DEVELOPMENT-PORTUGAL: The Hungry Side of the EU

Nearly two decades as a member of the European Union "club of the rich" have translated into little or nothing for the two million Portuguese people living in poverty.

EUROPEAN UNION: Circulation Restrictions Rock Expansion Boat

All citizens of the European Union have equal rights, but some seem to be more citizens than others as the bloc expands from 15 to 25 states, with restrictions on international movements of people from the new Eastern European members.

MEDIA-PORTUGAL: The New Voices of Immigrant Communities

A number of newspapers and magazines catering to immigrant communities in Portugal and published in Russian, Portuguese and Mandarin have relatively wide circulations and provide an important link to "home" for their readers.

PORTUGAL-INDIA: Crime Rings Sell Fake Portuguese Passports

A Portuguese official thought he was seeing things when he read a huge billboard offering Portuguese passports, along the highway running from the airport to the centre of the city of Goa in western India.

PORTUGAL: Tourism Stakes Bets on Football’s Euro Cup 2004

Football could be Portugal's big chance. One of the lesser known countries of Europe, as host of the European Cup 2004 it could shed its image as a sort of appendage to Spain and consolidate a position as a tourist destination on its own terms.

ANGOLA: Wealth for Just a Few

Corruption, a lack of transparency, a weak democracy and a population that barely scrapes by while watching the country's leaders get richer and richer - these are some of the things said to describe the Angola ruled by President José Eduardo dos Santos.

EUROPEAN UNION: Portugal Holding Firm in Last Spot

Despite the campaign promises made nearly two years ago by Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso, this South European country remains firmly in last spot in the European Union (EU) line-up.

PORTUGAL: Televised Trial Rekindles Abortion Debate

The image of a young Portuguese woman wearing a cut-off T-shirt and snug trousers, writing in bold letters across her belly "This is my business", is becoming a recognised symbol of protest against laws banning abortion, laws that are being challenged even by some of Portugal's Roman Catholic bishops.

MEDITERRANEAN: Arabs and Europeans ‘Condemned’ to Cooperate

The violence and instability arising from the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine are the most glaring examples that intercultural dialogue is needed to strengthen relations and understanding between Europeans and Arabs.

PORTUGAL-U.S.: What Are Friends For?

While Iraq turns into a nightmare for the occupying forces, Portugal's government reaffirms its steadfast alliance with Washington, keeping its pledge to send soldiers to the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.

PORTUGAL: Paedophilia Scandal Casts Stain on State’s Image

An ongoing investigation of a paedophilia scandal in Portugal, in which prominent public figures have been arrested, has undermined the state's credibility in the eyes of a society increasingly sceptical of the justice system, at a time of discouragement regarding the performance of the economy.

PORTUGAL: Special Treatment Upsets Non-Brazilian Immigrants

An agreement that went into effect this month in Portugal, which benefits undocumented immigrants from Brazil, has upset foreign nationals from other Portuguese-speaking countries.

DEVELOPMENT: Consumer Activists Seek Sustainability

A no-holds-barred fight against unregulated globalisation and the environmental devastation was announced Friday as the 17th Consumers International World Congress came to an end.

PORTUGAL-SPAIN: Olivenca or Olivenza – CIA List Revives Old Border Dispute

The ''Group of Friends of Olivença'' in Portugal welcomed this year's edition of the CIA World Factbook, because it lists an all but forgotten claim to the small town of Olivenza in Spain in its chapter on international border disputes.

GUINEA-BISSAU: Just Another Chapter in a History of Instability

When the last soldiers of the Portuguese colonial army headed home 30 years ago, there were few indications that the newly independent Republic of Guinea-Bissau would remain steeped in instability and violence over the next three decades.

ECONOMY-PORTUGAL: EU Funds Feed Rich-Poor Gap

The funds Portugal has received since its entry into the European Union in 1986 helped the country's economy grow, but at the same time contributed to increased wage disparities and to a sharp imbalance between its rich and poor regions, say experts.

RIGHTS-PORTUGAL: Gays Demand Repeal of Discriminatory Law

Portugal is one of the only European Union (EU) countries that still have laws on their books that discriminate against homosexuals, running counter to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

COMMUNICATION-PORTUGAL: Politicians Take Over the Journalist Seat

Journalists in Portugal are being displaced from news analysis and commentary by politicians, who media executives have taken by the hand in a bid to boost ratings. But media critics complain of sensationalism and conflict of interests.

DEVELOPMENT: Aid with Solidarity, not Charity, Say EU Foundations

Sustainable development and solidarity, rather than charity, are the watchwords of the European foundations that met Sunday through Tuesday in the Portuguese capital.

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Oil, the Tiny Archipelago’s Great New Hope

Sao Tomé and Príncipe, the poorest of Portugal's former colonies, could turn into a kind of African Kuwait due to immense oil reserves that are reportedly located around the tiny island nation.

PORTUGAL: New High-Profile Arrest in Paedophilia Scandal

A leading socialist lawmaker in Portugal was put under preventive detention Thursday on charges of involvement in a paedophilia scandal which is the focus of an ongoing investigation.