The UK’s post-election relationship with the EU
The United Kingdom’s soured relationship with the European Union since the Brexit referendum eight years ago could improve somewhat, with Britain’s new Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer.
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Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the EU’s current relationship with its closest partner, the United States, in the lead up to its November election.
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The EU hardly got a mention from either the centre-left Labour or right-wing Conservative parties during the run-up to the British election, which gave Labour a landslide victory. The Conservatives, who had been in power for 14 years, fully endorsed the outcome of the Brexit referendum, which resulted in just short of 52% of voters choosing “leave”. Many do not regret that result, even though it bitterly divided the nation, and has led to a serious economic downturn.
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Portugal, historically the UK’s oldest ally, is an unequivocal supporter of the EU and was shocked by Brexit. While Britain’s Labour Party opposed Brexit, it agreed to “uphold the wishes of the British people.”
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Labour avoided the subject during this year’s election campaign and manifesto, for fear of upsetting disaffected Conservative pro-Brexiteers they wanted to swing their way. However, Starmer has said that under his leadership he will not try to fully rejoin the EU, but will seek to soften the unpleasant relationship that has developed.
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This is viewed as of special importance to the EU, as the bloc is still the UK’s largest trading partner. There are common problems too, such as tackling the high rate of illegal immigration.
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The EU may not maintain its close partnership with the United States, unless Joe Biden steps down and is replaced by a much more competent Democratic Party presidential candidate for the November election. His age and recent follies make him much less likely to win the presidential race against Donald Trump. A return to the White House by Trump is widely predicted to be disastrous, not only for the EU, but much of the whole world due to his attitude to such things as NATO, the war in Ukraine and the existential global warming crisis.
Written by Len Port
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Man's body found floating in OlhĂŁo fishing port
The body of a man was found floating inside the fishing port of OlhĂŁo on Wednesday afternoon, with the causes of the incident so far unknown.
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After an alert at around 4pm, via member of the public who was in the area, members of the OlhĂŁo Maritime Police Local Command and INEM's Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle (VMER) immediately went to the scene.
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The 45 year old Guinean man declared dead at the scene by the VMER doctor.
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“Upon arriving at the scene, it was found that it was the body of a man, and it was removed from the water by a member of the public who was in the area,” says the National Maritime Authority in a statement.
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“Death was declared on site by the VMER doctor, and the body was transported, after contact with the Public Ministry, to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Faro”.
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The Olhão Maritime Police Local Command took charge of the incident.​​
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PortimĂŁo: 14 year old becomes pregnant after sexual abuse
In PortimĂŁo, a man has now been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a 14 year old girl, causing her to become pregnant.
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In a statement, the police revealed that they arrested the 41 year old man “for the alleged authorship of several crimes of sexual abuse of dependent minors, or those in a particularly vulnerable situation and violating their private life”.
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The crimes were committed between July 2022 and October 2023, in PortimĂŁo, "making the victim a teenager who at the time the events began had turned 14". According to a police source, the suspect was placed under house arrest after the first judicial interrogation.
The investigation conducted by the PortimĂŁo Criminal Investigation Department was initiated following the detection of the minor's pregnancy, who gave birth at the end of last year.
The police statement says, “the significant sexual contacts took place inside the suspect’s home, who took advantage of the relationship of trust he had with the minor”.
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PortimĂŁo: Man dies in EN125 crash early this morning
A man died earlier this morning as a result of a collision between a heavy goods vehicle and a passenger car, on the EN125, in PortimĂŁo.
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According to the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, the accident occurred at 6:30am this morning, in the PortimĂŁo-Lagos direction, causing traffic to be closed in both directions until around 10am.
The head-on collision between the two vehicles “resulted in the death of the driver of the passenger car”.
The accident occurred at kilometre 44 of the EN125, next to the 'new bridge' over the Arade river, to Portimão, “with the causes of the collision unknown”.
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The GNR's Traffic Accident Criminal Investigation Unit (NICAV) is investigating, to determine the causes of the accident.
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Vilamoura: English drug dealer arrested after 4 years on the run
Judicial Police have finally arrested a 32 year old man, who was wanted by the English judicial authorities for illicit drug trafficking, after he had escaped police capture for nearly 4 years.
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The suspect, "has been on the run since the end of 2020, following a court decision, which considers him a leading figure in a criminal organization dedicated to international cocaine trafficking,” said the police statement.
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He was discovered by the police in Vilamoura, arrested and will be presented at the Court of Appeal in Évora, in order to arrange his extradition to England.
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Albufeira: 77 year old shop owner stabbed to death
A 26 year old man was arrested on Saturday due to “strong evidence” of the murder of a 77 year old man, using a knife, in Albufeira.
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According to a statement published by the Judicial Police, the victim, the owner of a commercial space, “was attacked with a sharp weapon, following an argument about debts related to the lease of the commercial space he owned, on Thursday last week".
According to the police, the 77 year old victim's disappearance was reported to the authorities on Friday, late at night. On investigation by the police, they found that the suspect had “abandoned the body inside the establishment”, and was “preparing to hide the body".
Police were able to collect “relevant evidence that led to the firm identification of the suspect”.
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