The end is nigh for displaying your insurance stamp on the windscreen
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is proposing an end to the obligation to post the car insurance stamps on the windshield. This change in the law will come into effect as soon as it is published in the official Diário da República.
The proposal arose from a bill that the Liberal Initiative (IL) presented. It was approved with the favourable votes from PS, PCP and BE, and IL. The PSD abstained, while Chega voted against it.
On June 2nd, parliament approved this amendment and added some points to the article of the law that defines the rules for issuing insurance documents.
These documents willbe issued and made available through electronic means, "without prejudice to their issuance and availability on paper, at no extra cost, at the request of the policyholder or, where applicable, the insured person, or in cases where they do not have, demonstrably, of adequate electronic means for the safe transmission and reception of the same”.
The electronic documents will “replace the paper insurance certificate”.
Already 41 tons of drugs seized so far this year
The Judiciary Police have revealed that the Portuguese authorities have already seized 41 tons of drugs so far this year.
It is reported that up to June 26th and according to available data, around 11 tons of cocaine, 30 tons of hashish and smaller amounts of other types of drugs were siezed.
The PJ also said that the destruction of six tons of various types of illicit drugs seized over the last few months by the different security forces will be done through incineration, "under the supervision of a commission made up of a public prosecutor, a investigator from the Judiciary Police and an expert from the Scientific Police Laboratory".
Throughout the whole of last year, almost 42 tons of drugs were seized in Portugal, according to the 2022 report on Combating Drug Trafficking in Portugal, which gathers data on drug seizures carried out by PJ, GNR, PSP, Tax and Customs Authority (AT), Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and also by other State entities, such as the Maritime Police (PM) and the Directorate-General for Reinsertion and Prison Services (DGRSP).
Hashish was the most seized drug in 2022, with around 23.37 tons, followed by cocaine, with 16.5 tons, and marijuana (cannabis), with 1.15 tons.
News of large drug seizures has multiplied in recent months, with particular emphasis on maritime operations off the coast of the Algarve.
In March, the Navy and the National Maritime Authority announced that 16.48 tons of drugs were seized in the first two months of 2023 alone.
Lagoa: family of young woman stabbed by ex-boyfriend considers suing hospital
The family of Joana Nascimento, the 25 year old from Lagoa who died a week after her ex-boyfriend attacked her with a knife in the neck, is considering filing a complaint against the Portimão Hospital.
The hospital in Portimão discharged the young woman, just hours after the crime, with medication. The young woman ended up dying from a generalised infection, one week later.
Joana, who is the cousin of actress Filipa Nascimento, was attacked when leaving her home on June 15th, as she left for work in the morning. SEE ARTICLE HERE.
Actress, Filipa Nascimento expressed her pain in an Instagram story shortly after her cousins death: “She had a life ahead of her, dreams to come true, family to see grow, goals to achieve. May the Joana's of this world be heard, protected and honoured. No one can take away the hell and pain we are going through, but it relieves us to know that justice will be done. At least, I hope so”.
According to latest reports by the ccording to Correio da Manhã newspaper, the ex-boyfriend did not accept the end of their relationship and had already confronted Joana at work and at home. Joana, however, never filed a complaint against him.
The ex-boyfriend was identified by the Judicial Police, but was not detained because the crime remains to be classified, dependent on the results of the autopsy on the victim's body. The direction in which the blow hit the neck will serve as an indication to determine whether the man intended to kill the young woman.
Six Orcas attack catamaran off Culatra Island
An attack by 6 killer whales 2.8 kilometers from Culatra Island has left a 15 metre French catamaran without a rudder, forcing those onboard to be rescued by the maritime authority.
The attack took place late morning, and according Bertrand d'Enquin, a French businessman in the nautical business and a crew member, “lasted almost 50 minutes, the 6 orcas came to hit our hull several times. The boat was stationary, the sea had some waves, but no wind.”
The catamaran, with two crew on board, suffered some damage and was left without a rudder. The Captaincy of the Port of Olhão dispatched a lifeboat, which then towed the catamaran to Porto da Culatra.
The first cases of interactions on the Portuguese coast were recorded in 2020, when some younger killer whales began to interact with vessels, mainly sailboats, although there were also some cases with fishing and inflatable vessels. Attacks by orcas on vessels off the Portuguese coast have become more and more numerous since then. They are mainly attracted to the rudder of vessels and, in some cases, the interactions have caused serious damage that prevented the boats from sailing, as they were unable to set a course.
A new acoustic device to dissuade orcas from interacting and endangering recreational sailing boats will be tested this summer. There are already several navigators who avoid national waters.
Regarding swimming in the sea, the captain of the Port of Faro says that orcas "do not attack", maintaining that there is no danger.
Lagoa: Ex-boyfriend stabs young woman in the neck
A 25 year old woman, Joana Nascimento, died on Friday after being stabbed in the neck by her ex-boyfriend a week ago, as she left her home in Lagoa.
The incident happened at approximately 8:30am on June 15th, as Joana left her home to go to her job as a kindergarten teacher. According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, neighbours saw the suspect at the door of the building before the crime, however Joana was not expecting her ex-boyfriend to be there.
After being stabbed to the neck, Joana managed to get in her car and head for the police station 200m away, but started to feel unwell, so stopped her vehicle and asked for help from a passer-by. She was assisted by INEM and then transported to Portimão hospital, where she received treatment and was sent home with medication, despite the injuries to her neck being in the area of a main artery.
Over the next few days, Joana began to feel short of breath and returned to the hospital in Portimão, where she had tests that detected an infection.
She was transported by helicopter to Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon, where she was operated on, but unfortunately passed away on Friday night, June 22nd.
After fleeing from the crime the ex-boyfriend turned himself in to the GNR, accompanied by a lawyer, two days afterwards.
Investigators are awaiting the result of the autopsy to confirm whether Joana's death resulted from injuries sustained to her neck.
