Portugal

Portugal wildfire rages as strong winds and heat fan flames

LISBON (Reuters) - More than 1,100 firefighters and 14 water-carrying aircraft battled a wildfire in central Portugal's Castelo Branco area as civil protection authorities said hot, windy conditions meant it…

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Closing youth festival in Portugal, Pope shares ‘old man’s’ dream of peace

By Philip Pullella and Catarina Demony LISBON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis closed an international festival of Catholic Youth on Sunday with a huge outdoor Mass and his own…

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Photo Story: Pope Francis at the Parish Center of Serafina

Pope Francis meets pilgrims during a meeting with representatives of some charity centres at Centro Paroquial de Serafin, in Lisbon, Portugal. Pope Francis visited a Church-run social centre in a…

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UPDATED: Pope, arriving in Portugal, promises to ‘stir things up’

By Catarina Demony and Philip Pullella LISBON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis promised on Wednesday to continue to "stir things up" in the Catholic Church as he moves…

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Orchestra from Rio’s violent slum crosses Atlantic to play for pope

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira LISBON, July 29 (Reuters) - Born in one of the most violent slums in Rio de Janeiro, Caué Santos could have never imagined that…

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Portugal bans tourist boats from approaching orcas after incidents

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal banned tourist boats from approaching pods of orcas and issued instructions on what to do when approached by the so-called killer whales after a series of…

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EasyJet cancels 350 Portugal flights ahead of strike – union

British airline easyJet has cancelled 350 flights arriving to or departing from Portugal due to a five-day cabin staff strike scheduled for later this month, the SNPVAC union of civil…

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Slim chance of breakthrough seen as police wrap up Madeleine McCann search

SILVES, Portugal (Reuters) - Police wrapped up the latest search effort in the 16-year-old hunt for missing British girl Madeleine McCann after collecting unspecified samples by a reservoir in Portugal,…

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Madeleine McCann search at Portuguese reservoir resumes with sniffer dogs

SILVES, Portugal, May 24 (Reuters) - Police with sniffer dogs on Wednesday resumed a search at a remote reservoir in Portugal for possible evidence linking a German suspect to the…

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Police to search Portuguese dam 16 years after Madeleine McCann vanished

Portuguese police will on Tuesday search a reservoir inland from where British three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007, authorities said, in the first formal development in the case in Portugal in several…

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Portuguese president passes law allowing euthanasia

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has signed a bill decriminialising euthanasia into law in the Catholic-majority country after parliament on Friday overturned the last of…

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Severe drought spreads in Portugal, officials seek EU help

LISBON (Reuters) - Drought spread across almost all of mainland Portugal during an unusually hot and dry April, the meteorology agency IPMA said , and officials have requested aid from…

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Portugal to ban smoking in most places, restrict tobacco sales

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's government on Thursday presented legislation to extend a ban on smoking to outdoor areas including covered terraces and to restrict tobacco sales, as it hopes to…

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Portugal risks political crisis amid rift between prime minister and president

By Sergio Goncalves and Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese opposition parties called on the president on Wednesday to use his power to dissolve parliament over a growing scandal around…

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Foreign tourism to Portugal has best first quarter ever

LISBON (Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal surpassed 2.8 million from January through March, making it the best first quarter on record despite high global inflation and…

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Spain and Portugal break temperature records for April

By Mariano Valladolid CORDOBA, Spain (Reuters) - Mainland Spain and Portugal have broken temperature records for April, as the Iberian neighbours swelter in an early-season heatwave that has exacerbated a…

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Four people shot dead in Portugal

LISBON, April 30 (Reuters) - A man shot three people dead and then committed suicide on Sunday in the Portuguese city of Setubal, about 45 km (28 miles) south of…

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Angry at Brazil’s Lula, Ukrainians protest in Lisbon as official visit starts

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira LISBON (Reuters) - Waving flags and holding photographs depicting conflict atrocities, Ukrainians gathered outside the Brazilian embassy in Lisbon on Friday to protest recent…

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Portugal’s government ups growth forecast for 2023 to 1.8%

By Sergio Goncalves LISBON, April 17 (Reuters) - Portugal's government on Monday raised its 2023 economic growth forecast to 1.8% from 1.3% predicted in November, still a sharp slowdown compared…

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Photo Story: Spain, Portugal joint operation dismantles one of Europe’s largest cocaine labs

The material seized during an operation carried out by Spain' National Police and Portugal's Judicial Police sits on a table during a press conference in Madrid, Spain, 13 April 2023.…

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Portugal party Chega sets far-right world summit with Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Italy’s Salvini

LISBON, April 7 (Reuters) - Portuguese party Chega will hold a world summit in Lisbon with several far-right party leaders in May, including former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and Italian…

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Anger in Portugal over soaring rents and house prices

LISBON, April 1 (Reuters) - Thousands of people took to the streets of Lisbon and other cities across Portugal on Saturday in protest against soaring rents and house prices at…

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Portugal’s March inflation slows down to 7.4%

LISBON, March 31 (Reuters) - Portuguese consumer prices rose 7.4% year-on-year in March, at a slower pace than the 8.2% increase in the previous month, flash data released by the…

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Portugal jobless rate dips to 6.8% in February

March 30 (Reuters) - Portugal's monthly unemployment rate fell to 6.8% in February from a revised reading of 7.0% in January, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said in its flash…

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Portugal announces $2.7 bln anti-inflation package, to nix VAT on basic food goods

LISBON, March 24 (Reuters) - Porugal's government plans to stop charging the value-added tax on essential food products, now at 6%, as part of new measures aimed at helping vulnerable…

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Rush for golden visas after Portugal’s decision to end much-criticised scheme

