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☆ Opinion: Eurovision’s slogan is ‘United by Music.’ The reality turned out very different
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Opinion Louis Staples | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Eurovision Song Contest is a glittery and eccentric spectacle that rivals the Super Bowl for its attraction to audiences. When combined with the jury vote, Israel’s impressive public vote tally saw Golan finish in fifth place overall. Despite this, the EBU has always insisted that Eurovision is an apolitical music competition between broadcasters, rather than a political competition between governments. The 2023 contest in Liverpool was a moving display of unity — so much that Liverpool’s slogan, “United By Music,” was adopted by Eurovision for all future contests. On Saturday, there was very little sense that Eurovision was “united by music.” Some fans boycotted, while others mobilized online to vote for Israel.

Persons: Louis Staples, Celine Dion, Louis Staples Louis Staples, Greta Thunberg, Eden Golan, Israel, —, Lasagna, Golan, Nemo, Russia —, ”, Turkey, Isaac Herzog, Bambie, Joost Klein, AVROTROS, Martin Österdahl Organizations: Guardian, Rolling Stone, Wired, CNN, Super Bowl, Hamas, European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision, EBU, “ United, Music, Israel, Ukraine, Twitter, Facebook Locations: London, Slate, Switzerland, Swedish, Malmö, Gaza, Europe, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Liverpool, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Dutch

☆ Eurovision is back, but will Baby Lasagne or Nemo triumph? Your complete guide
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“People are like ‘OK, Sweden is the spiritual home of Eurovision’ – I see Eurovision as this moving entity,” she tells CNN. “The whole product, ABBA, is a vibe, isn’t it?”ABBA sing "Waterloo" at Eurovision 50 years ago. But ABBA are the past; Baby Lasagne, Windows95Man and Nemo – a person, not a fish – are very much the present. This year’s slim favorite is Baby Lasagne, whose arena-pounding anthem “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” describes a brain drain affecting Croatian towns. He credits his fiancée with helping him launch his career – “She’s the lasagne, and I’m just the baby,” he tells CNN.

Persons: Paul Anka, Abba –, Loreen, –, “, Loreen –, they’ve, ” Loreen, Olle Lindeborg, Lasagne, Nemo, Sarah Bonnici, aga, you’d, Music ”, Dominic Lipinski, Marcus, Martinus, ”, – “, I’m, Switzerland’s Nemo, ” Nemo, ” Joost Klein's, Jens Büttner, Joost Klein, Teemu Keisteri, he’s, Windows95Man, it’s, Belgium’s Mustii, Bonnie Tyler’s, Sanjin, Marina Satti, Hera Bjork, ” Saba, Slimane, who’s, ” Poland’s Luna, Jeff Spicer, ” we’re, Luna “, doesn’t, we’re, ” Portugal’s, … “, Alyona Alyona, Jerry Heil, Jens Bittner, ” Joost Klein, bro, airdropped, Angelina, Greta Thunberg, Eden Golan, audibly, they’ll, oddballs gunning Organizations: CNN, Waterloo, Malmo, Eurovision, Getty, Pulitzer, aga … aaa, aaa, United, Music, MAG, San, ” “ Hurricanes, Israel, European Broadcasting Union Locations: Sweden, AFP, Malmo, Europe, Armenia, wail, Gaza, Israel

☆ Iranian navy seizes Israel-linked container ship amid escalating tensions in Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Adam Pourahmadi | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has confirmed the seizure, saying there are 25 crew on board. Portugal’s government said that it was in touch with the Iranian authorities. The Strait of Hormuz, at the northern end of the Gulf of Oman, is the biggest oil chokepoint in the world. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, wrote on social media platform X that he had spoken with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz. The two discussed their “shared concerns about Iranian threats to attack Israel,” Cameron wrote, adding that “further escalation in the region is in no-one’s interest and risks further loss of civilian life.”

