Category: Uncategorized

The National Republican Guard (GNR) today begins the inspection of rural land following the end of the cleaning period, which was extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, providing for fines between 280 and 120,000 euros.

“So far, 23,852 non-compliant situations have been identified, already communicated to the respective municipalities, with a greater incidence in Leiria, Castelo Branco, Viseu, Coimbra, Braga, Santarém, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo and Aveiro”, said the GNR, in response to the Lusa agency, within the scope of the deadline for cleaning forest land.

With the beginning of the inspection of the cleaning of rural lands, “the priority of GNR’s activities will be in the 1,114 priority parishes” due to the high risk of fire and the approximately 24,000 non-compliances identified risk administrative proceedings, punishable by fines of 280 to 10,000 euros, in the case of a natural person, and from 1,600 to 120,000 euros, in the case of legal persons.

The deadline for carrying out land cleaning operations, which ended on 15 March, but was extended, by decision of the Government, first to 30 April and then to 31 May, following exceptional and temporary measures concerning the pandemic of covid-19 disease.

On April 16, after the first extension of the deadline for cleaning land until April 30, the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Patrícia Gaspar, said that the model for preventing and fighting forest fires could undergo “new adjustments”.

Operation Floresta Secura 2020 started, as in previous years, “with a strong awareness campaign”, in which 3,572 awareness actions were carried out, which reached 55,044 people ”.

According to the National Association of Forestry, Agricultural and Environment Companies (ANEFA), regardless of the extension of the period for cleaning forest land, this year there was less demand from the owners for these works, fearing, therefore, “great catastrophes ”.

“If the factors that were observed in 2017, with regard to climate change, of all these peaks that arise from heat and winds are combined, we will face major catastrophes this year, I have no doubt of that”, said the president of ANEFA, Pedro Serra Ramos, in statements to the Lusa agency, considering that the cleaning of rural land is a “fundamental problem”, which goes beyond the question of the deadline.

In addition to the approximately 24,000 situations of non-compliance with the cleaning of forest land, GNR records “12 detainees and 68 identified for the practice of the crime of forest fire, with 370 cases for administrative offences being prepared, of which one for lack of recovery of burnt areas, 296 in burning and 73 in burning, due to unauthorized performance or negligence in their execution, revealed the GNR.

In view of the non-compliance by the owners with the deadline for cleaning land, the city councils have to guarantee, until June 30 – a deadline that was until May 31, but it was also extended -, the execution of all the fuel management works.

In case of non-compliance by the municipalities, “the following month, 20% of the twelfth of the current transfers from the Financial Equilibrium Fund (FEF) are retained”, according to the Exceptional Regime for Secondary Fuel Management Bands. Source Lusa.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale was felt early this morning in São Miguel, in the Azores, an event with an epicenter about 19 kilometers east / northeast of Formigas.

In a statement, the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores (SRPCBA), which cites the Azores Seismovolcanic Surveillance and Information Center (CIVISA), informs that the earthquake was recorded at 07:07 local (08:07 in Lisbon) .

According to the information available so far, the event was felt with maximum intensity IV / V on the Modified Mercalli scale in the parishes of Água Retorta, Faial da Terra, Senhora dos Remédios, Povoação, Ribeira Quente and Furnas, in the municipality of Povoação .

The earthquake was also felt with intensity IV in the Northeast, Achada, Achadinha and Salga, in the municipality of Nordeste, and in Ponta Garça, Ribeira Seca, S. Miguel, S. Pedro and Água d’Alto, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo .

The Civil Protection also states that the earthquake also felt with intensity III / IV in Ribeira Chã, Água de Pau, Santa Cruz, Nossa Senhora do Rosário and Cabouco, in the municipality of Lagoa, and Lomba de S. Pedro, Lomba da Maia, Maia , São Brás, Porto Formoso, Ribeirinha, Ribeira Seca, Rabo de Peixe and Pico da Pedra, in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.

“This event was also felt with intensity III / IV in Livramento, S. Roque, Fajã de Baixo, Fajã de Cima, S. Pedro, S. Sebastião and Santa Clara, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada”, reads in the statement sent to the newsrooms, adding that the earthquake was felt with intensity III in Feteiras, Candelária, Ginetes, Santa Bárbara and Capelas, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada.

According to the Civil Protection of the Azores, “CIVISA continues to monitor the evolution of the situation, issuing new communications if necessary”.

Community Religious Services return today  after a break of more than two months caused by the covid-19, with exceptional rules, with the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) alerted to the “increased risk” propagation of the new coronavirus.

