While the big Lisbon festivals grab the international names, further north there’s the good kind of party — the sort that smells of grill smoke with little lights blinking between the streets. The Festas de São Pedro are back in Caíde de Rei, Lousada, running from 29 June to 5 July. A whole week of arraial, the old-fashioned way.

Tradition and music side by side

São Pedro is one of those celebrations that mixes the sacred and the profane without apology: mass and procession on one side, stage and dancing on the other. This year’s bill doesn’t disappoint — Caíde welcomes names like Carlão, who turns any square into a hands-in-the-air concert, DJ Kura with his floor-filling electronic sets, and Rosinha, queen of the popular singalong.

In between there’s everything you’d hope for: bifanas and pork steaks off the coals, ginjinha flowing, carousels for the kids and fireworks to close the big nights.

Why it’s worth going

No festival wristband needed, no fortune to pay. You just turn up, wander the grounds, bump into half the people there and let the night carry on. It’s the kind of small-town summer that half the country grew up with — and this week it’s happening in Caíde de Rei.

If you’ve got a free evening this week, you know where to point the car. The full programme is usually posted on the Câmara Municipal de Lousada channels.

See also: what to do this weekend in Portugal.

Some dates you mark in the diary in felt-tip, and this is one of them: from 9 to 11 July, Lisbon’s Passeio Marítimo de Algés turns once again into one of the high points of the European music summer. NOS Alive is back, and this year’s lineup is anything but modest.

Who’s on the bill

Foo Fighters lead the billing — one of those bands that turns a whole site into a single choir. Along the way you’ll also find Florence + the Machine, with that grand, almost ritual register, Twenty One Pilots and Sweden’s Zara Larsson, among many other names spread across the stages. It’s the festival’s usual mix: stadium rock, pop, indie and discoveries for those who arrive early.

Practical tips

Algés fills up, so the advice is the usual: public transport where you can, plenty of water (July shows no mercy) and comfortable shoes, because there’s a lot of walking between stages. Get there in good time for the early-afternoon sets, often the hidden gems of the day.

If there’s one festival to show outsiders why the Portuguese summer sounds so good, it’s this one. Tickets and schedules at the official NOS Alive site.

See also: RFM Somnii in Figueira da Foz.

If your idea of a perfect summer is dancing on the sand until night falls and the sky fills with lights, mark the date: RFM Somnii returns to Praia do Relógio in Figueira da Foz from 10 to 12 July. It’s the beach party that mixes DJs, sunshine and electronic beats in one of the prettiest settings on the central coast.

What to expect

Somnii makes the beach its stage — and that changes everything. Instead of a closed, dusty arena, you dance with the sea right there and the sunset as a backdrop. The lineup leans heavily on electronic and dance music, with that relaxed festival vibe that pairs perfectly with the season.

Go prepared

Summer on the beach calls for simple precautions: proper sunscreen, water always within reach, and a plan for the journey home, especially if the night runs long. Figueira draws big crowds these days, so it’s worth sorting accommodation early if you’re coming from afar.

It’s the kind of weekend that sticks in the memory — salt on your skin, music in your ears and that feeling that summer is always worth it after all. Dates and tickets at the official RFM Somnii site.

See also: NOS Alive in Algés.

Good news if you’ve got money on the Lisbon exchange: the PSI is in fine form. Portugal’s benchmark index is hovering around 8,900 points, close to highs not seen in roughly 16 years. And it’s no one-day wonder — it’s up nearly 7% over four weeks and more than 34% over the past year. For an index that was long the Cinderella of Europe, that’s quite the return to the ball.

What’s pulling the index up

The momentum has come mainly from banking, utilities and telecoms — the heavyweights that dominate the PSI’s market cap. When banks rise with margins still healthy and utilities pay strong dividends, the index says thank you. Dividend season helps, too: June tends to bring several payment dates that keep investors interested.

There’s also a European tide at work here. Markets across the continent have been buoyant, and Lisbon, being small, catches those winds nicely when they blow the right way.

Keep your feet on the ground

Record highs always feel good, but the usual caveat applies: an index concentrated in a few sectors climbs fast and can correct just as quickly if banking or energy stumbles. Long-term investors do well to look at fundamentals, not just the chart. Official data and the index composition are available at Euronext Lisbon.

See also: Brent at the year’s lows and the record house prices.

Some voices stay with us long after the music stops, and Loreen’s is one of them. The Swede who conquered Eurovision twice — first with Euphoria, then with Tattoo — has just released Wildfire!, a new album that lands to remind us she was never just a contest singer.

The fire keeps burning

The title says almost everything. Loreen has always moved well between danceable pop and something more theatrical and dramatic, with that electronic edge that makes choruses sound huge. Wildfire! leans into the formula that fits her like a glove: beats built for the floor and a voice that knows how to soar without losing control.

For Portuguese audiences there’s a strong emotional link: Eurovision is practically a national sport here, and Loreen’s duels with the Portuguese entries are part of the contest’s recent memory. Seeing her return with new material is cause for celebration for anyone who follows the genre.

Worth a listen?

If you like electronic pop with bite, you’re halfway there already. And even those who only know her from the Eurovision hits will recognise the signature — big, emotive, made for the stage. Pop the headphones on and take a spin through the record. Official information is at loreenofficial.com.

See also: the box office for Supergirl and Toy Story 5.

If you’ve been dreaming of a Portuguese passport, there’s important news: the rules for applying for nationality have changed, and the new law has been in force since mid-May. Let’s get to what matters, without the fog of legal jargon.

