“The environment and environmental concerns are allies that make national tourism more attractive, competitive and profitable,” according to the Secretary of State for the Environment Paulo Lemos at a meeting of business owners and tourism representatives in the Algarve.

"This green economic aspect is the future of our country," said Lemos at the "Commitment to Green Growth and Tourism" conference, reminding us that the country becomes more competitive and more independent when using its own resources.

Thousands of people in Spain demonstrated over the week, protesting against the new security law.

The law prohibits demonstrations outside parliament buildings or strategic installations and other acts, such as burning the Spanish flag and disseminating photos of police officers.

The Bela Vista Hotel & Spa in Praia da Rocha, Portimão, has been chosen in the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2014 as the Best Boutique Luxury Hotel in Portugal.

This top award result from an evaluation of best practices in boutique hotels' facilities worldwide, with the main objective being to encourage and raise quality and service standards in the luxury end of the market where Portugal performs well.

Sentences of up to nine years in prison have been handed out in the Remédio Santo investigation into theft and fraud within Portugal's National Health Service.

A total of 13 convictions have been secured by the prosecutors with three suspended sentences for to those who successfully fiddled the system for years to their own financial advantage.

The president of TAP, Fernando Pinto, warned today that the airline's survival is at risk "if the current instability is prolonged," and asked employees "to reflect on how best to contribute to the safeguarding of TAP’s future."

“At this juncture, I feel it my duty to say clearly that the survival of TAP is at risk if the current instability is extended and if the relationship of trust with our market is not normalised. If not, it doesn’t really matter whether TAP is public or private," Fernando Pinto wrote in a letter sent today to the company's workforce.

The Albufeira council socialists today accused the mayor of 'having a tantrum' when rejecting a proposal from a socialist councilor to pay off the government Support Programme for the Local Economy loan of €16 million.

The proposal was rejected by the mayor at a meeting on Wednesday. Carlos Silva e Sousa said that the intention of the socialist councilor Fernando Anastácio simply was was antagonise him on a matter that was being dealt with.

The Italian oil company ENI has bought from Petrogal a 70% stake in three offshore exploration permits for blocs off the Alentejo coast. Petrogal is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Portuguese company Galp Energia

The paperwork for the deal was signed today by the Minister for the Environment and Energy in Lisbon. The exploration permits were awarded to Petrogal in 2007 by the Portuguese State and ran out in October this year.

The annual rate of inflation in Portugal in November was 0.1%.

October’s rate was the same, 0.1%, following zero inflation in September.