Portugal's general discussion (general events)

[Mike88]

After a weekend of rising temperatures, wildfires have spread across the country with the most complicated in Odemira, near the Algarve border, and Leiria in the center of the country:

https://twitter.com/apuntoratge/status/1688633864657223680

We can see the smoke from the fires in southern Portugal, and the gravity waves above the low clouds of the Atlantic.
The low-level vortex is also seen in southwestern Portugal

https://twitter.com/CopernicusEU/status/1688797516475551744

In Odemira, the fire that started on Sunday is still to be controlled and more than 1,400 people have been evacuated and there are 40 injured. In Leiria, the fire is now controlled but it passed near several villages and forced the closure of the main highway of the country for several hours. During the weekend, wildfires in the Castelo Branco region also created problems to authorities:

https://twitter.com/CopernicusEU/status/1688847291770081281

#Portugal has been affected by several fires

At the end of Sunday afternoon (6 August), the fire in Castelo Branco #IRCasteloBranco entered the resolution phase

Yesterday, the #Copernicus #Sentinel2 satellite captured this image of the “scar” from the fire

Unlike the rest of Europe and some parts of the World, the summer in Portugal had been quite mild with temperatures even a bit bellow average for the season. But, since the first days of August, temperatures have been surging culminating in the first heat wave in the country this summer. More than half of the land burned in the whole year was in the first days of August, 14,387 hectares out of 24,932. However, the numbers, so far, are miles away from the 110,000 hecters of 2022 and other years.

[Mike88]

Jobs report: Precarious jobs amount to almost 80% of the new jobs created in the last year.

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1689625361548492801

Of the 110,000 jobs created in a year, fixed-term contracts and unstable labor relations accounted for almost 80%. Find out which sectors are most affected.

Precarious employment contracts registered a record rise in Portugal. Restoration, accommodation and civil construction are the most affected sectors.

Data revealed by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for the second quarter of 2023 shows that almost 18% of employees in Portugal had a precarious contract. A year ago it was 16%.

Of the 110,000 jobs created in a year, fixed-term contracts and unstable labor relations accounted for almost 80%. This happens, above all, in the sectors of catering, accommodation, industry and civil construction, numbers that help to increase the employed population.

Of the approximately five million workers in the country, one million and 600 thousand have a higher education.

But if there is an increase in employment at all levels of education, this does not happen in graduates. Portugal lost 128,000 workers with higher education in just one year. Those who study longer are, according to INE data, leaving the labor market in Portugal.

If a year ago they represented 36% of the employed population, now they are less than 33%.

A loss of skilled workers being compensated by unskilled workers, an increase of over 53,000 in one year.

There are also more people with part-time jobs or more than one job.

[Mike88]

5 small earthquakes in the last 24 hours felt in several areas across the country:

Earthquakes in Peniche and Portimão, after two in Montemor-o-Novo

Three low-intensity earthquakes were recorded in mainland Portugal in the early hours of Monday in Peniche, Melgaço and Portimão, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).

At 00.44 hours, an earthquake measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale was recorded near Peniche, in the district of Leiria, which again recorded new events at 00.56 and 2.20 hours, with an intensity of 0.9 and 1.4.

At 3.38 am it was the turn of Melgaço, in the district of Viana do Castelo, to register a shock of 1.1 on the Richter scale, while at 5.30 am another was recorded in Portimão with a magnitude of 2.2.
(...)
Hours earlier, the IPMA announced that two tremors, the first with a magnitude of 2.4 on the Richter scale and a second with a magnitude of 2.9, were recorded at 10:16 pm and 10:24 pm, respectively, on Sunday, near Montemor- o-Novo, district of Évora.

The earthquakes did not cause personal or material damage and were felt with maximum intensity IV (modified Mercalli scale) in the Montemor-o-Novo region, said the institute.
(...)

[Mike88]

Lisbon is now the most expensive city in Europe to rent a house:

Housing: Lisbon beats Amsterdam's values and is already the most expensive city in Europe to rent a house. Price for a T1 can cost an average of 2,500 euros per month.

Lisbon is the most expensive European city to rent an apartment. The price for a T1, for example, can cost an average of 2,500 euros per month.

If in the last quarter prices were fixed at 2,158 euros, as of June, an apartment type 1 cost an average of 2,500 euros per month, 200 euros more than Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, which until now was the most expensive city.

The data are from the international index Housing Anywhere, which analyzed 64,000 properties in 23 European cities.

The price of rooms continues the trend with an increase of close to 30%, going from 425 euros to an average of 525 euros per month.

Lisbon is also the European city with the highest annual rise in the value of studios, which are now around 70 percent more expensive.