Who waits seven, who waits ten

The headline point is the length of legal residence required before you can apply for citizenship. For nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and the European Union, the wait is now seven years. For other foreign citizens, it rises to ten years. In other words, the clock now ticks more slowly for some than for others, depending on where you’re from.

There’s an important note for those who came in via investment, though: golden visa holders can still access permanent residence after five years. The two things — permanent residence and nationality — are not the same, and it’s worth not muddling them.

What to do about it

If your case is already clocking up time, the first thing is to work out which regime you fall under and from what date your legal residence counts. The maths varies with each person’s permit and history, so it’s best to confirm case by case. Official information on nationality and residence is at AIMA, and the text of the law at the Diário da República.

See also: how AIMA tightened proof of address in 2026.

Some stories you read with a lump in your throat, and this is one of them. The earthquakes that struck Venezuela have left more than 1,400 confirmed dead and a trail of destruction still being tallied. Why does it hit so close to home here? Because Venezuela is home to one of the largest Portuguese communities anywhere in the world — Madeirans, above all, who emigrated over decades and built a second home there.

Among the victims are dozens of Portuguese and Portuguese-descended citizens, and many families still don’t know where their loved ones are. That’s the cruellest limbo of all: the call that never comes, the name that doesn’t appear on any list, the wait that drags on hour by hour.

Portugal didn’t sit on its hands

The Portuguese state has activated a support mission, with dozens of personnel and several tonnes of humanitarian aid heading to La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas. It’s the kind of response you’d expect when so many family ties are at stake — and the Madeiran diaspora, no stranger to rallying round, is already organising collections and contacts.

For anyone with relatives in the region, the official advice is the usual but worth repeating: register and stay in touch through consular channels, which centralise information and help locate people. You can find guidance for Portuguese citizens abroad on the official Government of Portugal portal.

We’ll keep following this closely. For now, our thoughts are with them — and our hope that many of the missing turn up safe.

See also: the Strait of Hormuz reopening and the rejected labour law.

Good news if you invested in Portugal in search of residence: renewing the golden visa no longer means in-person appointments and endless queues. AIMA now accepts renewal applications through a dedicated portal, online from start to finish. For a permit you renew every few years, that’s one less headache.

The fund route still rules

Since real estate stopped counting towards the programme, the most-used way in has become qualifying investment funds. Instead of buying an apartment, the investor places capital in an eligible fund and meets the holding requirements. It’s the option that now dominates new applications.

It’s worth keeping the pieces straight, though. The golden visa grants residence; after five years it can open the door to permanent residence. Citizenship is a separate stage, with its own timelines — recently changed.

Before you jump in

Processing times remain long, with the gap between submission and biometrics running close to a year in many cases. Anyone weighing it up should pack patience and take advice on the costs and risks of each fund before signing anything. Official information on the programme is at AIMA.

See also: the new nationality law and its timelines and summer jobs in tourism.

When we dial 112, we rarely think about who’s on the other end of the line. This week it’s worth thinking about. Portugal’s emergency telecom operators at the Civil Protection authority began a week-long strike on Monday — and the reason is easy to grasp: they want a recognised, dedicated career path that reflects what they actually do.

Before anyone panics: emergency response is guaranteed. The workers themselves are at pains to say so, and minimum services are in place to make sure an emergency call still gets answered. The strike is a way of pressuring the government, not a cut to the service.

What’s at stake

The core demand is status. These professionals take the calls, triage the urgency and dispatch resources — firefighters, ambulances, police — often in seconds and in life-or-death situations. What they’re asking is that this responsibility be matched by a defined career, with progression and conditions to match, rather than being stuck in a contractual limbo.

It’s one of those jobs that goes unnoticed until it fails. Which is exactly why it deserves a closer look: the backbone of emergency response is people, not just phones. You can read about the role and structure of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority on its official portal.

See also: the rejected labour law and what the government does next.

Anyone living in Lisbon hardly needs a study to know the city is expensive. But now there’s a number that stings: according to a recent analysis, Lisbon is the least affordable European capital for a single person on an average salary. Not the most expensive in absolute terms — but the one where what you pay and what you earn line up worst.

The maths is brutal. The median asking rent in the city sat around 21.8 euros per square metre in May, well above the national average of 16.3 euros. Add food, transport and energy on top, and the average wage evaporates before the month is out.

And it’s not just Lisbon

Porto squeezes too, with median rents around 16.4 euros per square metre. Nationally, there’s a curious wrinkle: rent inflation eased a little, partly because incentives for young buyers nudged some demand out of renting and into purchasing. But that’s relative relief — for those who can’t buy, the market remains a tough league.

The OECD has been insisting that Portugal needs more housing, and faster, especially at affordable prices. That’s the crux: without new supply, prices keep climbing. Market reports are available at idealista/data.

See also: the median house price hitting a new record.

Football doesn’t always serve up a show, and the goalless draw between Portugal and Colombia in Miami was one of those chess matches where neither side wanted to overcommit. Final score: 0-0, with the defences talking louder than the attacks. It won’t live long in the memory, but it doesn’t wreck the maths either — Portugal march on, eyes already on the next test.

Croatia waiting

The next chapter is on 3 July in Toronto, against Croatia. And that’s a different conversation. The Croatians are old hands at the latter stages, the kind of side that doesn’t always dazzle but rarely gets caught napping. It’ll demand more than what we saw in Miami: sharper final balls, sharper finishing.

The good news is the team looked solid at the back, and at a proper World Cup that’s worth its weight in gold. The bad news is goals are hard to come by — and against a side happy to soak up pressure and counter, Portugal will need to find the key to the lock.

