Budget plan for Portugal
The government approved an outline plan on Saturday to tackle the large budget deficit which rose to 9.3 per cent of GDP last year, which will be presented to Brussels by the end of the month. José Socrates, the Prime Minister, is to commence a series of meetings today to discuss the measures and gain commitment to them.

The media have reported that the long term austerity plan contains spending cuts by reducing tax breaks and public sector wages that will be held at 2009 levels this year. The measures are not thought to be as drastic as those of Greece who faces a much higher deficit and is using wage cuts and tax increases in a bid to manage the situation. The detailed plan has not been released but officials said the programme combined public spending cuts with fiscal stability.

The national daily, Diario de Noticias daily reported on Sunday that the government will cut tax breaks linked to healthcare and education from 2011, reduce public investment and will impose taxes on profits made in the stock market. The newspaper also predicted that public sector pay freezes will continue next year as well in spite of the strike of public sector workers last Thursday and threats of more industrial action if the government continues to impose pay freezes in the civil service. It was also said that the plan is expected to cut Portugal's budget deficit to below 3 per cent of GDP by 2013.

Road closures
Twenty nine main roads were closed over the weekend because of the heavy rainfall. Worst hit were the districts of Lisbon and Santarém. Of the 29 roads closed, ten were national highways. The rising waters of the Tejo caused many placed to be isolated with roads impassable in the localities of Reguengo do Alviela, Santarém and Lezirão in the region of Azambuja.

Portugal more equal than most
The Secretary of State for equality, Elza Pais, said today that whilst more needs to be done to achieve equal pay between men and women, the problem in Portugal is less severe than in most EU countries. "The wage gap in the European average stands at 17.6 per cent and in Portugal it is 8.4 per cent. The only countries below us are Italy, Malta and Poland," she said. The government is investing a sum of 42 million to support gender equality measures of which almost half is being used to promote entrepreneurship for women.  

School violence and bullying
A school in Mirandela, a city in the Northern central part of Portugal, in the region of Bragança, has been the subject of an investigation by The Commission for the Protection of Children and Young people. The review looked into cases of physical violence at the Luciano Cordeiro School which have come to light following the death of 12 year old Leandro who appeared to have thrown himself into a fast flowing river last week because of persecution by fellow students.

It is known that three violent attacks have occurred recently on school premises and several other cases have been reported, some involving family and social problems at home. Paula Nunes, aunt of Leandro told the press that her nephew had been subjected to violence at school once before: "When my nephew was assaulted and had to be hospitalized a year ago, his mother informed the school board and PSP," she said adding that the family cannot understand how a group of boys were allowed to leave the school premises with Leandro while they should have been under the supervision of teachers and other adults.

UK
Mystery message
A Gothic inscription, believed to date from the 15th century, has been uncovered in Salisbury Cathedral.

The text was found when a monument standing against a wall was moved for cleaning.

Originally considered to have been from the 16th century, archaeologists now believe it dates from sometime in the 1400s before the Reformation.  At that time, the use of English was gradually beginning to be used in place of Latin.

Nevertheless, experts are still trying to puzzle out the exact words and meaning of the inscription.  The mystery remains.

Iceland
Resounding rejection
Icelandic voters have sent a clear ‘no’ message in their Saturday referendum on the question of repaying funds to the UK and Dutch governments.  

Votes counted over the weekend, nearly one-third of the total, show that 93 per cent voted against the proposal with only 2 per cent in favour.  Hundreds of protestors gathered outside Iceland’s parliament during voting hours banging pots and waving banners.

The debt was incurred when the online Icesave bank collapsed in 2008.  The British and the Dutch paid compensation to their citizens who lost money in the bank failure.  They are demanding €3.86bn reimbursement.

Talks followed on a repayment schedule but the final negotiation broke down without agreement on the Friday before the referendum.  The government, however, is determined to meet the debt and has pledged that negotiations will continue.

Many people in Iceland feel that they are being penalised for the risky actions of bankers.  In addition, there is some anti-British sentiment owing to the UK having employed anti-terrorist legislation to freeze Icesave assets in the country.

Europe
Carbon tax plan
The European Commission is planning a tax on carbon, applicable to fuel, natural gas and coal.  The initiative is an element of the EU’s green energy agenda.

Carbon tax is already in place in Sweden, Finland and Denmark.  Britain has rejected the idea.  In France, the issue is contentious; a new carbon tax was to be introduced in January but was struck down by the country’s legal compliance watchdog.

For a tax to be applied across the EU, all 27 member states would have to agree.  The UK has argued that the existing Energy Taxation Directive gives member states the ability to create a carbon tax if they so choose.

Spain
Anti-abortion demonstrations
Thousands took to the streets of Madrid and three other cities to register protest at a bill to make abortion easier for women.

Parliament has already approved the bill which allows for abortion on demand up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.  The new legislation is scheduled to take effect in July.  

Currently, the most recent law promulgated in 1985 permits abortion in cases of rape, when there are indications of foetal abnormality, or if the woman’s physical or psychological health is in jeopardy.  The latter category has been used to justify the vast majority of abortions.  In 2007 abortions numbered 112,000.

In recent years, Spain has legalised gay marriage and passed legislation making divorce easier to obtain.

Iraq
Elections attacked
At least 35 people have been killed during Sunday’s parliamentary election.  Multiple attacks were carried out on the second such elections held since the 2003 invasion.

Dozens of mortars were set off in Baghdad and in other parts of the country.  Two buildings in Baghdad were destroyed.

The Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, had called on people to turn out to vote.  Despite the threats to safety, long queues formed at polling stations in many cities.

Islamic militants said they would disrupt voting.  

The elections are for 325 members of parliament.  About 6,200 candidates were in the running from 86 factions.  The electorate comprises about 19 million people.

Overall, violence in the country has lessened and casualties fewer, but hundreds of people are being killed every month.  Basic services, such as electricity, are frequently interrupted and corruption is rife.