[Mike88]

Economy "crashed" during the World Youth Days:

Economy went down with the Pope's Days in Portugal
Less overnight stays in hotels, less consumption in restaurants, less purchases in stores (such as clothing and footwear). Entrepreneurs complain. An indicator from the Bank of Portugal shows that there was a soft landing until August 5, the penultimate day of the Pope in the country.

The World Youth Days (WYD) and the visit of Pope Francis to Portugal pushed for some public and private investment, but, in general, the evolution of economic activity suffered, having entered into negative territory between mid-July and the end of the first week of August, show data from the Bank of Portugal (BdP).

According to several business and official sources, there have been good things (some investment is made and can be profitable, some senior officials hope, such as the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Lisbon), but there are signs that show that there has been a retraction in usual tourism, to make way for the huge flow of "young pilgrims" who came to the Catholic event. Less overnight stays in hotels, less consumption in restaurants, less purchases in stores (such as clothing and footwear).
(...)
But the economy went down

The consumption of young pilgrims did not involve meals in good or more expensive restaurants, TVDE trips, going out at night, or alcohol. There also seems to have been no shopping spree for clothes, shoes, bottles of branded wine.

An employee at the HM on Rua do Ouro confirmed that yes: the store "was empty compared to what it usually is".

In contrast, many of the other so-called "normal" tourists, those who normally spend more in the capital, staying overnight in hotels and local accommodation, seem to have avoided coming on the eve of and during the week of WYD.

As mentioned, the daily indicator of the Bank of Portugal shows this smooth landing of the economy driven by tourism. From the 11th of July, economic activity (the evolution) entered clearly in negative territory, maintaining the trend during the week of the Pope, until the 5th of August. The Supreme Pontiff would leave for Rome the next day. From here, the BdP indicator revived. Not much, but it stopped being clearly negative.
(...)

[Mike88]

Meanwhile, wind doesn't like music in Lisbon city (all happened on the same day)

A giant screen fell, on Monday, during the performance of a tuna at the opening ceremony of the European University Rugby Championship 7s, at Lisbon University Stadium. According to the organization, the accident was caused by a "very strong gust of wind". Nobody suffered serious injuries.

A scenic panel on the main stage of the MEO Kalorama festival in Lisbon fell with the wind, found JN next to the festival's fountain. No one was hurt.

[Electric Circus]

A giant screen fell, on Monday, during the performance of a tuna at the opening ceremony of the European University Rugby Championship 7s, at Lisbon University Stadium.

Learned something new today, but I'm also a little disappointed that this wasn't what I thought it was.

[Mike88]

Some other stories that are making headlines:

- A serial rapist was detained in Guimarães city, Braga district. A 33 year old man was arrested by the police for raping at least two women in Guimarães city and of attacking 8 other women, this just in the last few months. These attacks, according to the media, created social alarm in the city and the man will now wait trial in jail;

- The police is on the hunt for a man who was filmed kicking his wife's head on a street in Grândola, Setúbal district. The violent video shows the man kicking and slapping his wife's face in public on the street. The woman in question was sent to hospital and released shortly after. People in the village say that violence between this couple is frequent;

- A pregnant woman died in Guimarães city after being released from hospital the previous night. The women went to Guimarães hospital emergency room last Sunday complaining of difficulty in breathing but after some tests were made, nothing was found and she was released. The next day, the woman had a heart attack in her house and died. The Public Prosecutor is already investigating and the Health authorities are also investigating the hospital. In another case a week ago, a 93 year old man died in the emergency room of Loures hospital, Lisbon metro area, after waiting 6 hours without care;

- House rents are expected to increase almost 7% in 2024. The National Statisitcs Institute (INE) released their prediction for rent increases in 2024 and they forecast a 6.9% increase in 2024. The number was expected but it's unclear if the Government will limit rent increases like it did during 2023. House owners are against the idea of rent cost limits and warn that more houses could leave the market, while tenants are very worried about the situation. Portugal is currently facing a deep housing crisis;

[Mike88]

Portugal's largest car factory, Autoeuropa, to stop production because of floods in a supply factory in Slovenia:

Workers on lay-off. Autoeuropa will stop for two months

Autoeuropa's two-month production stoppage will lead to a lay-off. With the prospect of pay cuts, many workers are hoping for common sense at a time of inflation and high interest rates.
The company announced the lay-off from September 11 to November 12, which implies a one-third cut in salary.

At issue is the lack of essential parts for building engines due to the floods in Slovenia. The factory supplying the Volkswagen group was submerged, which is affecting the group's production in several countries.

