LISBON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Portugal is bracing for a new storm that authorities warn could trigger floods and further devastation, as the country still struggles with the aftermath of Storm Kristin.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) said late Monday that the new storm, named Leonardo, is expected to begin impacting mainland Portugal from Tuesday afternoon through Saturday.
The Iberian Peninsula has experienced a succession of storms bringing heavy rain, thunder, snow and strong gales in the last few months, with southern Spain facing what some residents describe as its wettest winter in 40 years.
IPMA said Leonardo may bring persistent and at times heavy rain, with wind gusts reaching up to 75 km/h (47 mph) along the coast south of Cabo Mondego in the country’s central region, and 95 km/h in the highlands.
The gusts, however, should be less intense than those exceeding 200 km/h unleashed by Storm Kristin, which battered central mainland Portugal from early last Wednesday, killing at least six people and leaving a trail of destruction across homes, factories and critical infrastructure.
Daniela Fraga, deputy commander of national emergency and civil protection authority ANEPC, told reporters late on Monday that heavy rain in the coming days could lead to floods and inundations, mainly in the regions that were affected by Storm Kristin.
Nearly 134,000 households were still without electricity, around 95,000 of them in the Leiria region in the centre of the country, power distribution company E-Redes said.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
LISBON/LEIRIA, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Last week’s Storm Kristin left hundreds of homes in central Portugal without roofs, tens of thousands without power and residents lining up for emergency building materials, as authorities warned damage could run into billions of euros.
The storm swept across the region early on Wednesday, with wind gusts topping 200 kph (124 mph) and heavy rain uprooting trees and ripping off roofs. It killed at least six people and cut power to hundreds of thousands of households.
“The roof blew off, all the windowpanes are broken, everything is chaos and misery,” said Paula Franco as she queued in Leiria for donated tiles to repair her home.
Portugal’s government on Sunday approved a 2.5 billion-euro ($2.95 billion) package of loans and incentives to help people and businesses rebuild after the storm.
The government could apply for grants from the European Solidarity Fund and unused EU recovery funds to finance reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho said on Monday at a joint news conference with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
Leiria, one of Portugal’s main industrial hubs known for its plastics and metalworking industries, was among the hardest-hit areas.
Hundreds of houses, several roads, schools, factories and railway lines have been affected. At the Monte Real air base near Leiria, the storm damaged several aircraft, including F16 fighter jets.
Nearly 170,000 households were still without electricity on Monday, Graca Carvalho said.
Damage in the region could total between 1.5 billion euros and 2 billion euros, Henrique Carvalho, president of the Leiria Business Association, told broadcaster NOW.
The government on Sunday extended a state of calamity in 69 municipalities until February 8, with more heavy rain and flooding expected.
(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira; editing by Charlie Devereux and Ros Russell)
LISBON, Dec 20 (Reuters) – The man who police say killed two Brown University students and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist had cut short a promising academic career to take a modest software developer job back in his native Portugal before returning to the United States in 2017.
U.S. investigators, helped by their Portuguese colleagues, are still seeking a motive for the shootings carried out by Claudio Valente before his suicide. Officials have been looking into his academic past, which some of Valente’s former colleagues recall as an uneasy one.
According to physicist Filipe Moura, who was Valente’s teaching assistant at Lisbon’s elite Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST) in 1996-97 and maintained contact with him through the early 2000s, Valente did not enjoy his time at Brown and left after about a year in 2001.
“Claudio thought none of it was worthwhile, that it was a waste of time, and that everyone else was incompetent,” he wrote, adding that Valente then took a job as an IT specialist for Portuguese internet portal Sapo.
In a series of Facebook posts, Moura remembered Valente as “the best student of his year” at IST, but also someone who had “a very strong need to stand out and show that he was better than the others”, which often made teaching him an unpleasant experience because of his squabbles with other students.
Several ex-students disputed that characterization, however, saying that while Valente could be arrogant at times, he conducted himself much like other brilliant students and did not exhibit any antisocial behavior.
A former colleague at Sapo, cited by the newspaper Diario de Noticias, described Valente as “a very good person, truly sweet,” with a great sense of humor and patience to explain things, but extremely reserved about his life away from work.
“He was a little weird… a bit out of place as a software developer” considering his academic background in physics, she said, adding that Valente at one point left the company but then returned for another stint before going to the United States.
Valente won the U.S. green card lottery and became a lawful permanent resident in 2017.
The only child in a middle-class family from the town of Entroncamento near Lisbon, he had severed all relationships with his parents around the time of his studies at Brown, according to local media.
Investigators believe that two days after the Brown shooting, Valente shot Nuno Loureiro, an MIT physics professor and his classmate at the IST.
“I never thought I’d live to see this tragic drama unfold, especially involving the physics students from IST who, despite everything, seemed more like children in adult bodies during moments of ego insecurity,” researcher Hugo Tercas wrote commenting on Moura’s post.
(Reporting by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Sergio Non and Nick Zieminski)
The signatories include Cristina Branco, Bateu Matou, Rita Dias, DjoDje, Beatriz Bronze (Evaya), Francisco Fontes, Gonçalo Gomes, Inês Sousa, Jorge Gonçalves (Jacaréu), Marquise, Nunca Mates o Mandarim, and Pedro Fernandes.
“With words and with songs, we act within the possibilities we are given. We do not accept complicity with the violation of Human Rights,” they said.
“Despite Russia’s ban from Eurovision 2022 for political reasons (the invasion of Ukraine), we were surprised to see that the same stance was not taken towards Israel, which, according to the United Nations, is committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
Portugal’s broadcaster RTP has issued a statement in response to the artists’ words, saying: “Regardless of the decision of the artists who subscribe to the statement, RTP will once again organise Festival da Canção and reaffirms its participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.”
Salvador Sobral, the only Portuguese artist to win Eurovision, criticised RTP’s position in a video on social media, in which he accused of the Portuguese broadcaster of “political cowardice.”
The outrage has also reached the Portuguese public, who have launched a petition calling for Portugal’s immediate withdrawal from Eurovision.
Already signed by more than 22,000 people, the document highlights RTP’s vote in favour of Israel’s participation “puts Portugal on the wrong side of history”.
“This stance is unacceptable in the face of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and military offensive in the Gaza Strip, and in the face of the vote rigging scandals that marred the 2025 edition in Basel, proving the inability of the organisation (EBU) to curb the politicisation of the event,” it reads.
Related
Last week, Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 was confirmed by the EBU. There was no vote held on Israel’s participation at the EBU’s general assembly, and as a result, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia confirmed they would boycott the event for good.
They said in a statement that Israel’s participation “has created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public.”
The broadcaster went on to add that participating would be “neither be a source of joy nor peace” considering public opinion in Iceland and the reaction to the EBU’s general assembly last week.
Next year’s Eurovision – the 70th edition of the contest – will take place in Vienna on 16 May 2026.
I was recently a guest on Inspiring Entrepreneurs (Antreprenori care Inspiră), a Romanian podcast hosted by Florin Roșoga. We had a really great conversation — we talked about leaving Romania after 40, the framework I use for choosing countries, what “home” actually means when you’ve lived in multiple places, and the unexpected path from programmer to bar owner in Vietnam.
The podcast is in Romanian, but I’ve summarized the key insights below for English readers. You can also follow the auto-translation captions on YouTube, they do a pretty good job.
41:01 — How to meet new people in a foreign country
The 5 Questions I Ask Before Moving to a New Country
Over the years, I’ve created a simple framework for evaluating potential places to live. Before moving to any country, I ask myself these five questions:
1. Can I sustain myself financially here?
This isn’t just about cost of living — it’s about whether my income sources remain stable, whether I can work remotely without friction, and whether the financial math actually works long-term.
