Latest news with #Público
Euronews
08-08-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Portugal limits weight loss drug prescriptions to prevent misuse
Portugal is restricting doctors' ability to prescribe blockbuster weight loss drugs and monitors that track blood sugar levels, over concerns that they are being misused. As of Friday, only doctors from four medical specialties will be able to prescribe glucose sensors and drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, which are known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, the medicines help people lose weight by mimicking a hormone that makes them feel full for longer. The injectable drugs are in high demand, though, which has led to availability problems on the market. This is the case with Ozempic from the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk. Ozempic is only approved in Portugal to treat type 2 diabetes, but it is highly sought after for weight loss. Mounjaro (Eli Lilly) and Wegovy (Novo Nordisk) are approved for both diabetes and obesity. In the first four months of 2025, Portuguese consumers spent around €21 million on these medicines. Now, only doctors from the approved specialties – endocrinology and nutrition, internal medicine, paediatrics, and general and family medicine – will be able to prescribe them. Glucose sensors have also been in high demand by non-diabetics, causing a shortage of these monitors in pharmacies. According to the Público newspaper, they are prescribed by doctors who do not work with diabetes patients, and are highly sought after by dieters, athletes, influencers, and even for use on animals. Portugal's Ministry of Health posted the regulation in April, warning of "recent reports of improper access to and use of these same technologies, which have jeopardised their availability to those who actually need them". "This decree aims to regulate and correct these distortions, promoting effective and adequate access to these essential health tools," the ministry said. The president of the Portuguese Society of Diabetology (SPD) praised the measure, but says it is late and may not solve the problem of difficult access to these medicines. "We're waiting to see if [the measure] will simplify or facilitate access," said João Raposo, speaking to the Lusa news agency. "I personally have some doubts, because I have the idea that the number of prescriptions outside of these specialties is not significant," Raposo added. He said that diabetics and doctors are not opposed to these drugs being used to treat obesity. But there are "anomalous prescriptions and a lack of monitoring of these people," he said. "Health cannot be subject to the laws of the market, because we know that it is very tempting for this population, which is desperately looking for solutions. The market has worked and we shouldn't have let it happen," he added. GLP-1 agonist medicines are reimbursed by the Portuguese state at 90 per cent. Sensor reimbursement can be as high as 85 per cent. In addition to prescriptions, there is also a high demand for these medicines on the black market, which can lead to problems with counterfeiting.
Euronews
29-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Student rentals exceed €400 for the first time in Portugal
With applications for the first phase of the national higher education entrance exam running until 4 August, there are many factors that influence the choice of future university students in Portugal. And while in the past, the educational institution itself was the main may consideration, now the university's location and rental prices may take priority. Private housing prices in Portugal have been rising in recent years, making access to higher education more difficult. According to the latest Student Accommodation report published earlier this month, quoted by Público, the average price per room is €415/month. This is the first year that the average price of rooms in Portugal has been above €400, since 2021,when the data first started to be collated. According to the report, which collected data from public sources of information, namely real estate portals and industry agency websites, and aggregated data from more than 20 different platforms, 6,884 rooms were identified for rent across the country. Last year's analysis, in July 2024, indicated that there were 5,684 rooms available, with the average price at the time being €397/month. "It's with great concern that we look at these figures, because the increase in supply isn't bringing prices down and that's why we insist so much on the importance of having a stock of public housing," said the president of the Lisbon Academic Federation (FAL), Pedro Neto Monteiro, quoted by Público. Which cities have the most expensive rooms? Among the main university cities, the capital, Lisbon, has the highest room rents in the private sector, with an average price of €500. In the Lisbon district, rents can even reach €714. This is followed by Porto with an average price of €400, Braga with €323 and then Coimbra, where student rooms cost an average of €280. The cities where private room rentals are lowest, taking into account the number of properties available for student accommodation, are Guarda with an average price of €180, and Bragança and Castelo Branco at €200. It should be noted that over the last 12 months, the variation in room prices was 4.6% in Lisbon, 4.1% in Porto, 1.1% in Braga and 4.4% in Coimbra. The cities with the biggest price variations were Ponta Delgada (50.5%) and Funchal (26%), even though they have a small number of rooms available. In addition to unaffordable rents, the private market is marked by illegal practices, with landlords refusing to issue receipts, preventing students from accessing state aid to share accommodation costs. There has been a growing debate around prioritising student accommodation in Portugal, with the government promising more than 15,000 new beds by 2026. The National Plan for Accommodation in Higher Education (PNAES) estimates that public student residences currently have a maximum capacity of 16,571 beds. In April of this year, the president of the National Monitoring Committee for the Recovery and Resilience Programme (PRR), which funds the PNAES, revealed that an additional 4,000 beds were expected in student accommodation by the end of September. The public residences that have been built consist mainly of twin rooms, which is not so attractive for young students. "I was recently in a new residence where the rooms, for two people, were nine square metres, with beds 60 or 70 centimetres apart, and many students don't want to be in a monastic cell-type room, where they almost sleep hand in hand with a stranger," said Manuel Matos, a professor at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL), a school of the Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (IPL), quoted by Público. "As a result, we have public residences, sometimes with vacancies, because the price they charge for non-scholarship holders is not attractive. This is the case with residences with twin rooms, where the monthly fee for each bed is close to €200. That's not a low price for a bed." 115,000 displaced students in the 2023/2024 academic year Although this year's figures are not yet available, in the 2023/2024 academic year there were around 115,000 displaced students in public education, around a third of all students in higher education. Tuition fees in public student accommodation are, on average, lower than room rents in the private sector, ranging from less than €100 to €400 per room. Higher education students in Portugal who have moved for their studies - whether on a scholarship or not - that are unable to find a place in a public residence can apply for supplementary accommodation, the amount of which varies according to family income and the location of the educational institution. Scholarship holders who haven't found a place in a public student residence can receive support of up to €483 per month in Lisbon, Oeiras and Cascais. Displaced students who don't have a scholarship and have a per capita family income below 28 IAS on the Social Support Index can receive aid equivalent to 50% of the amount paid to scholarship holders.
Ya Biladi
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spain : Sumar ministers silent on Polisario's calls to exit government over Sahara stance
In Spain, the five ministers from the far-left Sumar coalition have remained silent in the face of calls from the Polisario Front to leave Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, following Madrid's reaffirmation of support for Morocco's position on the Sahara. On April 17, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reiterated this support during a meeting in Madrid with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. «If Sumar is looking for a reason to break with the government, this is the most important one they will find», said Abdellah Arabi, Polisario representative in Spain, in an interview with La Razón. He emphasized the deep divisions between the coalition — made up of 16 small parties — and the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) on the issue. Despite this, neither Yolanda Díaz (Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor), Ernest Urtasun (Culture), Mónica García (Health), Pablo Bustinduy (Social Rights and Consumer Affairs), nor Sira Rego (Youth and Children) have publicly criticized Albares' remarks. Silent on the Sahara, Vocal on Defense Spending The left-wing daily Público noted this silence, reporting: «None of the five Sumar ministers have commented on the Albares-Bourita meeting or issued any public statement. Their press teams simply referred questions to the party spokespeople». Since Donald Trump's presidency, Sumar has also withdrawn from the social platform X, and Yabiladi found no related posts from the five ministers on Facebook condemning Spain's continued support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. As