Persons: CNN —, IRNA, “, Eyal Ofer, Joe Biden, Daniel Hagari, Israel, David Cameron, Benny Gantz, ” Cameron, ” Organizations: CNN, CNN — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Navy, Zodiac, Mediterranean Shipping Company, United, Israel Defense Forces, United Kingdom’s Locations: Israeli, Hormuz, Iran, Syria, Portuguese, Gulf of Oman, Tehran, Iranian, United States, Damascus, Gaza, The Iran, Yemen, Red, Israel

☆ Geert Wilders abandons Dutch PM bid despite election victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Populist firebrand Geert Wilders has conceded that he will not become the next prime minister of the Netherlands because his potential coalition backers have refused to back him. “I can only become Prime Minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. Similarly, Swedish Prime Minister Ulif Kristersson relies on the votes of the increasingly Euroskeptic, anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats. Despite admitting defeat this time, Wilders pledged to continue his push to become prime minister in the future. “Don’t forget: I will still become Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders ’, “, Wilders, ” Wilders, ”, Mark Rutte, Pieter Omtzigt, sanitaire, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Marine, Lionel Jospin, Jacques Chirac, Petteri Orpo, Sanna Marin, Ulif Kristersson, Robert Fico, “ Don’t Organizations: CNN, Democracy Party, Social Contract Party, European Union, National, Socialist, Socialists, Finns Party, Swedish, Sweden Democrats, Georgia Meloni Locations: Netherlands, Europe, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, Italy, Slovakia

☆ Portugal’s election shows a surge in support for the far right, reflecting a broader European trend
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Democratic Alliance (AD) leader Luis Montenegro celebrates his victory as he addresses supporters at the party's election night headquarters, in Lisbon on March 10, 2024. Portugal's far-right Chega party on Sunday received a surge in support in the country's snap general election, reflecting a broader shift to the radical right across Europe. Portugal's center-right Democratic Alliance claimed victory in the vote, winning 79 seats in the country's 230-seat National Assembly — well short of a parliamentary majority. The incumbent center-left Socialist Party followed closely behind with 77 seats. The result — which saw the parliamentary representation of the Chega party quadruple to at least 48 lawmakers — gives the political right a combined majority.

Persons: Luis Montenegro, —, Pedro Nuno Santos Organizations: Democratic Alliance, Sunday, Assembly, Socialist Party, Social Democratic Party, Chega, Democratic Locations: Lisbon, Portugal's, Europe

☆ Portugal election results: Luis Montenegro’s coalition claims slim win as radical right surges
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Vasco Cotovio | Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Democratic Alliance coalition won 29.5% of the 98.98% of votes counted early Monday, with the incumbent Socialist Party on 28.7%. The results are not final – but Socialist Party leader Pedro Nuno Santos has already conceded. Chega won 18%, a breakthrough for the radical right party and its leader, André Ventura, a former trainee priest and football pundit. For decades the Socialist Party and center-right Social Democratic Party – the main party in the Democratic Alliance – have taken turns in power. Andre Ventura, the leader of Chega party, speaks to journalists after voting in Lisbon on March 10, 2024.

Persons: Chega, Pedro Nuno Santos, André Ventura, Luis Montenegro, Democratic Alliance –, Antonio Costa, Andre Ventura, Nuno Cruz, Nuno Santos, ” Santos, Ventura’s Chega, –, ”, Ventura Organizations: CNN, Democratic Alliance, Socialist Party, Social Democratic Party –, Social Democratic Party, PSD Locations: Portugal’s, Portugal, Lisbon, Chega, Europe, Greece, Croatia, Western Europe, Costa, Montenegro

☆ ‘Shōgun’ review: FX’s 10-part series might be the TV program of the year (again)
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In the early heyday of miniseries, “Shōgun” was the show of the year in 1980, and it might be again 44 years later. That chaos also creates the possibility of one regent emerging to consolidate power, and perhaps even gain the title of shōgun. Of course, in today’s heavily fragmented streaming environment “Shōgun” won’t be the massive ratings hit that it was back when there were three broadcast networks (and not much else), but those who wade into this dense history will be amply rewarded. “All men can be broken,” Toranaga muses at one point, with a quiet sense of menace and determination. If only all limited series could be half as good as “Shōgun.”“Shōgun” premieres February 27 on Hulu and at 10 p..m. ET the same day on FX.