What’s at stake

Toronto could shape much of Portugal’s run in this tournament. There’s talent to spare in the squad; now they just need the pieces to click at the right moment. Mark the date: 3 July, and may the ball go in this time. The national team’s official calendar is at fpf.pt.

See also: Wimbledon getting under way with Nuno Borges.

The company that put ChatGPT on everyone’s lips has taken the step many expected: OpenAI has confidentially filed paperwork to go public. In other words, it’s preparing to become a listed company — and not just any one. After a giant funding round that valued it at around 852 billion dollars, this could be the largest market debut of the AI era.

Why it matters

An IPO forces you to open the books. Until now, OpenAI has moved with the discretion of a private company; once listed, it’ll have to show revenue, costs and — the most sensitive part — how much it’s actually spending to train and run its models. At a moment when the market is starting to ask when all this AI turns a profit, those numbers will be picked apart to the decimal.

There’s a backstage read, too: the company has been investing in its own inference chips, trying to lean less on Nvidia’s hardware and get a tighter grip on its energy bill. A sign that the next battle isn’t only about software — it’s about infrastructure.

And for the rest of us?

For the everyday user, little changes right away. But a publicly traded OpenAI faces more public scrutiny and the pressure of quarterly results, which tends to discipline spending and speed up products that pay the bills. Worth watching. Official product information is at openai.com.

See also: AI changing its tune, from spending to showing returns.

If you’re job-hunting for the months ahead, summer is your friend. With hotels full and restaurants packed, tourism is the sector that hires most at this time of year, and in 2026 there’s an organised way in: the tourism employment fairs.

Where and how

The fairs, run as a partnership between Turismo de Portugal, the IEFP and job exchanges, pass through five cities this year: Vilamoura, Évora, Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra. The idea is simple and effective — instead of firing off dozens of CVs into the void, you speak face to face with recruiters, often with interviews on the spot.

The most sought-after roles are the usual high-season ones: receptionists, waiting and bar staff, kitchen crew, cleaning and entertainment. Many don’t need long experience; what counts is willingness, a friendly manner and, in plenty of cases, some languages — English nearly always opens doors, and French or Spanish are a bonus.

Before you go

It’s worth preparing a short, up-to-date CV, bringing several copies and, if possible, having your IEFP registration in order. You can also browse the openings on the IEFP online portal and apply before showing up. For anyone needing extra help, the IEFP helpline answers on working days.

It’s seasonal work, yes, but for many it’s the way to put some money aside, gain experience and sometimes land a contract that lasts beyond the summer.

See also: the IEFP Iniciar internships and the hiring incentives. Official openings are at IEFP.

The new Supergirl reached cinemas, but the landing was less triumphant than Warner had hoped. The film starring Milly Alcock — the same face as young Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon — opened with around $38 million in the United States and $68 million worldwide, nearly half what initial projections suggested.

For perspective, James Gunn’s Superman opened last summer with $125 million in the US market alone. Supergirl, on a $170 million budget, falls clearly short — and the B- the audience handed it on CinemaScore doesn’t help paint a rosy future.

The toys won’t leave the throne

The one still partying is Pixar. Toy Story 5 held the top of the box office, adding another weekend of huge numbers and confirming itself as one of the year’s great phenomena. It seems that, between a caped heroine and Woody with Buzz, audiences still pick nostalgia.

It’s not all bad for Supergirl: superhero films live a lot on word of mouth and international markets, and there’s still room to recover. But the start leaves Hollywood with the old question on its mind again — has the public tired of capes and powers?

In Portugal, both films are showing, and you can watch both sides of this summer battle on the big screen.

See also: Toy Story 5’s record opening and the F1 movie sequel with Brad Pitt. More on the universe at DC.

If you’re renewing your residence permit this year, it’s worth getting the folder ready calmly. In 2026, AIMA has made proof of address stricter, and anyone turning up at the counter without the right papers risks being sent home empty-handed.

What changed in proof of address

The tenancy contract alone is no longer enough. They now also ask for the property’s permanent land registry certificate and proof of the last rent receipt reported to the tax authority. In other words, they want to see that the contract is real and being honoured. Anyone living with family or in a shared flat should check in advance that they can gather these documents.

Always carry your expired permit

There’s one point that saves a lot of headaches: anyone who has already started their application on the Renewal Portal should always carry the expired permit and the proof that the process is pending. Those two papers together prove your residence remains legal while AIMA handles the rest. Don’t leave them at home.

Once your account is validated and payment confirmed, AIMA sends an email with a proposed appointment for in-person service and biometric data collection, where needed. Keep an eye on your inbox, spam included, so you don’t miss the slot.

The summary is simple: the door hasn’t closed, but it’s become more bureaucratic. With the right documents and a little patience, the process moves along.

See also: the 90,000 renewals and the proof documents and the new family reunification rules. Official information is on the AIMA website.

Today marks the start of what is, for many, the most beautiful tournament of the year. Wimbledon opened its doors this Monday, with the grass still fresh, the compulsory white, and the first main-draw matches rolling out in London.

For Portugal, all eyes are on Nuno Borges. The national number one takes the court on opening day against American Tristan Boyer, in a match that, on paper, is within his reach. Borges, 29, sits around the top 65 of the rankings and put together a solid grass-court build-up, with three wins in five matches pointing to good form on the circuit’s trickiest surface.

The second-round ghost

If he gets past this first round, a poisoned gift awaits: Jannik Sinner, the world number one, is the likely opponent in the second round. It’s not a tie to dream of winning, but the Portuguese has a strong serve and a game that bothers people — and on grass, where a well-placed serve decides points, nobody enjoys facing him.

Grass rewards bravery: short points, quick decisions, little time to think. It’s a surface that can shrink the gap between a top-10 player and someone further down, and that’s exactly where the Portuguese hope lives.

