A police officer previously implicated in torture had access to unauthorised ammunition from batches not assigned to the PSP; these rounds were untraceable to the force and could facilitate serious firearms offences. The case exposes weaknesses in ammunition control, record-keeping and oversight within the PSP, increasing public safety risks and underscoring the need for stricter inventory procedures, forensic tracing and accountability measures.

Observador reports two people were shot in the Casal da Boba area of Amadora; details on motive and injuries are limited in initial coverage. Police activity and investigations are expected as authorities piece together the incident; residents in the area should expect an increased security presence and follow local updates. Those living nearby should avoid the scene and monitor local media for official information.

In a nationwide operation dubbed Operation “Mariposa” (Operação Mariposa), the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) reported seizures including 70 litres of alcoholic beverages, 7,800 cigarettes, 3.2 kg of nicotine pouches, 202 g of cannabis and five gaming machines. Authorities said the operation targeted illicit supply chains and illegal gaming points across multiple districts. Local businesses and consumers should expect continued inspections in the coming weeks as investigations proceed.

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has issued an orange warning for rough seas across seven mainland districts—Porto, Viana do Castelo, Braga, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria and Lisbon—in force until 12:00 on Saturday. Swells are expected to be particularly severe in the north‑west, with waves potentially reaching up to 10 metres. The advisory signals a heightened marine hazard; residents, mariners and coastal visitors should heed official guidance and avoid exposed areas.

Update: CNN Portugal confirms IPMA's forecast of waves up to 10 metres and reiterates that the orange warning remains in force until 12:00 on Saturday; authorities advise avoiding exposed coastal and harbour areas until conditions ease.

Update 2: Público and other outlets list the affected districts explicitly and note that Coimbra and Braga have orange warnings in effect until 12:00 while other districts are under yellow warning levels — a staggered schedule responders say reflects local conditions.

Porto's Clérigos Tower (Torre dos Clérigos) was partially evacuated on Friday after a short circuit in a battery caused a small fire on an upper floor; emergency services say the alert was raised around 12:41 and the situation was resolved with no reported injuries. City sources told Lusa the incident was contained quickly and the monument has since reopened or been secured. Visitors and residents near the monument should follow local directions if emergency crews are present.

Hospital de São José in Lisbon mistakenly handed a family's coffin the wrong body; the error was discovered moments before a planned wake and the hospital has opened an internal inquiry. Reports identify the deceased and note an identification bracelet mismatch; the case has drawn extra attention because the family is related to public figure Manuel Luís Goucha. Those arranging funerals or dealing with hospital paperwork should expect the inquiry and any procedural follow‑up from the hospital.

National weather services placed fifteen mainland districts under a yellow warning for inland snowfall and increased coastal swell, with outlets warning of travel disruption and hazardous maritime conditions. Forecasters expect snow inland and rough seas along the coast that may affect ferries, coastal roads and port operations. Travellers and mariners should monitor local forecasts and services; note the yellow warning (aviso amarelo) indicates potential danger but not the highest alert level.

Fifteen mainland Portugal districts are under a yellow warning for snow and sea swell until 18:00. Authorities and emergency services are monitoring conditions and advising the public to take precautions against disruption to transport and coastal hazards.

Reports say two Polícia de Segurança Pública officers, aged 23 and 26, have been accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of dozens of crimes including torture and sexual violence allegedly committed in police stations; several others are named as co‑perpetrators. The PSP says it regrets the events and has carried out an internal investigation as the criminal case proceeds. The allegations have raised questions about police conduct and oversight; anyone with concerns about detention or police practice should follow official case developments and rights‑advice channels.

Update: The Public Prosecutor’s Office now says its inquiry suspects more than ten officers were involved in violent assaults at two Lisbon police stations and that the circulation of torture images implicates upwards of 70 officers; two people have been formally named as suspects in connection with the images and assaults.

Bloco de Esquerda has asked for an urgent hearing with the Interior Ministry after reports of alleged police violence at the Rato police station; parties are seeking ministerial answers and potential oversight measures. Media coverage highlights political pressure on the Ministério da Administração Interna (MAI) to explain events and any disciplinary steps. Those concerned about policing and civil‑liberties oversight should follow parliamentary developments and local reporting.

A police union (ASPP/PSP) has scheduled a protest rally at Lisbon Airport on 29 January, warning the day could be disruptive for travellers. The announcement flags the risk of delays or congestion on a date several outlets identify as likely to affect passenger journeys. Those travelling through the capital on or around 29 January should check airline and airport notices and consider alternate dates or extra time for transfers.

Multiple outlets warn of persistent rain and rough seas with waves up to 5.5 metres and orange-level alerts in several coastal districts; authorities advise following local safety guidance and expect disruption to coastal travel and maritime activities. The alerts emphasise flood and coastal-surge risk in exposed areas and recommend avoiding unnecessary travel near the shore. Residents should be aware of local civil-protection instructions and avoid coastal promenades and small-boat activity while warnings are in force.

Portuguese outlets report the Public Security Police (PSP) screened more than 11 million passengers at Lisbon airport in 2025, refusing entry to 1,867 people and detaining 263; separate reporting says PSP identifies an average of about 70 suspicious international passengers a day. Coverage combines national totals with daily operational figures and highlights intensified checks on arrivals. Travelers should note increased security controls may mean longer queues and documentary checks at Lisbon airport — carry ID and travel papers and allow extra time for arrivals and departures.

