Luz de Tavira: two women arrested for robbing elderly people
The GNR arrested two women aged 23 and 31 for robbery in the town of Luz de Tavira on Wednesday, and other crimes that occurred in the north of the country late last year.
Â
âDuring a patrolling action, the military detected a vehicle in a hidden location, with two men aged 21 and 28 inside, who hid when they saw the Guard vehicle, and so were approached and inspectedâ, said the GNR in a statement.
Â
During this inspection, the GNR received âan alert from a person regarding a robbery, and the two men becoming quite agitated, which immediately raised signs that their presence was related to the situation in questionâ.
Â
One of the soldiers immediately went to the location, having seen a group of people chasing two women, and managing to approach one of them, aged 23, who had in her possession a stolen gold chain. The other, aged 31, was later intercepted by members of the public near the train station and handed over to the GNR.
Â
After police investigations, the 23-year-old woman was arrested for stealing from a 74 year old man, with the gold chain found in her possession coming from the robbery.
Â
The GNR also found that moments earlier, âthe same suspect had also tried to steal a gold chain from a 64 year old man. As for the remaining three members of the group, they were constituted as defendants and subject to an identity and residence termâ.
Â
Following this police action and with the collaboration of the Tavira Public Security Police, it was possible to associate elements of this group with other crimes that occurred in the north of the country.
Â
The Republican National Guard also found that âthe 31 year old woman was suspected of a robbery by snatching a gold chain on November 14, 2023, in the town of Ferreiras, Albufeira, with the victim being a 74 year old man, this crime is being investigated at the Albufeira Criminal Investigation Center, which led to her being arrested under arrest warrants outside of flagrante delictoâ.
Â
In addition to the gold chain, three mobile phones, âŹ268.38 in cash and the vehicle in which they were being transported were also seized.
Â
The detainees, aged 23 and 31, will be present at the Judicial Court of Tavira and PortimĂŁo for the application of the respective coercive measures.
Â
Â
Two arrested for drug trafficking Vila Real de Santo AntĂłnio
The GNR arrested two people suspected of drug trafficking and possession of a prohibited weapon yesterday, following a road inspection carried out in the town of Hortas, Vila Real de Santo António.
Â
A search of the vehicle and a personal security search of the drive and the passenger of the vehicle were carried out by the police officers. Drugs and a prohibited weapon were found, resulting in the man aged 41 and a woman aged 44, being arrested. Aswell as carrying drugs and a prohibited weapon, the driver did not have a driving license.Â
Â
âFollowing the action, a search of the vehicle and a personal security search of the driver and occupant of the vehicle were carried out, and it was possible to verify that they were in possession of a narcotic product and a prohibited weapon, which led to their arrest and to the seizure of the materialâ, said the GNR in a statement.
Â
The GNR highlighted that, after the first personal and vehicle search, a house search was then carried out at the detainees' residence, which ended with the seizure of 47 doses of hashish, 32 of cocaine; 11 of heroin and 8 of marijuana, as well as three cell phones, a precision scale, an automatic opening knife, bags for individualizing doses and 159 euros.
Â
Â
Abundant rain expected throughout March
Alfredo Graça, specialist at Meteored Portugal says February will end with cold weather and some precipitation in the form of rain, perhaps snow in some areas of Portugal.Â
Â
For March 2024, above-normal precipitation is expected across the country, but with maximum temperatures of 19/20ÂșC in areas such as SantarĂ©m, SetĂșbal , Beja and Faro.
Â
As for precipitation, âquite sharp contrasts are observed between the northern and southern regions, with the average monthly rainfall exceeding 100mm in Minho, but not even reaching half that amount in Baixo Alentejo and Algarve.â
Â
The first days of March will see some precipitation, but increase from March 4th and possibly until the end of the month.
Â
Â
Outlook for Portugalâs March 10th election
Two weeks of campaigning are well underway among the parties contesting Portugalâs early national election on March 10th. The centre-right Democratic Party (PSD) is predicted to replace the centre-left Socialist Party (PS), both having fought for dominance for decades.
Â
The humiliated centre-left PS will likely finish second, and the far right-Chega party is expected to advance more than ever and become third.
Â
While the moderate PSD may not be on the verge of implementing any fundamental changes, the PS involvement will probably shrink because of the corruption scandal that forced it out of power in November last year and made way for this snap election. The long-serving Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, is now retiring and still claiming he was not involved in any wrong-doing, but many voters seem fed up with the PS and have shifted to the right, if not the far right.
