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A cable-car gondola above the red-tiled rooftops of Funchal, Madeira, descending toward the blue Atlantic on a sunny day

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Books a Week in Ronaldo's Madeira

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is due to spend a week on Madeira from 13 August, staying at a five-star Funchal hotel with a large entourage. A royal Dreamliner has already landed at Cristiano Ronaldo airport, and the PSP is mounting a heavy security operation.

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

A row of silver municipal waste containers and a blue used-cooking-oil recycling bank on a Lisbon street, with parked cars behind

Complaints Over Uncollected Rubbish Climbed 10.5% This Summer, and Lisbon Tops the List

Complaints about urban waste logged on Portal da Queixa rose 10.5% over the past year, to 220 by 30 July, with Lisbon accounting for the largest single share at 17.73%. Residents report overflowing containers, missed collections and summer pests.

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

The modern glass Colegio Almada Negreiros building on the Universidade Nova de Lisboa campus at Campolide, a Portuguese flag flying and the historic college tower behind

Ten Lawsuits and a Blocked Confirmation Leave the Universidade Nova de Lisboa Without a Rector

Nearly a year after the Universidade Nova de Lisboa first elected Paulo Pereira as rector, its board of trustees is preparing to refuse to ratify the vote, citing four grounds. With ten lawsuits and a criminal complaint in play, one of Portugal's top universities still has no confirmed leader.

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

A young professional working on a laptop at a desk by a bright window with a coffee mug

Paid Holiday and the 13th and 14th Months in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to Annual Leave, the Subsídio de Férias (Holiday Pay) and the Subsídio de Natal (Christmas Pay)

Portuguese employees are paid 14 times a year — 12 salaries plus a holiday subsidy and a Christmas subsidy. Our 2026 guide covers your 22 days of paid leave, first-year accrual, the Subsídio de Férias and Subsídio de Natal, the duodécimos option, how they're taxed, and what you're owed when you leav

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

The yellow neoclassical Ministry of Finance headquarters in Lisbon flying the Portuguese and EU flags

The Tax Authority Overcharged Investors Who Held Foreign Shares and Funds Long-Term, and Is Now Reissuing Their IRS Bills

The Autoridade Tributária's system failed to apply the long-term holding discount to capital gains on foreign shares and fund units in this year's IRS returns, overcharging Anexo J filers who held assets more than two years. The Fisco is now issuing corrected assessments.

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

A MEO telecom store with its teal sign on a pedestrian street in Coimbra, Portugal

Portugal Signed Off on Just 300 of the 500 Subsidised Exits MEO Sought in Its 1,200-Job Restructuring

Newly surfaced documents show MEO asked to move 500 workers out through exits that unlock unemployment benefit, and the government authorised only 300. It sits inside Altice Portugal's plan to cut about 1,200 jobs by December and save €45 million a year.

The Portugal Brief 12 Aug 2026

The Ministerio do Trabalho e Seguranca Social tower in Lisbon

Portugal's Switch to a Full-Career Pension Formula Is Cutting New Pensions by About 10%, the Government's Green Book Shows

Portugal's own Green Book on social security shows pensions worked out under the post-2007 full-career formula come out about 10% lower than the old best-years rules — and the gap widens with every retiring cohort. What it means for anyone building a career in Portugal.

The Portugal Brief 11 Aug 2026

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