Persons: Shōgun ”, James Clavell’s, John Blackthorne, Cosmo Jarvis, –, ” Blackthorne, Toranaga, Hiroyuki Sanada, “ John Wick, shōgun, Eager, Mariko, Anna Sawai, Buntaro, Shinnosuke Abe, Blackthorne, Richard Chamberlain, King, “ Shōgun ”, Sean Connery, Jarvis, Ishido, Hira, ”, Michael Clavell, won’t, ” Toranaga Organizations: CNN, of Regents, Apple’s, NBC, Hulu Locations: Japan, ”, “

☆ The best islands in Europe for getting away from almost everyone
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Here are some of the best islands in Europe for getting away from almost everyone:Schiermonnikoog, the NetherlandsThe Netherlands is better known for canals, dikes and tropical Dutch Caribbean Islands like Bonaire and Curaçao than the sandspun isles along the country’s North Sea coast. Flores Island, Azores, PortugalWaterfalls trickle down an imposing rock face on the island Flores in the Azores. aroxopt/Adobe StockOne of the most remote islands in an already remote archipelago, Flores Island in the westernmost stretches of the Azores is a nature lover’s dream. To say there’s room to stretch out and breathe on these Baltic Sea islands is an understatement. The best islands in Europe for getting away from almost everyoneHavsVidden offers a secluded escape on northern Fasta Åland with villas with their own saunas overlooking the rocky shoreline.

Persons: Annemarieke Romeijn, ”, Eyrún, Gabriela Silva, Flores, Rocha dos Bordões, Santa Cruz das Flores, Randi Skaug, “, Torunn Tronsvang, Richard Kellett, Luis Fonseca, iStockphoto, São João Baptista, Berlengas, Arlindo Serrao, Mola mola, Francesco Curione, Lent, Skyros, revelry, – it’s, Drake, Åland Organizations: CNN, Adobe, Heimaey, puffin, Norway Visitors, Intrepid, UNESCO, Visitors Locations: Europe, Ibiza, Netherlands, Caribbean, Bonaire, Curaçao, West Frisian, Wadden, Schier, Lauwersoog, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, Heimaey, Westman, Hotel Ranga, gannet, fulmar, Flores Island, Azores, Portugal, Flores, Santa Cruz, Naustholmen, Norway, Bodø, Northern Norway, Norwegian, Lofoten, ”, Tiree, Scotland, Hawaii, Scottish, Oban, Glasgow, Loganair, Berlengas, Peniche, São, Grande, Alicudi, Sicily, Italy, Taormina, Skyros, Greece, Mykonos, Rathlin, Northern Ireland, Ballycastle, Åland, Finland, Bothnia, Sweden

☆ Considering a move abroad in 2024? These are the best countries for expats
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Blane Bachelor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

The survey, which has been running for a decade, reflects input from nearly 12,000 expats representing 177 nationalities in 181 countries or territories. John Coletti/The Image Bank Unreleased/Getty ImagesA longtime retirement destination for Americans, Mexico also has attracted more families and the digital nomad set over the past few years. Pros: Mexico ranked first in InterNations’ 2023 Expat Insider survey and has ranked among the top five countries since 2014. Cons: As is the case in Mexico and other countries with large expat communities, there’s growing backlash against the influx of foreigners, especially Americans, and especially in Lisbon. That popularity among auslanders has contributed to a housing pinch in major cities, especially Berlin, where finding accommodation is one of the most stressful aspects of a move.

