Portugal

EU chair Portugal wants bloc to wrap up Mercosur trade deal

Portugal, the current EU presidency holder, is pushing to finalize the stalled trade deal with the Latin American Mercosur group, saying that the bloc's credibility is on the line. "We have an obligation," Foreign Minister Augusto Silva told reporters on Thursday. "We said to our friends from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, that after two decades of negotiation, we were ready to make an agreement." The trade deal - agreed in June 2019 but not yet ratified - would create the world's largest free trade zone, spanning the EU and four Mercosur states. But deforestation in the Amazon rainf...

Portuguese leader lays out country's EU presidential priorities

The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union was ushered in with a visit by EU Council President Charles Michel to Lisbon on Tuesday. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said after the meeting at a joint press conference that he spoke to Michel primarily about "the three major priorities" of his country's six-month council presidency. These priorities are: economic recovery after the coronavirus crisis; the expansion of the social support network; and the strengthening of the EU's strategic autonomy. The most important thing is certainly the economic recovery, the Sociali...

Portuguese leader lays out country's EU presidential priorities

The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union was ushered in with a visit by EU Council President Charles Michel to Lisbon on Tuesday. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said after the meeting at a joint press conference that he spoke to Michel primarily about "the three major priorities" of his country's six-month council presidency. These priorities are: economic recovery after the coronavirus crisis; the expansion of the social support network; and the strengthening of the EU's strategic autonomy. The most important thing is certainly the economic recovery, the Sociali...

Portugal to take over rotating presidency of the EU Council

Portugal takes over the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union from Germany on Friday. Under the banner "Time to deliver: a fair, green and digital recovery," Portugal plans to focus on implementing the goals of the European Union's multi-billion-euro coronavirus aid package during its presidency. "It is an honour and a great responsibility to take the baton from Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel," Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. This is the fourth time the country has assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union's Council. ...

Hurricane center monitors 2 systems in Atlantic

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two systems in the Atlantic Ocean with potential to form into a tropical or subtropical depressions or storms are under close watch by the National Hurricane Center on Saturday, as the end of hurricane season grows closer.As of 7 p.m., one nontropical low pressure system was located about 700 miles east-southeast of Bermuda in the Central Atlantic. It poses no threat to Florida.The NHC said it’s producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms and gives the system a 10% chance of formation over the next five days.“This system is moving north-northeastward, and development is un...