Ryanair is set for the long haul with its order of 200 new Boeing 737 aircraft worth $22bn (£13.6bn).

The new planes provide eight more seats on each flight for a total of 197 as well as fuel savings of 20%.

The price of oil has fallen to less than $100 a barrel for the first time in 16 months.

The drop to $99.95 came after data from China added to fears that the world’s second largest economy could be heading for economic slowdown.

Health Minister Paulo Macedo last week interrupted his Algarve holiday to visit the hospital in Portimão to observe the results of renovation works and the reorganisation of the ER and inpatient areas.

During the visit, the Minister said that the redesign and reorganisation of the emergency admission area has ended the necessity for patients to be placed on trolleys in the hospital corridors.

House prices in Spain rose in the second quarter of 2014, the first quarterly rise since 2008 - six years ago.

Spain’s official index of house prices registered a positive growth of 0.8% in annual terms and was up 1.7% on the first quarter of 2014.

Portugal’s taxpayers have had to fund a €3 million fine due to the government's deliberate failure to open up the telecoms market to competition, leaving Portugal Telecom in a monopoly position.

The fine relates to 2003, according to the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.

Portugal’s banks that part financed the rescue of BES through their enforced contributions to the Resolution Fund want to be involved in any decisions relating to the sale of ‘good bank’ Novo Banco.

Monitoring can be achieved through the creation of a committee that will allow Portuguese banks that fare exposed to risk due to the bailout of BES to have the inside track on any decisions over Novo Banco’s sale which already is being set up by the Bank of Portugal (pictured).

Politician turned TV pundit, Marques Mendes, claims that the Bank of Portugal will sell Novo Banco within four to six months, and that already there are several foreign banks interested.

The former minister and former PSD leader Luís Marques Mendes made the comments on his Jornal da Noite on SIC, saying that the intention of the Bank of Portugal is not to sell off parts of Novo Banco, or to sell it to various investors, but to sell it all off to one buyer.

The gold reserve held by Portugal's central bank has risen in value since last year.

The nearly 383 tonnes of gold has appreciated 11.7% in a year and now is worth over €1.4 billion more than at this time in 2013.