Lisbon - Spain and Portugal agreed Monday to make a joint bid to host the 2018 football World Cup.

A deal was reached in Lisbon by Spanish football federation president Angel Maria Villar and Portuguese counterpart Gilberto Madail, Portugal's news agency Lusa reported.

Spain hosted the 1982 World Cup and the European Championship in 1964, while Portugal were hosts of the 2004 European Championships, beating a bid from Spain.

Portimao, Portugal - Renault and Williams unveiled their cars for 2009 Formula

Lisbon - Controversy raged in Portugal on Thursday over statements by a leading Catholic clergyman who warned against marriages between Christians and Muslims.

Bishops sided with Lisbon patriarch Jose Policarpo, while human rights activists and people living in mixed marriages slammed him for intolerance.

Cardinal Policarpo advised young Portuguese Catholic women to "be careful" and to "think twice" before marrying Muslims.

Portimao, Portugal - Ivory Coast defender Arthur Boka has renewed his contract at VfB Stuttgart until 2012, the German Bundesliga club said on Thursday.

Lisbon - Gerry McCann, the father of missing British toddler Madeleine, has returned to Portugal one-and-a-half years after her disappearance to continue the search for his daughter.

McCann, 40, told Portuguese journalists late Tuesday he returned to speak to his legal team and to develop new strategies to rekindle the search for Madeleine.

He said that he hoped to find his daughter until her birthday in May. McCann came to Portugal for the first time since returning to Britain in September 2007.

Lisbon  - The world's oldest person, Maria de Jesus, died Friday at the age of 115 in a hospital in the Portuguese community of Corujo near the city of Tomar.

She held the Guinness world record for just a month after the death of American Edna Parker.

De Jesus, born September 10, 1983, had never left the small town where she was born and completely avoided both alcohol and coffee, relatives told local media.

Her husband, Jose, died 58 years ago, when she was 57 years old. She had six children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.