The demolition of 800 alleged ‘second homes’ in the Ria Formosa began on Wednesday and was described as the beginning of a process that is ‘20 years late’ by the Environment Minister who added that these demolitions are just the start of a wider operation.

"This process is in its infancy. It is a process that is 20 years late, but today is the start," the minister told reporters during the launching of operations on Ramalhete in the Ria Formosa.

The Luxembourg Court of Appeal has rejected a petition from Rioforte Investments, one of the Espírito Santo Group of companies, that aimed to allow its directors to wind up the company in a controlled management process.

Rioforte now will have its parts disposed of by a court appointed administrator and is bankrupt.

Out of Britain’s 10,910 “ultra high net wealth” residents, the majority (75%) have been found to be entirely self-made, with only 13% having inherited their wealth.

The UK now has a greater proportion of self-made ultra rich individuals than any other country in Europe, although numerically Germany has more (17,820) – making it the second largest ultra rich population in the world after the US.

British surfer Andrew Cotton took on the waves of Praia do Norte in Nazaré last weekend and was wiped out by an 18 metre monster.

Cotton was in a group of seven hopefuls each wishing to beat the world record set by American Garrett McNamara, but was overtaken by the wave and forced under the water several times as rescuers desperately searched for him.

Corruption in Brazil is “widespread”, according to a former director of the country’s oil company.

Paulo Roberto Costa told a congressional hearing that corruption was an accepted way of doing business which took place “all over Brazil”.

German carrier Lufthansa has had to cancel nearly half of its long-haul flights due to a continuing strike by pilots.

Strikes will take place between 02:00 GMT and 22:59 GMT on Thursday and will affect long-haul and cargo flights.

Portugal’s finance minister Maria Luís Albuquerque hit back at suggestions that the Golden Visa scheme was in any way under threat, despite Operation Labyrinth which has uncovered a web of corruption, illegal payments, misuse of positions of trust and money laundering.

Albuquerque was asked by a Latvian MEP at the European Parliament in Brussels whether perhaps this scheme should be a temporary one and end soon due to the adverse publicity generated.

Three months after the launch of the new ‘judicial map’ under the control of the Ministry for Justice there are still some problems.

Software failures in the new Citius software programme and the lack of judicial officials to run the courts system are the main gripes from the secretary-general of the Trade Union Association of Portuguese Judges, Maria José Costeira, and the president of the Judicial Officers Union, Fernando Jorge.