- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Odegaard injury has forced Arsenal to be 'different', says Arteta
- Ratcliffe refuses to guarantee Ten Hag's Man Utd future
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Mauritius to hold legislative election on November 10
- Britain qualify for America's Cup final after 60-year wait
- IMF asks Sri Lanka to protect hard-won gains
- Morata returns to Spain Nations League squad after injury
- Irish regulator to probe Ryanair use of facial recognition
- Public allowed to see video evidence in France mass rape trial
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- Under-fire Ten Hag 'together' with Man Utd hierarchy
- Guardiola talks of Man City love affair as financial hearing rumbles on
- De Bruyne out of Belgium Nations League squad
- Japanese trainer Yahagi hopes Shin Emperor achieves 50-year-old Arc dream
- UK's Starmer hails 'landmark' carbon capture funding
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Bosnia floods kill 14 people
- Tennis world number one Swiatek splits with coach Wiktorowski
Socialists ahead as Portugal election campaign enters final stretch
Early voting begins in Portugal on Sunday for a snap general election, with polls showing the incumbent Socialists still ahead though with their lead over their nearest centre-right rivals narrowing.
Over 300,000 voters have signed up to vote a week early with polls due to open at 8:00 am (0800 GMT).
The early voting option was provided this year to reduce crowding on election day, next Sunday, due to the pandemic.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who has led two consecutive minority Socialist governments since 2015, is among those set to cast his ballot early.
The snap polls were called after he failed to secure support for his 2022 budget from the two smaller far-left parties that had been propping up his government.
It was the first time a budget was voted down since the EU member returned to democracy in 1974.
The Socialists have around 38 percent support, compared to just over 30 percent for the main opposition centre-right PSD, which would leave Costa once again without a working majority in parliament, according to a poll of polls compiled by Radio Renascenca.
But surveys carried out in recent days have shown the gap narrowing, with at least one putting the two parties in a statistical tie when the margin of error is taken into account.
The election could see upstart far-right party Chega, which entered parliament for the first time with a single seat during the last election in 2019, make gains.
Polls give it nearly seven percent support, which would make it the third-biggest force in parliament.
- 'Born politician' -
Costa has blasted his former allies -- the Left Bloc and the Communist Party -- as "irresponsible" for voting down his budget and has appealed for voters to give him an outright majority in the 230-seat parliament.
During the last election in October 2019 the socialist got 108 seats, eight shy of an outright majority.
"For the first time, I believe" it is possible, Costa said during a recent interview with weekly newspaper Expresso.
If his party wins the most votes but again lacks a majority, Costa has said he plans to govern alone by negotiating support from other parties for laws on a case by case basis.
But Lisbon University political scientist Jose Santana Pereira said it will be "difficult" for Costa to form a "stable government" without the far-left.
"It is foreseeable that the current balance of power will be maintained," he told AFP.
Aiding Costa is the fact that the PSD is divided.
Its leader, former Porto mayor Rui Rio, has faced three leadership challenges over the past four years.
"Costa is a born politician, and in the eyes of voters he is better prepared than Rui Rio," said University of Lisbon political scientist Marina Costa Lobo.
- Covid election measures -
During Costa's first term Portugal enjoyed four years of economic growth which allowed the government to reverse austerity measures imposed during Europe's 2011 debt crisis while posting the country's first budget surplus since returning to democracy in 1974.
The last two years have been marked by the Covid-19 health crisis.
Portugal, a nation of around 10 million people, hopes it will soon turn the page on the pandemic thanks to the success of its vaccination programme which has given it one of the world's highest immunisation rates.
Like other European nations, Portugal is grappling with a surge in infections fuelled by the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Portuguese voters who are infected and in isolation will be allowed to leave home to cast their ballot on January 30, with an hour-long slot from 6:00-7:00 pm when polling stations are traditionally less busy recommended.
Officials estimated as many as 600,000 people are currently in quarantine.
P.Cavaco--PC