Lisbon Portugal

Walls of flames swept through Lisbon's historic Chiado district Thursday, devastating much of the 10-block area that has been the commercial and literary heart of the capital since the 18th Century. One person was killed and 43 were injured, officials said. Bottles of butane gas stacked in stores exploded throughout the morning as the flames rushed through the ornate buildings that housed cafes and specialty stores on the narrow, cobblestone streets.

These notes are being written between sets in a fado club in Bairro Alto. Fado, part aria, part torch song, is impassioned music. I don't speak Portuguese, so I cannot tell you exactly the subject of the songs tonight at Adega do Ribatejo, but it must be something significant because no one could sing so passionately about inconsequential matters.

Eleven years ago, when the American dollar was strong and the Portuguese escudo was one of Western Europe's weakest currencies, I bought my first piece of handcrafted gold jewelry from one of Lisbon's myriad ourivesarias, or gold shops. It was a small pin in the shape of a bow, fashioned from a fine gold mesh and brightened by a row of tiny turquoise beads.

Eleven years ago, when the American dollar was strong and the Portuguese escudo was one of Western Europe's weakest currencies, I bought my first piece of handcrafted gold jewelry from one of Lisbon's myriad ourivesarias, or gold shops. It was a small pin in the shape of a bow, fashioned from a fine gold mesh and brightened by a row of tiny turquoise beads.

At least 142 Americans were injured as Portuguese police clubbed, kicked and rounded up about 400 U.S. sailors and Marines and British sailors in a late-night melee in Lisbon, U.S. military and diplomatic sources said Thursday. The violence grew out of a drunken brawl that began with four U.S. sailors in Lisbon's red-light district Wednesday night, attracted scores of others and ended with the arrests of 175 U.S. sailors and Marines, the Navy said.

These notes are being written between sets in a fado club in Bairro Alto. Fado, part aria, part torch song, is impassioned music. I don't speak Portuguese, so I cannot tell you exactly the subject of the songs tonight at Adega do Ribatejo, but it must be something significant because no one could sing so passionately about inconsequential matters.

Portugal figures to become the eighth of the 12 European Community countries to ratify the Maastricht Treaty on European union when its one-chamber Parliament votes Thursday after a scheduled two-day debate. The German and Dutch parliaments have begun the ratification process and should approve without difficulty.

Jacob Ngumbu of Kenya won the Discoveries Marathon in a record time of 2 hours 13 minutes 33 seconds at Lisbon, Portugal.

Another opinion? The most beautiful of the theaters (in order) are: San Carlo (in Naples), Massimo Bellini (in Catania), Sao Carlo (in Lisbon, Portugal), La Fenice (in Venice). GLYNN ROSS Tucson, Ariz.

Portugal figures to become the eighth of the 12 European Community countries to ratify the Maastricht Treaty on European union when its one-chamber Parliament votes Thursday after a scheduled two-day debate. The German and Dutch parliaments have begun the ratification process and should approve without difficulty.

At least 142 Americans were injured as Portuguese police clubbed, kicked and rounded up about 400 U.S. sailors and Marines and British sailors in a late-night melee in Lisbon, U.S. military and diplomatic sources said Thursday. The violence grew out of a drunken brawl that began with four U.S. sailors in Lisbon's red-light district Wednesday night, attracted scores of others and ended with the arrests of 175 U.S. sailors and Marines, the Navy said.

Walls of flames swept through Lisbon's historic Chiado district Thursday, devastating much of the 10-block area that has been the commercial and literary heart of the capital since the 18th Century. One person was killed and 43 were injured, officials said. Bottles of butane gas stacked in stores exploded throughout the morning as the flames rushed through the ornate buildings that housed cafes and specialty stores on the narrow, cobblestone streets.

President Clinton plans to nominate Sharon P. Wilkinson of New York, a career diplomat, as ambassador to Burkina Faso. Wilkinson is now deputy chief of mission in Lisbon, Portugal.

As both teams wore black armbands in honor of the dead from the previous day's disaster in France, Werder Bremen of Germany defeated AS Monaco, 2-0, for the European Cup Winners' Cup in Lisbon, Portugal. The match was overshadowed by Tuesday night's disaster on the French island of Corsica, where 10 fans were killed when temporary stands collapsed before the scheduled start of a French Cup semifinal game.