In the document defining the prevention and control measures to be adopted in places of worship by religious institutions and citizens, DGS reinforced that “in places of worship and religious there is a risk of direct and indirect transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [the new coronavirus, which causes covid-19 disease] “, which require maximum care.

On the side of religious confessions, the resumption of face-to-face celebrations is being viewed with a mixture of joy and caution, according to the heads of several entities contacted by Lusa, namely, the spokespersons for the Catholic Church, the Islamic Community of Lisbon, the Israeli Community and the Portuguese Evangelical Alliance.

In common, the desire to re-share the spaces of worship with the faithful, and the notion of responsibility to comply with the new rules agreed with the DGS in order to maximize the safety of participants in religious rituals.

In addition to the general rules, such as the two-meter spacing between participants and the use of protective materials, common to all religious celebrations, each confession has yet to adapt its specific rituals to the new rules.

Outside, there are also specific items in terms of religious ceremonies, such as the return on Sunday, at noon, of the traditional prayer of the Angelus, given by Pope Francis from the window of the Apostolic Palace in Rome, before the faithful, authorized to meet again in St. Peter’s Square.

Before, on Saturday, Francis will pray in the Vatican gardens for all those affected by the pandemic, in an initiative that the Sanctuary of Fátima will join.

Globally, according to a report by the AFP news agency, the covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 362,000 deaths and infected more than 5.8 million people in 196 countries and territories.

In Portugal, 1,383 people died from 31,946 confirmed to be infected, and there are 18,911 recovered cases, according to the Directorate-General for Health.

The Prime spoke at 1750 hrs after the meeting of the Council of Ministers to extend the third phase of de-confinement. The announcement including questions lasted 55 minutes and was very detailed.

The Council of Ministers approved today the resolution that extends the declaration of state of calamity until 23h59 on June 14, continuing the process of de-confinement without calling into question the evolution of the epidemiological situation in Portugal.

The Council of Ministers approved today the resolution extending António Costa’s statement that it will announce regional rather than national de-confinement, as has been done so far.

As usual, the Prime Minister summarised the national epidemiological situation to explain the decisions taken by ministers. “We have confirmed that the growth of the pandemic is stabilised,” he said.

One of the conditions to proceed with de-confinement measures is the capacity of the National Health Service to test patients, which, according to António Costa, continues to increase. “The conditions are in place to move towards the de-confinement measures planned for the end of May”, the Prime Minister declared.

After taking a few minutes to look at the latest figures on the evolution of the pandemic, António Costa set out to present measures relating to the new phase of de-confinement.

About teleworking, António Costa revealed that it is no longer compulsory as of Tuesday, June 2, and now depends on agreement between the employee and the employer. There will be exceptions:

• If the employee is immunosuppressed or chronically ill;
• People who are disabled over 60%;
• Parents accompanying children under 12 at home or with a relevant degree of disability.
• If the DGS considers that the company does not have sufficient security conditions.

“Citizens’ shops will also be opened,” the prime minister said, adding that it will be by appointment and mandatory mask use. There will also be shops and restaurants opening in shopping centres, the rule of a maximum capacity of 50% in restaurants will disappear, and shops with more than 400 m2 will open.

Gyms will be able to reopen from June 1, “in accordance with the rules defined by the Directorate-General of Health” and with the necessary distance and hygiene measures, including disinfection rules and the use of protective equipment by employees.

Cinemas, theatres and concert halls may reopen provided they comply with the rules of the Directorate General of Health.

Religious celebrations will return this weekend. António Costa thanks in particular the Catholic Church and the Islamic community for the celebrations of 13 May and Ramadan.

“Bars and nightclubs remain closed for the next 15 days.”

ATLs not integrated in schools should only open from 15 June. Family support and leisure activities are not open until the end of the school year.

António Costa explains that the decision to postpone opening is due to the need to give establishments time to prepare themselves with the necessary safety and hygiene measures.

António Costa explains that the government support being given to parents who are at home with children under 12 years of age is tied to the operation of daycares and school establishments. In other words:

• In the case of daycares, the support ends next Monday (date on which the pre-school reopens generally);
• In the case of primary school pupils, the support ends at the end of the school year, on 26 June.

Lisbon metropolitan area will have “tighter” measures

António Costa confirms that this entire phase of de-confinement in Lisbon will be the same as in the rest of the country except for three rules: only 10 people will be allowed to gather (not 20, as in the rest of the country); shopping centres and citizen shops will remain closed; and the opening of fairs and shops of more than 400 m2 will be reviewed,” said the Prime Minister.

