Portugal

Eurozone’s new star: Portugal crowned 2025 ‘economy of the year’

Portugal has quietly turned into the eurozone’s star performer, topping The Economist's 2025 ranking of global economies. It earned this distinction based on inflation, gross domestic product, jobs, and market…

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Microsoft to invest more than $10 billion in AI infrastructure in Portugal

Microsoft plans to invest $10 billion dollars (more than €8.6 billion) in Portugal to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, said during the Web Summit in…

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Portuguese parliament approves ban on wearing face veils in public spaces

Portugal's parliament has approved a bill banning face veils worn for “gender or religious” reasons in public, in a move seen as targeting the face coverings worn by some Muslim…

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New routes and concealment methods identified in cocaine crackdowns in Spain

Europol supported Portuguese and Spanish authorities in two major investigations against cocaine trafficking involving law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic. These operations exemplified a shifting landscape of global…

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Portugal makes cautious move towards recognising Palestinian state

Portugal's centre-right government will consult the main political parties and conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa about the potential recognition of a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on…

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Portugal’s Porto Cracks Down on Public Drinking in Tourist Hotspots

Porto is implementing new restrictions on daytime alcohol sales in its downtown core, part of an effort to reduce public disturbances and promote a safer, more family-friendly atmosphere in the…

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Portugal tightens naturalisation rules, doubles residency requirement

Portugal's centre-right minority government, under pressure from the far right to reduce immigration, said it would double to 10 years the amount of time most foreigners need to be legally…

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Drug route from Costa Rica to Europe dismantled

n international operation coordinated on the European side by Europol has dismantled a transnational criminal organisation trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Costa Rica to Europe via Spain and Portugal.…

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Portugal beats Spain to win The Nations league

Portugal defeated Spain in penalty kicks 5- 3 to win the UEFA Nations League final late on Sunday after both sides failed to score in extra time following a showdown…

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Abandoned buildings examined as search for Madeleine McCann resumes

Searches for Madeleine McCann are due to resume on Thursday morning near to where she disappeared from Praia da Luz, Portugal. German and Portuguese investigators have until Friday to look…

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Police launch new search for Madeleine McCann in the Algarve

German police are to carry out new searches in Lagos, in the Algarve, as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007, according to information provided…

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Europe and Canada Gripped by Unseasonal Heatwave

Southern and central Europe are facing record-breaking heat this week, with temperatures in parts of Portugal and Spain nearing 40 degrees Celsius, raising concerns about crop damage and water shortages…

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Portugal PM’s party wins snap election but falls short of majority

Portugal's governing right-of-centre Democratic Alliance has won snap parliamentary elections - the third in as many years - again falling short of a majority. Its leader Luís Montenegro promised supporters…

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Portugal’s election: what are the parties running on Sunday

Following are the main parties running in Portugal's general election on Sunday, its third in just over three years. Opinion polls are pointing to another fragile minority government and a…

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Portugal police arrest crime ring over fraudulent permits for 10,000 foreigners

Portuguese police have arrested 13 people they believe provided an estimated more than 10,000 foreigners with residence permits and documents allowing them to stay in Portugal and the European Union…

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What could be behind the Iberian power outage?

The hunt has begun for the cause of a massive blackout across Spain, Portugal and parts of France that halted trains, bank machines and traffic lights, in one of Europe's…

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UPDATED: Spain, Portugal hunt for cause of power outage as electricity returns

Electricity had been restored to most of Spain and Portugal early on Tuesday after huge nationwide blackouts, although authorities were still trying to find out what caused the sudden outage.…

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Portuguese president calls elections for May 18

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced on Thursday he would dissolve the country’s parliament on March 19 and called for snap national elections to be held May 18. The…

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Portugal’s government collapses after no-confidence vote

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and his center-right government lost a confidence vote in parliament Tuesday. In a 142-88 vote with no abstentions, opposition lawmakers ousted Montenegro's administration after only…

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14 arrested in hit against money laundering gang in Portugal and Spain

Europol has supported a cross-border operation led by Spanish authorities and involving law enforcement from Portugal against the members of a criminal network, mainly Russian nationals, who provided money-laundering services…

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Puma signs long-term deal with Portuguese Football Federation

German sportswear maker Puma said on Wednesday it signed a long-term kit deal with the Portuguese Football Federation, replacing long-serving U.S. rival Nike. Starting from 2025, the brand will equip…

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EU sues Spain, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal for failing to implement corporate tax

The EU Commission sued Spain, Cyprus, Poland and Portugal for failing to implement rules aimed at ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational companies, it said on Thursday.…

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At least two die as wildfires hit Portugal, Europe sends help

At least two people died as wildfires raged in central and northern Portugal, forcing authorities to evacuate villages, close motorways and ask the European Union to send more water-bombing aircraft.…

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Moderate earthquake off the coast of Lisbon, Portugal

A moderate 5.4-magnitude earthquake has struck the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal, making it the strongest earthquake in the region in 15 years, according to seismologists. Shaking was felt in Lisbon…

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Former Portuguese PM ‘optimistic’ as EU Council top job decision nears

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, a front-runner to become the next president of the European Council, said he was optimistic ahead of the bloc's summit this week during which…

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Portugal to use golden visa scheme to help migrants, build affordable homes

Portugal plans to adapt its golden visa scheme to allow wealthy foreigners seeking residency rights to invest in affordable housing for locals or accommodation for migrants, the cabinet affairs minister…

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Portugal’s new government tightens immigration rules

