The case involving Vilamoura businessman Filipe Silva, who kidnapped his daughter Ellie in 2012 after a period of parental access, is over.

Silva today received a 2½ year suspended sentence and has been ordered to pay compensation of €7,000 to Ellie's mother, Candice Gannon, and €9,000 to his own daughter for the distress caused by his actions.

Silva's abduction of his daughter Ellie sparked a nationwide police search which led finally to an apartment in Oporto and Silva's arrest on charges of kidnap.

The homes of former Portugal Telecom directors have been raided as part of Operation Marquês.

A statement from the Attorney General’s office did not specify who was targeted but Zeinal Bava and Henrique Granadeiro are high on the list of suspects.

Banco Espírito Santo’s banking license has been revoked by the European Central Bank, enabling one of Portugal’s highest profile business failures to be liquidated - with massive losses.

With this license withdrawn, the Bank of Portugal will now "require, under the law, the beginning of the judicial liquidation of BES."

An order in the Official Gazette has identified the lack of doctors that is crippling the country’s National Health Service.

A list of the shortages is a prelude to opening up job opportunities for 736 hospital staff, many of whom are needed in the Algarve region, highlighted as the most deprived area of the country.

The Faro motorcycle meeting starts today, July 14th, with 20,000 bikers expected at the 35th annual event.

José Amaro, president of Moto Clube de Faro, said that when he started the event, he never thought it would become an internationally recognised meeting that now attracts bikers from all over Europe.

A 33-year-old man died on impact yesterday evening when he drove his van head-on into a truck.

A case of dangerous overtaking was to blame for the accident on the EN-270, near Santa Margarida in the Tavira district.

Allegations persist that the Vatican is continuing to cover up the truth about the ‘third secret’ said to have been disclosed by the Virgin Mary exclusively to three Portuguese children on 13th July 1917, writes Len Port.

Ongoing reports of papal obfuscation and lies did not deterred big numbers of pilgrims gathering at the Shrine of Fatima near Leiria for the 99th anniversary of the secret visions. The pilgrims have come from many countries, including such places as China, Indonesia and Costa Rica, as well as Italy, Ireland, the UK and the US.

Spain does not appear to be any closer to forming a majority government after the first round of talks held on Wednesday by acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy proved fruitless.

In the second general election within six months, Rajoy’s Popular Party (PP) received 137 seats, an increase of 14 but still well below the 175 needed for an absolute majority.