2. Can I get legal status without complications?
Visas, residency permits, tax implications. Some countries make this easy (Portugal’s NHR regime was excellent when I moved there), others create endless bureaucratic friction. The legal pathway matters more than people think.
3. What kind of social life can I build here?
Can I meet people? Is there a community of expats or locals open to newcomers? Can I learn the language, or at least function in English? Your social circle contracts dramatically when you move abroad — this question determines whether you’ll rebuild it or stay isolated.
4. Does this place support my wellbeing?
I look at practical things: walkable neighborhoods, parks, healthcare access, grocery stores, general entertainment options. The infrastructure of daily life. If the basics are difficult to reach, everything else becomes harder.
5. How do I actually feel here after a few weeks?
Before any permanent move, I do a two-weeks minimum test-drive. Research is useful, but nothing replaces the gut feeling you get from being there. Can I see myself here long-term, or am I just excited by novelty?
Key Insights from the Conversation
Moving isn’t about escaping — it’s about curiosity. Every time you change countries, entropy increases. More chaos, but also more clarity about who you really are. The chaos becomes a practice in adaptation.
To truly change, you have to leave something behind. Not just objects — parts of your identity. You have to let a piece of yourself die. Sounds dramatic, but it’s honest. The old version of you doesn’t fit the new context.
Accept chaos as a phase. The disorientation of a new place isn’t a problem to solve immediately. It’s evidence that you’re learning to function in the world again.
Connection gives meaning to place. Whether it’s a bar, a meetup, or random conversations — new relationships are what transform a foreign city into somewhere you belong. The Harvard study on happiness confirms this: wellbeing depends more on the depth of human connection than material comfort.
About Florin’s Podcast
Inspiring Entrepreneurs is one of the longest-running entrepreneurship podcasts in Romania, with over 560 episodes. Florin has a gift for drawing out personal stories beyond the usual business talking points. If you understand Romanian, it’s worth exploring his archive.
Cristiano Ronaldo will likely avoid missing any Portugal matches at the men’s World Cup, despite receiving a red card in a qualifier.
Ronaldo swung an arm and struck Ireland defender Dara O’Shea with an elbow during Portugal’s 2-0 loss in Dublin earlier this month.
FIFA published a disciplinary verdict that imposed a three-match ban, judging Ronaldo’s action to be an example of “violent conduct”.
But two of those matches are deferred for a one-year probation period.
Ronaldo served a mandatory one-match ban when Portugal played its final qualifying match last week, a 9-1 win over Armenia that sealed its place at the World Cup in North America and Mexico.
FIFA cited its disciplinary rules that allowed for parts of a sanction to be probationary, though it was rare in cases of a three-match ban for two of them to be deferred.
Draw change
Meanwhile, FIFA announced the World Cup draw would reward the four highest-ranked teams: Spain, Argentina, France and England.
They will be placed in separate sections of a new tennis-style seeded tournament bracket.
Defending champion Argentina’s passage to the semifinals appears easier. (Getty Images/Soccrates: Eric Verhoeven)
The draw procedure means the top four teams in the latest rankings will — if they finish top of their respective round-robin groups — avoid each other until the semifinals of the June 11-July 19 tournament.
The rule aims to maintain competitive balance in the expanded 48-team format.
At previous World Cups, the path for teams into and through the knockout phase was decided by the group in which they were drawn.
FIFA also revealed the four pots for the final draw, which takes place on December 6 AEDT in Washington.
The Socceroos will be drawn from pot two.
They are the lowest-ranked team in their 12-team pot, which also includes their continental rival Japan and world number 10 Croatia.
Forty-two teams have already qualified for the World Cup.
The other six entries will be decided in March when European and global play-off brackets are scheduled.
Those teams all will come out of the draw pot of lowest-ranked teams.
DUBLIN (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo is at serious risk of being banned for the first game of the 2026 World Cup if Portugal qualifies as expected.
The soccer superstar was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea in the second half of a qualifying game Thursday that Portugal lost 2-0 in Dublin.
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal hosts Armenia on Sunday knowing a win will secure a place at the World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play.”
The ban should be “at least three matches for violent conduct” or “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing.”
A FIFA ban would apply to competitive games and could not be served in pre-tournament exhibitions.
Ronaldo spun round and swung his right elbow into O’Shea’s back as they waited for the ball to be crossed around the hour mark at Aviva Stadium with Ireland holding a surprise 2-0 lead.
The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review at the pitchside monitor.
Ronaldo curled his lips in a wry look as he walked off the field being jeered and mocked by Ireland fans.
He stopped and looked at the fans, clapped his hands toward them and raised two thumbs up in an apparent sarcastic gesture.
Ronaldo, who turns 41 in February, is aiming to play at a record sixth World Cup tournament.
The tournament draw is made Dec. 5 in Washington DC when Portugal, if it qualifies, will learn its schedule of three opponents in the group stage.
Ireland forward Troy Parrott had scored twice in the first half Thursday to revive Irish hopes of qualification likely through the playoffs ahead of facing second-place Hungary on Sunday.
Portugal tops Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.
JAKARTA (Reuters) -Asia’s youngest nation East Timor is set to achieve a decades-long dream when it becomes the 11th member of ASEAN this weekend, which analysts say is a win politically although the economic benefits remain to be seen.
East Timor, Southeast Asia’s poorest nation with 1.4 million people and slightly bigger than Qatar, applied to join the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2011 and was granted observer status in 2022.
The nation gained independence in 2002 from neighbouring Indonesia, following a 1999 referendum overseen by the United Nations, and shares a border with the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara.
Two of its independence heroes now lead the country: President Jose Ramos-Horta, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his efforts, and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
Decades after Ramos-Horta raised the idea of joining ASEAN in the 1970s when East Timor was still a colony of Portugal, the country will be formalised as a member at the October 26-28 ASEAN leaders summit, which Malaysia chairs.
Commonly known as Timor-Leste, East Timor is trying to diversify its nearly $2 billion economy away from its heavy reliance on dwindling oil and gas reserves.
Analysts say the accession to ASEAN will benefit its newest member but they worry about how it will fare as the group’s smallest economy. ASEAN’s collective gross domestic product is $3.8 trillion, with Indonesia alone making up $1.4 trillion of that.
Ahead of the summit, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recalled other members were also poor when the bloc was first formed.
“I’m very optimistic that ASEAN as a community can continue to engage more and assist, as we have benefited from the assistance of many countries (including) the West and China,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn has said joining ASEAN will amplify East Timor’s “voice in international forums while securing its strategic interests through an established network of diplomatic and economic support.”
Ramos-Horta has called the membership a long-held dream.
“The road to ASEAN is more difficult than the road to heaven,” he said in a speech at the group’s headquarters in August.
Parker Novak, an East Timor expert at the International Republican Institute, said the country’s leadership sees ASEAN “as giving them additional political legitimacy in the region.”
Marty Natalegawa, a former Indonesian foreign minister who oversaw East Timor’s ASEAN application, said the bloc would shield East Timor against the geopolitical push-and-pull among major powers such as the United States and China.
“It provides assurances that Timor-Leste’s position and future development and outlook will be akin to ASEAN’s own,” Marty said.
However, Guteriano Neves, an economic development researcher in East Timor’s capital Dili, worries the country’s low productivity and lower-quality governance will limit the economic benefits of membership.
Neves said membership may pressure East Timor’s government to enact institutional reforms to attract foreign investment.