Â
Portugalâs Chega party has similar populist views to those of the other far-right parties that have been doing well recently in a number of European countries.
Â
In the European Parliamentary election in June, nine of the far-right populist groups â Â including those in France, Italy, and the Netherlands are expected to gain much ground. Nine others â including those in Germany, Spain, and Portugal - are expected to do much better than ever before.
Â
The PS corruption scandal that brought about the resignation of Prime Minister Costa caused much outrage, yet a little humour. The giant Swedish company, IKEA, posted advertisements in Portugal joking about the scandal. It was posted on an IKEA advertisement in Portugal showing one of its bookshelves, thus referring to the allegation that Costaâs former chief of staff had hidden money in a bookcase.Â
Â
There is no joking, however, about the on-going challenges facing the on-going challenges facing the Portuguese government in 2024, including the health service, housing, and cost of living crises, among others.
Â
Portugal remains a relatively small, peaceful, and innocuous country that is doing its very best in a truly dire world. It will no doubt remain committed to proposing peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. But what if Donald Trump wins the national election in the United States in November?Â
Written By Len Port
Â
Â
PortimĂŁo: Exhibition of ancient Arade river remains opens
The âStories The River Brings Usâ Exhibition, showcasing ancient remains linked to the Arade river, is now open at PortimĂŁo Museum, until November 3rd.
Â
The exhibition reveals that since antiquity, the Arade river was an access point to the interior of the country, due to the natural shelter conditions of its estuary, which led to PortimĂŁo, probably 'Portus Hanibalis', 'Portus Magnus' or ' Cilpis', growing in close connection with the river, forming part of an extensive network of commercial and cultural exchanges.
According to the CCDR Algarve Culture Unit, it explains that the progressive silting of the Arade has affected its navigation, making it necessary to have a regular dredging plan, the sediments of which are subsequently deposited on the beaches, "in which countless traces of the past were discovered, testimonies of the occupation of this region from prehistory to the present day".
These testimonies were collected by members of the IPSIIS Project Association, with whom the PortimĂŁo Museum has been developing an innovative research project since 2014, entitled DETDA - Prospecting with metal detectors in the dredged deposits of the Arade River and the Alvor Ria, highlighting the involvement and participation of civil society in this process. Created in 2001, under the now extinct CNANS (National Center for Nautical and Underwater Archeology), IPSIIS was established as an association in 2014.
As part of the celebrations of PortimĂŁo's Centenary (1924-2024), this archeology exhibition is said to "allow us to view the two watercourses as repositories of heritage and the valorization of the recovered remains as material reflections of the populations that inhabited their banks".
Â
Â
Algarve beach is voted 'Best in the world' on Tripadvisor
FalĂ©sia Beach, in Olhos de Ăgua, has been chosen as 'best beach in the world' by Tripadvisor users, the largest travel platform in the world.
Â
After being voted in sixth place in the ranking last year, Praia da Falésia, which stretches along more than six kilometres of the Algarve coastline with beautiful ochre-colored sandstone cliffs, characteristic of the region, has won the preferences of travellers worldwide.
Â
The 'best beach in the world' is awarded annually by Tripadvisor to tourist destinations that receive the highest number of exceptional reviews and opinions over a period of 12 months.
Â
The Algarve's Praia da Falésia was distinguished for its enormous beauty, recognized by thousands of users of the Tripadvisor platform, for its beautiful cliffs, framed by stone pines and native vegetation, which invite visitors to take magnificent walks, where they enjoy a stunning setting, sunbathing on the soft, golden sands and bathing in the warm, crystal-clear waters.
Â
The Mayor of Albufeira, JosĂ© Carlos Rolo, expressed his pleasure at winning the award which reveals âthat the Municipality of Albufeira is committed to taking care of our beaches, investing heavily in basic sanitation, cleaning the sand, access, surveillance and security, which combined with the excellent temperature of the region and the natural beauty of our coastal area, makes them among the most sought after, contributing to the promotion of the destination nationally and internationally."
Â
The person responsible for Environment and Maritime Affairs and vice-president of Albufeira City Council, Cristiano Cabrita, stated that âthis international recognition is a testimony to the municipality's continuous effort to preserve and promote the beauty and quality of Albufeira's beaches. This is, without a doubt, further proof of our investment in sustainability and environmental preservation that boost Tourism and attract new national and international travellers to our municipalityâ.
Â