Whatever the result, having a Portuguese player open Wimbledon is reason enough to switch on the TV.

See also: the preview of the Portuguese at Wimbledon and the start of the World Cup knockouts. Live results on the official Wimbledon site.

For a good two years, the rule in the world of artificial intelligence was simple: spend without looking at the bill. More models, more chips, more data centres, on the belief that whoever got biggest would get there first. That mood has started to turn.

Last week’s news all points the same way. Corporate customers have stopped signing blank cheques and started asking the boring old question: does this pay off? The shift has a name — instead of “tokenmaxxing”, spending with abandon, the talk now is of efficiency, of doing more with less.

Markets at the door

The timing isn’t innocent. Both OpenAI and Anthropic have filed confidentially to go public, and a debut like that demands numbers that convince investors, not just promises. Anthropic is reported to have hit an annualised revenue run rate of around $47 billion, a huge jump on last year — but the market wants to see profit on the horizon, not only growth.

Meanwhile, the chip war rolls on. OpenAI teamed up with Broadcom to design its own processor, and almost everyone — Google, Meta, Apple — is racing for custom silicon to escape Nvidia’s steep bill.

Why does this matter from Portugal? Because it sets the price and speed of the tools we already use at work and at school. A race more focused on efficiency usually means cheaper, better-built products for the end user.

See also: the race to Anthropic’s IPO and Siri with outside models. More detail on Anthropic’s official blog.

If you’re house-hunting, you already suspected it: it keeps getting more expensive. The numbers from INE confirm what your wallet feels. In the first quarter of 2026, the average price of homes sold reached €262,839, an all-time high, up 13% on a year earlier.

And it’s not just the sale price. The median bank valuation hit €2,208 per square metre in May, also a record, with Lisbon and Porto pulling the figures up as usual.

A very gentle brake

There is, however, one detail worth noting. The housing price index rose 17.8% year on year — wild, yes, but it was the first slowdown since mid-2024, after touching 18.9% at the end of 2025. In other words: still rising fast, just a little less fast.

Families are starting to hesitate too. Between January and March, 37,745 homes were sold, down 8.7% on the same period in 2025. With Euribor stubbornly refusing to fall and prices sky-high, some would rather wait and see.

The picture is the familiar one, made worse: wages that don’t keep up, supply that doesn’t arrive, and a younger generation feeling that owning a home drifts a little further away each year.

See also: how the home loan instalment looks with Euribor and the IMT exemption for young buyers. The official data is at INE.

Anyone who’s been wincing at fuel prices these past weeks can breathe a little. Brent, the benchmark that matters most for what we pay, fell to around $72 a barrel — its lowest since late February.

The reason is geopolitical: with the Strait of Hormuz open again and tankers moving, the fear of a supply cut has drained away. When the market stops panicking, crude falls. And when crude falls, sooner or later that reaches the pump.

Mind the fine print

Before celebrating, two brakes. First, the oil price doesn’t reach the station instantly: there’s always a lag of days to weeks, plus taxes that don’t move with the barrel. In Portugal, the tax slice of each litre is huge, so a 5% drop in crude never translates into a 5% drop in what we pay.

Second, the calm is fragile. The US-Iran ceasefire still hangs by a thread, and one spark could send the barrel jumping again. Anyone budgeting for the household would do well not to assume low prices are here to stay.

Even so, the direction is good. After weeks of watching the numbers climb, it’s the first time in a while that the wind is blowing in drivers’ favour.

See also: The Strait of Hormuz breathes again. Reference prices can be checked at the DGEG.

The government’s proposal to rework the Labour Code got a no from parliament, and it was a no with plenty of company: voting against were Chega, the PS, Livre, the PCP, the BE, PAN and JPP. In favour stood only the PSD, the CDS and the Liberal Initiative. In politics, when the left and André Ventura’s party vote on the same side, it’s a sign the topic has legs.

Why it fell

The government insists it negotiated seriously, above all with Chega, and that on most points there was even agreement. The knot tightened on one issue: Chega demanded changes to the sustainability of Social Security and an opening to alter the retirement age. The government refused, and without those votes the proposal was left without a net.

What comes next

Luís Montenegro has already said he won’t give up and that parliament “will have its moment” on this. In the meantime he’s promising new measures for families, perhaps a way to show movement while the labour reform sits on the back burner. The problem is arithmetic: the make-up of the chamber hasn’t changed, and any new version needs to find a majority that, for now, doesn’t exist.

For workers, the translation is that day-to-day rules — hours, dismissals, contracts — stay as they are for now. Nothing changes tomorrow. But the tug-of-war will go on, and it promises to be one of the threads running through this second term.

See also: PS blocks the labour reform and the government’s agenda on immigration and work. You can follow the debates on the Parliament website.

After a weekend of nerves, with missiles falling on Kuwait and Bahrain, the news that matters most to your wallet is the quieter one: tankers are crossing the Strait of Hormuz again. And in numbers.

The chokepoint that carries much of the world’s oil is working once more. Gulf exports have climbed back to roughly three quarters of pre-war levels, Saudi Arabia is loading tankers again at Ras Tanura, and the US Navy’s maritime information centre even widened the navigable route off Oman to let more traffic through in both directions.

Crude eases

Markets read all of this as a sign of calm and answered instantly. Brent slipped to around $72 a barrel, its lowest since February, and US crude fell sharply too. In plain terms: the panic of recent weeks has started to drain away.

That doesn’t mean it’s all settled. The ceasefire memorandum is still fragile paper, with each side accusing the other of breaking it, and Donald Trump warning he’ll respond if Iran strikes American interests again. But the technical talks to put the deal into practice are still standing, and for now that’s enough to calm the ships.

