From 2026, new cars will be fitted with additional safety equipment mandated by regulators to reduce road accidents. The measures should lower collisions and casualties and could bring long‑term savings in insurance and healthcare, but they will increase manufacturers’ costs and are likely to push up new‑car prices. Policymakers will need to balance public‑safety benefits against affordability, using tools such as subsidies, tax incentives, phased implementation or targeted support to lessen the impact on lower‑income buyers.

Applications for advance (early) voting in the presidential election are now open. Allowing voters to request advance voting is likely to improve accessibility and convenience—potentially raising turnout among busy voters and expatriates—but also places new demands on election administration. Clear communications on eligibility, registration deadlines and verification procedures, plus monitoring of uptake and administrative capacity, will be important to assess the policy’s effectiveness and integrity.

Portugal's meteorological institute (IPMA) has extended a yellow precipitation warning for the Algarve (Faro district) until midnight on Sunday, forecasting periods of heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms. The Algarve is the only mainland area under the alert, which also applies to the Madeira archipelago; the public is advised to follow updates and take precautions against localized flooding and storm impacts.

Marques Mendes urged the President and the Government not to stall a bill establishing regional obstetric emergency departments, saying he hopes they decide before he assumes the Presidency on 9 March to avoid it becoming one of his first decisions in office.

A man has been remanded in custody after a 9-year-old boy died and a 14-year-old was injured when a shotgun allegedly discharged accidentally in the Bela Vista neighbourhood. Authorities say the weapon belonged to a family member; investigators remain on the scene and the case is being examined for possible criminal negligence and safety lapses, prompting questions about firearm storage and emergency response protocols.

The PSP (Public Security Police) have identified around 30 people after shots were fired with prohibited weapons in Lisbon. A targeted operation — involving Rapid Intervention Teams and Traffic Division units — ran from 22:00 Friday to 02:00 Saturday; no incidents were recorded and no arrests were made. Enquiries and investigations remain ongoing as police follow up on those linked to the discharges.

Road fatalities and related casualties cost an estimated €1.5 billion in 2025, while overall road casualty levels have effectively returned to 2016 figures. The year saw more collisions and a rise in injuries, maintaining pressure on emergency services and the healthcare system and undermining public safety. Economically, the persistent casualty rate represents a significant indirect and direct cost that acts as a negative indicator for public finances and productivity. The pattern suggests a need for renewed, targeted prevention measures, enhanced enforcement and investment in safer infrastructure to reverse the trend and reduce both human and fiscal costs.

IPMA has issued a yellow-level cold-weather warning for four inland Portuguese districts — Bragança, Guarda, Castelo Branco and Portalegre — in force from 00:00 Monday until 09:00 Tuesday due to persistently low minimum temperatures. The advisory signals colder-than-usual nights and encourages residents to take appropriate precautions for health and infrastructure.

In this analytical opinion piece Miguel Esteves Cardoso contends that our bodies often cope and recover on their own. He examines tendencies to overreact and overmedicalise everyday symptoms, arguing for measured self-care, patience and perspective—an approach especially pertinent to expatriates adjusting to different health norms.