Rain, thunder and hail forecast again
Rain, thunderstorms and hail put Algarve under yellow warning between 12:00pm and 9:00pm this Friday 15th September and from 9:00am to 9:00pm on Saturday 16th September.
According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the districts of Bragança, Viseu, Évora, Guarda, Faro , Vila Real, Beja, Castelo Branco and Coimbra will all be affected.
The yellow warning, the least serious on a scale of three, is issued by IPMA whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities depending on the meteorological situation.
Olhão: Police catch house burglar red-handed
The GNR in Olhão have arrested a 23 year old young man fleeing from a robbery of a private house, after holding the resident couple at knife-point.
“Following the report that someone had forced entry into a residence and that a robbery was taking place against a couple, the Olhão GNR promptly went to the scene and discovered that a man was fleeing the house”, says the GNR in a statement.
On investigation, police found €850 in the young man's possession, resulting from the robbery he had just carried out, plus the knife used.
iPhone 12 sales suspended due to concerns about radiation levels
Due to concerns about radiation levels exceeding permitted limits, the French government has taken the decision to suspend sales of Apple 's iPhone 12 in the country.
The measure was announced by France's Digital Economy Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, after the country's radiation watchdog, ANFR, notified Apple about this issue.
Tests carried out by ANFR revealed that the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12 was slightly above the legal limits established in France, which led to the model's sales being frozen in the country. However, the French government believes that the solution to this problem could be relatively simple.
This decision not only affects sales in France, but could also have repercussions throughout the European Union, as SAR safety limits are harmonized among member states. ANFR intends to share its findings with regulators in other EU countries, which could result in similar measures in other markets .
In statements made to the French newspaper Le Parisien, Jean-Noel Barrot expressed the hope that Apple can resolve the issue through a software update that reduces the levels of radiation emitted by the iPhone 12.
Apple now has two weeks to submit a response and, if it fails to do so, the French government could order the withdrawal of all iPhone 12 devices in circulation in France.
For Apple, this suspension of iPhone 12 sales in France represents a significant challenge, as the French market is one of the largest in Europe.
This situation highlights the importance of compliance with security regulations in all markets in which companies operate, and serves as a reminder that mobile technology must meet the rigorous security standards set by regulatory authorities.
Olive oil prices will reach a record high
The value of olive oil has increased exponentially in some Portuguese supermarkets, in just one week, and has reached more than €13 for a 750 ml bottle of olive oil.
The price of olive oil was expected to rise this year, due to adverse weather conditions, including high temperatures and drought, however, the increase is even greater than initially predicted.
“As there is no product stock, all new purchases made from suppliers since September 1st this year already reflect these increases.”
According to Portuguese news website NiT, Minipreço, bought by Auchan Portugal in August, is “charging olive oil prices almost €3 above the market average for an equal product. A bottle of Gallo gourmet extra virgin olive oil already costs €13.62, while the essential gourmet extra virgin olive oil from the Oliveira da Serra brand costs €13.86”.
Minipreço has already spoken out, justifying that the price rise is related to production losses and lack of stock.
“As there is no product stock, all new purchases made from suppliers since the 1st of September this year already reflect these announced increases, with the consequent transposition to the linear stores of our stores”, the official source explained.
Mariana Matos, general secretary of Casa do Azeite, a private association that deals with the marketing and labelling of olive oil, explained that the prices charged in Spain are very similar to those charged in Portugal. Unfortunately, this may not be good news, as the price increase in Spain could further affect the Portuguese market.
Spain leads the world olive oil sector, and any relevant event in this country has a direct impact on the dynamics of the Portuguese market.
River of red wine flows through the streets in Aveiro
The streets of São Lourenço do Bairro, in the district of Aveiro, were flooded with around 2.2 million litres of red wine this Sunday morning, after the explosion of two red wine tanks. (video below).
The red wine brand, Destilaria Levira issued a statement through its Facebook page to inform how sorry it was for what happened this Sunday.
CLICK HERE to see the video.
“We deeply regret the incident that occurred this morning (Sunday 10th Sept) involving the bursting of two deposits of DOC wine fit for consumption. Although the incident did not cause any injuries, we want to express our sincere concern for the damage caused. The causes of the incident are being investigated by the competent authorities”.
Destilaria Levira also assumes “full responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning and repairing the damage, with teams available to do so immediately. We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible.”
The alert was given at 10:36am on Sunday. The Volunteer Firefighters of Anadia were on site, cleaning and directing traffic on the affected flooded streets.
Jorge Sampaio, the vice-president of the municipality. “Our biggest concern was that the wine would not go to the Cértima River and cause an environmental disaster." Firefighters managed to dredge the wine to a wastewater treatment plant, preventing it from reaching the Cértima River.
Portugal’s SNS State health service is at risk
The doctors association in Portugal (Ordem dos Médicos) is “following negotiations between the unions and the Ministry of Health, which have been going on since last year, with immense apprehension”, with the survival of the SNS (State health system) said to be at stake.
President of the Ordem dos Médicos, Carlos Cortes, has said Cortes, the reality of the government’s current strategy is that “instead of actually recognising the importance of doctors, of creating mechanisms here that can attract and retain these doctors, what we see is once again more of the same…"
“What’s at stake here is the survival of the national health service”. The service won’t survive with only investments in infrastructure and technological means, “which are obviously very important - the greatest value is its professionals."
“In this specific case, it’s its doctors, so we need to invest in doctors, providing adequate pay, but also investing in working conditions, so that doctors can concretely treat their patients, treat those who need healthcare,” he stressed.
In Carlos Cortes’ mindset the SNS “needs to be revitalised in terms of conditions to attract doctors”, given the difficulties it currently has in terms of human resources.
All the government has come up with so far is offering doctors a pay rise of €917.10. But, this rise is only offered IF doctors commit to what the government calls its ‘full dedication regime’, which syndicates claim removes doctors’ rights, and puts the safety of patients at risk.
Doctors’ unions and the Ministry of Health held a negotiating meeting on Thursday, which again ended without agreement.
SIM, the Independent Doctors’ Union (SIM) is maintaining strikes scheduled for this month, while FNAM, the National Federation of Doctors has considered the “across-the-board pay increase of 3.6% an insult to the entire profession”.
Yesterday, Minister of Health Manuel Pizarro “expressed surprise” that it had not been possible to reach an agreement, hoping for “a rapprochement of positions”.
These negotiations began in 2022, so this is very much an ongoing issue.
The next negotiating meeting, which according to the government will be “the last”, has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 12th.
