IRELAND is too hard-up to contribute to the EU’s rescue bid for the Portuguese economy, the Government admitted last night.

SPAIN vowed yesterday it would not follow ailing neighbour Portugal in seeking a European bailout, and a successful Spanish bond auction suggested markets do not immediately fear contagion.

The Portuguese government says it does not know yet when it will send its formal request for a bailout to European authorities.

Portugal has requested an emergency EU bail-out from the European Commission.

Portugal’s prime minister says his country will ask for a bailout due to its high debts and difficulty raising money on international markets.

Portugal goes to the polls in just over two months time.

Portugal's financial troubles deepened today despite political efforts to contain the acute debt crisis that is also worrying the 17-nation eurozone.

IRELAND will have to wait at least two more weeks to get the cut in interest rate on its EU-IMF loan, but Taoiseach Enda Kenny appeared confident of getting it following his second EU summit.

Portugal’s political parties have opted to hold an early election rather than form a new government, even though that could hasten the debt-stressed nation’s financial woes and force it to take a bail-out.

EU leaders will today brush aside fears of another eurozone meltdown and approve a package of economic monitoring and surveillance measures designed to shore up the single currency.

EUROPEAN Central Bank (ECB) policymakers underscored the case for an April rate hike yesterday as Portugal’s political crisis raised the prospect of another spell of reluctant ECB bond market intervention.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is in Brussels today for a summit of EU heads of state with Ireland’s international bailout top of his agenda.

Ireland is unlikely to get any decision on changes to the interest rate of our bailout loan at this week's European summit, it has been claimed.

Portugal’s government could collapse today after opposition parties withdrew their support for another round of austerity policies aimed at averting a financial bailout.

Portugal's fight to avoid an Irish-style bailout has been bolstered today by a sucessful bond auction.

THE response to Portugal’s attempt to raise €1.25 billion from the markets today will signal whether or not contagion has been contained in the euro area, but many believe it is only a matter of time until Lisbon looks to the EU for help.

The Portuguese Prime Minister has said his country will not ask for financial help from the EU.

Holland/Belgium kicked off the 2018 World Cup presentations today by telling FIFA members that “small is beautiful” and theirs was the “fun bid”.

Europe faced more seemingly inevitable bail-outs today as it battled to keep the debt crisis from engulfing country after country.

Lisbon: US President Barack Obama praised Portugal’s government for committing itself to “a very vigorous package of economic steps” as it dealt with challenges created by the global economic crisis.

Jose Saramago, who became the first Portuguese-language winner of the Nobel Literature prize although his popularity at home was dampened by his unflinching support for Communism, blunt manner and sometimes difficult prose style, has died.

NOBEL literature prize winner Jose Saramago, who left his native Portugal after arguing with his country’s government, has died at the age of 87, his Spanish publisher said yesterday.

European leaders today set out to try to persuade global markets that Greece's debt crisis will not spread and derail economic recovery.

EUROZONE finance ministers and the IMF are expected to finalise a €120 billion loan package for Greece tomorrow as negotiations on the deal were ongoing in Athens.

Europe's debt crisis mushroomed today as Spain had its credit rating lowered, just as Germany tried to reassure nervous investors that Greece's economy would not be allowed to go under.

RESCUE workers dug frantically yesterday to free cars and homes buried under heaps of caked mud in Madeira, after torrential flash floods and mudslides killed at least 42 people on the popular Portuguese island.

At least 32 people have died in flooding and landslides on the island of Madeira, a Portuguese news agency said today.

At least 32 people have died in flooding and landslides on the island of Madeira, a Portuguese news agency said today.

The centre-left Socialist Party is staying in government for four more years after winning elections but its reduced parliamentary majority may handicap its efforts to lead Portugal out of an economic crisis.

AN EXIT poll showed the centre-left Socialist Party won re-election in Portugal’s parliamentary elections.

An exit poll tonight showed the centre-left Socialist Party has won re-election in Portugal’s parliamentary elections.

Portugal is voting in parliamentary elections that are predicted to keep the Socialist Party in power despite the highest jobless rate in 20 years.

RYANAIR passenger traffic rose 19% to 6.88 million last month, while its load factor, a measure of seats filled stayed at 90%.

The death toll from the Portuguese seaside resort landslide rose after it was confirmed five people had been killed and at least four were injured.

A LANDSLIDE at a Portuguese seaside resort killed five people and injured four yesterday.

The death toll rose tonight following a landslide at a Portuguese seaside resort, as it was confirmed five people had been killed and at least four were injured.

A landslide at a Portuguese seaside resort killed two people and injured at least seven today. Two people are still missing.

At least three people were feared dead after a landslide at a tourist beach on Portugal’s Algarve today.

The president of the European Commission today asked for the backing of EU leaders for a second five-year term of office in charge of the EU bureaucracy.

Europe's far-right led by French right-wing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen warned Irish voters that the country risks becoming "a local authority in a new supra-national body" if they vote yes in the referndum on the new EU reform treaty.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will join other EU leaders at the European Council summit in Brussels today.

Demands for a referendum on the European Union Reform Treaty were reignited today after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown signed Britain up to the document in the Portuguese capital.