate. Protests ensued, but the manufacturer did not crack.