Público pointed out, Spain's position on the Sahara was not included in the coalition agreement signed on October 23, 2023, between Pedro Sánchez and Yolanda Díaz (then Sumar leader), nor was it part of the 2019 agreement between Sánchez and Pablo Iglesias that formed the previous coalition government with Unidas Podemos. «Foreign policy is defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Government», said Pablo Iglesias after the Royal Armed Forces' operation in El Guerguerate on November 13, 2020. «It's not appropriate for me to give my opinion... I must be cautious and respect everyone's areas of responsibility», he told Spanish public media. While silent on the Sahara issue, the Sumar ministers have voiced strong opposition to Sanchez's recent decision — adopted by the Council of Ministers on April 22 — to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP. Health Minister Mónica García said that although they are «a minority within the Council of Ministers, that doesn't mean we aren't a coalition». She added that Sumar «will continue to advocate for policies that go beyond military rearmament», according to public broadcaster RTVE.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
It's no longer safe for any country to buy weapons from Trump's America
Donald Trump has inflicted enormous long-term damage on America's defence export industry, a lucrative earner worth $320bn (£250bn) a year in all its forms. Foreign defence sales are 10 times greater than US exports of liquefied natural gas. First in line for collective repudiation is Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet. Mark Carney ordered a review of Canada's order for 72 of these advanced aircraft within hours of becoming prime minister. It will determine whether 'other options could better meet Canada's needs'. Nuno Melo, Portugal's conservative defence minister, says the F-35 is no longer considered a safe choice to replace his country's ageing F-16s. 'We have to know that an ally will be on our side whatever the circumstances,' he told Público. 'The world has changed. This ally of ours, so predictable over the decades, could limit the use, maintenance, components, and everything needed to ensure that the aircraft are operational in all scenarios,' he said. Portugal is looking at a European alternative. Germany may be next. 'Nobody needs to buy an F-35,' said Tom Enders, ex-Airbus chief and now head of the German Council on Foreign Relations. He said Germany's contract for these fighters was a misguided attempt by Angela Merkel to 'appease' Trump during his first term. It should be cancelled forthwith. Europe does not strictly need the US Patriot missile defence system either. The upgraded Franco-Italian SAMP/T rival is more or less 'equivalent'. 'It is absolutely imperative that we free ourselves of dependence on US systems as far and as quickly as possible. We can't simply close our eyes to the fact that this American government has become an adversary,' Mr Enders said in an explosive interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine. He said Trump was likely to blackmail and coerce Europe in much the same way as he has coerced Ukraine. 'No one believes any more that he will stand by Article 5 if Putin invades the Suwałki Gap,' he said. One should be cautious reading too much into share price movements. But it is striking that Lockheed Martin's stock has dropped 23pc since late October, while Dassault Aviation has almost doubled in dollar terms on talk of more orders for the Rafale. French missile-maker Thales is up 90pc. The European defence sector has seen an explosive rise over the last month, pushed even higher by Germany's coalition deal for €1 trillion of rearmament and infrastructure – to be ratified this week by a constitutional amendment to the debt brake. Mr Enders, a no-nonsense parachute officer and ex-head of European defence group EADS, said the US has access to the operating system of F-35s. 'We know the Americans can shut the thing down, whenever they want. We are totally dependent,' he said. Experts disagree over what the Pentagon can or cannot do remotely to paralyse an F-35. 'There is no explicit kill switch. It's not something that can be turned off on any given day,' said Justin Bronk, an aviation specialist at the Royal United Services Institute. But the fact that this discussion is even going on in the highest circles of European defence and foreign policy exposes the complete collapse of confidence in the US military alliance. In my view it is irreversible. Mr Enders has just launched Germany's 'Sparta' project, drafted by leading figures calling for immediate and massive German rearmament. It clearly has the backing of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz. Rather than trying to catch up with Russia in tanks and aircraft, Germany and Europe should together seek 'asymmetric superiority' by building a drone wall on Nato's eastern flank, according to Mr Enders. This could be done very quickly and at a fraction of the cost. 