There has been a dramatic shift in tourism industry thinking away from 'sun & sea' holidays, towards Portugal's wine, culture and history.

While the Algarve and Portugal Tourism Boards pay lip service to smaller market segments, while concentrating on summertime family holiday promotion, the reality is that tourists are growing up and away from the week’s vacation on the beach and out and about into the country’s vineyards and museums.

The UK is to be taken to court for failing to tackle excessive air pollution.

Legal proceedings have been launched by the European Commission, having warned Britain last May that it was facing “immediate enforcement action”.

Cannabis sales in Colorado have taken the state by storm, bringing in unexpected tax to the state’s coffers.

The crop seems likely to become an annual billion-dollar legal industry by next year.

Nearly two thirds of the respondents to an opinion survey released ths week, some 61.7%, feel that the bailout in Portugal has "killed" rather than "cured" and most also believe that the policies developed with the Troika of lenders during the bailout years will continue for the foreseeable future.

The Eurosondagem survey about austerity policies implemented by the Troika were presented in Lisbon and showed that more than half of respondents believe that austerity has lowered the country's economic and social standing.

Harry Shindler, veteran of the allied landings at Anzio in WWII and tireless worker for Anglo–Italian relations and expat voting rights, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in a presentation by Her Majesty's representative the Ambassador to Italy, Christopher Prentice.

Shindler has worked thirty years and more for Anglo-Italian relations, for the rights of British ex-pats in Italy and Europe, the Italy Star Association, and perhaps most importantly of all, to keeping the memory alive of the British servicemen who fought and died to liberate Italy in World War II. Harry’s work includes talks in schools and universities, to educate young students and raise the awareness of young people on why the war was fought.

The new dwellings at the Battersea Power Station are to be offered to Londoners first before being made available to investors from overseas.

The building of residential properties at the former power station is entering its second phase.

A chain of mafia-themed restaurants in Spain has given rise to anger and outrage in Italy.

The chain has expanded to 34 “La Mafia” restaurants since the first one opened in 2000. Plans are afoot for a further 15 outlets, including one in Portugal.

Tourists have helped nudge the Greek economy into surplus for the first time since official data began.

Figures from the Bank of Greece showed the difference between the money going into and coming out of the nation was €1.24bn (£1bn) last year.