To respond to the “exceptional” situation in the Lisbon metropolitan area, epidemiological monitoring will be reinforced:

• In civil and construction works
• In activities carried out by temporary workers, such as the outbreak detected in Azambuja

As acknowledged at Thursday’s meeting, António Costa announced that the government will temporarily relocate some of the people infected with covid-19 in order to control the outbreak’s contagion. This emergency re-housing plan will seek to separate infected and non-infected people.

Private passenger transport vehicles in the Lisbon metropolitan area will now have a maximum capacity of 2/3 of passengers and wearing a mask will be mandatory.

Shopping malls and citizen shops in the Lisbon region will remain closed until June 4. The reopening of shopping centres in the Lisbon metropolitan area will be reassessed at the Council of Ministers next Thursday (which does not mean they will open next week). “We’re going to make a very big effort so that it can have results, by strengthening the tests”, explained António Costa, after acknowledging the economic impact the measure will have on tenants.

“All the other activities will be able to maintain the activity and resume in the foreseen calendar”, said the Prime Minister.

On clusters of cases, de-confinement measures and travel/tourism

“We shouldn’t place the problem in this or that neighbourhood, in this or that area. That is not the nature of the problem. The nature of the problem is identified and is related to the type of work, which is aggravated by conditions of habitability in which a large number of people share residence”, the Prime Minister stresses, justifying the emergency plan of re-housing. “It has little to do with the places of origin, but with the conditions of habitability”, António Costa stresses.

The Prime Minister also rejects the idea that the outbreaks in the Lisbon region are related to the de-confinement measures, especially as the activities involved were never halted during the period of state of emergency.

The strategy for the coming week will involve vigilance work with the temporary employment companies that hire these workers who, because they are temporary, tend to move more between their activities.

As for the fact that tourists can enter Portugal without quarantine, the Prime Minister stresses that “in mainland Portugal, no quarantine rule has been in force, nor is it intended to be in force”. “We have agreed with Spain on the management of the land border and we are calm and in no hurry to reopen that border. We respect the wishes of our neighbours. At the appropriate time it will be right to open this border,” he adds.

Drugs and cash Seized

The Police Division of Ponta Delgada, alongside the Criminal Investigation Squad, detained a man suspected of drug trafficking in the São José parish after having been apprehended with about half a kilo of heroin.

According to a statement from the PSP Regional Command of the Azores, following several investigations, a police operation was carried out that made it possible to detect and seize, a substantial amount of heroin, which would allow the preparation of approximately 5,500 individual doses for consumption that was found in his possession.

Following the police intervention, which led to the arrest of the suspect at the time he was preparing to continue the criminal activity, and other articles and objects, potentially related to the criminal activity, were also apprehended, including one motor vehicle and approximately €28 000 in cash.

After the initial interrogation, the defendant was ordered to be placed in custody.

Do not be an easy Catch campaign

Campanha #NãoSejasUmaVítimaFácil

The Judiciary Police joined the INTERNATIONAL DAY OF MISSING CHILDREN, May 25, published the video “# NãoSejasUmaVítimaFácil”(do not be an easy catch), produced by the Police Expert Network on Missing Persons (PEN-MP) in close collaboration with AMBER Alert Europe, within the scope of the awareness campaign for the subject of online grooming (enticement of children and young people through the internet).

This campaign is launched this week in 23 countries and translated into 19 different languages.

Watch the following video:

https://www.amberalert.eu/dontbeaneasycatch/

Two arrested for extortion in Albufeira – GNR

 The Faro Territorial Command of the National Republican Guard (GNR), through the Criminal Investigation Center (NIC) of Loulé, on May 20, detained two men, aged 33 and 39, on suspicion of extortion, in Albufeira.

In the course of an investigation, which has been going on for 15 days, after a complaint related to an extortion crime, in which the two suspects tried to extort the amount of 10,000 euros from a citizen, through threats and physical attacks, two home searches and four vehicle searches were conducted resulting in the seizure of 16 doses of marijuana, €10,961 in cash, 8 mobile phones, 5 computer devices and various pyrotechnic devices.

The detainees, brothers and both with previous criminal records for committing other crimes, are to stand before the Faro Judicial Court.

The investigation included the reinforcement of officers from the Special Operations Intervention Group (GIOE), the Detachment of Intervention (DI) of Faro, the Sub-Detachment of Albufeira and the Criminal Investigation Center (NIC) of Albufeira, in a total of 32 operatives.

