Mercadona will open its first supermarket in Portimão on October 15, 2026. The new store opening also aims to reinforce the chain's partnerships with regional Algarve suppliers.
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The Madeira government has launched the PROAGES II program to provide financial aid to middle-class families struggling with inflation. Eligible households, with a gross annual income below 35,688 euros, can receive between 300 and 500 euros depending on the number of dependents, with the aid retroactive to January 2026.
The health authority Infarmed has suspended the export of 52 medicines, including certain antidepressants, painkillers, antibiotics, and cancer treatments, effective Tuesday, 2026-10-06. The list also includes 163 presentations of quetiapine, an antipsychotic, due to supply constraints caused by a microbial contamination at a manufacturing site in Greece; these shortages are expected to persist until the end of the year.
The IMF reports that the prices of essential goods remain elevated relative to other products due to a series of global shocks, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and conflict in the Middle East. This trend disproportionately impacts lower-income households and risks exacerbating global poverty and inequality as wage growth struggles to keep pace with the cost of living.