There is still fear about the future of the company's precarious workers.

[Mike88]

Portugal's highest mountains painted white after a massive hailstorm in the middle of summer:

A hailstorm left Serra da Estrela painted white this Saturday. According to the website Meteoestar - Serra da Estrela, the storm started at around 2:00 pm and was felt in Covilhã and also in Valpaços.

The district of Castelo Branco is one of those under yellow warning due to the forecast of heavy showers and thunderstorms.
(...)

[Mike88]

3.9 and 3.7 magnitude earthquakes felt this morning in the Algarve:

https://twitter.com/LastQuake/status/1699005608697921559

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale was recorded this morning in the Algarve, hours after another earthquake occurred in the region, during the early hours of the morning, reported the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

The earthquake, recorded at 11:17 at the Continente Seismic Network stations, had its epicenter around 50 kilometers south of Olhão, in the district of Faro, the IPMA said in a statement.

"This earthquake, according to the information available to date, did not cause any personal or material damage and was felt with maximum intensity III/IV (modified Mercalli scale) in the municipalities of Faro, Loulé and Olhão", reads the note .

During the early hours of the morning, at 01:49, another earthquake occurred in the same area of the Algarve, with a magnitude of 3.9 on the Richter scale and an epicenter located 98 kilometers south-southwest of Faro.
(...)

[Mike88]

Portuguese Environment Agency gives final approval to new lithium mine in Northern Portugal:

https://twitter.com/JNegocios/status/1699730029859545162

According to Lusorecursos, construction work on the Romano mining project will begin in 2025 (and will last two years, with entry into operation scheduled for 2027.

The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has just given the "green light" to the reformulated lithium mine project that the company Lusorecursos wants to explore in Montalegre, which in addition to extracting this mineral also includes a refinery in the same location. Confirmation of this APA approval was given to Negócios by a source from Lusorecursos, and the company was notified of the decision this morning.

"APA made the exploration of lithium in the Romano Mine, in the municipality of Montalegre, environmentally viable, with the issuance of a favorable Environmental Impact Statement conditional on compliance with a broad set of conditions" APA confirmed in a statement, adding that "similarly From what has already been seen for similar projects, the assessment developed took into account the strategic interest of lithium".
(...)

[Mike88]

In Anadia, Aveiro district...

Accident in a distillery floods the streets of a parish in Anadia with more than 2,2 million litres (581,000 gallons) of red wine:

Two million litres of red wine flood streets of Portuguese village

The bursting of two wine tanks at Levira Distillery, in the town of the same name, in Anadia, led to a flood of wine. The company has already taken responsibility for any damage it may have caused to residents, while the City Council claims to have prevented, above all, the wine from reaching the river and causing an environmental disaster.

The situation happened this Sunday morning, with the Volunteer Firefighters of Anadia being alerted to a spill of many liters of wine. Upon reaching the site, they were able to dredge the liquid and take it to a wastewater treatment plant. So far, the causes for the bursting of deposits have not yet been determined.

“Our biggest concern was that the wine did not end up in the Cértima river and cause an environmental disaster. According to our Civil Protection coordinator, this monitoring is being carried out and the environmental problem is being avoided”, explains to JN the vice-president of the Municipality of Anadia, Jorge Sampaio. A meeting is scheduled for Monday with those responsible for the Levira Distillery. “We are also concerned about the economic loss of the company, and we are going to see the damage they had with this situation”, he completes.
(...)

[Mike88]

Football Leaks hacker Rui Pinto gets a suspended sentence of 4 years and is receives an amnesty for 79 crimes because of the Pope's visit last August:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1701256072420270192

Rui Pinto escaped an effective prison sentence: he was sentenced this Monday to four years in prison on a suspended sentence. Know more:

Rui Pinto was sentenced to four years of suspended sentence for the crimes of attempted extortion, five for illegitimate access, three crimes of aggravated correspondence violation, within the scope of the Football Leaks process. Aníbal Pinto, accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office of serving as an intermediary in the extortion of Doyen, was convicted of the only crime he was accused of: attempted extortion, which earned him a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Judge Margarida Alves sentenced the hacker to pay three thousand euros to Doyen and 15 thousand euros to lawyer João Medeiros. Defendant Aníbal Pinto will have to pay 2,500 euros to Doyen.

The court says that it is "clear and crystal clear" that Aníbal Pinto was aware of Rui Pinto's plan to extort Doyen - the defendant wanted €500,000 to stop the publications.