Persons: It’s, Megan Frye, Frye, ”, “, We’ve, John Coletti, San Miguel de Allende, margarita, Sean Pavone, expats, Alex Ingrim, Chase, Ingrim, it’s, pollsters, they’re, it’s MVV, Arielle Tucker, that’s, auslanders, Andriy Kravchenko, “ Costa, ” David Lesperance, Costa Rica’s, “ Tico, Sebastien Lecocq, Lesperance, he’s, what’s, Emily, ” Tucker, Roth, Tucker, Carte Organizations: CNN, Invest Overseas, Braga, InterNations, Mexico, National Institute of Statistics, Human Rights Watch, Visa, USA, CNN Travel, ”, Spain, International, Travel Association, pollsters Gallup, Michelin, Changi, Cons, United, Costa Rica Costa, Central, Costa, Lesperance, Associates, Panama Panama, Miami of, Panama City, Panama Qualified Investment, Panama Golden Visa, France France Locations: Valencia, Spain, Portugal, Mazatlán, Mexico, United States, Mexico City, Michigan, Mexico Mexico, Plaza Carso, Polanco, North America, —, Oaxaca, San Miguel, Playa, Carmen, InterNations, Portugal Portugal, Porto, Douro, Europe, Lisbon, Western Europe, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Catalonia, Catalan, Netherlands, Amsterdam, Statista, Haarlem, Delft, Leiden, Maastricht, Washington, Miami , New York, San Francisco, Germany Germany, Munich, Germany, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Switzerland, Singapore Singapore, Singapore, Asia, Entre, Costa Rica, “, “ Costa Rica, Costa Rican, Panama City, Miami, Miami of Central America, Panama, North, South America, Italy, Venice, Italian, Paris, France, Lyon, Strasbourg

NEW YORK (AP) — Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with class-action lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related “non-fungible tokens,” or NFTs, issued by the beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Representatives for Ronaldo and Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, did not immediately return The Associated Press' requests for comment. Ronaldo launched his inaugural NFT “CR7” collection with Binance back in November of last year, ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Most recently, on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) Ronaldo reposted a Binance video and wrote that he was “Cooking something up" with the crypto exchange on Tuesday. Over the summer, Binance was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo, ”, Binance, “, Ronaldo's, NFTs, Changpeng Zhao, Larry David, Tom Brady —, FTX’s, Al Nassr Organizations: Southern District of, Associated Press, Twitter, FTX, Spanish, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, Saudi Arabian Locations: Portuguese, cryptocurrency, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Portugal, Hollywood, England

“The district court clearly recognized the gravity of dismissing the case and accordingly provided a thorough analysis, amply supported by factual findings,” Judge Johnnie Rawlinson wrote in Tuesday's 6-page opinion. In dismissing the case in Nevada, Dorsey sanctioned Stovall for “bad faith,” saying he had improperly attempted to use documents that were leaked or stolen in a cyberattack to pursue Mayorga’s case. Mayorga's lawsuit claimed conspiracy, defamation, breach of contract, coercion and fraud. By the time Dorsey threw out the case, Stovall claimed Mayorga should receive for more than $25 million in damages. “The district court did not abuse its discretion when it found that a case-terminating sanction was appropriate,” the ruling said.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Kathryn Mayorga's, Jennifer Dorsey, Ronaldo, Mayorga, Leslie Mark Stovall, ”, Johnnie Rawlinson, Stovall, Al Nassr, Dorsey, Mayorga wasn’t, Der Spiegel, Cristiano, Steve Wolfson, Judge Dorsey “, Mayorga's counsel's Organizations: —, Associated Press, Spanish, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, Saudi Arabian, Circuit, Ronaldo, Football Locations: RENO, Nev, Las Vegas, San Francisco, refiling, England, Nevada, Clark

Possession of under a gram of heroin, for example, is only subject to a ticket and a maximum fine of $100. Some lawmakers have suggested focusing on criminalizing public drug use rather than possession. Backers of Oregon’s approach say decriminalization isn’t necessarily to blame, as many other states with stricter drug laws have also reported increases in fentanyl deaths. Despite public perception, the law has made some progress by directing $265 million dollars of cannabis tax revenue toward standing up the state’s new addiction treatment infrastructure. Horvick, the pollster, said public support for expanding treatment remains high despite pushback against the law.

