State-owned company Parvalorem has been looking closely at various options for the Miró collection of paintings - but only as a plan B to swing into action if the June auction by Christie’s in London is unsuccessful.

If the 85 pieces are not sold, Parvalorem may then offer the remaining lots to interested parties. It already has been offered €50 million by a Portuguese businessman, well over the auction estimate of €32 million but still well below the BPN asset valuation of over €80 million.

Spanish nuns are working with police in London to rescue women trafficked into prostitution.

The new approach was adopted by police after they realised that nuns can win the confidence of the frightened women and can also help persuade them to bring charges against the gangs which smuggled them into the UK.

Salary rises in the UK will overtake rent increases this year for the first time since 2009.

As a result, the squeeze on disposable income for householders should lessen after five long years.

Britain has been told that its economy remains too reliant on consumer spending to make meaningful growth, according to the IMF.

Its director has urged the UK to push harder on exports and business investments to ensure the economy is “three engines powered”.

City Airport should be closed because it has little direct contribution to the UK economy, according to the independent think tank New Economics Foundation.

The report said the airport has only 2.4% of London’s total flight capacity. The airport caters predominately to business travellers.

Portugal is the 2nd gloomiest country in Europe, or maybe the second most realistic, second only to bombed-out Greece when it comes to personal finances.

The Portuguese remain downbeat with regard to their financial positions, despite signs of general economic improvement that have emerged since the end of the 2013.

The Court of Auditors has approved Faro council’s application to borrow more money. Faro wanted €20 million to start to repay the mountain of invoices that it has accumulated over the years under the management of former mayor, Macario Correia, some 7,000 of them.

The approval of the €16.7brings welcome relief to the council’s finances which appear to have been handled with a degree of carelessness.

British expats are said to be expressing renewed interest in buying property in the UK.

Research from Lloyds Bank found that 38% out of more than 1,000 British expats surveyed said they were planning to buy a property within two years as buy-to-let in order to increase their income while they remain abroad.