The Portuguese hacker was acquitted of one crime of illegitimate access and one of computer sabotage due to lack of evidence and pardoned of 68 crimes of improper access and 11 crimes of violation of correspondence under the amnesty law.
(...)
The creator of Football Leaks has been free since August 7, 2020, “due to his collaboration” with the Judiciary Police (PJ) and his “critical sense”, but is, for security reasons, included in the witness protection in an undisclosed location and under police protection.
(...)

[Mike88]

Porto mayor, Rui Moreira, retracts decision to remove a statue of a famous writer hugging a naked woman after big public backlash:

https://twitter.com/JornalNoticias/status/1702704727560237260

Moreira retreats and after all Camilo's statue remains where it is

For sharing the opinion of 37 “illustrious citizens” who asked for the removal of the statue of Camilo Castelo Branco, in Amor de Perdição Square, in Porto, citing the “bad taste” of the work and, believing the Mayor in the lack of a council deliberation to install the sculpture in that location, Rui Moreira gave the order to remove it. But this Friday, he backtracked. After all, the donation of Francisco Simões' work, approved by the Executive in 2012, “also provided for the placement of the structure in Amor da Perdição Square”.

Moreira backs down after thousands of citizens rebelled against the request to remove the work. In light of the initial petition sent to the mayor of Porto, a new online petition was created (For the non-removal of the statue of Camilo, in Porto), which in around 24 hours gathered almost eight thousand signatures. However, this Friday morning, on a visit to Mercado do Bolhão in connection with the equipment's anniversary, the mayor himself reinforced his position: “I valued that because, in the people who wrote that letter, we have the two greatest art critics from the city of Porto, clearly: Bernardo Pinto de Almeida and Miguel von Hafe Pérez. They certainly understand much more than you or I do about this matter.” Furthermore, he continued, “illustrious citizens” such as Mário Cláudio are also part of this group.
(...)
Despite guaranteeing that nothing would be done as a result of his opinion, upon realizing that this position is “supported by people who, in fact, have these parchments”, Moreira said it seemed “reasonable for the statue to leave there”. At the insistence of journalists in the face of a possible retreat by the mayor regarding the high number of people who are against the withdrawal, Moreira ended by saying: “It's good that we have a city where everything is discussed”.

What is certain is that, a few hours later, in the middle of this Friday afternoon, Porto City Council sent a new statement to the newsrooms stating precisely the opposite.

Since the “donation [of the sculpture by Francisco Simões] also provided for the placement of the structure in Amor da Perdição Square, a donation that had been approved by the Municipal Executive in 2012”, the mayor “cannot agree, without further ado, to what was requested by the petition.”
(...)
Upon learning of the controversy surrounding his sculpture, Francisco Simões appeared “perplexed”. He said, in statements to JN, that the work “was accepted by everyone without any fuss”. Furthermore, and given the interpretation made by the signatories of the letter sent to Moreira, the sculptor assured that the figure of the naked woman portrayed in the sculpture “is not of Ana Plácido”, with whom Camilo lived and was imprisoned in jail, but of the women which appear in the work “Amor de Perdição”.

Ilda Figueiredo, CDU councilor and one of the signatories of the initial petition, said she had always interpreted the female figure in the sculpture installed in Largo Amor de Perdição as being Ana Plácido. However, given Francisco Simões' explanations, she told JN that the controversy "no longer makes sense".

[Mike88]

Government cuts by 34% public funding for railways during 2023:

https://twitter.com/expresso/status/1705341581979517217

The Government recently submitted to the Assembly of the Republic (AR) a document that cuts the public investment initially proposed for works on the railway and subways in 2023 by 34%.

There are €461 million less investment in railways and meters between the initial OE2023 proposal and the latest quarterly report to deputies

Counting down to the presentation of the State Budget (OE) for 2024, the Government recently submitted to the Assembly of the Republic (AR) a document that cuts by 34% the public investment initially proposed for works on the railway and meters in 2023.

In October 2022, the Government proposed in the OE for 2023 structural investments of €1,344 million in the country's different railway corridors and in the Porto, Lisbon and Mondego metro lines. The Government's latest report to deputies reduces this set of public works to €883 million.
(...)

[Mike88]

Meanwhile in Northern Portugal, Barcelos to be precise, a beer procession:

[Mike88]

After the attack against the Environment minister, Duarte Cordeiro, 2 days ago by climate activists, yesterday, the Lisbon International Fair was also "attacked" as activists pained the main entrance facade with red paint against a conference of aviation that was being held at the site:

https://twitter.com/expresso/status/1706986555540119790

A group of climate activists from Climáximo threw red paint at the door of the Lisbon International Fair (FIL), where the World Aviation Festival is taking place, an event dedicated to the aviation sector.