Persons: — Oregon's, ”, John Horvick, Sen, Kate Lieber, Tina Kotek, Kotek, Jason Edmiston, Alex Kreit, Lily Morgan, Heather Jefferis, ” Lieber, “, Geoff Mulvihill, ___ Claire Rush Organizations: DHM Research, Democratic, Democratic Gov, Republican, Survey, Northern Kentucky University, Addiction Law, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Health, Networks, Oregon Council, Behavioral Health, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: PORTLAND, Oregon, Portland, Hermiston, California, Washington, U.S, Portugal, Philadelphia

☆ Centeno says outgoing Portugal PM only invited him to ponder on premiership
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Bank of Portugal Governor Mario Centeno, who is under fire from the opposition over an invitation by the outgoing prime minister to replace him as premier, said on Monday he never accepted the offer but was just asked to ponder on the matter. Portuguese opposition parties on Friday argued that such an invitation compromised the political independence of a central bank governor. The Bank of Portugal's ethics committee is expected to meet on Monday to evaluate his conduct. Prime Minister Antonio Costa stepped down on Tuesday over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of lithium and hydrogen projects and a large-scale data centre. Centeno announced his departure from the finance ministry in June 2020, during Costa's second term, and was nominated to head the bank a month later.

Persons: Mario Centeno, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Centeno, Rebelo de Sousa, Olli Rehn, Balazs Koranyi, Francesco Canepa, Andrei Khalip, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of Portugal, Socialist, European Central Bank policymaker, Bank of, ECB, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portuguese, Bank of Portugal, ECB's, Finland, Frankfurt

☆ Portugal’s Prime Minister Resigns Unexpectedly
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister António Costa of Portugal resigned unexpectedly on Tuesday, hours after the police raided government buildings as part of an inquiry into corruption and “influence peddling” and issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Costa’s chief of staff. Mr. Costa, who had been in power since 2015, said in televised remarks that he had been “surprised” to learn that he would be the subject of criminal proceedings and that “no illicit act weighs on my conscience.”“However, I believe that the dignity of the office of the prime minister is not compatible with any suspicion about your integrity, your good conduct and even less with the practical suspicion of any criminal act,” he added. “Therefore, in these circumstances, obviously, I presented my resignation.”A judge authorized police to search of 37 locations — including the office of Mr. Costa’s chief of staff, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Infrastructure, a City Council office in the town of Sines and several private homes, according to a statement from the prosecutor general’s office.

Persons: António Costa of Portugal, ”, Costa’s, Costa Organizations: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Infrastructure Locations: Sines

☆ Wind Power Write-Downs Cast Shadow Over Industry Outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Giulia Petroni | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Wind-power developer Orsted scrapped projects in New Jersey citing supply-chain problems and high interest rates. Orsted , BP and Equinor have collectively written off $4.8 billion against U.S. offshore wind projects in recent days. Equinor, BP’s partner on the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects, booked an impairment of around $300 million on its U.S. portfolio. Utility Dominion Energy on Tuesday received a key federal approval for its 2.6-gigawatt offshore wind project in Virginia. And Orsted confirmed its final investment decision into Revolution Wind, an offshore 704-megawatt project in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Persons: Wayne Parry, Orsted, Mads Nipper, henning bagger, ”, Phil Murphy ’, Martin Tessier, Stifel ’, —, Engie, Vattenfall, Russ Mould, AJ Bell, Dominic, Giulia Petroni Organizations: Associated, U.S, Agence France, Republicans, Democratic Gov, ”, BP, Iberdrola, Shell, Business, Siemens Energy, Dominion Energy, giulia.petroni@wsj.com Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Danish, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Swedish, Norfolk, Virginia, Rhode Island, Asia Pacific, Europe