“Economically speaking, that is the hard question that I think we haven’t really found the answer to,” Neves said. “It’s very hard for Timor-Leste to compete in the ASEAN market.”
(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Spain’s electricity-grid operator said there was no risk of an imminent second major blackout in the country after detecting two sharp voltage variations in recent weeks.
Red Electrica which operates Spain’s grid, and in which the Spanish government owns a 20% stake, said the recent voltage swings didn’t pose a risk to the supply of electricity because they didn’t surpass the acceptable limits.
By Marwa Rashad, Kate Abnett and Nerijus Adomaitis
(Reuters) -European nations, including France, are among the staunchest supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Several have also stepped up their imports of Russian energy which pump billions of euros into Moscow’s wartime economy.
Well into the fourth year of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the European Union remains in the precarious position of financing both sides in the conflict. Its large deliveries of military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv are countered by commercial payments to Moscow for oil and gas.
The bloc has reduced its reliance on once-dominant supplier Russia by roughly 90% since 2022. It nonetheless imported more than 11 billion euros of Russian energy in the first eight months of this year, according to a Reuters analysis of data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organization based in Helsinki.
Seven of the EU’s 27 member countries increased the value of their imports versus a year earlier, including five countries that support Ukraine in the war. France, for example, saw purchases of Russian energy rise 40% to 2.2 billion euros while the Netherlands jumped 72% to 498 million euros, the analysis shows.
While LNG ports in countries like France and Spain serve as entry points for Russian supplies into Europe, the gas is often not consumed in those countries but instead sent onwards to buyers across the bloc.
Vaibhav Raghunandan, EU-Russia specialist at CREA, described increased flows as “a form of self-sabotage” by some countries, given energy sales are the biggest source of revenue for Russia as it wages war against an European-backed Ukraine.
“The Kremlin is quite literally getting funding to continue to deploy their armed forces in Ukraine,” he said.
TRUMP SLAMMED EUROPE’S LEADERS
EU energy payments to Moscow have come under renewed scrutiny after U.S. President Donald Trump dressed down European leaders in his speech to the U.N General Assembly last month, demanding they cease all such purchases immediately.
“Europe has to step it up,” Trump said. “They can’t be doing what they’re doing. They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It’s embarrassing to them, and it was very embarrassing to them when I found out about it.”
The French energy ministry told Reuters that France’s value of Russian energy imports rose this year as it served customers in other countries, without naming countries or companies. Gas market data suggest part of France’s Russian imports are sent onwards to Germany, according to Kpler analysts.
The Dutch government said while it supported EU plans to phase out Russian energy, until these proposals are fixed into EU law, it was powerless to block existing contracts between European energy companies and Russian suppliers.
The EU, which has already barred most purchases of Russian crude oil and fuel, has announced plans to speed up a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to 2027, from 2028. LNG now represents the biggest EU import of Russian energy, accounting for almost half the value of total purchases, the data shows.
The European Commission declined to comment on the 2025 imports data. The bloc’s energy chief said last month the phased retreat from Russian fossil fuels was designed to ensure member countries don’t face energy price spikes or supply shortages.
The proposals, which envisage a total ban on all Russian oil and gas from 2028, mean European cash could be supporting the Kremlin’s war effort for a year or more to come.
Trump says U.S. oil and gas could replace lost Russian supplies, and many analysts say such a switch is possible, though it would boost Europe’s dependency on U.S. energy in an era when Washington is using tariffs as a policy tool.
“The EU has agreed to buy more energy from the U.S to accommodate the very strong U.S. demands to stop Russian imports,” said Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “However, it is an illusion to think that U.S. LNG would replace Russian LNG on a one-to-one basis. U.S. LNG is in the hands of private companies, which do not obey orders from the White House and the European Commission, they optimize their portfolios.”
HUNGARY, BELGIUM AND OTHERS SEE BILLS RISE
The EU has come a long way since 2021.
In that year, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the bloc imported more than 133 billion euros of Russian energy, according to CREA data.
In January-August this year, the EU’s bill amounted to 11.4 billion euros – a fraction of per-war levels and a decline of 21% from the same period of 2024, the figures show.
Hungary and Slovakia – which maintain close ties with the Kremlin and reject any notion of renouncing Russian gas – remain major importers, together accounting for 5 billion euros of that total. They wouldn’t be affected by the planned EU sanctions on LNG, which requires the unanimous backing of member states, as they could still receive Russian pipeline gas until 2028.
Hungary was among the seven countries to see the value of Russian energy imports rise this year, by 11%, according to the data. France and the Netherlands are joined by four other countries whose governments support Ukraine in the war: Belgium, which saw a 3% increase, Croatia (55%), Romania (57%) and Portugal (167%).
Belgium’s energy ministry said the country’s increase was down to separate EU sanctions that took effect in March and banned “transshipments”, or re-exporting, of Russian LNG to outside the bloc, meaning arriving LNG had to be unloaded in Belgium – a global hub – rather than being transferred from ship to ship to be transported onwards to a final destination.
Portugal’s energy ministry said the country only imported modest amounts of Russian gas and that flows over the course of the year would be lower than 2024. The Croatian and Romanian governments didn’t respond to requests for comment on the data.
The European Union’s total imports of Russian energy since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, have amounted to more than 213 billion euros, the CREA data shows.
That dwarfs the amount the EU has spent on aid to Ukraine in the same period, even though it has been the country’s biggest benefactor: the bloc has allocated 167 billion euros of financial, military and humanitarian assistance to Kyiv, according to the Kiel Institute, a German economic think-tank.
ENERGY FIRMS STICK TO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS
France’s TotalEnergies is among the biggest importers of Russian LNG into Europe, with other major players including Shell, Spain’s Naturgy, Germany’s SEFE, and trading house Gunvor. They all operate long-term contracts that last into the 2030s or 2040s.
TotalEnergies told Reuters it was continuing deliveries from Russia’s Yamal plant under contracts that could not be suspended without official EU sanctions in place. The company will maintain supplies as long as European governments deem Russian gas necessary for energy security, it added.
Shell, Naturgy and Gunvor declined to comment on Russian imports.
Ronald Pinto, gas research principal analyst at Kpler said companies were reluctant to risk incurring fines from breaching contractual commitments without the solid legal cover of an EU ban on Russian LNG.
“In the end, market players are buying this LNG, not countries, and for the most part, they are sticking to their long-term contracts,” he added.
Pinto said flow dynamics studies suggested French imports of Russian LNG often flowed via pipeline to Belgium to then reach Germany, where there’s strong demand from industrial users. He cautioned it was “impossible to track exactly the movement of gas molecules within the European gas grid”.
A spokesperson for SEFE, which operates 10% of Germany’s gas transmission network, confirmed that the company imports Russian gas via France and Belgium.
The German economy ministry told Reuters that it welcomed EU efforts to phase out imports of Russian fossil fuels, but that SEFE was bound by a long-standing contract to buy LNG from Russia’s Yamal plant with no option to terminate the agreement.
“Under the contract’s take-or-pay terms, SEFE would have to pay for the agreed quantities, even if no delivery was taken,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Non-acceptance would enable Yamal to resell these quantities, which would then provide double support to the Russian economy.”
(Reporting by Marwa Rashad in London, Kate Abnett in Brussels and Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo; Additional reporting by America Hernandez in Paris, Francesca Landini in Milan, Christoph Steitz and Vera Eckert in Frankfurt, Shadia Nasralla in London, Pietro Lombardi in Madrid and Andrey Khalip in Lisbon; Editing by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Pravin Char)
Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people overnight in Gaza City, said Palestinian health officials, as Israel ramps up its offensive there and urges Palestinians to leave.