For Portugal, the translation is simple: if Hormuz stays open, what we pay at the pump on the weekend tends to drop rather than spike. It was the fear of a cut that kept pushing fuel prices up.

The usual caution applies: the situation changes by the hour, and not everything circulating on social media survives a second read.

See also: Iran strikes US bases in the Gulf and the impact on fuel prices. Follow the international coverage via UN News.

If one festival put Portimão on the world party map, it is this one. Afro Nation, billed as the biggest afrobeats festival on the planet, returns to Praia da Rocha from July 3 to 5, and brings with it a crowd from half the world.

The recipe is simple and unbeatable: a stage by the sea, the Algarve sun at its peak, and the biggest names in afrobeats, amapiano and urban music shaking the sand. It is beach by day and party deep into the night, in that atmosphere where you hear so many languages it feels like a small United Nations summit, only dancing.

For those heading to the Algarve

It is worth planning ahead. In July the Algarve fills up, and accommodation near Portimão sells out fast and shoots up in price. If you have not sorted your stay, do not leave it to the last minute.

Hydration is the watchword, because between the heat and the dancing you burn serious energy. Sunscreen, a hat and shoes for the sand complete the kit. And, as at any big event, agree a meeting point with your group and keep your ticket handy on your phone.

It is the kind of weekend that leaves memories for the whole year. The Algarve is beautiful on its own; with the right soundtrack, it becomes irresistible.

See also: A beach party with electronica in Matosinhos. Line-up and tickets at Afro Nation’s official site.

There are bands and there are institutions. Iron Maiden are one of those that have filled stadiums for decades and still get several generations singing in unison. On July 7, it is Lisbon’s turn, with a show at Estádio da Luz that promises to be one to tell the grandchildren about.

For anyone who has never been to a show by the British band, the warning is simple: it is not just music, it is a full spectacle. Giant sets, the famous mascot Eddie appearing on stage, and a setlist packed with classics everyone knows, even those who swear they do not like metal.

Tips for the night

Being in a stadium, go early. Queues at the entrance form well ahead of time, and nobody wants to miss the first song stuck at ticket control. Comfortable shoes are half the battle, because you will be on your feet for a long time.

Drink water, especially if these hot days hold, and agree a meeting point with your group, because with thousands of people the phone does not always help. And, of course, warm up your voice: you will need it for the choruses.

It is the kind of night that justifies the trip to Lisbon, wherever you are coming from. Metal does not die, and in July it will be very much alive at the Luz.

See also: The NOS Alive line-up in July. Tickets and dates at Iron Maiden’s official site.

The Bank of Portugal laid its mid-year cards on the table, and the picture is not bad. In June’s Economic Bulletin, the regulator describes an economy that is holding up: a favourable labour market, more investment pushed by incoming EU funds, and a budget stance still on the expansionary side.

Translated into kitchen-table terms: there are jobs, money is flowing in for works and projects, and the state is not tightening its belt. Added up, these are ingredients that help the economy grow.

The catch is called inflation

Not everything is rosy. The rise in prices in 2026 largely reflects costlier oil tied to instability in the Middle East, which hit an important slice of the world’s energy supply. When energy goes up, it drags almost everything with it, from the electricity bill to the price of what we put on the plate.

This is why the recent calm in the barrel price is so welcome. If oil stays well-behaved, inflation tends to ease, and that is felt directly in family budgets.

For now, the snapshot is of an economy that keeps resisting, with one eye on jobs and funds and the other, watchful, on the price thermometer.

See also: Inflation at 3.3% and the weight of energy. Read the Economic Bulletin at the Bank of Portugal.

After weeks of jumping with every headline out of the Middle East, oil finally caught its breath. The Brent barrel eased back toward 72 to 73 dollars, returning to the levels it held before tensions in the region spiked.

The explanation is almost mechanical: when the market fears the conflict will cut supply, prices rise; when the fear eases, they fall again. That is what happened in recent days, with Brent dropping more than five per cent in a single session.

And at the pump?

The good news comes with the usual fine print. A falling barrel tends to take a while to reach the tank, but estimates point to stability as soon as next week: standard 95 petrol should sit around 1.877 euros a litre and standard diesel around 1.769 euros. In other words, no big shocks for now.

It is worth remembering why this matters even to people who never look at markets. The oil price feeds into almost everything: what we pay to fill the car, the cost of moving fruit to the supermarket and, further down the line, inflation. When the barrel calms down, we all breathe a little easier.

Whether the calm lasts is another matter. With the Gulf still on edge, one fresh jolt could send the barrel climbing again.

See also: European markets and gold near record highs. Check the Brent quote on Trading Economics.

When a film becomes the biggest sports-movie hit of all time, it is almost certain nobody will let it die without a second part. Such is the case with F1, the racing picture with Brad Pitt that packed cinemas around the world.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed the sequel is underway. There is no timeline or locked cast yet, but Brad Pitt is unlikely to be left out: the actor is expected to slip back into the role of Sonny Hayes, the former driver who returns to the track after decades away.

A hit nobody saw coming quite like this

The first film was not just box office. It picked up four Oscar nominations, among them Best Picture, and became the highest-grossing sports movie ever. That is no small feat for a story that, on paper, was just another drama about cars going fast.

Part of the secret lay in the ambition of the production, which filmed on real Formula 1 circuits, during actual Grand Prix weekends, giving audiences a sense of speed hard to fake in a studio.

For fans, the anticipation is set. A sequel always carries the burden of matching the original, but with this cast and this machine behind it, there are reasons to line up on the starting grid. We just have to find out when we hear the engines purr again.