☆ Miss Universe will feature two trans contestants for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —This year’s Miss Universe pageant will feature at least two trans women for first time, after 23-year-old flight attendant Marina Machete was last week named Miss Portugal. Ms Portugal 2023 - Finalista Palmela Marina MacheteIf either candidate wins, they will become the first trans woman to wear the tiara. Neither Machete nor Miss Portugal’s organizers responded to requests for interview, though in a statement to CNN the Miss Universe Organization said: “Trans women are women, full stop. “Starting next year, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe,” the statement added. “Miss Universe asked us to describe ourselves in one word,” Kollé said in a video posted to her Instagram page ahead of the Miss Netherlands final.

Persons: Marina Machete, Miss Portugal, Machete, Rikkie Kollé, ”, I’ve, Portugal, Marina, Spain’s Ángela Ponce, Miss Portugal’s, Jenna Talackova, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, Miss Universe's, Carlos Alvarez, “, ” Kollé, you’re Organizations: CNN, Miss, 72nd Miss, YouTube, Miss Universe Organization, Miss Universe Canada, JKN Global Locations: El Salvador, Miss Netherlands, Portuguese, Thailand, Madrid, Spain, China

☆ Why you should be traveling to Europe in fall, not summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And now it’s fall, when the continent really comes into its own as the leaves – and visitor numbers – start to drop. A recent report from luxury travel network Virtuoso named Paris, London and Florence as the most booked cities for fall travel. “Fall is one of the best times to visit Europe because of the vast variety of interests [the season] can cater to,” says Mina Agnos, president of luxury travel company Travelive. If you’re ready for a different take on Europe this fall, we’ve got ideas. Fall also means it’s harvest time in Rebland – an area southwest of Baden-Baden famous for its Riesling.

Persons: ”, Mina Agnos, foodies, Brian Young, we’ve, Sérgio Duarte, Octant, Val, Culinarium Urtijei, Christopher Hill, Holger Leue, it’s, Jack Ezon, Samantha Pearson, Notte Bianca, Valery Bareta, Belle, Caracalla Organizations: CNN, EMEA, G, Gran Canaria, UNESCO, ADLER, Mallorca Locations: Europe, Paris, London, Florence, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Sicily, Slovenia, Gibraltar, Tenerife, Ibiza, Mallorca, Gran, Alentejo, Douro, Val Gardena, Dolomites, Italy, Northern Italy, South, Ortisei, Romania, Brasov, Baia Mare, Saxon, Moșna, Mallorcan, Pollença, Palma . Thessaloniki, Thermaic, Santorini, Greece’s, Balkans, Mount Olympus, Thessaloniki, Malta Malta, Malta, Gozo, Comino, Valletta, Madeira, Morocco, Terrabona, Funchal, Savoy, Baden, Germany Baden, Black, Friedrichsbad

Typically, it’s the faithful who carry the various likenesses of Mary in similar festivals across the world. A century ago, the Vatican formally granted special permission for animals to pull the floats with life-sized statues of the Virgin Mary, said the Rev. Another uncommon aspect of the procession is the iconic century-old sacred image standing on the bow of a boat-shaped float – the Virgin Mary breastfeeding infant Jesus. At least 50 were women dressed in pink and blue like the Virgin statue, carrying Jesus dolls or real babies. One of this year’s floats represented Our Lady of Peace, her statue framed by flags of conflict-ridden countries like Ukraine and Libya.

