In today's Telegraph Travel website there is a letter of complaint from reader Kate Rogers who was treated to Portuguese hospitality by the acerbic Monica from car rental company Goldcar in Madeira. The letter is run in full as an article titled, 'Is this the world's worst car hire horror story?'

Goldcar's customers at Faro airport has gained a reputation for appalling standards of customer care involving bullying, rudeness and indifference to complaints. Goldcar is a Spanish company and may see little need to look after its customers as there are plenty more.

Lagos Council is to distribute recommendations for actions in case of an earthquake and tsunami. The campaign will advise locals how to act in case of a disaster so as to reduce the risks associated with a severe earthquake.

There is a project afoot called INsPIREd and the council is hosting a second seminar under the EURO-PA Agreement which seeks to outline a strategy to reduce the casualty rate within the population.

The Troika’s return to Portugal has conveniently been re-scheduled to after the 2015 State Budget has been agreed.

The Finance Ministry at last has given a date for the visit from Portugal's lenders which now will be in the second half of October, not the first half as previously advised. The new date will be "after the delivery of the proposed State Budget for 2015."

Portugal has leapt up the worldwide competitiveness ranking published by the World Forum for Competitiveness.

Portugal now is in 36th place, compared with the last year’s position of 51.

The recovery of jobs in the developed world in the wake of the Great Recession has “only just begun” in some countries, but not in the eurozone.

Unemployment is “finally on a downward path”, but the rate remains high in the euro area, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Ryanair attracted 9.4 million passengers during August, a record number for the carrier.

This was 4% up over August 2013.

On average, 93% of all its flights were full.

The mayor of Calais has said she could block the port if Britain does not help deal with the hundreds of migrants sleeping rough in Calais hoping to gain illegal entry into the UK.

“I can take the decision to block the port. I have ways of exerting pressure,” Nathalie Bouchart said, while recognising that a blockade “would be illegal but I want a strong response today from Britain”.

The government’s long-awaited project to streamline Portugal’s court system is in disarray.

The new 'judicial map' project officially was launched on September 1st amid confusion, an impenetrable IT system and an increasingly angry backlash from those who are meant to be using it.