Wednesday 12 August
Solar eclipse marks rare celestial event as heat warnings persist across nine districtsTuesday 11 August
Algarve waste plant proposal sparks debate as luxury property prices climbMonday 10 August
President rebukes recovery delays as seismic activity and fuel price shifts impact residentsSunday 9 August
Wildfires intensify across northern regions as authorities intercept major drug shipments near SinesSaturday 8 August
President challenges new immigration rules as residency backlogs trigger court interventionResidents across Portugal witnessed the country's first total solar eclipse since 1912 today, even as authorities extended yellow heat warnings for nine districts. Meanwhile, the government is bolstering police patrols in downtown Lisbon and securing environmental approval for the high-speed rail link between Porto and the capital.
Portugal is witnessing a rare total solar eclipse today, August 12, the first visible from the mainland since 1912. The phenomenon is expected to draw thousands of spectators, with the village of Rio de Onor in Bragança being a prime location for totality, followed by a meteor shower after sunset.
The government has announced increased policing in downtown Lisbon following a shooting incident on Monday that injured a tourist. Authorities confirmed that a suspect involved in the altercation, who was also arrested in a separate domestic violence case, has been placed under bi-weekly check-ins.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) has extended a yellow heat warning to nine districts across the country. High temperatures are expected to persist in regions including Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Évora, Beja, and Faro until Thursday evening.
A red warning is the highest alert level issued by Portugal's weather agency, the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA), used when conditions pose a very high risk to life and property. Under a red warning authorities may close roads, suspend transport and advise people to avoid coastal and flood‑prone areas, so follow civil protection instructions during the Friday–Saturday storm period.
A new government bill proposes that companies must disclose salary information to candidates by the time a contract is signed. The legislation also allows employees to request information regarding the salaries of colleagues performing the same functions, while introducing protections against workplace retaliation for those exercising these rights.
Salary transparency (transparência salarial) is the practice of disclosing pay ranges in job advertisements to help candidates understand potential earnings before applying. While European Union directives aim to standardize this across member states to reduce pay gaps, recent legislative discussions in Portugal have introduced uncertainty regarding whether companies must include these figures in all public job postings.
Space technology company Open Cosmos is opening a new office in Porto as part of a recruitment drive. The firm aims to double its workforce in Portugal to 100 employees, with 50 new vacancies currently available.
Telecommunications operator Meo has secured an additional 250 million euros in funding. The company justified the move by citing insufficient cash flow to cover debt interest and lower productivity compared to market competitors, despite simultaneously planning a 30% reduction in its workforce.
The Portuguese Environment Agency (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente or APA) has approved the execution project for the first section of the high-speed rail line connecting Porto and Lisbon. The route between Campanhã and Oiã will feature a combined rail and road bridge over the Douro River and an underground station in Gaia. Construction is expected to begin this month, with the full line projected to connect the two cities in 1 hour and 32 minutes by 2032.
The APA (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente) is Portugal's central environmental authority, responsible for environmental policy, climate action, water resources, waste management, and coastal protection. It operates under the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
APA manages Portugal's water resources including river basins, dam operations, and flood risk planning. It monitors air and water quality, oversees waste treatment facilities, manages the national emissions trading scheme, and leads Portugal's climate adaptation strategies.
The agency is particularly prominent during flood events, as it controls dam discharges and coordinates water management across Portugal's major rivers. APA also processes environmental impact assessments and licenses for projects affecting natural resources.
The high-speed rail project (Linha de Alta Velocidade) is a major infrastructure initiative designed to connect Porto and Lisbon, with future extensions planned toward Vigo in Spain. The current phase focuses on the Porto-Gaia connection, which includes building a new bridge over the Douro River and an underground station in Gaia to improve regional connectivity and reduce travel times.
New regulations for higher education scholarships will be implemented in phases during the 2026-2027 academic year. The government stated that full implementation was delayed, so current rules remain in place for most areas, with updates limited to displaced student status, accommodation support, and a new incentive grant for low-income students.
Minister of Defence Nuno Melo has announced legal action against Chega president André Ventura and MP Pedro Frazão following their public criticism of a 3.9 billion euro deal to purchase three frigates from Italy. Melo stated the contract is not yet closed and refused to confirm if helicopters are included in the acquisition. Chega has requested that the minister appear in Parliament to explain the details of the procurement.
Nuno Melo is the president of CDS-PP (Centro Democrático e Social – Partido Popular), a Christian democratic party in Portugal. In the story he linked Chega's position to socialism, compared André Ventura to Donald Trump, and urged party members to vote 'in conscience' in the presidential runoff on the 8th, a stance that could affect centre‑right voters.
Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
President of the Republic António José Seguro has called for a new approach to regional development, emphasizing the need to increase the size of Portuguese companies. He noted that over 90% of firms are small or medium-sized, which limits their ability to offer competitive salaries and contributes to young people emigrating to find better opportunities.
António José Martins Seguro (born March 11, 1962, in Penamacor) is a lawyer, political scientist, and the current President of the Portuguese Republic, inaugurated on March 9, 2026 after winning the two-round presidential election in January–February 2026.
Career: He led Socialist Youth (1990–1994), served as MEP (1999–2001), was Minister Adjunct to PM António Guterres (2001–2002), and led the PS parliamentary group (2004–2005). Elected PS Secretary-General in 2011 with 68%, he led the opposition during Portugal's bailout era. In 2014, António Costa defeated him in party primaries by a landslide, prompting Seguro's resignation and a decade-long retreat from politics. He returned in 2025, launching the movement UPortugal and announcing his presidential candidacy in June. He received official PS backing in October 2025 and won the presidency in February 2026.
Political philosophy: Seguro positions himself as representing a "modern and moderate" left, advocating financial responsibility while opposing austerity. As President, he has emphasized institutional trust, efficient governance, and a collaborative relationship with the government while maintaining rigorous constitutional oversight.
A new law establishing a special career path for dentists within the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) was published this Tuesday. The measure, which takes effect with the next State Budget, aims to increase the number of dentists working in the public sector to address current shortages.
ULS Alto Ave is the Alto Ave Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Ave), a public body that runs hospitals and some primary-care services for the Ave area in northern Portugal. It is part of the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS), and recent staff strikes have affected overtime and complementary work, so residents should check local hospital notices before visiting.
The European Union has established a new cooperation channel with Meta and TikTok to detect and reduce the spread of disinformation regarding the migration crisis in Ceuta. This follows a surge of thousands of migrants arriving in the Spanish enclave in late July, which officials and experts, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, have characterized as an algorithmic hybrid attack.
Portugal ranks among the highest in Europe for gas prices when adjusted for purchasing power, placed fourth in the comparison cited, and Lisbon's natural gas price is 13.8 cents per kWh. That rate is higher than in cities such as Rome and Paris, so households in Portugal can expect relatively larger energy bills for the same consumption compared with many other EU cities.
The price per square metre in the Algarve has surpassed 10,000 euros, cementing the region as the second-largest high-end residential market in Portugal. Data from the real estate portal Idealista indicates there are currently over 19,000 homes listed for sale across the country with prices exceeding one million euros.
A recent analysis of train travel between Lisbon and Porto reveals that only 2.7% of services arrived on time between July 27 and August 2. On average, both Intercidades and Alfa Pendular trains are arriving 20 minutes behind schedule, with most delays originating at the departure station.