Dr. Rami Mhanna, the managing director of Shifa Hospital, where some of the bodies were brought, said the dead included six people from the same family after a strike hit their home early Saturday morning. They were relatives of the hospital’s director, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, he said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said five other people were killed in another strike close to Shawa Square.
Israel’s military didn’t immediately respond to questions about the strikes.
In recent days, Israel has been urging hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering in Gaza City to move south to what it calls a humanitarian zone.
Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
Leo Correa / AP
Palestinians have streamed out of the city — some by car, others on foot. Israel opened another corridor south of Gaza City for two days this week to allow more people to evacuate. But many Palestinians in the famine-stricken city are unwilling to be uprooted again, too weak to leave or unable to afford the cost of moving.
Aid groups have warned that forcing thousands of people to evacuate will exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis. They are urging for a ceasefire so aid can reach those who need it.
The latest Israeli operation, which started this week, likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach. The Israeli military, which says it wants to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure,” hasn’t given a timeline for the offensive, but there were indications it could take months.
The death count in Gaza has climbed over 65,100, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Over 250 people were also abducted as hostages. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to be alive.
Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City, carrying their belongings along the coastal road in Nuseirat toward the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
Abdel Kareem Hana / AP
The Gaza Health Ministry does not say how many of the dead were civilians or militants. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts. Israeli bombardment in the territory has also destroyed vast areas of the strip, displaced around 90% of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.
On Friday, UNICEF said lifesaving therapeutic food meant for thousands of children in Gaza was stolen from four of its trucks. The statement said armed individuals approached the trucks outside their compound in Gaza City, the drivers were held at gunpoint while the food was taken.
“They were intended to treat malnourished children in Gaza City where famine is declared … it was a life-saving shipment amid the severe restrictions on aid delivery to Gaza City,” said Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for UNICEF.
In a statement Friday, Israel’s army blamed Hamas for stealing the food.
Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City, by foot and vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road in Nuseirat toward the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
Abdel Kareem Hana / AP
Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid and using it to fund its military activities, without providing evidence. The U.N. says there are mechanisms in place that prevent any significant diversion of aid.
The incidents come as Western countries plan to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City next week. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Malta, Belgium, Portugal and Luxembourg are all expected to recognize Palestinian statehood in the coming days.
Baby boomers aren’t just flocking down to sunshine states like Florida to kickstart their retirement careers anymore—they’re booking a one-way ticket overseas for a better quality of life.
While the United States lacks a formal retirement visa, many other countries offer dedicated programs for retirees to have more affordable living and a new laid-back lifestyle, which is why it’s no surprise the U.S. didn’t make the cut in the Global Citizen Solutions’ 2025 retirement report.
For expats ready for cobblestone views and sipping coffee on a sunny terrace, the new report ranks 44 passive income and retirement visa programs. It also evaluated 20 key indicators grouped into six main categories: visa procedures, citizenship and mobility, economic factors, tax benefits, quality of life, and safety and social integration. Each country received a score out of 100.
Many of the top-ranked countries were in Europe and South America. Portugal ranked as the best, followed by Mauritius and Spain.
“The countries dominating our rankings understand that successful retirement migration isn’t just about letting people in, it’s about helping them thrive,” Patricia Casaburi, CEO of Global Citizen Solutions, tells Fortune.
Portugal, Mauritius, and Spain top the list, she said, because they truly support new residents with tools to build a life. “They offer language programs, streamlined healthcare registration, and clear pathways from temporary residence to citizenship,” Casaburi explained. “Countries that treat retirees as temporary visitors rather than future citizens consistently underperform.”
The 10 best countries to retire abroad in 2025
Portugal
Mauritius
Spain
Uruguay
Austria
Italy
Slovenia
Malta
Latvia
Chile
Portugal
Coming in at number one was Portugal, where dual citizenship is allowed. The European country offers citizens a D7 Visa, a type of residency visa designed for people who have a stable passive income—making it a popular option for retirees.
What matters most to new international citizens is feeling secure and being able to build a real life in their new country, and Portugal excels at letting boomers build a new life without losing their roots.
“[Portugal] has institutional frameworks suggesting it will remain stable for the next 20-30 years of your retirement. Before making the move, research the country’s healthcare system rankings, political stability indices, and infrastructure investments. Visit during different seasons and talk to expat communities who’ve been there for 5+ years,” Casaburi added.
A single applicant needs about €870 per month in stable passive income. The processing time takes around 12 months. After the initial residency permit is granted and you’ve lived there for at least 5 years, you can apply to be a permanent citizen. Portugal also taxes its citizens on the income they make inside and outside of the country.
Mauritius
Next at number two was the eastern African country, Mauritius. Retirees can obtain a residence permit by demonstrating a minimum monthly income of $1,500, with processing times typically around three months.
The permit allows the main applicant to include their spouse or legal partner, as well as dependent children, making it a family-friendly option. Retirees benefit from a territorial tax system, meaning foreign-sourced income is not taxed, and there are no wealth or inheritance taxes. After six years of residency, retirees become eligible to apply for citizenship, and dual citizenship is permitted.
Spain
Number three was Spain. The Spanish non-lucrative visa (NLV) is designed for non-EU citizens who wish to live in Spain without engaging in any work. To qualify, applicants should have a stable income of at least €2,400 per month.
Processing for a visa typically takes around three months. Once approved, residents are subject to Spain’s worldwide tax system and potential inheritance tax. The NLV provides a pathway to Spanish citizenship after 10 years of legal residence, or just 2 years for citizens of select Latin American and other historically connected countries. Dual citizenship is allowed, depending on the laws of the applicant’s country of origin.
Uruguay
Coming in at number four was the South American country Uruguay, where residents need an income requirement of $2,000 of stable passive income a month. Processing time takes about one month. The main applicant can include spouse or legal partner, minor children and dependent adult children, there are no imposed taxes on foreign-sourced income, and no wealth and inheritance tax. Dual citizenship is allowed and the path to citizenship takes about 5 years.
Austria
Ending the top five was Austria. The country offers an independent residence permit as a pathway for people who can prove they have an income to support themselves while abroad. Processing time takes about 4 months and the main applicant could include a spouse, legal partner and minor children. For tax benefits, they have a worldwide tax system—meaning the country taxes its citizens on all their income, regardless of where it was earned—and no inheritance tax. The path to citizenship is 10 years, with dual citizenship allowed.
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Two sailing crews were rescued Saturday after orcas attacked their boats off the coast of Portugal, near Lisbon, Portuguese authorities said. The recent confrontations at sea are the latest in a growing pattern of incidents in recent years where orcas — also known as killer whales — ambush seafarers throughout the region.
Five people were rescued from a tourist vessel that was sailing off Fonte da Telha beach after the orcas attacked, according to Portugal’s National Maritime Authority. Another four people were found safe after a similar attack farther north along Portugal’s western coast, off the Bay of Cascais, the agency said in a news release shared on social media.
The attacks on Saturday occurred in the early afternoon, the Maritime Authority said, and no injuries were reported.
Search and rescue crews from Lisbon and the lifeguard station in Cascais responded to the incidents, after receiving alerts at around 12:30 local time, according to the Maritime Authority. When they arrived at the site of the attack off the beach of Fonte da Telha, responders found the five people had already fled their boat and moved to a different tourist vessel that offered to help.
Responders found the other four-person sailboat crew safe when they arrived at the site of that attack off the Bay of Cascais. They helped transport the boat to a port close to Lisbon, the Maritime Authority said.
Reports have circulated online that suggest the tourist vessel that was attacked off the beach of Fonte da Telha sank as a result, with video footage shared by the sailing company Mercedes-Benz Oceanic Lounge purportedly capturing the incident.
