The EU is planning to investigate the use of €500 notes out of concern that they are being used by criminals.

Such suspicions about drug dealers and smugglers are not new, and one might have thought that was enough to cause their demise.

Portugal’s new Minister for Culture has concluded a visit to the Algarve with news that there is no news.

Questioned about funding for the Algarve vibrant, yet cash poor raft of cultural activities and notable buildings, João Soares said that the country is in "an emergency situation," that he does not yet know what funds will be available this year for his cultural agenda.

He did add that the current government is willing to "elevate the culture sector" in terms of its funding priorities.

Thailand has arrested more than 100 people for human trafficking after a threat from the EU to boycott the country’s fishing industry.

An additional 130 people were freed from vessels and factories, according to the police.

A new scandal is dogging authorities in Rome after an investigation revealed that hundreds of its property assets are being rented out for next to nothing.

Luxury flats in expensive districts of the capital are being let by the city council to private tenants for just a few euros a month.

The man who phoned Faro airport to say there was a bomb onboard a TAP flight to Lisbon this morning has been arrested.

The Judicial Police announced today that originator of the hoax bomb alert has been arrested, questioned, accused and released subject to his turning up at the local police station regularly and not travelling abroad.

Portugal’s government has issued a travel warning for Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Mexico, New Caledonia, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Suriname, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Martinique, French Guyana and Honduras and the Zika virus continues to 'spread explosively' according to the WHO.

Also at risk are people in and travellers to Barbados, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Curacao.

A bomb threat delivered by telephone kept a TAP flight on the tarmac at Faro airport this morning as 38 passengers and 6 crew members were caught up in an Orange Alert.

This alert level is the second most serious a scale of three, put into action after the anonymous caller said there was a bomb on board to 6.05 flight to Lisbon.

The European Commission has let everyone know that there remain "great differences" in the draft State Budget discussions with the Portuguese Government.

" We are working with the Portuguese government to reconcile our positions. The Commission will discuss this issue on Tuesday," said Annika Breidthardt, spokesman for Economic Affairs at the European Commission.