Civil Protection director José Manuel Moura has ruled out any illegality in the ad-hoc reinforcement of eight ambulances organised by the Portuguese Firefighters' League over the weekend. After meetings with INEM and the Firefighters' League, Moura attributed the dispute to a communication failure by the League and said the situation created a misunderstanding that must not recur. He insisted that ANEPC (Civil Protection) should be formally involved in future emergency operations to ensure coordination and public safety.

A fire broke out at a care home in Santo Tirso (Porto district), prompting the evacuation of residents after the blaze—reported to have started in the laundry—affected the premises. Civil Protection and the fire brigade mobilised dozens of resources to move occupants to safety; authorities are assessing damage and investigating the cause.

Emergency departments and hospitals are experiencing significant difficulty admitting patients presenting with respiratory problems, creating bottlenecks in patient flow and raising concerns about care delays and safety. The situation appears driven by high demand for acute respiratory care combined with constrained inpatient capacity, staffing pressures and infection-control requirements that limit bed availability. This strain on emergency and hospital services risks longer waits, compromised care coordination and wider impacts on public health and system resilience unless capacity or operational responses are implemented.

Portugal’s Judicial Police (PJ) has launched a first-of-its-kind campaign to tackle online radicalisation among young people, aiming to alert schools and families to warning signs, raise awareness, prevent recruitment and disrupt extremist influence across digital platforms. The initiative is framed as a preventive, educational and investigative effort combining outreach to educators and parents with targeted policing online. Separately, The Guardian reports heightened international tensions as former US President Trump is reported to be considering military options against Iran following a violent crackdown, underscoring how domestic efforts to shield youth from radicalisation sit alongside broader geopolitical risks.

The GNR intervened to halt a recent spate of violent robberies affecting Albufeira and Monte Gordo. In Albufeira a youth gang targeted people in busy nightlife areas, while in Monte Gordo a young man carried out particularly aggressive attacks using an axe and a makeshift bludgeon. The incidents highlight growing concerns about public safety in tourist-oriented night-time districts and underline the need for targeted policing, prevention measures and community awareness to protect residents and visitors.

The Portuguese Firefighters' League (LBP) has established a weekend task force of four additional ambulances to bolster pre-hospital emergency response and ease pressure on hospitals. The emergency vehicles — drawn from the Ajuda, Cabo Ruivo, Camarate and Cascais brigades — will be based at the LBP headquarters, while a commander will be on permanent duty at CAASO (Centre for Operational Monitoring and Support) to coordinate operations. The deployment is a targeted, short-term capacity boost intended to improve response times during busy periods and provide centralised operational oversight.

Liberal Initiative MP Joana Cordeiro criticises both the PSD and PS administrations for offering identical, short-term responses — announcing purchases of ambulances and hospital beds — after three deaths were linked to delays in emergency response. She argues the measures are reactive and cosmetic rather than addressing systemic failures in emergency services, resource allocation and management, and calls for structural reforms, improved oversight and accountability to restore patient safety and public confidence.

Lisbon's municipal authority has proposed banning alcohol consumption in public streets from 11pm, with proposed fines of up to €3,000 that could also be applied to establishments. Framed as a measure to reduce nuisance and improve public safety, the proposal raises questions about enforceability, proportionality and the potential economic impact on nightlife and hospitality. Separately, Le Monde reports Emmanuel Macron accusing Donald Trump of 'breaking with international rules', underscoring a parallel debate about norms and accountability on the international stage.

The prime minister announced what was described as “the largest investment in ambulances in over a decade” — 275 new vehicles — less than 36 hours after three citizens were reported to have died while waiting for care. Critics have called the timing “strange” and labelled the move demagoguery, arguing it risks masking systemic negligence in emergency services rather than addressing deeper policy and resourcing failures in healthcare and public safety. The episode has intensified calls for transparent planning, independent oversight and comprehensive reforms to emergency medical services rather than one-off equipment purchases.

Carlos Enes of CNN Portugal examines recurring, serious failings in Portugal’s emergency response system, arguing that political and union attacks on INEM distract from patient safety. He urges giving INEM operational authority, requiring ULS hospitals to free trolleys and beds, and restoring clinical judgement as the primary guide for urgent care, while calling for systemic changes to protect public health.

The coordinator of INEM’s Workers’ Committee acknowledged failings in how minimum-service requirements were communicated during the late‑2024 strike, saying the institution’s president had conveyed that minimum services were not required during overtime hours. The admission raises operational and public‑safety concerns, highlights potential legal and labour‑relations implications, and underscores the need for clearer protocols, stronger internal communication and contingency planning to protect emergency healthcare delivery during industrial action.

El Nacional reports that Donald Trump pressed Venezuela’s interim government for total control of the country’s oil resources — a demand with clear geopolitical and economic consequences that raises questions about sovereignty, access to revenues and the role of external actors in a fragile political transition. Separately, Jornal Público’s analysis shows that between 2019 and 2024 some 75 per cent of drivers who died with alcohol in their system had blood-alcohol levels meeting the threshold for a criminal offence, spotlighting enforcement gaps, road-safety policy failures and the need for improved prevention and data collection. Taken together, the items illustrate linked governance challenges: contested control over strategic resources on one hand, and systemic public‑safety and criminal‑justice issues on the other.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Clinical Directorate of the Algarve Local Health Unit told CM that there had been a peak in attendances.

At 18:00, the Chega party lodged a formal complaint reporting incidents of shots fired using prohibited weapons in Lisbon.

On Saturday the obstetrics and gynaecology emergency departments at the hospitals in Abrantes, Setúbal and Portimão, and the obstetrics emergency department in Vila Franca de Xira, will be closed. The Setúbal emergency department reopens on Sunday.