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's plan to end its golden visa scheme for investors, yet to be officially approved, has led to a rush in applications according to advisory firms who…

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Portugal’s prosecutors investigate lease of Airbus planes by airline TAP

By Sergio Goncalves LISBON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Portuguese prosecutors have launched an investigation into a complex leasing deal for 53 Airbus AIR.PA aircraft by flag carrier TAP in 2015, and two people familiar…

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Portugal ends Golden Visas, curtails Airbnb rentals to address housing crisis

By Patricia Vicente Rua and Catarina Demony LISBON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Portugal announced on Thursday a hefty package of measures to tackle a housing crisis, including the end of…

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More than 100 priests suspected of abuse remain active in Portugal’s Catholic Church

More than 100 priests suspected of child sexual abuse remain active in church roles in Portugal, according to the head of a commission investigating the issue. The commission, which started…

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Widespread child abuse by Catholic Church members in Portugal is tip of iceberg – report

At least 4,815 children were sexually abused by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church - mostly priests - over the past 70 years, a report by the commission investigating the…

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Portugal approves new vetting system for government officials after string of hiring scandals

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's government said future officials would from now on have to answer a questionnaire before they are appointed to prove they are fit for office after a…

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EDPR to take legal action over Romania and Poland energy taxes

MADRID, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Portuguese renewable energy provider EDP Renovaveis , said on Monday it will take legal action against newly created taxes on energy in Poland and Romania.…

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Netherlands, Malta and Portugal to require negative COVID test from China air travellers

The Maltese, Dutch and Portuguese governments on Friday joined a growing number of nations requiring air passengers arriving from China to show a negative COVID-19 test upon entry. On Friday,…

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Mini-reshuffle in Portuguese government after airline scandal

Portuguese PM Antonio Costa has announced a mini-reshuffle in his Cabinet after after a scandal related to payments at a national airline that 'shocked' the nation. In the midst of…

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Portugal’s Treasury chief forced to quit over previous job severance

LISBON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Portugal's newly-appointed head of Treasury has stepped down, the finance ministry said, her resignation following a public backlash over a hefty severance pay she had…

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Heavy rain, floods batter Lisbon, residents urged to stay home

LISBON (Reuters) - Heavy rain battered the Portuguese capital on Tuesday, flooding tunnels, sweeping away cars and forcing authorities to suspend bus and tram services and close some main roads. …

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Investors eye Portuguese golden visas as authorities ponder programme’s end

By Catarina Demony LISBON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Investments through Portugal's "golden visa", which gives wealthy foreigners residence rights, jumped nearly 50% last month, data showed on Sunday, as the government considers…

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EU nations must “work quicker” on energy intervention – Portugal’s FinMin

By Sergio Goncalves and Aislinn Laing LISBON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - EU states must "work quicker and with stronger determination" to reach agreement to intervene in energy markets and support…

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Portugal’s banks forced to renegotiate mortgages of most indebted families

LISBON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Portugal's government has decreed that banks will have to renegotiate mortgages of up to 300,000 euros ($293,700) for the most indebted families and offer them…

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Portugal’s October inflation hits highest mark since May 1992

LISBON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Portuguese consumer prices rose 10.2% year-on-year in October, at their fastest pace since May 1992 and up from 9.3% in the previous month, flash data…

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Photo Story: Candlelight Procession in Sanctuary of Fatima

Pilgrims participate in the Candlelight Procession in the Sanctuary of Fatima in the Shrine of Fatima, Portugal, on Wednesday evening, during the international pilgrimage on 12 and 13 October. Via…

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Portugal’s September inflation rise at fastest pace since Oct 1992

LISBON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Portuguese consumer prices rose 9.3% year-on-year in September, the fastest pace since October 1992, up from 8.9% a month earlier, flash data from National Statistics…

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European court rules against parents of missing Madeleine McCann

(Reuters) - The European Court of Human Rights ruled on against the parents of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann, saying that Portugal had given them a fair hearing in their…

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Portugal rolls out number of measures to help families fight inflation

Portugal's government on Monday rolled out additional measures worth 2.4 billion euros ($2.38 billion) to help families cope with soaring inflation, following similar announcements in other European countries in recent weeks.…

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Foreign tourism to Portugal surpasses pre-COVID levels in July

LISBON (Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal slightly surpassed pre-pandemic levels in July for the first time since the end of most COVID-19 restrictions, data from the…

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Portugal eases visa rules to tackle labour shortage

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal announced it would speed up granting visas to citizens of other Portuguese-speaking countries, including Angola and Brazil, as it seeks to tackle a labour shortage. The…

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Strike cancels 60 flights at Portugal’s Lisbon airport

LISBON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Around 60 flights were cancelled at Lisbon airport on Sunday, the last day of a strike by handling workers that has brought more disruption to summer travel…

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Portuguese airport handling workers’ strike cancels 90 flights

LISBON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Employees of Portugal's airport handling company Portway began a three-day strike on Friday at its main airports in Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal, forcing cancellations…

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Portugal’s drought prompts water price rise, street-cleaning ban

LISBON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Facing an unprecedented drought, Portugal's government recommended 43 municipalities temporarily increase water prices for their biggest consumers and suspend street-cleaning and watering in public parks…

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Portuguese wildfire envelops Madrid skyscrapers in smoke 400 km away

MADRID, (Reuters) - Smoke from a huge wildfire in central Portugal enveloped skyscrapers known as the "Four Towers" in Madrid 400 km (250 miles) away, and residents of the Spanish…

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Portugal’s airport workers threaten to strike in late August

Portugal's civil aviation workers are threatening to go on a three-day strike in late August, accusing the conglomerate that operates the country's biggest airports of failing to increase wages and…

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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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