The EU is planning to create a single European energy market, thereby undercutting dependence on Russia for its supplies.

EU countries import 53% of their energy at a cost of around €400bn, according to EU figures.

Inflation in the eurozone stood at -0.6% in January. This was the lowest recorded rate since January 2009.

Portugal’s -0.4% was close to the eurozone average. Over the course of the last six months, the rate in Portugal has been fluctuating around the 0.1% mark, but tumbled in December to -0.3% and dropped another point in January.

Amnesty International’s 2014 annual report for the first time highlights the impact of austerity measures in Portugal, saying that the economic and social rights of the poor have been affected.

António Pinto Nunes, president of the Federation of Roma Associations, says little has changed in police behaviour and that the Roma community continues to have a hard time finding jobs.

Portugal’s French owned airports operator, ANA and Tourism of Portugal have signed an agreement to promote tourism and to integrate some of their marketing activities.

The protocol was signed on the day that the Bank of Portugal showed that tourism was the "saviour" of the country’s trade balance, representing almost 15% of Portuguese exports.

Police in Spain have made four arrests in connection with an online network believed to be recruiting young women to join Isis in the Middle East.

Two suspects were arrested in the enclave area of Melilla which touches on Morocco and the others were detailed in Girona and Barcelona.

In an interview broadcast on Olhos nor Olhos (Eye to Eye) on TVI last night, Henrique Medina Carreira said that the Algarve, is a "paradise lost."

Carreira is a Portuguese lawyer and was an assistant secretary of state in the 1975 provisional Government and shortly afterwards, the Minister of Finance of the First Constitutional Government July 1976 to January 1978. 

The president of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, said today that the fees charged to airlines by the Portuguese airports management company ANA are too high, particularly as they continued into the low season, preventing the extension of the tourist season in the Algarve.

O'Leary said that the airport fees charged during June, July and August were maintained throughout the off season months which does not make sense and served to shorten a potentially longer summer season.

British consumers have been able to relax a bit after falling inflation and a boost in real wages helped build confidence.

People in the UK are now spending on average almost 1% less on basic items than they had to last year. Lower oil and energy prices have also eased pressure on struggling households.