CBS News has reached out to Portugal’s National Maritime Authority for more information.
Documented interactions between orcas and humans have increased over the last several years, particularly in waters off the coasts of Spain and Portugal and around the Strait of Gibraltar, which is a narrow waterway that runs between southern Spain and Morocco.
Research group Orca Ibérica GTOA says it has recorded hundreds of so-called “interactions” with orcas and sailing vessels in that region between 2020 and 2024, including incidents where pods of killer whales repeatedly rammed, push and, in some cases, successfully turned the boats they targeted, causing damage to vessels.
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
Lisbon — Two days after Portugal’s worst-ever electric streetcar crash killed 16 people and left more than 20 others from across the globe injured, forensics teams in Lisbon said Friday that they had identified nearly all of the victims, many of whom were crushed to death when the famed Elevador da Gloria funicular hurtled out of control down a steep hill, derailed and careened into a building.
While names have not yet been disclosed, Portugal’s attorney-general said Friday morning that the death toll includes two South Koreans, two Swiss nationals, one French national and five Portuguese citizens.
“Our staff in Lisbon and here in the United States are working tirelessly to provide consular assistance to the victim and their family. We extend our condolences to the victims and families of all those affected,” the official said. “The Embassy is working closely with local authorities to assist U.S. citizens in the affected area, and continues to monitor the situation closely. Due to privacy considerations, we have no additional details at this time.”
People work at the site of the derailment and crash of the Gloria funicular railway car, a popular tourist attraction, which resulted in multiple casualties, in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 4, 2025. Wreckage of the upper carriage can be seen behind the still-intact lower carriage in the foreground.
Pedro Nunes/REUTERS
There is also “a high possibility,” based on recovered documents and other evidence, that the victims include two Canadians, one German and one Ukrainian, according to the head of the national investigative police, Luís Neves. CBS News’ partner network BBC News said Friday that Portuguese police believed three British nationals were also among those killed.
At least 21 other passengers were injured, including people from Portugal, Spain, Israel, Brazil, Italy and France, according to the head of Portugal’s National Health Service.
Millions of people ride Lisbon’s iconic yellow-and-white funicular cars each year. It’s a popular experience for foreign tourists, and the Elevador da Gloria, at almost 140 years old, has long been a big attraction. In 2024, an estimated 29 million foreigners visited Portugal, many passing through the capital and its quiet, cobblestone streets and hills.
But the electric street cars and hillside funiculars are also part of everyday life for many locals.
A Portuguese charity based on the hill near the top of the Elevador da Gloria funicular confirmed Friday that four of its employees were killed in the accident. They were believed to have been commuting from work.
“We have lost colleagues, friends and the people who we shared our daily lives as well as our mission”, the Santa Casa da Misericordia said in a statement. “We’re in a state of shock.”
A police officer walks past the wrecked Elevador da Gloria funicular at the scene where it derailed, Sept, 3, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Horacio Villalobos/Getty
Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas attended a Mass in the early evening on Thursday near the site of the crash. Speaking to reporters outside the church, Rebelo de Sousa said: “This is a time of mourning. It’s the moment to mourn the dead… pray and think of the dead, and to support their friends and family.”
The president also called for a clarification of the causes of the accident “as quickly as possible.”
After midnight on Friday, and with few onlookers, workers lifted the mangled wreckage of the Elevador da Gloria car that crashed.
As with most funiculars, two carriages linked by a steel cable operate in tandem: One carriage climbs up the hill as the other trundles slowly down. Early Wednesday evening, many people believe that cable snapped, causing the tragedy.
Portuguese media showed officials inspecting the frayed ends of the cable that had connected the cars, which they had pulled up from underground, on Friday. According to a fire brigade official, the car coming down from the top of the hill was not able to slow down, entered a curve in the hill too fast, derailed, and then plowed into the cobblestone pavement and crashed.
Cable and brake failures are two of the most common causes of streetcar accidents.
The president of the Portuguese Order of the Engineers, Almeis Santos, told CBS News the accident appeared to have been caused by the rupture of the cable.
“It’s very strange… for this kind of cable. It’s not normal and it’s almost impossible to have [a] sudden rupture,” he said.
Tourists wait to board the Elevador da Gloria funicular, one of the funiculars operated by Carris in Lisbon, Portugal, in a May 24, 2024 file photo.
Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/via Getty
Santos said if the cable did snap suddenly, neither the manual nor automatic brakes on the funicular would have been sufficient to hold back the streetcars, which, when loaded with passengers weigh around 20 tons each.
Carris, the company that operates the Elevador da Gloria, has said regular inspections — including daily checks — had been carried out as required.
Portugal’s Air and Rail Accident Investigation Unit was expected to release a preliminary report on the technical cause of the funicular crash later Friday. In 45 days, Portugal’s national police will then issue their report on any potential criminality involved in the crash.
The mayor said Lisbon and its three million residents would observe three days of mourning following the disaster.
Ramy Inocencio is a CBS News foreign correspondent based in London, covering Europe and the Middle East. He joined the Network in 2019 as CBS News’ Asia correspondent, based in Beijing and reporting across the Asia-Pacific, bringing two decades of experience working and traveling between Asia and the United States.
(Reuters) -Hong Kong-listed Chinese conglomerate Fosun International said on Friday its unit had agreed to sell a 40% stake in Portugal-based hospital operator Luz Saude for 310 million euros ($362.92 million) to an entity linked to Australia’s Macquarie Group.
Fosun-controlled Portuguese insurer Fidelidade inked a deal with MEIF 7 Med Holdings to dispose of some of its stake in the hospital operator, the Hong Kong-listed company said in a statement.
MEIF 7 Med Holdings, which is affiliated with Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 7, is managed by Macquarie Asset Management, the asset management arm of Australian financial services group Macquarie.
Following the completion of the deal, Fidelidade will retain 59.86% of shares and voting rights in Luz Saude, Fosun added.
The stake sale comes amid growing interest in Portugal’s healthcare sector from private equity firms.
Lusiadas Saude, one of the country’s leading hospital operators, was acquired by France’s Vivalto Sante in 2022, while Spain’s MCH Private Equity purchased a minority stake in Sanfil-Global Health earlier this year.
Luz Saude is among Portugal’s largest private healthcare groups and operates 30 hospitals, clinics and nursing homes across the country.
Earlier last year, Fidelidade had considered listing Luz Saude on the Lisbon stock exchange but shelved the plan after assessing instability in capital markets, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Fosun began its investment in Portugal in May 2014, acquiring Fidelidade for about 1 billion euros and currently owns 85% of the company.
($1 = 0.8542 euros)
(Reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee & Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)
Firefighters carrying the body of a person on a stretcher at the site of a derailed electric streetcar in Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portuguese emergency services say an electric streetcar that is one of Lisbon’s landmarks and a big draw for tourists has derailed, killing 15 people and injuring 18 others.
The National Institute for Medical Emergencies said in a statement that five of the injured are in serious condition, and a child is among the injured.
It said an unknown number of the injured are foreigners.
Authorities called it an accident, the worst in the city’s recent history.
The yellow-and-white streetcar, which goes up and down a steep downtown hill in tandem with one going the opposite way, was lying on its side on the narrow road that it travels along.
Lisbon has a reputation for being one of the most artistic cities in Europe, yet that reputation has long been tied to architecture—the pastel-toned Alfama buildings, the intricate blue-and-white azulejo tiles, the patterned Portuguese pavement—and to the soulful strains of fado music. For years, the city’s visual art scene, though lively and distinct in a way that’s endemic to locales at cultural crossroads, seemed to play a quieter role. That perception, however, has shifted dramatically in recent years.
