| While I was sleeping… |
… Observador told you what's happening behind the scenes in the negotiations for a right-wing agreement on Carlos Moedas's Lisbon mayoral candidacy. The current mayor has not yet announced his re-election bid. There is a principle agreement to run for office in coalition with his "old" partner, the CDS-PP, and his "new" friend, the IL. But the struggle for positions between the CDSP and IL within the coalition is causing unease among all parties involved. At worst, Moedas is even allowing the possibility of running alone to slip away. |
In the third session of the Operation Marquês trial , José Sócrates continued his testimony (for the second day), with three key points: |
- For the second time, she denied being friends with Ricardo Salgado, with whom she said she hadn't dined at the banker's house, despite the fact that in a wiretap heard in court, her driver was recounting a 17-hour workday that began in Trás-os-Montes and ended in Estoril (allegedly waiting for Sócrates, who was at a dinner). Sócrates said he dined in Estoril but not at Salgado's house. But they could have just asked him, she said, adding that the judge prefers "this 'vaudeville'."
- The session would ultimately be marked by the former prime minister's criticism of the Public Prosecutor's Office — "After this morning, I have no respect for what the Public Prosecutor's Office says." This was because a wiretap of a conversation with Henrique Granadeiro was played, in which they joked about Salazar's private life. "I was expecting an apology," Sócrates declared after the judge admitted regretting the incident.
- Sócrates also admitted that he had opened international doors for the Lena group—notably by interceding with the Angolan government, but also with Algeria—and that this group helped him in the Socialist Party's election campaign. Even Spinumviva appeared in Operation Marquês, with Sócrates implicitly criticizing the current prime minister. "I don't want to invoke the principle of the current prime minister, who refused to name the companies he worked with. If the Public Prosecutor's Office, for lack of anything better, wants to dedicate itself to this, I will bring the list of companies" to which he helped open doors in the next session.
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The fourth session of the trial takes place this Thursday and Observador will continue to tell you what happens in the hearings. |
In the health sector, INEM will be the subject of a parliamentary inquiry , as suggested by IL. This is at a time when the Air Force's second helicopter, with 24-hour availability, will become operational. Health remains a major focus. |
The audit of dermatology surgeries at Santa Maria has now led to the dismissal of the hospital's clinical director, Rui Tato Marinho. This comes after the director of the dermatology department had already resigned. Paulo Filipe was heard in Parliament yesterday , where he stated that the amount paid for extra surgeries is not set by hospitals and that it is a way to retain doctors in the NHS (he took the opportunity to defend Miguel Alpalhão, a dermatologist who earned €400,000 from these extraordinary procedures). The Minister of Health, at the end of the day, gave an interview in which she admitted that the NHS has ceased to be "attractive to doctors, especially younger ones," who have "a tremendous need for a life of their own." She also announced the hiring of a private team to reinforce the obstetrics department at Garcia de Orta Hospital, at a time when the emergency room in this area of Barreiro will be closed for 10 days. |
Another trial marked the week. Observador explained what led to the acquittal of the main suspect in the disappearance and death of Mónica Silva , who was pregnant. The court said it was not proven that Fernando Valente was the cause of death. He was acquitted. This is also the topic of this Thursday's Story of the Day . |
In this newsletter , you'll find essential news to help you start your Thursday well-informed. If you're planning to go to the beach on the Grândola coastline, there are some with limited access . You might also be planning to go to Nos Alive , and here are some suggestions. |
We have updated information throughout the day on our website and radio . If you prefer, you can also receive the most important news on your mobile phone through our WhatsApp , Instagram , and Facebook channels. For a break, there are new Sudoku and AbraPalavra challenges. |
Have a good Thursday. |
| | | | | | | | | | |  | | Podcasts | | The investigation finally uncovers those responsible for José Valbom's disappearance. But when they try to reach the missing man, the police are surprised. And an unexpected phone call changes everything. | |
|  | | Relations | | There's a lot of stuff about divorce that Guilherme and Rita want to know. (Because they might need it one day...) That's why they invited lawyers Inês Rogeiro and Luísa Teixeira da Mota to talk about it. | |
|  | | Economy | | José Miguel Leonardo is vice president of the Red Cross and former CEO of Randstad. His 40-year career has led him to one conclusion: people are the key to any company's success. | |
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|  | | Lifestyle | | André Costa grew up hiding who he was. In this episode, he discusses bullying, worthiness, love, and the healing journey that brought him here. | |
|  | | Culture | | Sandra Faria, who makes things happen, wouldn't know how to have any other profession, thinks about the (non)kindness of people, the energies and the desire to share celebrities' secrets. | |
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|  | | Radio Observer | | More than two months have passed since the blackout. In Spain, blame games are rife, while in Portugal, we await a glimmer of light. But when will we learn the lessons from everything that happened? | |
|  | | Government | | Medical support must reach everyone; this was the beauty of the NHS. Now, the closure of obstetric emergency rooms undermines trust. After this program, the decision to close the emergency room in Setúbal was reversed. | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | Sócrates wants to turn his trial into a reality show, and the media can't resist. For someone who claims innocence, it's astonishing that he doesn't want to prove it in court. |
|  | | When it is we, civil society, who create, in the 21st century, associations whose purpose is to tax photocopies of sheet music, we are in agreement. |
|  | | They explain that "neo-Nazis are coming out of the closet." Certain commentators and elected representatives draw an equivalence between neo-Nazis and homosexuals. Perhaps they don't even understand what they're saying. |
|  | | At each valley, without bridges, we were forced to cross the shallow, flowing waters, by car or on foot, to reach the sands that, in successive small coves, make up a large part of the Vicentina coast. |
| |  | | Theater | | Thirty years later, are the doors still closed to Praga? Teodósio, a member of the group, says so. In an interview, he recalls three decades of a journey that is also his own. "We never sought consensus." | |
|  | | Music Festivals | | The festival returns from July 10th to 12th. There will be major returns like Muse, Nine Inch Nails, and Olivia Rodrigo, as well as absolute newcomers like Finneas, Anyma, and Benson Boone. | |
|  | | Museums | | Led by the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom, the network brings together 18 other entities to create a "cartography of resistance" to the dictatorship in Portugal. The goal is to expand beyond borders. | |
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|  | | Cinema | | "Reading Lolita in Tehran", based on the book by Azar Nafisi, the French comedy "The Dog's Trial" and "Superman", by James Gunn, are Eurico de Barros' choices this week. | |
|  | | Cinema | | James Gunn's "Superman" has some of the best of the original four Superman films, but also some of the worst of the superhero films—and it's Krypto who shines. Eurico de Barros gives it two stars. | |
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