'We need tens of thousands of smart robots on the battlefield,' he said. A few dozen people can make a thousand combat drones for less than it costs to make a Leopard 2 tank shell. 'These drones can knock out enemy systems that cost several million with great precision,' he said. Europe should move fast to escape the clutches of Elon Musk's Starlink. Mr Enders said Eutelsat's OneWeb could do much of the job if buttressed by the medium-orbit satellites of SES. The focus should be on the 'sharp end' of defence. Some of the weapons should be in the field in six to 12 months, but none beyond five years. 'We're not interested in a new arms system that takes 20 years,' he said. Sparta includes a dash for 'cloud-combat' hypersonic weapons, a European missile shield, as well as a joint nuclear deterrent in coordination with France and the UK that span the escalation ladder from tactical nukes to strategic missiles. There have always been restrictions on how US weapon exports can be deployed, but the rules were clear. Trump has turned every form of vulnerability into a means of extortion. He has shown that he will not hesitate to cut rough with military kit to get his way – in Ukraine's case to force capitulation on Kremlin terms – or 'dividing up certain assets' as he put it. Those terms will probably be close to the Istanbul Protocol: neutrality, a skeleton military like Germany in the 1920s, Russian control over four annexed (but unconquered) oblasts, cultural re-Russification of Ukraine, plus a Vidkun Quisling-like figure to replace Volodymyr Zelensky. Europe faces serious dangers trying to extricate itself from US dependency. 'If European politicians provoke Trump we could get into an even more precarious position, setting off a vicious cycle,' said one expert from a Nato state helping the Ukrainian military. But it cannot go on as before either. 'The US has complete lockdown and ownership of our security architecture. Long-range fires and potentially the Patriot missiles and some intelligence systems could stop working if somebody in Florida or Washington presses 'no' on a computer. You couldn't keep the show on the road,' he said. The Stockholm Institute (Sipri) says the US cornered 43pc of global weapons exports over the last five years. This cannot last. Japan, India, Latin America, and the Middle East, will all be wary of locking into complex defence systems that could be used as leverage by the White House at any time, and for any purpose. It is no protection if suppliers are private companies. Trump compels corporate leaders to kiss the ring and execute his agenda. He is imposing his ideology on capitalist America proactively. Even the Washington Post has bowed to pressure, refusing to publish views that flout Maga nostrums. Two of the irresistible selling points of US arms exporters have long been that a) the dependency would not be abused, and b) that countries were implicitly coming under the US security umbrella by aligning their fortunes with America. Neither has currency in Trump's Hobbesian world. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
18-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
It's no longer safe for any country to buy weapons from Trump's America
Donald Trump has inflicted enormous long-term damage on America's defence export industry, a lucrative earner worth $320bn (£250bn) a year in all its forms. Foreign defence sales are 10 times greater than US exports of liquefied natural gas. First in line for collective repudiation is Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet. Mark Carney ordered a review of Canada's order for 72 of these advanced aircraft within hours of becoming prime minister. It will determine whether 'other options could better meet Canada's needs'. Nuno Melo, Portugal's conservative defence minister, says the F-35 is no longer considered a safe choice to replace his country's ageing F-16s. 'We have to know that an ally will be on our side whatever the circumstances,' he told Público. 'The world has changed. This ally of ours, so predictable over the decades, could limit the use, maintenance, components, and everything needed to ensure that the aircraft are operational in all scenarios,' he said. Portugal is looking at a European alternative. Germany may be next. 'Nobody needs to buy an F-35,' said Tom Enders, ex-Airbus chief and now head of the German Council on Foreign Relations. He said Germany's contract for these fighters was a misguided attempt by Angela Merkel to 'appease' Trump during his first term. It should be cancelled forthwith. Europe does not strictly need the US Patriot missile defence system either. The upgraded Franco-Italian SAMP/T rival is more or less 'equivalent'. 'It is absolutely imperative that we free ourselves of dependence on US systems as far and as quickly as possible. We can't simply close our eyes to the fact that this American government has become an adversary,' Mr Enders said in an explosive interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine. He said Trump was likely to blackmail and coerce Europe in much the same way as he has coerced Ukraine. 