Telejornal Madeira — 3 August 2026:

• **Fatal crash on the Via Rápida in Santa Cruz** — A head-on collision near Madeira Airport killed a man in his 30s and left two other young men seriously injured. Traffic was disrupted in both directions.
• **Rising agricultural costs and labour shortage** — Production costs in Madeira's farms have nearly doubled in four years due to fuel and fertilizer prices, compounded by a severe labour shortage and stagnant farm-gate prices.
• **Madeira Rally may return to the European Championship in 2028** — The regional government is considering increased financial support for the event, which could rejoin the European Rally Championship calendar in 2028.
• **Judicial Police incinerate nearly 7 tonnes of drugs and steroids** — The Madeira Judicial Police burned almost 7 tonnes of drugs and anabolic steroids, including a record 6.9-tonne steroid seizure linked to an Egyptian national operating from the Caniçal free zone.
• **PSP seize 31 cannabis plants in Câmara de Lobos** — During a domestic violence intervention, PSP officers found and seized 31 cannabis plants; the investigation continues.
• **House prices rise 10.3% in Madeira** — Madeira is now the third most expensive region in Portugal for housing, with Funchal averaging €4,036 per square metre — a 10.3% year-on-year increase.
• **Company formations drop in Madeira** — In the first half of 2024, 701 new companies were formed and 259 dissolved, for a net gain of 442 — down from 666 in the same period the previous year.
• **Recovery and Resilience Plan nears 100% execution** — Portugal's €22 billion Recovery and Resilience Plan is set to close this month with nearly all milestones met, though some projects such as affordable housing fell short.
• **Crisis in the hospitality and restaurant sector** — Madeira's hospitality industry faces an unprecedented crisis, with business owners criticising insufficient government support amid widespread closures and layoffs.
• **New endemic plant genus discovered: Madeirina** — Researchers identified a new endemic plant genus found exclusively in Madeira's high-altitude areas — a historic moment for the island's biodiversity.
• **Portuguese language and Madeiran culture course for foreigners** — Twenty foreign nationals completed a four-week course on Portuguese language and Madeiran culture, organised by the Regional Directorate of Communities and the University of Madeira.
• **Hot-weather weather warning for Madeira** — Yellow and orange warnings are in effect as temperatures are expected to reach 30°C until Friday, with high humidity and suspended Saharan dust from North Africa.
• **Portuguese Cup: regional qualifiers** — Machico and Camacha meet in the first round on 30 August; Marítimo and Nacional enter directly in the third round due to their Primeira Liga status.
• **Alert to eliminate Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites** — Health authorities urge the public to remove standing water and breeding sites as warmer weather increases Aedes aegypti activity, although no dengue cases have been reported this year.

Watch the full bulletin: RTP Play