The first organic gin to be produced in the Iberian Peninsula is now flowing from a company in the Alentejo which uses organic ingredients and hand craftsmanship.

The 3Bicos company is carving a niche in the huge gin market from a factory on the outskirts of Évora. The business is known for its production of liqueurs made with organic local ingredients but the addition of gin to its list has inflamed the desires of Algarve-based expats - and pilgrimages already have started.

Aljezur council voted to lower council tax rates at the first meeting of the new term for the socialist leadership.

Mayor José Amarelinho said the council tax reduction takes into account "the difficult situation that families have in the current crisis, with a high tax burden that is expected to go up next year, with more cuts in wages and pensions."

A new breed of farmer is boosting the Algarve’s agricultural sector, especially in the production of honey, avocado and red fruits.

The director of the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries called this 'a revolution' and a decisive factor in the agricultural sector's growth in the Algarve with up to 500 young farmers setting up in business in the last seven years.

A lorry carrying bread crashed on Friday morning at around 09.00 near Marmelete, Monchique, and burst into flames killing the driver and passenger.

The car plunged into a ravine and then caught fire, according to the GNR.

According to the deputy commander of the local Fire Department the two men "were alive" but died from severe burns.

According to the Bank of Portugal, economic activity rebounded in September for the first time since February 2011.

Private consumption indicators show a weak pulse remaining in negative territory but the indicators measuring overall economic activity have registered a positive value for the first time since early 2011.

Support from the Green party today gave impetus to the movement to keep open those Finanças offices in the Algarve that face closure.

MP José Luís Ferreira from the Greens party (os Verdes) views the closure of tax offices in the Algarve as "a real blow to the quality of services provided to the citizens of this region."

The police have arrested a man suspected of raping a 28 year old woman in a nightclub in Albufeira.

The 26-year old man was arrested by the judicial police after an incident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday October 12th inside one of Albufeira’s many nightclubs.

It is alleged that the suspect led the victim to a storage room adjacent to the dance floor where he forced her to have sex.

The cost of petrol in the UK has had its biggest fall since 2008.