Portugal repealed a key migration policy on Monday as it aims to limit the number of new arrivals. The changes put an end to a rule that allowed non-EU migrants to…

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Zelenskiy cancels Spain and Portugal trip

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cancelled a trip to Spain and Portugal, with some media outlets reporting it is because of renewed fighting in Ukraine. King Felipe of Spain was due…

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Portugal’s president names centre-right leader Montenegro as PM

By Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony and Andrei Khalip LISBON, March 21 (Reuters) - Portugal's president named Luis Montenegro, head of the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), as the country's new prime…

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UPDATED: Portugal’s centre-right prepares to rule, far-right warns of instability

By Patricia Vicente Rua and Catarina Demony LISBON, March 11 (Reuters) - Portugal's centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) won Sunday's general election by a slim margin and is preparing to govern…

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Who are the candidates running in Portugal’s snap election

(Reuters) - Portugal will hold a snap general election on Sunday that is likely to produce a hung parliament and give more political clout to the far right. Opinion surveys…

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What’s at stake in Portugal’s general election

By Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's election on Sunday is unlikely to produce a clear winner, opinion polls show, and the far right could play a decisive role in…

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Portugal wants EU Recovery Fund to become permanent investment tool

The European Union must transform its pandemic recovery fund into a permanent instrument for structural investments to face competitiveness challenges that can only be overcome on an EU scale, Portugal's…

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Portugal’s far-right closes in on mainstream parties before March election

LISBON, (Reuters) - Portugal's far-right Chega party jumped to 21% of voting intentions in a new opinion poll ahead of a March 10 snap election, closing in on the mainstream…

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Amid drought, water curbs in Portugal’s Algarve, Spain’s Catalonia

By Sergio Goncalves and Joan Faus LISBON/BARCELONA, (Reuters) - Portugal's caretaker government has ordered cuts to the amount of water used in farmland irrigation and in urban environments including hotels…

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Portugal delaying fight against graft, GRECO watchdog says, amid new concerns

LISBON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Portugal has been slow to implement new measures to combat corruption in government and law enforcement, a top European anti-graft monitoring body said on Wednesday,…

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Portugal extends tax breaks for foreign residents despite house price concerns

By Sergio Goncalves Portugal's parliament on Wednesday extended tax breaks for foreign residents until the end of next year despite criticism that the scheme has stoked housing prices to levels…

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Portugal’s attorney general says she’s not responsible for PM Costa’s downfall

By Sergio Goncalves LISBON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Portugal's Attorney General Lucilia Gago rejected criticism from the ruling Socialist Party (PS) that she was responsible for Prime Minister Antonio Costa's…

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Portuguese fear March snap election won’t solve political crisis

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira LISBON, (Reuters) - Portugal goes to the polls in March following the abrupt resignation of the prime minister amid a corruption probe, but voters…

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Portugal president calls March snap election

By Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony and Andrei Khalip LISBON(Reuters) - Portugal will hold a snap parliamentary election on March 10, its second in as many years, President Marcelo Rebelo de…

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Deals targeted in corruption probe that led Portugal PM to step down

By Sergio Goncalves Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa stepped down on Tuesday after the prosecutor's office announced it was investigating alleged corruption in multi-billion dollar lithium, "green" hydrogen and data…

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Updated: Portugal’s PM Costa resigns over corruption investigation

Updated 1533 LISBON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned on Tuesday amid an investigation into alleged irregularities committed by his majority Socialist administration in handling lithium…

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Portuguese police apologise to Madeleine McCann’s parents

Portuguese police have apologised to the parents of Madeleine McCann for the way they handled the three-year-old's disappearance. Madeleine went missing from a holiday complex in the Algarve in May…

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Portugal to increase civil servants’ wages by average of 3.8% in 2024

By Sergio Goncalves LISBON, (Reuters) - Portugal's government said it would increase the wages of civil servants by an average of 3.8% next year, but unions say that is not…

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Photo Story: Maltese President attends the 18th Arraiolos meeting in Porto

Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (L) receives Maltese President George Vella (R) to the 18th Informal Meeting of the Non-Executive Heads of State of the European Union (EU), also…

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Youth vs Europe: ‘Unprecedented’ climate trial to kick off at rights court

By Catarina Demony Sept 27 (Reuters) - Six young people from areas in Portugal ravaged by wildfires and heatwaves will on Wednesday take 32 European governments to court over what…

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Portugal to extend zero VAT rate on basic food until end 2023

LISBON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Portuguese government on Thursday will extend the zero rate of value-added tax (VAT) on basic food staples by two months to the end of…

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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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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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Portugal posts zero economic growth in second quarter vs Q1

LISBON, July 31 (Reuters) - Portugal's economy did not grow or contract quarter-on-quarter in April-June after a 1.6% growth registered in the previous three months, as net exports had a…

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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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Privatisation of Portugal’s TAP delayed, expected ‘before October’

LISBON, July 12 (Reuters) - The privatisation of Portugal's state-owned airline TAP will take place before October instead of starting in July as the government had originally planned, Infrastructure Minister…

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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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Photo Story: European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visits Lisbon

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (L) on Friday met with her Portuguese counterpart, Augusto Santos Silva, during a visit to the Portuguese Parliament, in Lisbon, Portugal. On Thursday, European Parliament…

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Portugal wants to keep strategic stake in TAP privatisation

LISBON, June 2 (Reuters) - Portugal wants to keep a strategic stake in state-owned airline TAP and will not offer all its capital in the upcoming privatisation, the secretary of…

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