Over the past decade, Lisbon’s art scene has surged into the spotlight, transforming the city into a magnet for art lovers from around the globe. Since the mid-2010s, it has steadily climbed the ranks as a must-visit destination for those seeking cutting-edge creativity. New art galleries have flourished in once-industrial neighborhoods, while established cultural institutions like the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, the Museu Coleção Berardo and the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea have revitalized their programming to engage local audiences and international visitors. Street art, meanwhile, has exploded onto Lisbon’s walls, with large-scale murals and hidden interventions, turning the city itself into an open-air gallery that rivals other European destinations.
Lisbon’s art scene today is bold, inquisitive and remarkably diverse, reflecting the city’s layered history and its global outlook. Whether you’re drawn to experimental collectives pushing the boundaries of contemporary practice, exhibitions highlighting Portugal’s rich cultural traditions, or the sheer dynamism of urban art woven into daily life, Lisbon offers an experience that feels both authentic and forward-looking. If your time in the city is limited, here are the art galleries to check out first.
French architect Benjamin Gonthier founded FOCO in 2017 with the aim of creating a space where emerging artists—both Portuguese and international—could present their most genuine, honest and experimental work, the kind of art that might otherwise be excluded for breaking the mold. Nearly a decade later, FOCO is all that and more: it has become one of Lisbon’s most recognizable names for innovative expression. The gallery does not limit itself by format; FOCO has hosted exhibitions across a wide range of disciplines, from painting and photography to sculpture and performance. The space itself reflects FOCO’s bold and experimental spirit. Housed in a 300 m2 former car dealership designed by noted Portuguese architect Alberto Pessoa, the venue spreads across two floors connected by what was once a car lift. Among the most notable names on the gallery’s roster are Rudolfo Quintas, Mia Dudek and Pauline Guerrier.
Madragoa
Madragoa is the brainchild of Italian director Matteo Consonni and Portuguese biologist Gonçalo Jesus. The gallery first opened in 2016 in the historic Lisbon district that shares its name and, in 2023, relocated to a larger space near Basílica da Estrela. The new venue features soaring 4.8-meter ceilings and double-aspect windows that flood the galleries with natural light—a crucial element for the kind of work Madragoa is best known for. While the gallery does not restrict itself by medium, it has built its reputation on bold, unconventional and often experimental installations, including those of Belen Uriel and Sara Chang Yan. Madragoa also earned early distinction as the first to organize Portuguese exhibitions for Adrián Balseca, an Ecuadorian mixed-media artist, and Joanna Piotrowska, a Polish artist recognized for her construction of “social landscapes.”
Pedro Cera has been a mainstay of Lisbon’s art scene for more than 25 years and has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the city’s most eclectic yet sophisticated galleries. If there is one defining quality about Pedro Cera, it is that the team behind it is unafraid of ambitious, challenging ideas—indeed, the more experimental and unconventional the concept, the more likely it is to find a home here. The gallery’s roster is among the most diverse in Lisbon, representing around 30 artists from Europe, Latin America and the United States. Its mission is not only to foster cross-cultural dialogue but also to encourage intergenerational exchange between artists and the public. From Lisbon-native Vitor Pomar, celebrated for his bold, colorful paintings, to American artist Adam Pendleton, whose work merges painting, silkscreen, collage and video, to Italian Arte Povera pioneer Gilberto Zorio, Galeria Pedro Cera consistently curates exhibitions that are both visually compelling and intellectually rigorous.
Galeria São Mamede
Galeria São Mamede has been a fixture of Lisbon’s art world since the 1960s. Over more than six decades, it has earned a distinctive reputation thanks to its meticulous curatorial approach. Every exhibition staged at São Mamede is tailored specifically to the artist: lighting, framing and display design are carefully considered and painstakingly adjusted before the public ever steps inside. The gallery regards this process as central to shaping the individual identity of each artist it represents. Among the most notable names on its roster are Antonio Areal, Armada Passos, Carlos Botelho and Fernando Gaspar. For many years, São Mamede’s main exhibition hall was located in a historic building in the Príncipe Real neighborhood, a distinctive venue with narrow rooms, low ceilings, brick archways and stone floors. In 2018, the gallery expanded into a new space just a short walk away. The modern venue spans 500 m2 and offers all the hallmarks of a contemporary art gallery, from soaring ceilings and stark illumination to the clean simplicity of white walls.
Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art. VASCO VILHENA
Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art
Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art opened in 2001 and, after more than two decades on Lisbon’s art scene, has established itself as one of the country’s most influential promoters of conceptual contemporary art. When it first launched, the mission was simple: to place Portuguese contemporary artists in dialogue with prominent international figures. Over time, however, the gallery’s approach has evolved and expanded. That does not mean it has abandoned its original goal. Today, Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art represents 27 artists—a balance of Portuguese and international talent—and works actively to present their art on the global stage. The gallery’s portfolio includes celebrated names such as Lawrence Weiner, John Baldessari, Erwin Wurm and Julião Sarmento. Visitors should not be surprised, though, to encounter work by other artists as well. The gallery frequently collaborates with outside voices, often inviting guest curators to stage exhibitions that introduce fresh perspectives and novel approaches. This willingness to experiment and to mix established practices with newer ideas has given Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art one of the most eclectic and distinctive voices in Portugal today.
Vera Cortês did not begin as a gallery at all—it started as an agency focused exclusively on supporting specific projects by emerging artists. After three years of working in that format, Vera herself recognized that a more strategic, long-term approach was needed to foster successful collaborations. In 2006, she took the leap, expanding the program and transforming it into a full-scale gallery. Nearly two decades later, Vera Cortês stands as one of the most supportive galleries for new artists in Lisbon. The team’s central mission is to nurture talent and allow it to develop at its own pace. In today’s fast-moving art market, that philosophy is far from conventional, yet it has become the foundation of the gallery’s long-term success. By prioritizing thoughtfulness over immediacy, Vera Cortês has built enduring collaborations with some of Portugal’s most distinctive voices, including Vhils, the renowned street artist; Carlos Bunga, known for his monumental cardboard installations; and photographer Daniel Blaufuks.
Underdogs Gallery
Underdogs Gallery began in 2010 as a group exhibition initiative. Conceived by the artist Vhils (real name Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto), the project was designed to promote graffiti and urban art—then still a fringe movement—by bringing together some of its most prominent figures. After two successful exhibitions in 2010 and 2011, Vhils, with the support of curator Pauline Foessel, established a permanent gallery space in 2013. Today, Underdogs functions as part art gallery, part public art program and part print store, offering exclusive artist editions. Its home in Lisbon’s Marvila district is a converted warehouse whose design plays on the boundary between public and private space: a large circular window separates the expansive exhibition area from the gallery’s operational side. Within this industrial setting, Underdogs has showcased a true who’s who of urban-inspired contemporary art, from international names such as Shepard Fairey and Futura to celebrated Portuguese artists including Vhils and Wasted Rita.
This Is Not a White Cube is the only gallery on this list that is not strictly homegrown. Founded by Sónia Ribeiro in Luanda, Angola, in 2016, the gallery opened a Lisbon outpost in Chiado three years later. Its name reflects its mission. The artists represented by This Is Not a White Cube engage with urgent, complex themes such as identity, memory and globalization. By foregrounding perspectives that are often overlooked, the gallery fosters dialogue between Europe and the Global South and expands the scope of Lisbon’s contemporary art conversation.