Persons: ”, Antonio Faustino, Virgin Mary, “, Pope Francis, Mary, Fernando Albano Cardoso, Faustino, Jesus, Albano, Julieta Pereira, ” Pereira, Filipe Mendonça, he’s, Alfredo Teixeira, Peace, –, gingerly, Francisco Lopes, Jennifer Esteves Organizations: Catholic, Vatican, Catholic Church, Catholic University of Portugal, Lamego’s, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: LAMEGO, Portugal, Portugal’s, Nossa Senhora, ”, Lisbon, Douro, Switzerland, Ukraine, Libya, Portuguese, Germany

☆ Latest in Wellness Travel: The Menopause Retreat
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Caren Osten Gerszberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Menopause-centered offerings vary widely, from mindfulness techniques to herbal remedies to nutritional guidance and exercise. Sometimes, the most important activity is just the chance to bond with other women facing the same issues, experts say. “There’s a great healing and discovery when a group of people are going through a similar circumstance,” said Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founder and chief executive of Indagare, a membership-based travel company that recently announced its first midlife and menopause retreat. After a health screening, I was given a tailored agenda to nurture and balance my aging, changing body. First up was a personalized strength training session — squats, lunges, planks and resistance band exercises — to remedy my joint pain and build bone.

Persons: There’s, ”, Melissa Biggs Bradley, — squats Locations: Portugal’s Douro

☆ Portugal's new housing law threatens its tourism industry, say hostel owners
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The law – proposed and approved by Portugal’s ruling PS party – seeks to address the housing crisis in Portugal. The new law’s resolutions could potentially have far-reaching effects on those running alojamento local (AL) properties – including Portugal’s world-renowned hostels. AL properties outside of low-density areas will also see their current property taxes increase, and be subject to a new tax starting at 15%, known as CEAL. The new legislation threatens the future of all hostels in Portugal, says Miguel Santos, board member at the Associação Hostels de Portugal (AHdP) and owner of a Lisbon hostel. Pedro Nunes/ReutersOne hostel owner fearing for the future is Benedita Vasconcellos, who owns Lisbon’s Goodmorning Solo Traveller Hostel, voted Portugal’s best hostel in 2020.

Persons: Mais Habitação, –, “, hospedagem, ”, Eduardo Miranda, Valerio Berdini, Miguel Santos, ” Santos, AHdP, Richard Cummins, Kash Bhattacharya, ” Bhattacharya, Pedro Nunes, Vasconcellos, I’m, ” Vasconcellos, won’t, Filipa Aguiar, we’ll, Marco Bottigelli, Airbnb, ALEP’s Eduardo Miranda, Miranda, ” “ We’re, ALEP, Miguel Torres Marques, Marina Gonçalves Organizations: CNN, de, Alamy, Portugal, Artists, Reuters, Getty Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Western Europe, Porto, Spain, Ericeira, ” Lisbon

☆ Europe Is Embarking on a Mining Renaissance. Winning Over Locals Is Proving a Challenge.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

“It’s definitely a [mining] renaissance,” said Rebecca Campbell, global mining and metals lead at law firm White & Case. “We’re trying to foster a permitting landscape that is both efficient and responsible.”In Europe, the mining renaissance comes after years of nearly no new mining activity on the continent. Left: A layer of spodumene within the host rock that Savannah Resources intends to mine. Savannah Resources, which has set up two offices in the municipality, has said it would strictly avoid that and instead build reservoirs to store rain water. That view is echoed by Savannah Resources.

Persons: COVAS, Portugal —, Barroso, BEL, mina ”, ”, Nelson Gomes, Covas, Alex Gorman, “, Nelson, YUSUF KHAN, “ It’s, Rebecca Campbell, ” “, Jayni Hein, Hein, “ We’re, Peel Hunt’s Gorman, Dale Ferguson, Gomes, Jessica Polfjärd, Polfjärd, Ana Fontoura Gouveia, Fontoura, ” Fontoura, Yusuf Khan Organizations: COVAS DO BARROSO, Associação, Peel, Vulcan Energy Resources, Adriatic Metals, White, Covington, Burling, Environmental, Council, Savannah Resources, Sustainable Business, Sweden’s Moderate Party, Serra Locations: Portugal, Porto, Boticas, Covas, It’s, Europe, Germany, Sweden, Bosnia, Finland, Greece, U.S, Savannah, London, spodumene, Serbia, China, yusuf.khan