See also: The 2026 Emmy nominations. More about the sport at Formula 1’s official site.

There are festivals and there is Glastonbury. The British giant, planted at Worthy Farm in the English countryside, wraps up another edition this Sunday of what many consider the most famous music festival in the world.

Among the headliners this time are Coldplay, a band that is practically synonymous with full stadiums and choruses sung by tens of thousands of people at once. It is not every day you see one of the biggest bands on the planet on a stage with the history of the Pyramid Stage.

Why Glastonbury is different

Anyone who has never been asks what is so special about a festival in the middle of the mud. The answer lies in the scale and the spirit. It is five days, hundreds of performances across dozens of stages, and a blend of music, art and causes that few events in the world manage to bring together.

For Portuguese audiences, Glastonbury is also a benchmark and a source of healthy envy. Our summer festivals have grown and landed big names, but Glasto remains that rite of passage many dream of ticking off the list one day.

A note for music lovers: if you ever work up the courage for the English adventure, take wellington boots and patience. It will be worth it.

See also: The Michael Jackson biopic eyes its release. Official line-up at Glastonbury’s site.

If you have been waiting months for an answer from AIMA, there are signs the machine is slowly getting moving. The agency says it has cleared about 90,000 of the 100,000 residence-permit renewal requests that entered the system since June last year.

It is not everything, but it is a big slice, and it shows the mountain of pending cases is finally coming down. For anyone living in Portugal with their life on hold over a document, every decision counts.

And the card that never arrives?

Here is the catch. The issuing of physical residence cards remains delayed, and many people are left without the plastic in hand even after their request is approved. To plug that gap, AIMA now offers digital proofs, which certify that a case is under review or already decided and can be used as evidence of status before various services.

It is not ideal, but it solves many day-to-day headaches, from opening a bank account to dealing with health or work matters. The practical advice is to keep that proof close at hand, on paper and on your phone.

To follow your case, official information is always best, and be wary of anyone promising to speed up cases for money. Patience and documents in order remain the best strategy.

See also: What AIMA says about first-permit deadlines. Official information at AIMA.

For many immigrants in Portugal, the dream is not only to come, it is to bring the family. And that is precisely where the new Foreigners Law tightened up. It is worth understanding what changes, without scaremongering and without pretending nothing is different.

The main rule is new: most residents will now have to complete two years of legal residence in Portugal before they can apply for family reunification. It is a requirement that did not exist in the same form and that forces more advance planning.

The exceptions that matter

Not everything is so closed off. The two-year period does not apply to minor children or incapacitated dependants of someone legally in the country. And there is a shorter window, of 15 months, for couples who can prove they lived together for at least 18 months before the main applicant moved here.

There are other substantial changes too. CPLP citizens will now need a residence visa before applying for the permit, so it is no longer possible to handle everything on national territory with a tourist visa. Integration measures are also foreseen, such as learning the language, with proof of proficiency certificates.

The advice is the usual one, but more important than ever: check your specific situation with an official source before making decisions, because the details change from case to case and the deadlines have dates.

See also: The new Nationality Law and its deadlines. Official information at AIMA.

If you were already dodging the sun, brace yourself, because next week promises to sweat. Portugal’s weather institute is pointing to hot, dry days ahead, and with them comes what always comes at this time of year: greater rural fire risk.

Yellow warnings cover inland districts such as Bragança, Vila Real, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Portalegre, Évora and Beja. In Évora, highs could brush 37C, and the Alentejo is once again the oven we know.

What the authorities are asking

The recipe for avoiding trouble is old but still holds: no burning of brush or stubble, care with farm machinery that throws sparks, and zero fireworks. With the scrub as dry as it is, one stray spark in the wrong place can turn a quiet afternoon into a night of firefighters at the door.

It is worth keeping the emergency number handy, drinking water regularly, and not leaving the elderly or children exposed to the heat for long. If you work outdoors, aim for the cooler hours of the day.

The warning lands in a symbolic week for those who fight fires. This extra vigilance is no exaggeration: the mix of heat, drought and wind is exactly the one that tends to go wrong.

See also: Lousada’s firefighters and the support promised by the government. Check the daily risk at IPMA and public alerts from Civil Protection.

Sunday’s early hours brought the Persian Gulf the scenario everyone had been dreading. Hours after the United States struck five coastal sites in Iran, Tehran answered with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at two of the largest American military footprints in the region.

The targets were the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claims it destroyed several pieces of infrastructure; Washington frames the earlier strikes as retaliation for an alleged attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire coming apart

There is a ceasefire memorandum between the two sides, but right now it looks more like paper than reality. Each blames the other for breaking it first, and trust has evaporated. Caught in the middle are the neighbours: the UAE firmly condemned the strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait as a clear violation of the sovereignty of two Gulf states.

Diplomacy has not given up. Egypt and Qatar again stressed the importance of keeping talks alive between Washington and Tehran, with contacts between their foreign ministers.

For Portugal, the impact is felt mostly in the wallet. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the arteries through which much of the world’s oil flows, and any spark there moves the fuel prices we pay at the weekend. The barrel has already been on a rollercoaster over recent weeks because of this crisis.

For now, the usual caution applies: check before you panic. The picture changes by the hour, and not everything circulating on social media survives a second read.

See also: Ship hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Follow international coverage via UN News.

This one is for employers, especially small businesses that so often hesitate to hire because of the costs. In 2026, IEFP keeps in place a set of hiring supports worth knowing before you sign a new contract.