[Mike88]

And another protest: In the 3rd event in less than a week, climate activists blocked one of Lisbon's main highways:

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1709142536336372175

A group of activists from the Climáximo group blocked traffic on the Second Circular, in Lisbon, this Tuesday. Activists sat on the road and held a sign calling for an end to fossil fuels: https://bit.ly/46cs8Wp

The young people then occupied the side of the road and the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Second Circular, next to the Lisbon Towers. Two activists hung from ropes on the pedestrian bridge.

[Mike88]

Madeira island hit by several wildfires. Police has strong suspicions of arson:

https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1712473593609867679

https://twitter.com/MalhoRinaldo/status/1712480552123847165

It's being difficult to control the fire that started on Wednesday in the parish of Prazeres, in Madeira, leading to a hotel being evacuated. There are currently new fires, with the flames rising from Prazeres to Fonte do Bispo.

"The very strong wind makes any type of combat difficult. The fire that broke out near the villages started moving towards the forest area," the president of the Forestry Institute, Manuel Filipe, explained to RTP.

"We are trying to control it, with the means we have", but "projections are being the main problem", he added.

The person in charge also said that near Prazeres, during the morning, there were "complex situations" near the houses, with no information yet on whether any of them burned down.

All fire departments are on the ground. There are 92 firefighters with 26 vehicles fighting the flames in the municipality of Calheta.

This morning a school and the health center in Fajã da Ovelha were closed, as well as access to the parish.

The Madeira archipelago has been under an orange meteorological warning since last week due to the persistence of high maximum temperature values, which exceed 30 degrees daily, a situation that will continue until 6pm on Saturday.

Madeira has also asked additional help from the Lisbon central government.

Update: The Police has arrested a man, 45 years old, suspect of igniting the wildfire in Madeira. The man was caught in flagrant as he was starting another fire.

[Mike88]

A Hamas leader was invited to give a class at an University in Lisbon a few years ago:

https://twitter.com/expresso/status/1712589730188030134

Leader of the political arm of the terrorist group participated in an open class at a Portuguese university

This story is being reported by Expresso newspaper and has a lot of secrecy:

A leader from the political arm of Hamas was invited to give an open class on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a university in Lisbon a few years ago, according to the weekly Expresso.

The newspaper does not specify which university held the open class, but states that there was some controversy among some of the students who attended the colloquium.

During the class, passages from a manual were read, which praised Hamas. In addition to showing a propaganda video, at the end a DVD praising the movement was also distributed to participants.

One of the students who participated in the debate told the newspaper that “it was a very controversial class”, requesting anonymity. The two professors who organized the debate guarantee that they do not remember classes with a Hamas representative.

[Mike88]

Flash floods in Northern Portugal as Aline storm hits the country:

Braga city:
https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1714744693500596359

Vila do Conde city:

Several schools have not opened because of floods or are opening with big delays as students and teachers are having difficulty in traveling on roads. Several Monuments and Museums in the Lisbon area are also closed because of the bad weather. So far, at least 5 people had to be relocated.

[Mike88]

Lisbon's 2023 Web Summit is being boycotted as company after company cancels their presence after Paddy Cosgrave's criticism of the West support for Israel:

https://twitter.com/ECO_PT/status/1715661024433422705

Amazon joins Google and Meta and also cancels participation in the Web Summit

The Web Summit lost another technology giant. Amazon Web Services confirmed to Bloomberg that it will not participate in the event that takes place from November 13th to 16th, in Lisbon.

The software services division of the technology company led by Jeff Bezos was one of the Web Summit partners and its vice president, Vishal Sharma, was one of the speakers.

Amazon joins Meta, owner of Instragram, and Alphabet, owner of Google, who also canceled their participation in reaction to statements by Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Siemens and Intel had already announced the same decision on Thursday, following in the footsteps of several venture capital funds.

After classifying Israel's reaction to the Hamas attack on social media as “war crimes”, Cosgrave has faced a storm with participating companies and investment funds, which not even the apology, issued by the founder of Web Summit last Tuesday, is able to contain.

For now, neither the Government nor the Lisbon Chamber have a defined position on the multiplication of company boycotts of the summit. “The Ministry of Economy and the Sea has no comment to make”, reacted an official source when contacted by ECO. The same says the Lisbon City Hall.

[Mike88]

World's longest living dog registered in Leiria, Portugal:

https://twitter.com/GWR/status/1620936535188340737

World's oldest dog died this Sunday at the age of 31 in Leiria district. RIP Buddy.

[CumbrianLefty]

Still, about twice as long as most mutts live - let's celebrate that rather than be sad