JORNAL DE NOTICIAS

Jornal de Noticias is a Portuguese daily national newspaper that was founded in Porto in 1888. Its political alignment is considered centrist. It is owned by the media holding company Global Media Group.

Society

Clémence Guimier

Highway To Hell? Portuguese Priest Steals From Church To Buy 19 Cars

If we know that greed is one of the seven deadly sins, what about lust for German cars? A Lisbon priest has received a four-and-a-half-year suspended jail sentence for aggravated breach of trust and embezzlement, having taken his parishioners' money to buy no fewer than 19 automobiles.

Although Antònio Teixeira is known among his flock as a particularly kind and generous clergyman, always ready to help and support all in need, his spending habits tell a different story. Between 2011 to 2017, the priest spent an estimated 420,000 euros to buy 19 cars — including three Mercedes and 12 Volkswagens.

Portuguese daily Jornal de Notícias reports that Teixera repeatedly helped himself to the faithful's alms, stealing from the bank accounts of the two parishes he preached at, in Lisbon and Cascais. The priest also sold Church objects: candle sticks, ruby, sapphire and emerald ornamented chalices, and even religious paintings depicting, yes, baby Jesus.

In addition to the suspended jail sentence, the clergyman faces a 178,955-euro fine. Fast cars and fast money remain the currency of the devil.

Weird

Anne Sophie Goninet

Man Found Alive 20 Days After His Funeral

An elderly COVID-19 victim, presumed to have been dead (and buried) for 20 days, has been located alive in the same Portuguese hospital where he was being treated.

The 92-year-old, who had been hospitalized for about two months due to respiratory problems, was infected with COVID-19 while in the hospital the Jornal de Noticias reported this week. His son told the newspaper that the hospital had called his sister three weeks ago to say the man had died.

"I asked to see the body to identify it, but they didn't allow it," the son recalled. Due to health protocols, the body of the deceased was immediately placed in a coffin and the family organized the funeral.

Nearly three weeks later, the hospital realized that the buried body was actually another person and issued an apology to both families. The body has now to be extracted for another funeral.

The son is happy to have his dad back, and also forgiving about the mix-up: "I know that at the moment the doctors are working hard, but I hope that this event will serve as a lesson for them to be more careful in the future." No word on whether the family of the real victim is quite so understanding.

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Portugal Celebrates Soccer Victory On Front Page

Jornal de Notícias, July 11th

"IT'S OURS!" reads Monday's front page of Lisbon daily Jornal de Notícias, featuring Portugal's national soccer team celebrating their victory at the Euro 2016 tournament, with coach Fernando Santos lifting the cup.

Claiming its first ever European title, Portugal beat host country France 1-0 at Paris's Stade de France, on an overtime goal by Portuguese substitute Eder. Portugal managed to take home the cup even though superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo was taken out after an injury early in the game.

The Portuguese victory was unfortunately spoiled by clashes outside the stadium and near the Eiffel Tower. Violence from soccer fans forced police to resort to tear gas, and carry out dozens of subsequent arrests.

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Center-Right Rebelo De Sousa Wins Portuguese Presidency

Jornal de Noticias, Jan. 25, 2015

"Marcelo crowned," Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias writes on its front page Monday, as center-right candidate Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won Sunday's presidential election with 52% in the first round, a resounding victory otherwise marked by a low turnout of just 48.8%.

"The people command, and the people chose me," Rebelo de Sousa said, promising to "unify and pacify" a country left politically divided by last year's general election and the confusion that followed.

In November, inconclusive parliamentary elections had put Prime Minister António Costa's Socialist government at the helm of a fragile coalition.

Rebelo de Sousa, a 67-year-old law professor famous for his work as a TV pundit and political commentator, faced nine other candidates, including center-left Antonio Sampaio da Nóvoa, who finished second with just over 22%.

The new president pledged to work with the anti-austerity left-wing coalition government.

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Portugal: Ruling Coalition Wins Despite Austerity

Jornal de Noticias, October 5, 2015

"Confidence in the coalition," reads Monday's front page of Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias, following the governing center-right coalition's victory in the country's general election.

This was the first nationwide parliamentary election since 2011, when the government followed Greece and Ireland in requesting an international bailout to avoid default.

Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho insisted that the victory was a fragile one, as his coalition appeared to have lost its absolute majority in parliament.