CDE News - The Dispatch

Portugal to speed up solar parks to cut gas use

LISBON,(Reuters) - Portugal will accelerate construction of solar parks to replace gas-fired electricity generation and hit an EU target to cut gas use, Energy Secretary Joao Galamba said this week. With Europe…

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Portugal launches inquiries into alleged Catholic Church sexual abuse

Portuguese prosecutors said they have launched 10 inquiries into alleged child sexual abuse by Catholic Church clergy, the first such move since a commission was created seven months ago to…

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Scientists find mysterious holes on Atlantic Ocean floor

Scientists have stumbled upon a series of seemingly human-made organised holes on the Atlantic Ocean floor whose origins remain a mystery. The “perfectly aligned” holes were discovered on 23 July…

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More evacuations as crews tackle blazes in Spain and Greece

Madrid/Athens (dpa) - A fire that broke out on the Spanish island of Tenerife this week was still raging on Sunday and has now destroyed more than 2,150 hectares, the…

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Portugal cuts golf course irrigation in drought-hit Algarve tourist hub

Facing an unprecedented drought, Portugal will cut irrigation of golf courses and green spaces in its tourism-dependent Algarve region to avert water rationing for human consumption, the country's environment minister…

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Russian oligarchs’ citizenship bids face scrutiny in Portugal

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal is analysing the citizenship applications of two Russian oligarchs - one of whom is under U.S. sanctions, the government said late on Friday, as a law…

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Portugal ‘totally against’ EU proposal on gas usage cuts

LISBON, July 21 (Reuters) - Portugal is "totally against" an EU proposal for member states to cut gas usage until March because it would hamper electricity production through gas-fired plants when the…

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UPDATED: France, Spain, Portugal battle wildfires amid intense heat

LISBON, July 17 (Reuters) - Authorities across southern Europe battled on Sunday to control huge wildfires in countries including Spain, Greece and France, where thousands of people have been evacuated in soaring…

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Foreign tourism to Portugal soars in May, still below pre-pandemic levels

LISBON, (Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal in May jumped almost six times from the same month last year but still fell about 9% short of pre-coronavirus pandemic levels,…

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Firefighters scramble to put out flames in heatwave-hit Portugal, Spain

OURÉM, Portugal, (Reuters) - Several wildfires swept across Portugal's central region, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of locals as firefighters struggled to put out flames at a time the country is battling…

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Soaring temperatures prompt warnings of extreme weather and forest fires

Forest fires in Portugal have left 29 people injured, as temperatures are predicted to reach up to 45C (113F) in parts of the country from Tuesday. On Saturday, the country…

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Photo Story: Forest fire in Guarda, Portugal

A fireman fights a forest fire in Benespera, Guarda, northern Portugal,. 325 operational, 96 vehicles and 4 airplanes are fighting the forest fire. Via EPA-EFE/MIGUEL PEREIRA DA SILVA

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‘Terrifying’: WWF chief hits out at plans to mine the deep sea

(Reuters) - The World Wildlife Fund's chief warned on Tuesday that the potential impact of mining the deep sea could be "terrifying" and called for strict regulations to avoid yet another environmental…

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Portugal’s June inflation rise at fastest pace in 30 years

LISBON, June 30 (Reuters) - Portuguese consumer prices jumped 8.7% year-on-year in June, at their fastest pace since December 1992, up from 8% in May, flash data from the National Statistics Institute…

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‘Lots of talk, little action’: Hundreds protest outside U.N. Ocean Conference

LISBON (Reuters) - Aboriginal Australian activist Theresa Ardler travelled halfway across the world to tell leaders at the U.N. Ocean Conference in Portugal that they are failing to protect her fishing community…

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Photo story: Duran Duran at Rock in Rio Lisboa music festival

Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon performs on Saturday night on the third day of the Rock in Rio Lisbon festival at Parque da Bela Vista in Lisbon, Portugal.…

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Portugal wants long-term EU mechanism for security, energy investment

Portugal wants the European Union to create a mechanism similar to its pandemic recovery programme to channel investment into defence, security, green energy and digital spheres, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Monday.…

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Doctor shortage pushes Portugal’s maternity units to the brink

A shortage of obstetricians has forced several Portuguese hospitals to temporarily shut their emergency maternity units or operate with reduced staff, raising fears for women's safety. Bank holidays and the…

