House prices in the eurozone were reported to be up by nearly 3% in the second quarter of 2016 when compared to the same period last year, according to Eurostat.

The highest annual increases in eurozone house prices were recorded Austria (9%).

Britain’s prime minister met on Thursday with the head of the Spanish government to discuss possible ramifications on the two countries from Britain’s planned departure from the EU.

The leaders declined to hold a press conference following their meeting or even make a joint public statement. Instead each government issued a statement.

A ‘seriously ill’ Iberian Lynx,  captured in Spain four months ago, has been released in the Vale de Guadiana in the Mértola region after being nursed back to health in Spain.

Lítio the lynx grew up in the El Acebuche bredding centre in Spain’s Doñana national park and first was released in Mértola in May 2015.

Nearly 5,000 people have become citizens of Spain or Portugal following the passing of laws in both countries on the naturalisation of descendants of Sephardic Jews.

In Portugal, where a procedure for naturalisation under the law went into effect last year, 292 applicants for naturalisation have been approved, Catarina Madeira, a spokeswoman for the Portuguese Justice Ministry, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Wednesday.

The Council of Ministers today approved the 2017 draft State Budget after a 10 hour session.

The agreed document will be delivered to the National Assembly on Friday where it will be presented by Minister of Finance, Mario Centeno.

This was not what the Bank of Portugal was looking for at all. The latecomer to the Novo Banco sale process, Minshege, has submitted details of its offer which involves buying just 50% of Novo Banco and selling off the remaining half on the stock market.

Despite the possibility of an enhanced overall result for the Resolution Fund and the taxpayer, the Resolution Fund is still keen on an outright sale of 100% of Novo Banco in order to recoup part of the billions it was obliged to advance in 2014.

Judges have concluded that is has not been proven that Peter Boone intended to influence the price of Portuguese bonds through his opinion articles on a blog associated with the New York Times.

Peter Boone was accused of market manipulation and pocketing a profit of €800,000 by trading in Portuguese debt. The investigating judge has now closed the case, considering that Boon had no intention of manipulating bond prices and making money.

Plans to launch Portugal’s very own ‘Route 66’, more correctly known as the EN2, has taken their first hesitant steps with the setting up of an association – an essential move in all parts of Portuguese life.

The route from Faro in the south to Chaves in the north of Portugal runs through 32 council areas and 31 mayors have agreed that an ‘Association of Municipalities of the National Highway 2 Route’ should be formed to coordinate things and have stated that this will be completed before the end of the first week of November.