'No one believes any more that he will stand by Article 5 if Putin invades the Suwałki Gap,' he said. One should be cautious reading too much into share price movements. But it is striking that Lockheed Martin's stock has dropped 23pc since late October, while Dassault Aviation has almost doubled in dollar terms on talk of more orders for the Rafale. French missile-maker Thales is up 90pc. The European defence sector has seen an explosive rise over the last month, pushed even higher by Germany's coalition deal for €1 trillion of rearmament and infrastructure – to be ratified this week by a constitutional amendment to the debt brake. Mr Enders, a no-nonsense parachute officer and ex-head of European defence group EADS, said the US has access to the operating system of F-35s. ' We know the Americans can shut the thing down, whenever they want. We are totally dependent,' he said. Experts disagree over what the Pentagon can or cannot do remotely to paralyse an F-35. 'There is no explicit kill switch. It's not something that can be turned off on any given day,' said Justin Bronk, an aviation specialist at the Royal United Services Institute. But the fact that this discussion is even going on in the highest circles of European defence and foreign policy exposes the complete collapse of confidence in the US military alliance. In my view it is irreversible. Mr Enders has just launched Germany's 'Sparta' project, drafted by leading figures calling for immediate and massive German rearmament. It clearly has the backing of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz. Rather than trying to catch up with Russia in tanks and aircraft, Germany and Europe should together seek 'asymmetric superiority' by building a drone wall on Nato's eastern flank, according to Mr Enders. This could be done very quickly and at a fraction of the cost. 'We need tens of thousands of smart robots on the battlefield,' he said. A few dozen people can make a thousand combat drones for less than it costs to make a Leopard 2 tank shell. 'These drones can knock out enemy systems that cost several million with great precision,' he said. Europe should move fast to escape the clutches of Elon Musk's Starlink. Mr Enders said Eutelsat's OneWeb could do much of the job if buttressed by the medium-orbit satellites of SES. The focus should be on the 'sharp end' of defence. Some of the weapons should be in the field in six to 12 months, but none beyond five years. 'We're not interested in a new arms system that takes 20 years,' he said. Sparta includes a dash for 'cloud-combat' hypersonic weapons, a European missile shield, as well as a joint nuclear deterrent in coordination with France and the UK that span the escalation ladder from tactical nukes to strategic missiles. There have always been restrictions on how US weapon exports can be deployed, but the rules were clear. Trump has turned every form of vulnerability into a means of extortion. He has shown that he will not hesitate to cut rough with military kit to get his way – in Ukraine's case to force capitulation on Kremlin terms – or 'dividing up certain assets' as he put it. Those terms will probably be close to the Istanbul Protocol: neutrality, a skeleton military like Germany in the 1920s, Russian control over four annexed (but unconquered) oblasts, cultural re-Russification of Ukraine, plus a Vidkun Quisling-like figure to replace Volodymyr Zelensky. Europe faces serious dangers trying to extricate itself from US dependency. 'If European politicians provoke Trump we could get into an even more precarious position, setting off a vicious cycle,' said one expert from a Nato state helping the Ukrainian military. But it cannot go on as before either. 'The US has complete lockdown and ownership of our security architecture. Long-range fires and potentially the Patriot missiles and some intelligence systems could stop working if somebody in Florida or Washington presses 'no' on a computer. You couldn't keep the show on the road,' he said. The Stockholm Institute (Sipri) says the US cornered 43pc of global weapons exports over the last five years. This cannot last. Japan, India, Latin America, and the Middle East, will all be wary of locking into complex defence systems that could be used as leverage by the White House at any time, and for any purpose. It is no protection if suppliers are private companies. Trump compels corporate leaders to kiss the ring and execute his agenda. He is imposing his ideology on capitalist America proactively. Even the Washington Post has bowed to pressure, refusing to publish views that flout Maga nostrums. Two of the irresistible selling points of US arms exporters have long been that a) the dependency would not be abused, and b) that countries were implicitly coming under the US security umbrella by aligning their fortunes with America. Neither has currency in Trump's Hobbesian world.