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Portugal aiming to protect young workers, interns in jobs market

Portugal's government is aiming to protect young people in the jobs market with a new law to cut the repeated renewals of short-term contracts, increase overtime and redundancy payments, and…

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Omicron sub-variant fuels Portugal’s COVID-19 surge

LISBON, June 2 (Reuters) - An Omicron sub-variant has fuelled a surge in COVID-19 cases in Portugal that now has the world's second-highest infection rate, potentially threatening the tourism sector's recovery. Portugal…

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Belgium detects first two monkeypox cases, Spain, Portugal cases tallies each surpass 20

BRUSSELS, May 19 (Reuters) - Belgian health experts were due to meet on Friday after the country detected its first two cases of monkeypox, authorities said. The cases were diagnosed…

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Portugal identifies five monkeypox infections, Spain has eight suspected cases

LISBON, May 18 (Reuters) - Portuguese authorities said on Wednesday they had identified five cases of rare monkeypox infection and Spain's health services are testing eight potential cases after Britain put Europe…

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Portugal blocks mansion sale over ‘strong conviction’ it belongs to Abramovich

Portugal blocked the sale of a 10 million euro ($10.4 million) luxury house over a "strong conviction" it belonged to sanctions-hit Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho said.…

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Ukrainian joins thousands in Portugal to pray for peace

Armed with a candle and a blue and yellow flag, Karina Potomkina, a Ukrainian who has been watching her country being ravaged by war from afar, joined tens thousands of…

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Portugal set to start up Europe’s largest floating solar park

Two tugboats have moved a vast array of 12,000 solar panels, the size of four soccer pitches, to their mooring on Portugal's Alqueva reservoir in preparation to start up Europe's largest…

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German prosecutor confident Madeleine McCann murderer found

LISBON, (Reuters) - Investigators have found new evidence potentially incriminating the key suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann 15 years ago, said Hans Christian Wolters, the German…

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Spain, Portugal urged not to act alone on high electricity prices

Power trading platforms are urging the Spanish government not to intervene alone in the system that sets the price of electricity, in its bid to bring down sky-high utility bills,…

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The 15-year hunt for missing British girl Madeleine McCann

Portuguese prosecutors said late on Thursday a man had been formally identified as a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann 15 years ago. Prosecutors in Faro, Algarve's…

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German prosecutor on McCann case says naming of suspect is legal formality

A German prosecutor investigating a jailed rapist over the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann said on Friday that the man's naming as a suspect in the case by…

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For first time man named as formal suspect in Madeleine McCann case

Portuguese prosecutors announced a man had been formally identified as a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann 15 years ago. It is the first time Portuguese prosecutors…

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Seismic activity on Azores volcanic island remains above normal levels

Seismic activity on the earthquake-hit, mid-Atlantic island of Sao Jorge, in Portugal's Azores archipelago, remained above normal levels, with the number of tremors topping 24,000 since the crisis began nearly…

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Volcano experts warn quake-hit Azores island could have eruption like La Palma

Volcano experts warned that the earthquake-hit island of Sao Jorge in Portugal's Azores archipelago could experience an initial eruption similar to Spain's La Palma last year, which destroyed thousands of…

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Portuguese PM picks former Lisbon mayor as new finance minister

LISBON, (Reuters) - Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa has picked Fernando Medina, a former mayor of Lisbon like himself, as his new finance minister tasked with reducing the budget gap as the…

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Azores on watch for large quake, eruption as island keeps shaking

A series of multiple small earthquakes that have been rattling a mid-Atlantic Portuguese island for three days could trigger a stronger tremor or a volcanic eruption, experts said, as authorities…

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Portugal’s Azores island of Sao Jorge hit by nearly 90 small earthquakes

Authorities in Portugal's Azores archipelago have been placed on alert after nearly 90 small earthquakes hit the mid-Atlantic volcanic island of Sao Jorge in a little over 24 hours, although…

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UPDATED: Portugal to change law that allowed Abramovich to get citizenship, minister says

Portugal has tightened a law that grants citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews and which allowed Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to become a citizen, but the changes will not be…

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Fire dies down on ship carrying luxury cars, with little left to burn

LISBON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A fire which swept through a cargo ship carrying thousands of luxury cars and adrift off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands has lost its intensity, probably…

