Public sector workers in Portugal have staged their biggest strike in recent years to protest against the government's planned cuts in next year's budget. Local media said up to 2/3 of nurses in several major hospitals walked out. Hundreds of schools were closed, although other services operated almost normally.

Spain's high court has ordered the release of 9 members of the Basque militant group ETA. The decision comes after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights last month that Spain had acted illegally when it retroactively applied legislation that stopped them being eligible for early release.

The metro system in Moscow is offering free travel to passengers but only if they can prove their physical fitness. Steve Rosenberg went underground to try it out.

Here we go. Arms out. Legs bend. And... squat and up and squat. I am trying to do squats. In the state of the odd, and very unusually Russian bending machine here in the metro. Just another 3 to go. I've done it. I've done it. The machine says I've got my ticket. I can now take it out and here we go. But after, I wonder whether it was worth it because after all that exertion I really don't have the energy to get on the train.

The one month's offer is an attempt to promote physical fitness as Russia prepares to host the Winter Olympic Games. The effort may be worth it as the metro journey costs 30 rubles nearly a dollar.

BBC News.