Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

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Social Media | Parliament proposes bill requiring parental consent for minors Update | Persistent severe downpouring forces evacuations Election’26 | Diaspora vote count shows strong support for André Ventura Book | An Azorean Family Election’26 | Socialist António José Seguro wins presidency
 

Social Media | Parliament proposes bill requiring parental consent for minors – Portugal

Portugal’s parliament has approved legislation that would restrict minors’ access to social media platforms by requiring parental authorization for users under the age of 16, making it one of Europe’s most concrete legislative steps toward regulating youth activity online. The proposal, introduced by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), mandates explicit, verified parental consent for minors […]

Update | Persistent severe downpouring forces evacuations – Portugal

Heavy and persistent rainfall continues to affect mainland Portugal as successive Atlantic systems prolong saturated ground conditions and heighten flood risk across several regions, forcing evacuations. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described the extreme weather episodes as a “devastating crisis” affecting communities across the country while emphasizing that emergency coordination and recovery efforts continue nationwide. Mário […]

Election’26 | Diaspora vote count shows strong support for André Ventura – Portugal

Portugal’s presidential runoff election provisional vote count indicates that Chega candidate André Ventura secured the largest share of votes cast by Portuguese citizens living abroad. As final counts are still being compiled from abroad, Ventura has received approximately 51.88% of the diaspora vote, compared with 48.12% for Seguro. These figures reflect global voting and remain […]

Book | An Azorean Family’s History: Our Faria and Moitoso Roots | By Keith Tavares – Editor’s Note

Genealogical research is a journey into the past, uncovering the stories and connections that define our heritage. For Keith Daniel Tavares, this journey explored his Faria and Moitoso ancestors, unearthing the rich history and legacy that has shaped his family. An Azorean Family’s History delves into the significant findings of Keith Tavares’ genealogical research, highlighting […]

Election’26 | Socialist António José Seguro wins presidency – Portugal

Socialist António José Seguro was elected President of Portugal today, in a second-round runoff election, winning about 66–67% of the vote against far-right populist Chega candidate André Ventura with about 33–34% – according to near-final ballots counted. The national tally is not yet fully closed, as some precincts and consular votes remain to be counted. […]

Phone call: President Trump congratulates President Rebelo de Sousa – Portugal

01 May 2020

The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, received a phone call this Friday, from President Donald Trump, praising the Portuguese government performance in battling the COVID19 epidemic, the office of the Portuguese President reported. During the call, President Trump congratulated Portugal and offered “all the useful help necessary and considered useful.” Bilateral issues of […]

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Posted in Community, Featured, Organizations, People, Portugal, World

Book: ‘The Christian Century in Japan 1549-1650’ by Charles R. Boxer – Editor’s Note

25 April 2020

The first known appearance of organized Christianity in Japan was the arrival of the Portuguese Catholics in 1549. Spanish missionary Francis Xavier arrived in Japan with three Japanese Catholic converts intending to start a church in Japan. The local Japanese people initially assumed that the foreigners were from India and that Christianity was a new […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World

Today in History: “Dia da Liberdade” celebrated under duress – Portugal

25 April 2020

Since 1974 the Portuguese nation has been celebrating “Dia da Liberdade” [Freedom Day], with a national holiday on 25th April Revolution, to mark the bloodless military coup which brought democracy and civil liberties to modern Portugal. This year, due to the COVID19 epidemic, the celebrations have been simplified to a shorter non-public ceremony in the […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Organizations, People, Portugal, World

Postponed: Pope Francis cancelling World Youth Day in Lisbon – Portugal

20 April 2020

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, Pope Francis has cancelled his pastoral visit to Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022, to preside to the World Youth Day – the Vatican announced this Monday. The event was postponed to August 2023. According to the announcement, “given the current health situation and its consequences, the Holy Father decided to postpone […]

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Posted in Featured, Organizations, People, Portugal, Religion, World

Book: ‘Being Portuguese in Spanish’ by Jonathan Wade – Editor’s Note

15 April 2020

Among the many consequences of Spain’s annexation of Portugal from 1580 to 1640 was an increase in the number of Portuguese authors writing in Spanish. One can trace this practice as far back as the medieval period, although it was through Gil Vicente, Jorge de Montemayor, and others that Spanish-language texts entered the mainstream of […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World

Pandemic: No end in sight forces more restrictive measures – Update

11 April 2020

This Saturday, Portugal has confirmed 470 deaths associated with the COVID19 pandemic, with 15,987 infected, according to official sources. The state of emergency was extended by another 15 days, to end April 17, as more measures to restrict movements were implemented, including during the Easter holiday weekend. Except for health reasons or imperative urgency, people […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People, Portugal, Travel, World