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Portuguese voters abroad to recast ballots after election mess-up

Thousands of Portuguese voters living across Europe will be asked to cast their ballots for a second time in March, the National Electoral Commission (CNE) has announced, delaying the swearing…

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UPDATED: No casualties after earthquake rattled Madeira Islands, Portugal

MADRID, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake rattled the Portuguese island of Madeira in the early hours on Wednesday, scaring residents but causing no damage or injuries, the Portuguese…

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Portugal to drop COVID test requirement for arriving passengers

Portugal will drop a requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test for air passengers arriving with a valid digital European Union certificate or recognised proof of vaccination, the government said.…

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Drought prompts Portugal to limit water use

LISBON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Facing a worrying winter drought, Portugal's government ordered some of the country's hydropower dams to temporarily limit water use for electricity production and irrigation, prioritising…

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Portugal’s PM Costa stuns with majority win in snap election

LISBON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Defying all odds, Portugal's centre-left Socialists won an outright parliamentary majority in Sunday's snap general election, securing a strong new mandate for Prime Minister Antonio…

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Portuguese go to polls in snap election marked by COVID, uncertainty

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese will be marking ballots on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election with no clear winner in sight and uncertainty increased by potentially low turnout amid record…

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Portuguese parties wrap up campaign; Sunday election wide open

LISBON, ( (Reuters) - Waving colourful flags and shouting political slogans, hundreds of people took to Lisbon's streets on Friday to support candidates as they wrapped up two weeks of…

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Portugal’s Sunday election wide open as Socialists’ lead narrows

LISBON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Portugal's ruling Socialists have lost more of their lead to the main opposition party, the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD), in two opinion polls released on…

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Portugal’s centre-right opposition clinches lead in poll days before election

Portugal's main opposition party, the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD), secured a marginal lead over the ruling Socialist party after surging in opinion polls just days before a snap election, a…

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Voting starts in Portugal’s snap election

Early voting began in Portugal on Sunday for a snap general election, with polls showing the incumbent Socialists still ahead though with their lead over the nearest centre-right rivals narrowing.…

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Portuguese Socialists’ lead for Jan. 30 election narrows, poll shows

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's centre-left ruling Socialists lost ground in an opinion poll published that left it with the narrowest lead in all recent surveys, keeping the ballot wide open…

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Portugal’s ruling Socialists lead polls ahead of election but lack majority

Portugal's ruling Socialists extended their lead in a new opinion poll ahead of a Jan. 30 snap election but remained short of a majority, while another survey showed the main…

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Portugal’s Socialists retain lead ahead of election but gap narrows – poll

LISBON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Portugal's ruling centre-left Socialists remain favourites to win a snap parliamentary election on Jan. 30, but the main opposition Social Democrats are narrowing the gap,…

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Portugal to allow return to school despite a record surge in COVID-19 cases

Portugal will allow students to return to school from next week and nightclubs to reopen on Jan. 14 despite a record surge in COVID-19 cases, with hospital admissions still well…

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Passengers leave COVID-hit cruise ship after 5 days stuck in Lisbon

LISBON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Disconsolate passengers stuck on a cruise ship moored in Lisbon's port for five days due to a COVID-19 outbreak began disembarking early on Monday, focused…

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Coronavirus cases keep cruise ship Aida Nova stuck in Lisbon

Madrid/Schwerin, Germany (dpa) - Nearly 3,000 cruise passengers had to spend New Year's Eve in an unplanned stay ashore in Lisbon because of the coronavirus, while it was unclear when the vessel would…

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Portugal’s Social Democrats narrow gap on PM’s party before election

Portugal's opposition Social Democrats narrowed the gap behind Prime Minister Antonio Costa's Socialist Party in an opinion poll released this week, a month before a snap parliamentary election. The poll…

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Portugal imposes post-Christmas COVID-19 curbs as Omicron cases surge

LISBON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Portugal on Tuesday ordered nightclubs and bars to close and told people to work from home for at least two weeks starting on Saturday to…

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Portuguese parliament dissolved ahead of Jan 30 election

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa decreed the dissolution of parliament on Sunday in the remaining formal step ahead of a previously announced snap general election set…

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Portugal’s interior minister steps down after fatal accident

Portugal's Interior Minister stepped down on Friday nearly five months after his driver was involved in a car crash that killed a road worker while the government official was on…

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