The logic of these supports is simple: the state covers part of the cost of hiring, especially when it involves people in a tougher spot in the labour market, such as the long-term unemployed, young people seeking a first job, or those with a disability. The idea is to give a push to those who need it most and, at the same time, lower the risk for the company.

Where to start

The route runs through the iefponline portal, where the available measures, conditions and application deadlines are listed. It is worth setting aside a little time to read carefully, because each measure has its own rules, different amounts and requirements to keep the job in place.

A common-sense warning: these supports usually have limited budgets and deadlines that close when the money runs out. Anyone thinking of strengthening their team gains by sorting this early, not on the day they need the person to start.

For Portugal’s smaller businesses, which are the overwhelming majority, these mechanisms can make the difference between postponing a hire and finally taking the step.

See also: Public-sector jobs and state competitions on BEP. Official details at IEFP.

Alongside the +Talento internships, there is another IEFP door worth knowing: the INICIAR measure. Applications are open and run until July 30, or until the available budget runs out, which tends to happen before the deadline.

As the name suggests, this measure is aimed at those starting their professional path who need that first opportunity to gain practical experience in a company or institution. It is the bridge between finishing a course and proving yourself on the ground, which so often makes all the difference on a CV that is still blank.

Worth not leaving it for later

The practical advice is direct: do not wait for the last day. Since the budget is limited and can run out early, applying ahead of time plays to your advantage. Before proceeding, confirm you meet the measure’s requirements and have your CV ready.

The best place to see the conditions, the supports and to handle the application is the iefponline portal, which also lists the other employment and internship measures in force. It is worth comparing to see which fits your case.

For anyone hunting for that first door-opening experience, this is a real chance. First opportunities are the hardest to find, and measures like this exist precisely for that.

See also: The +Talento internships, for qualified graduates. Apply at the iefponline portal.

Some ceasefires exist more on paper than on the ground, and the understanding between the United States and Iran looks like one of them. After a night of crossfire in the Gulf, the big political question is simple: is there still a deal to save?

There is a memorandum, with fourteen points, that was meant to end the hostilities. But Washington accuses Tehran of repeatedly violating it, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard returns the charge, saying it was the Americans who broke the terms. When both sides say the other started it, the understanding hangs by a thread.

The neighbours in the middle

The escalation rattles the Gulf states, who did not ask to be part of this. The United Arab Emirates firmly condemned the Iranian strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, seeing them as a threat to the security of the whole region. Egypt and Qatar, for their part, prefer dialogue and again urged that talks between Washington and Tehran not die.

For Europe, and for Portugal, the issue is followed closely for one very concrete reason: stability in the Gulf moves energy and prices. A drawn-out crisis there is felt at the fuel pumps here.

For now, diplomacy is racing the clock, with the region hoping reason speaks louder than missiles.

See also: Iran strikes US bases in the Gulf. Follow it via UN News.

The Socialist Party did some chest-thumping on Sunday. Meeting in Lisbon, the PS National Commission heard its leader, José Luís Carneiro, claim as a party victory the fact that it had managed to halt two government proposals: what he calls the labour counter-reform and the new single social benefit.

Carneiro did not mince words. He said that since the AD won the elections there had been two lost years, and aimed straight at the prime minister: Mr Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, take your head out of the sand, your government is not working.

Common sense or obstruction?

As with almost everything in politics, the reading depends on where you sit. For the PS, this was a brake on measures it considers unfair to workers and to those who rely on social support. For the government and its supporters, it is another example of an opposition making it hard to pass reforms they say the country needs.

What interests us is what it means in practice: for now, the changes to labour rules and the merger of various supports into a single benefit are on hold. For people who work or depend on these supports, this is the kind of tug-of-war that can move the household budget.

The debate is far from over, and the next chapter plays out in Parliament. We will follow it without taking sides, as always.

See also: The Montenegro government’s immigration and work agenda. Follow official activity at portugal.gov.pt.

Good news for anyone living in a rented home who eyes the bill warily every month. In 2026 there are two numbers worth keeping in mind.

The first is the rent deduction in income tax, which rises to 900 euros. That means when settling up with the tax office, tenants can write off more than before of what they paid in rent over the year. And there is more good news on the horizon: from 2027, this limit rises again, to 1,000 euros.

And how much can the rent rise?

The second number reins in the bad side. The update of older rents is capped by a coefficient set by the statistics institute: 1.0224. In other words, landlords can raise the rent by at most 2.24 per cent, slightly above last year’s figure, but far from the increases that frighten.

Together, these are measures meant to give some breathing room to renters, in a country where finding a home at a reasonable price remains one of the biggest headaches. They do not solve the underlying problem, but they ease the end-of-month bill and the tax season.

The practical advice is the same as always: keep your rent receipts and make sure the contract is reported to the tax authority, because without that the deduction does not happen.

See also: Euribor squeezing those with home loans. More information at portugal.gov.pt.

Buying a first home is never cheap, but there is a support that many young people still do not fully know about: IMT Jovem. And in 2026 it became a little more generous.

The rule is this. Anyone up to age 35 buying their first own and permanent home can be exempt from transfer tax (IMT) and stamp duty. This year, the ceiling for full exemption rose from 324,058 to 330,539 euros, an increase of about 2 per cent set by the State Budget.

And above that figure?

Not everything is left out. Between 330,539 and 660,982 euros, a reduced 8 per cent rate applies to the portion above the first limit. Only above that second bracket do the normal rules kick in. So even those buying a pricier home can use part of the benefit.

In practice, this is thousands of euros staying in the pockets of people just starting out, at a moment when every euro counts toward the deposit and the renovations. It is worth doing the maths before you sign.

