Voters in Switzerland have narrowly approved a referendum proposal to reintroduce strict immigration quotas.

Although approval was by just 50.3% of votes, a result of more than 50% was required for the referendum to pass.

The largest cruise ship in the world will head for Europe for the first time.

Allure of the Seas will have its home port in Barcelona from summer 2015. From there it will sail on week-long cruises around the Mediterranean.

WILL SKY BE LOST TO MAINLAND EUROPE IN THE FUTURE?

There is no guarantee that Sky's pay channels, such as Sports and Movies, will continue on wide beam. Sky may come under political, OFCOM or Hollywood pressure to send everything on narrow beam.

The Algarve's mayors have said to the Minister of Health that Pedro Nunes (pictured), the chairman of the board of directors of the Hospitals of the Algarve, is in an "untenable position" managing the hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos, and must go.

The position was made clear by the Algarve's mayors in a long-awaited meeting with Health Minsiter Paulo Macedo to discuss the situation of the health sector in the Algarve after a group of 180 doctors sent an open letter outlining the poor conditions in those hospitals that comprise the Hospital of the Algarve group and listing complaints about delayed operations and lack of medical materials.

Expats with access to Freesat now have no access to BBC channels due to the long awaited satellite changes designed to be permanent, with Channel 4 leaving us sometime today, Friday 7th January.

It was expected that ITV channels will be moved yesterday, Friday, but many viewers still have ITV and associated channels. For those with Portuguese satellite systems, there is BBC World News, and the BBC Entertainment channel but that seems to be the total worldwide offering from Aunty Beeb.

Turismo de Portugal is off to Israel "to explore business opportunities in the tourist market with great growth potential," according to the Ministry for the Economy.

The tourism trade mission to be led by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, will take along nearly two dozen companies from the tourism industry.

British exports soared to a record high in 2013 of £304.3bn, up 1.3% from £300.5bn in 2012.

Figures were boosted by a healthy jump in December, driven by sales of oil, chemicals and aircraft.

Hospitality Association of the Algarve union management are to join with hotel workers in front of the Hotel Crown Plaza in Vilamoura on Monday, February 10th to demand payment of staff Christmas bonuses from 2013 and a 3% increase in wages as they have not had a pay rose for several years.

The hotel management has steadfastly refused to pay up claiming lack of cash and the workers are taking this step as a last resort in a pay dispute that has seen many top class hotels in the Algarve withold payment for work done despite good trading figures.