Galeria 111 is very likely the oldest privately operated art gallery in Lisbon—and it is certainly among the oldest. Founded by Manuel de Brito in 1964, it marked its 60th anniversary last year. While it was initially devoted entirely to Portuguese art, the gallery broadened its vision to include international artists whose work aligned with its curatorial ethos. Today, under the direction of Rui Brito, the program maintains a carefully balanced mix of local and international voices. Its roster is as impressive as ever, featuring artists such as Lourdes Castro, Dame Paula Rego and Mauro Pinto. In 2020, Galeria 111 moved into a new, larger space in Lisbon’s Alvalade neighborhood. The updated venue offers a more contemporary look, yet it retains some of the qualities that have long distinguished the gallery from other institutions. The lighting, for example, is often warmer than what one finds in typical contemporary art galleries, lending exhibitions a more intimate and inviting atmosphere.
Balcony Gallery
Pedro Magalhães opened Balcony Contemporary Art Gallery in 2017, and in just a few years, it has grown into one of the most prominent spaces associated with emerging contemporary artists, both local and international. The Balcony team is especially interested in work that is experimental and audacious, with a strong commitment to interdisciplinary expression. Encouraging artists to explore new creative languages is one of the gallery’s central missions. The exhibition space reflects this ethos. Set within a renovated historic building that once housed a store, the gallery spans 220 m2 across two floors. It offers all the features of a modern, high-end gallery—soaring ceilings, white walls and open floor plans suited to large-scale installations—while often incorporating quirkier touches, such as boldly painted walls or floors, to heighten the impact of the works on display. Among the most notable artists on Balcony’s roster are Carolina Serrano, Hugo Brazão and Pedro Henriques, each of whom contributes to the gallery’s reputation for fostering inventive and distinctive voices.
Not a gallery but a museum, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology still belongs on the itinerary of any contemporary art lover visiting Lisbon. While the works on display are not for sale, MAAT is one of Portugal’s most ambitious centers for contemporary art and remains a must-visit destination, if only for the reference point it provides. Exhibitions often bring together both established figures and emerging artists. MAAT has hosted the first-ever solo shows in Portugal for major names such as photographer Jeff Wall and painter Miriam Cahn. The EDP Foundation also supports younger voices through its New Artists Award, which has helped launch the careers of many Portuguese talents—Joana Vasconcelos, now internationally renowned for her monumental installations, received the prize in 2000. Each edition culminates in a group exhibition at the museum. The architecture is as striking as the art inside. MAAT spans 3.8 hectares (38,000 square meters) on the banks of the River Tagus and integrates both historic and contemporary design. Exhibition spaces are split between two primary structures: the Tejo Power Station, a red-brick industrial landmark from 1908 repurposed for innovative displays, and a sleek riverside building completed in 2016 by British architect Amanda Levete. Together, they create one of Lisbon’s most distinctive cultural environments, where past and present meet in dialogue.
Manchester United have reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon over the hire of Ruben Amorim as head coach.
As part of the deal Amorim is set to stay with Sporting for their next three games, including against Manchester City on Tuesday and Braga on November 10, meaning he would first take charge of United away at Ipswich Town on November 24.
Sporting were determined to keep hold of Amorim for this crucial period and United have accepted those terms in recognition of the 39-year-old’s standing at the Portuguese club and his desire for a smooth exit mid-campaign.
Amorim has a €10million (£8.4m, $10.9m) release clause in his contract, but there is also a 30-day notice period. United are willing to pay €1m extra to get Amorim earlier, so he can start work during the international break. Sporting had been demanding an additional €5m for an immediate release, according to people familiar with the deal in Portugal.
Sporting insist everything is not yet finalised and there have also been conversations around further compensation to allow the departures of the staff Amorim has earmarked to join him, namely first-team coaches Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido, and Carlos Fernandes, as well as goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira. United chief executive Omar Berrada has been in Lisbon leading the talks for United.
Amorim wants a satisfactory departure from a club he has called home for four years, conscious of the bond established with supporters in two league title wins, and United were open to such diplomacy given the season is underway and Ruud van Nistelrooy is capable of stepping up as interim manager.
Speaking ahead of Sporting’s game with Estrela Amadora on Friday night, Amorim refused to expand on when an announcement would be made.
“It’s a negotiation between two clubs. It’s never easy. Even with the clauses, it’s never easy. They have to talk,” he told reporters.
“We will have clarification after the game. It will be very clear so it’s one more day after the game tomorrow we will have the decision made.”
Asked what he liked about the Premier League in general, he added: “Everything.”
Van Nistelrooy would, in this timeframe, have a total of four games in charge adding in Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League, and Leicester again in the Premier League.
Key meeting, Welbeck request and Amorim plan – inside Manchester United’s manager change
What will Amorim bring to United?
Analysis by senior data analyst Mark Carey
Ruben Amorim is a manager that has been linked with his fair share of jobs in recent months, and you can understand why the 39-year-old is in demand.
Amorim guided Sporting to a first league title for 19 years in 2021-22, followed it up with another victory last season, and has nine wins from nine with Sporting sitting pretty at the top of the Primeira Liga this season.
Even accounting for the quality imbalance of the Primeira Liga, a side who boasted, statistically, one of the best attacks (Chance creation, 95 out 99) and the best defences (Chance prevention, 97 out of 99) shows that their manager must be having a positive effect.
Stylistically, Amorim’s 3-4-3 — or more specifically, a 3-4-2-1 — is built on high possession, flexible attacking approaches and a strong defensive foundation.
Last season’s arrival of striker Viktor Gyokeres led to a more transitional, direct style of attack (Patient attack, 49 out of 99). It also highlights Amorim’s ability to maximise his style by adapting to the skill sets of his players.
Amorim has shown his desire to bring young talent into the first team — including Goncalo Inacio, Matheus Nunes, Nuno Mendes and Ousmane Diomande — and has improved the team’s quality with the resources at his disposal.
Title-winning credentials? Tick. Fielding young players? Tick. Improving individual player performance? Tick. There are reasons why Amorim has been so highly sought-after among Europe’s elite.
United Airlines is adding eight new international destinations to its itinerary for next summer.
The airline, which said that this is its biggest international expansion ever with more than 760 weekly flights, will also be adding some new routes.
Beginning in May, travelers departing from Newark, New Jersey will be able to visit locations including Bilbao, Spain; Faro, Portugal and Palermo, Italy. In June, the airline will start offering flights from Newark to Madeira Island, Portugal and Nuuk, Greenland.
Other flights include Tokyo to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Washington, D.C. to Dakar starting in May and Tokyo to Kaohsiung, Taiwan beginning in July.
New routes to already existing destinations include Washington D.C. to Nice, France; Washington D.C. to Venice, Italy and Tokyo to Narita-Koror, Palau. The airline will also resume service to several destinations earlier in the season, including Newark to Athens, Greece in March and Newark to Dubrovnik, Croatia in May.
United said that all new flights are subject to government approval and will be available for sale on its website and app.
Last month United announced that it struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer satellite-based Starlink WiFi service on flights within the next several years.
The airline said that the service will be free to passengers and allow them to connect multiple devices. United said that it will begin testing the service early next year and begin offering it on some flights by later in 2025.
SINTRA, Portugal (AP) — The doorbell to Martinho de Almada Pimentel’s house is hard to find, and he likes it that way. It’s a long rope that, when pulled, rings a literal bell on the roof that lets him know someone is outside the mountainside mansion that his great-grandfather built in 1914 as a monument to privacy.
There’s precious little of that for Pimentel during this summer of “overtourism.”