A useful caveat: the benefit has conditions, from age to value limits to never having owned a home before. Check it all carefully, ideally with help from someone who knows, so the deed brings no surprises.

See also: House prices hit a new record. Official details at the Tax Authority portal.

The league is over, but football does not rest: the transfer season is open, and the big clubs are already moving pieces for 2026/27.

At Benfica, the big headache is central defence. With Nicolás Otamendi out of contract and refusing to renew, the club has chosen France’s Clément Lenglet to replace him. The 31-year-old international leaves Atlético Madrid after two seasons and brings the experience of someone who has played at the highest level. There are also departures to confirm, such as Henrique Araújo, and doubts over the future of youngsters like António Silva, a year from the end of his deal.

Sporting are busy too

At Alvalade, the focus is midfield. Sporting are closing in on Sergi Altimira from Betis, a deal that could open the exit door for captain Morten Hjulmand. Issa Doumbia has also arrived to add muscle to the area.

For the fan, this is the part of the year when you dream big and debate everything at the café counter: who stays, who goes, who is the signing still missing. The sagas will run for weeks, with twists, U-turns and that last-minute announcement nobody saw coming.

A word of caution, worth its weight in gold right now: until there is a photo with the scarf and an official signature, it is all transfer talk. We will follow what gets confirmed, not what gets rumoured.

See also: Porto and Braga strengthen too. More at Benfica’s official site.

The part with the maths and the scenarios is over. The 2026 World Cup today entered the phase where a bad day sends you home: the knockouts have begun.

With the new 48-team format, there is a brand-new round right at the start, the round of 32. The first match pitted South Africa against Canada at SoFi Stadium in California, kicking off three weeks that will produce a champion. From here on it all hurts: whoever loses packs the boots away.

And Portugal?

The national team secured passage and has a date set: it faces Croatia on July 2. After the goalless draw with Colombia, the side knows it is now entering the part of the tournament where details decide, a set piece, a moment of inspiration, a save in time.

Croatia is an old acquaintance of difficult nights and rarely makes it easy. But Portugal has plenty of arguments and an experienced group to dream of a long run. The secret, as always in knockouts, is to start focused from the first minute, because there is no second chance.

Mark the calendar, ready the nerves and the sofa: July promises nail-biting nights.

See also: Portugal draws Croatia in the round. Official schedule at FIFA.

Apple tends to arrive late to the party, but it arrives in a tailored suit. At its developer conference, the company finally unveiled the big overhaul of Siri, the assistant that had been crying out for a reboot for years.

The news that got people talking is who Apple teamed up with. The new Siri will be built on a custom Google model, Gemini, in a deal that will pay the Android maker around a billion dollars a year. The assistant now speaks more naturally, back and forth, and can chain tasks together: check the dates of a concert, set a reminder to buy tickets, and even map the route to pick up a friend.

Pick your engine

The most interesting detail for the curious is the extensions system. Apple will let users choose which artificial intelligence powers certain features, between ChatGPT, Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. It is Apple doing what it does best: taking other people’s technology and wrapping it its own way.

The company leans hard on the privacy argument, noting it collects less data than cloud-based AI services and uses information stored on the phone itself to personalise. Investors were not entirely convinced: the stock fell close to 2 per cent after the announcement.

For the everyday user, the takeaway is simple. The AI war is no longer fought only in labs, it is fought on the phone in our pocket, and Apple has just stepped into it for real.

See also: OpenAI’s GPT-5.6. More at Apple’s official site.

Some promises Elon Musk has repeated for so long that they had started to sound like a joke. Fully autonomous driving was one of them. Well, in June Tesla finally put its robotaxis on the streets of Austin, Texas.

There is, of course, important fine print: for now, each car carries a human safety supervisor on board, ready to step in if something goes wrong. So autonomous, yes, but with a safety net. It is the cautious step of a company that knows a single high-profile crash can set the project back years.

Tesla’s big bet

This launch fits a larger pivot. Tesla has entered what analysts call a high-investment cycle, shifting focus from purely selling electric cars toward artificial intelligence, robotics and its own chips. The Cybercab, the taxi built specifically for this, launches on current hardware, without waiting for the next generation of processors.

And it is not alone in the race. Nvidia has already announced it has teamed up with Uber to launch a global robotaxi network, set to start in Los Angeles and San Francisco in early 2027. The driverless-car war is about to heat up.

Here at home, none of this arrives tomorrow. But it is worth following where the sector is heading, because the self-driving car has gone from science fiction to a problem of engineering, regulation and trust.

See also: Samsung and the new foldables. More at Tesla’s site.

Mark the calendar and break in the comfy trainers: NOS Alive returns to Alges from July 9-11, with the riverside promenade turning once again into that beach-by-day, concerts-by-night crossover we know so well.

The lineup won’t disappoint anyone who likes big names. Twenty One Pilots, Florence + The Machine, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Lorde lead the front row, with Wolf Alice, The War On Drugs, Pixies and Teddy Swims backing them up. And, as tradition demands, there’s Portuguese blood in the mix, with Buraka Som Sistema promising to get the grounds jumping.

Tips if you’re going

Alges fills up, so the golden rule is simple: public transport whenever possible, plenty of water, and a plan to find your friends when the phone loses signal. The site sits by the river, which helps on the hotter nights, but the early-afternoon sun is merciless, bring a hat.

For newcomers, NOS Alive is one of the festivals that best blends international headliners with discoveries, and the atmosphere is usually as good as the sound. Day tickets or three-day passes, whatever suits.

Three days, dozens of bands and Lisbon on the doorstep. Hard to ask for more from a July weekend.

See also: Rock in Rio Lisboa closes today: the last day of the party.