Suffering from a continued drop in demand from Portugal's traditional trade partners outside the EU, the overall value of exports fell 2.5% in April but was balanced by a 7.3% drop in imports as domestic demand slackened.

Prime Minister António Costa told an audience at his launch of StartUp Portugal that the country is “one of the best places to live worldwide” and is determined to make it an attractive and business friendly environment with an enviable quality of life.

Spain’s property market relished another healthy increase in prices over the first three months of this year.

A jump of 6.3% was the largest rise since the great crash of 2007 and marks the eight consecutive quarter for price increases, according to official figures from the country’s National Institute.

Either Zeinal Bava or Ricardo Salgado is lying, or more probably both. Salgado’s explanation is that the €18.5 million transferred to PT Chief Bava’s offshore account was to lock him into the company while Bava dealt with the reorganisation of the Brazilian telecoms operator, Oi.

Ricardo Salgado explained to judge Carlos Alexandre that the payment to Zeinal Bava (pictured) was "extra money" to "capture" or lock in the former PT chief executive and his “top class team.”

A brown bear has been given full freedom to roam the Pyrenees mountains.

The release is part of an initiative to ensure the species’ continued survival in the region, according to local officials.

Faro council is to ask the government if it may pay off its long-term government loan earlier than planned.

The €16 million loan, organised under the government’s plan to support local councils, could be paid off this year and would be replaced by a new loan on better commercial terms.

Police in Spain have pounced on an illegal care home catering for elderly expats and detained the British couple running it.

The husband and wife, both said to be 59, and their 25-year-old daughter are now under investigation for fraud, operating without a licence and engaging in criminal activity.

Diamond-miners recently discovered a ship after draining a man-made lagoon on Namibia’s coast. While ship-wrecks are often found along the 'Skeleton Coast', this one just so happened to be loaded with $13,000,000 worth of gold coins. 

It also answers a centuries–old mystery and is what some archaeologists are calling 'one of' the most significant ship-wrecks ever found. 

The deadline for registering to vote in the EU referendum has been extended with the government extending the cut-off point to midnight on Thursday June 9th.

A computer glitch left many unable to sign up before the first deadline on Tuesday night.