Socialist leader António Costa said this weekend that Portugal would have to look back to 1966, almost 50 years ago, to find an equal number of emigrants as left the country in 2013.

The general secretary of the PS today called for Europe-wide anti-migration measures from the periphery countries to the centre of Europe, citing recent reports about the German need for 500,000 foreign workers, and wants a way of keeping qualified young people in Portugal.

The situation at printers Litográfica do Sul in Vila Real de Santo António has worsened with workes told not to come in next week until at least Thursday when they will be told if they have jobs or not.

The workforce has not been paid for March and the union representative has urged staff to turn up on Monday in case management start to shift machinery from the premises.

A Silves GNR patrol managed eventually to halt two men fleeing the scene of the burglary in a stolen car.

The men, aged 26 and 31, have been charged with pinching the get-away car and of theft from commercial property in Silves.

Driverless car technology has been steaming ahead, with the UK establishing itself as a leading player.

A new report predicts that driverless cars will further boost Britain’s auto industry, and add £51bn a year to the economy.

There is no "political control over everything that happens in public services" answered Finance Minister Maria Luís Albuquerque to questions in parliament seeking to find out who, if anyone, was responsible for the VIP Taxpayers List, if indeed it does exist despite her earlier denial.

The opposition emphasised the need for some "political responsibility" in the case and renewed its demand for the Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, Paulo Nuncio, to resign.

Portugal’s 308 municipalities ended 2014 with 116,560 employees, the lowest number in the last decade.

Prime Minister Passos Coelho said the reduction is a number in excess of that required by and agreed with the Troika.

Offers to buy the grand Espírito Santo estate ‘Herdade da Comporta’ have been rejected by the Luxembourg judge administering the insolvent Espírito Santo Property.

The judge politely referred to the bids for the estate as ‘too low’ which is bad news for those holding bonds in Espírito Santo Property that were hoping for an early repayment of at least some of their money.

New figures reveal that £60.4 million was lost to online banking fraud in the UK alone last year, a rise of nearly £20 million over 2013.

The sharp rise of 48% has caused the Financial Fraud Action UK agency to renew its warnings.