The concern of Portugal's Medical Council has been awakened by a petition from 182 doctors working within the Hospitals of the Algarve group, a petition which denounced the poor conditions in the region’s hospitals and highlighted complaints from patients over shortages of materials that have led to delayed operations.

Portugal’s Medical Council has requested an audit of of the management of the Hospital of the Algarve and an investigation into claims from Pedro Nunes, the current President of the Board of Directors, about the activities of his doctors.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Paulo Portas, has stated that the government's ‘Golden Visa’ initiative may "surpass the €500 million investment mark in Portugal in 2014”, having brought in €306 million in 2013.

Portas says this will be “very positive for the revitalisation of the economy," but did not say how.

"In 2013, revenue for the national economy from Golden Visas was higher than expected, over €300 million and according to our evaluation of the programme's success it is sensible to predict that in 2014 will see sustained revenue to €500 million.”

Authorities in Gibraltar are planning to export a segment of its 200 or so Barbary macaque monkeys which they say have become out of control and known to harass people.

The macaques are the only population of wild monkeys in Europe.

Voters in Switzerland have narrowly approved a referendum proposal to reintroduce strict immigration quotas.

Although approval was by just 50.3% of votes, a result of more than 50% was required for the referendum to pass.

The largest cruise ship in the world will head for Europe for the first time.

Allure of the Seas will have its home port in Barcelona from summer 2015. From there it will sail on week-long cruises around the Mediterranean.

WILL SKY BE LOST TO MAINLAND EUROPE IN THE FUTURE?

There is no guarantee that Sky's pay channels, such as Sports and Movies, will continue on wide beam. Sky may come under political, OFCOM or Hollywood pressure to send everything on narrow beam.

The Algarve's mayors have said to the Minister of Health that Pedro Nunes (pictured), the chairman of the board of directors of the Hospitals of the Algarve, is in an "untenable position" managing the hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos, and must go.

The position was made clear by the Algarve's mayors in a long-awaited meeting with Health Minsiter Paulo Macedo to discuss the situation of the health sector in the Algarve after a group of 180 doctors sent an open letter outlining the poor conditions in those hospitals that comprise the Hospital of the Algarve group and listing complaints about delayed operations and lack of medical materials.

Expats with access to Freesat now have no access to BBC channels due to the long awaited satellite changes designed to be permanent, with Channel 4 leaving us sometime today, Friday 7th January.

It was expected that ITV channels will be moved yesterday, Friday, but many viewers still have ITV and associated channels. For those with Portuguese satellite systems, there is BBC World News, and the BBC Entertainment channel but that seems to be the total worldwide offering from Aunty Beeb.