Monday, 27 July 2026

Registration for a special period of national secondary school exams began today and remains open until Friday. This measure is available to all students to help compensate for recent delays in the digital grading of national exams.

The European Commission has indicated that Portuguese labour laws may require amendments to fully align with European Union directives on transparent working conditions. Although the previous government led by former Prime Minister António Costa implemented initial changes, legal experts suggest further updates are necessary to meet EU requirements.

Fuel prices are set to increase for the third consecutive week starting Monday, with diesel and petrol costs nearing two euros per litre. Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) leader José Luís Carneiro criticized the government for profiting from these hikes, arguing that tax revenues are rising at the expense of families while the government rejects proposals for temporary VAT reductions.

A 134-member Portuguese emergency force is working continuously to contain massive wildfires in Ávila, Spain, that have already consumed nearly 50,000 hectares. While the situation remains difficult, the team, including members of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil or ANEPC) and the National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR), is focused on protecting lives and property.

The Tax and Customs Authority (Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira or AT) has issued a binding ruling stating that taxpayers who use their primary residence as a workplace may lose eligibility for capital gains tax exemptions. This applies even if the proceeds from a home sale are reinvested into the purchase of another primary and permanent residence.

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) has placed all districts in northern and central Portugal, as well as Faro, under maximum wildfire risk. Only about 40 coastal municipalities currently face lower risk levels, and authorities expect the danger to remain high throughout the week.

Metro Mondego has alerted pass holders that personal information, including names and identification numbers, may have been copied during a ransomware attack on July 6. The company, which operates the metrobus service between Lousã and Coimbra, confirmed that bank payment data remains secure while it works with cybersecurity experts to manage the incident.

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) has placed mainland Portugal under a yellow warning for high temperatures starting Monday. Meteorologists expect temperatures to reach 40ºC in some districts due to a hot air mass moving in from Spain, prompting authorities to advise caution.

Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta has confirmed he will represent the Portuguese national basketball team in the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. Queta, who missed the previous international window, aims to help the team reach the tournament, with crucial games scheduled against Spain and Georgia in late August.

Secretary of State for Tax Affairs Cláudia Reis Duarte stated that while the government remains committed to reducing income tax by two billion euros by the end of the legislative term, a new cut for 2027 is not yet guaranteed. The government confirmed that the youth income tax scheme (IRS Jovem) will continue next year, noting a fivefold increase in declarations compared to 2024.

A new monitoring system called 'Pré-PCS' has been implemented to address recurring technical failures in the digital grading of national secondary school exams. Developed with support from the consultancy firm Deloitte and the Institute for Education, Quality and Assessment (Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação or Eduqa), the system aims to ensure accuracy and prevent the data errors that impacted students in the first phase of examinations.

Authorities have dismantled a criminal network led by two sisters that allegedly facilitated sham marriages to help immigrants obtain Portuguese residency. The operation, which involves 158 suspects, reportedly generated 2 million euros, with each marriage costing approximately 30,000 euros.