☆ From Portugal to Portland
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( German Lopez | More About German Lopez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Oregon was getting ready to vote on whether to decriminalize all drugs in 2020, I was covering the story for Vox. During my interviews with the leaders of the decriminalization campaign, they often cited Portugal. Even as Portugal ended prison time for drug possession, it created a unique system that pushed people to stop using drugs — sometimes with the continued threat of penalties, like the revocation of a person’s professional license. Oregon didn’t plan to enact similarly tough penalties, and advocates for decriminalization did not have a clear explanation for why their law would work as well as Portugal’s. Our conversations left me wondering whether Oregon could repeat Portugal’s successes if the decriminalization initiative passed.

Persons: Vox Locations: Oregon, Portugal

☆ A Spiritual Journey: Exploring Portugal’s Hidden Jewish History
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( John Krich | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

CNN —After the thrill of winning successive Women’s World Cup titles, the 2023 tournament – so far – has brought the US team very much down to earth with a bump. For a team that has been so historically dominant at the Women’s World Cup, performances throughout the 2023 edition so far have been underwhelming for women’s soccer’s most dynastic team. Fans of the US team get ready for the Women's World Cup group game against Portugal. 3 ranked in the world by FIFA, has plenty of World Cup history. Sweden drew with the US in 2015 and also beat them in 2011 – the last time any team defeated the USWNT inside regulation at a World Cup.

Persons: Ana Capeta’s, Vlatko Andonovski, “, Julie Foudy, Buda Mendes, Alex Morgan, ” Morgan, Thailand’s, –, Megan Rapinoe, Morgan, Andonovski, Mallory Swanson, Tobin Heath, Sam Mewis, Catarina Macario, Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Andrew Cornaga, Trinity Rodman, Carli Lloyd, ” Lloyd, Crystal Dunn, Lloyd, ” Andonovksi, ”, Rebecca Welch, Rose Lavelle, Lavelle, Saeed Khan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sophia Smith, we’ll, Lindsey Horan, ” Andonovski, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, TNT, US, National, Getty, Portugal, New Zealand, Canada, Tokyo, Christen Press, Vietnam, Professional, Chicago Bulls, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Montreal Canadiens, UEFA, Leagues, ”, Sweden, FIFA Locations: Portugal, Buda, Thailand, Netherlands, Vietnam, England, New, New Zealand, Sweden, Spain, Auckland, Wellington, AFP, Real Madrid

CNN —The US Women’s National Team was a post width away from exiting the Women’s World Cup at the group stage, but survived a late scare to earn a goalless draw against Portugal and reach the last 16. Defeat for the USWNT – a team aiming for a third consecutive world title – would have ended its participation in the tournament. The gap between the top-ranked teams and others has closed significantly in the four years since the last Women’s World Cup. “What this World Cup shows now is that the women’s game is growing a lot and because of that you have these kinds of results that before the World Cup nobody believed would happen,” Portugal coach Francisco Neto told reporters. “We had our World Cup on the line,” veteran Megan Rapinoe, who came on as a second-half substitute, admitted afterwards.

Persons: Ana Capeta, Alyssa Naeher, Robin Alam, Alex Morgan, “, didn’t, ” Morgan, Francisco Neto, Brad Smith, Jessica Silva, –, Morgan, Lynn Williams, Williams, Saeed Khan, Megan Rapinoe, “ We’re, ” Organizations: CNN, US Women’s National, Portugal, USSF, Getty, FIFA, ”, Saints Locations: Netherlands, Vietnam, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, ” Portugal, Auckland , New Zealand, Eden, America, AFP

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