Travelers idling in standstill traffic outside the sunwashed walls of Casa do Cipreste sometimes spot the bell and pull the string “because it’s funny,” he says. With the windows open, he can smell the car exhaust and hear the “tuk-tuk” of outsized scooters named for the sound they make. And he can sense the frustration of 5,000 visitors a day who are forced to queue around the house on the crawl up single-lane switchbacks to Pena Palace, the onetime retreat of King Ferdinand II.
“Now I’m more isolated than during COVID,” the soft-spoken Pimentel, who lives alone, said during an interview this month on the veranda. “Now I try to (not) go out. What I feel is: angry.”
This is a story of what it means to be visited in 2024, the first year in which global tourism is expected to set records since the coronavirus pandemic brought much of life on Earth to a halt. Wandering is surging, rather than leveling off, driven by lingering revenge travel, digital nomad campaigns and so-called golden visasblamed in part for skyrocketing housing prices.
Anyone paying attention during this summer of “overtourism” is familiar with the escalating consequences around the world: traffic jams in paradise. Reports of hospitality workers living in tents. And “anti-tourism” protests intended to shame visitors as they dine — or, as in Barcelona in July, douse them with water pistols.
The demonstrations are an example of locals using the power of their numbers and social media to issue destination leaders an ultimatum: Manage this issue better or we’ll scare away the tourists — who could spend their $11.1 trillion a year elsewhere. Housing prices, traffic and water management are on all of the checklists.
Cue the violins, you might grouse, for people like Pimentel who are well-off enough to live in places worth visiting. But it’s more than a problem for rich people.
“Not to be able to get an ambulance or to not be able to get my groceries is a rich people problem?” said Matthew Bedell, another resident of Sintra, which has no pharmacy or grocery store in the center of the UNESCO-designated district. “Those don’t feel like rich people problems to me.”
What is ‘overtourism,’ anyway?
The phrase itself generally describes the tipping point at which visitors and their cash stop benefitting residents and instead cause harm by degrading historic sites, overwhelming infrastructure and making life markedly more difficult for those who live there.
It’s a hashtag that gives a name to the protests and hostility that you’ve seen all summer. But look a little deeper and you’ll find knottier issues for locals and their leaders, none more universal than housing prices driven up by short-term rentals like Airbnb, from Spain to South Africa. Some locales are encouraging “quality tourism,” generally defined as more consideration by visitors toward residents and less drunken behavior, disruptive selfie-taking and other questionable choices.
Tourists visit the old center of Sintra, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
“Overtourism is arguably a social phenomenon, too,” according to an analysis for the World Trade Organization written by Joseph Martin Cheer of Western Sydney University and Marina Novelli of the University of Nottingham. In China and India, for example, they wrote, crowded places are more socially accepted. “This suggests that cultural expectations of personal space and expectations of exclusivity differ.”
In January, the United Nations’ tourism agency predicted that worldwide tourism would exceed the records set in 2019 by 2%. By the end of March, the agency reported, more than 285 million tourists had travelled internationally, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023. Europe remained the most-visited destination. The World Travel & Tourism Council projected in April that 142 of 185 countries it analyzed would set records for tourism, set to generate $11.1 trillion globally and account for 330 million jobs.
Tourists queue to visit the interior of the 19th century Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
Aside from the money, there’s been trouble in paradise this year, with Spain playing a starring role in everything from water management problems to skyrocketing housing prices and drunken tourist drama.
Protests erupted across the country as early as March, when graffiti in Malaga reportedly urged tourists to “go f——— home.” Thousands of protesters demonstrated in Spain’s Canary Islands against visitors and construction that was overwhelming water services and jacking up housing prices. In Barcelona, protesters shamed and squirted water at people presumed to be visitors as they dined al fresco in touristy Las Ramblas.
In Japan, where tourist arrivals fueled by the weak yen were expected to set a new record in 2024, Kyoto banned tourists from certain alleys. The government set limits on people climbing Mount Fuji. And in Fujikawaguchiko, a town that offers some of the best views of the mountain’s perfect cone, leaders erected a large black screen in a parking lot to deter tourists from overcrowding the site. The tourists apparently struck back by cutting holes in the screen at eye level.
Air travel, meanwhile, only got more miserable, the U.S. government reported in July. UNESCO has warned of potential damage to protected areas. And Fodor’s “ No List 2024 ” urged people to reconsider visiting suffering hotspots, including sites in Greece and Vietnam, as well as areas with water management problems in California, India and Thailand.
Tourists queue to catch a shuttle bus from the gate up to the the 19th century Pena Palace, in Sintra, Portugal, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
Tourism is surging and shifting so quickly, in fact, that some experts say the very term “overtourism” is outdated.
Michael O’Regan, a lecturer on tourism and events at Glasgow Caledonian University, argues that “overtourism” has become a buzzword that doesn’t reflect the fact that the experience depends largely on the success or failure of crowd management. It’s true that many of the demonstrations aren’t aimed at the tourists themselves, but at the leaders who allow the locals who should benefit to become the ones who pay.
“There’s been backlash against the business models on which modern tourism has been built and the lack of response by politicians,” he said in an interview. Tourism “came back quicker than we expected,” he allows, but tourists aren’t the problem. “There’s a global fight for tourists. We can’t ignore that. … So what happens when we get too many tourists? Destinations need to do more research.”
Of visitors vs being visited
Virpi Makela can describe exactly what happens in her corner of Sintra.
Incoming guests at Casa do Valle, her hillside bed-and-breakfast near the village center, call Makela in anguish because they cannot figure out how to find her property amid Sintra’s “disorganized” traffic rules that seem to change without notice.
“There’s a pillar in the middle of the road that goes up and down and you can’t go forward because you ruin your car. So you have to somehow come down but you can’t turn around, so you have to back down the road,” says Makela, a resident of Portugal for 36 years. “And then people get so frustrated they come to our road, which also has a sign that says `authorized vehicles only.’ And they block everything.”
A poster hanging from a balcony reads “Sintra: A traffic jam in paradise”, in Sintra, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
Traffic crawls through a narrow street where a poster on the wall of a house reads in Portuguese “Chaotic traffic harms everyone, residents and visitors”, in Sintra, Portugal, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
Nobody disputes the idea that the tourism boom in Portugal needs better management. The WTTC predicted in April that the country’s tourism sector will grow this year by 24% over 2019 levels, create 126,000 more jobs since then and account for about 20% of the national economy. Housing prices already were pushing an increasing number of people out of the property market, driven upward in part by a growing influx of foreign investors and tourists seeking short-term rentals.
To respond, Lisbon announced plans to halve the number of tuk-tuks allowed to ferry tourists though the city and built more parking spaces for them after residents complained that they are blocking traffic.
A 40-minute train ride to the west, Sintra’s municipality has invested in more parking lots outside town and youth housing at lower prices near the center, the mayor’s office said.
More than 3 million people every year visit the mountains and castles of Sintra, long one of Portugal’s wealthiest regions for its cool microclimate and scenery. Sintra City Hall also said via email that fewer tickets are now sold to the nearby historic sites. Pena Palace, for example, began this year to permit less than half the 12,000 tickets per day sold there in the past.
It’s not enough, say residents, who have organized into QSintra, an association that’s challenging City Hall to “put residents first” with better communication, to start. They also want to know the government’s plan for managing guests at a new hotel being constructed to increase the number of overnight stays, and more limits on the number of cars and visitors allowed.
“We’re not against tourists,” reads the group’s manifesto. “We’re against the pandemonium that (local leaders) cannot resolve.”
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Associated Press reporters Helena Alves in Lisbon and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. Laurie Kellman writes about global affairs for AP’s Trends + Culture team. Follow her at http://x.com/APLaurieKellman