Destroyed cars and motorcycles of a neighbour

A 22-year-old has been identified by the Public Security Police after causing damage to vehicles, as well as allegedly assaulting a woman.

Police source confirmed that the PSP at around 5am had to intervene quickly in Bairro das Romeiras, in Santo António, to put an end to an aggressive behaviour, disturbances and damage towards the third parties, all carried out by the same individual.

It was reported that during the late afternoon and early evening, the PSP had been called to a bar, also in Santo António, where this same individual and some friends were causing a disturbance.

According to the same source, in the early hours of the morning, after a night of drinking and drug consumption, the young man again provoked violence, but this time on a more serious level.

Were it not for the prompt intervention of the PSP, who were at the scene with several vehicles and agents, the case could be much more serious, since the owners and family members of the battered woman were preparing to take justice into their own hands.

The situation was witnessed by several dozen neighbours and other residents, and took place over a period of time. The young man has was arrested by the PSP

 And a nice little story…….

GNR retrieves Barn Owl in Marco de Canaveses

GNR of Marco de Canaveses recovered on Tuesday, May 26, a barn owl in Marco territory.

Following a report from a passer-by that the animal, of the Tyto Furcata species, was at a gate at a residence unable to fly, the officer went to the scene and collected the bird.

The owl did not have any type of injury, so it was immediately restored to its natural habitat

In a statement, GNR gave a brief description of that species:

‘The American barn owl is a nocturnal bird of prey that is present in Portugal throughout the year. It frequently appears in the vicinity of buildings, choosing those that have openings or cavities, which can be used as a resting and nesting place. So he chooses old granaries, dilapidated buildings, steeples and even old train stations and frequents agricultural land to feed himself’.

Trial of 12 people on weapons theft charges

The start of the trial of 12 people accused of being involved in the theft of 55 Glock weapons from the gunsmith of the PSP national directorate is scheduled for June 18, in the Lisbon judicial court.

According to the Citius portal, two sessions of the trial are already scheduled for the Campus of Justice, the second of which will take place on June 19th.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office charged 12 people with the theft of PSP weapons, during the period between December 2015 and January 2017.

In the prosecution, the MP considers that PSP agent Luis Gaiba took advantage of a system that was defective in regard to supervision and control, of which he was responsible for, to steal the weapons, estimated at around 20 thousand euros, and sell them onto arms and drug trafficking syndicates.

Luís Gaiba is accused of criminal association, arms trafficking and mediation, money laundering, possession of a prohibited weapon and embezzlement. The prosecution indicates, he initiated contacts with a group of people who could put the weapons in the illegal firearms sales circuit.

Luis Gaiba, together with his wife, António Laranginha and João Paulino, were also accused in the process of theft of military weapons, two storerooms from Tancos, formed a group, which also belonged to Mário Cardoso, Armando Barros and Manuel Neves.

The group, still according to the prosecution, sold the weapons to a group of people who were accused of drug trafficking in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.

This case dates to January 2017, when the disappearance of Glock weapons and their cases, two porters and cleaning kits were detected, after the seizure of a police firearm during a police operation that took place in Porto.

At the time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs requested an audit by the General Inspection of Administration to harmonize the security control mechanisms for the storage of arms and ammunition by security forces.

CC // SB

An order that determines the times to cross the border between Portugal and Spain, in the towns of Rio de Onor (Bragança), Tourém (Vila Real) and Barrancos (Beja), following the pandemic, was published today in Diário da República (DR).

The joint order of the ministers of Foreign Affairs and Internal Administration states that the decision stems from a resolution of the Council of Ministers, of 16 March, on restoring, “exceptionally and temporarily”, the control of “people at the borders” between Portugal and Spain, in the context of the pandemic situation of the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The diploma determines that on Wednesdays and Saturdays, between 10:00 and 12:00, “Rio de Onor, border bridge of Rua da Costa, rural route, is an authorized crossing point on the land border”.

In relation to Tourém and Barrancos, the authorized crossing point across the land border between the two countries is on Mondays and Thursdays, between 06:00 and 08:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00.

The order takes effect on June 1.

The diploma explains that “the localities of Rio de Onor (Portugal) / Rihonor de Castilla (Spain), Tourém (Portugal) / Calvos de Randim (Spain) and Barrancos (Portugal) / Encinasola (Spain) are decentralized, with residents in Portuguese towns and residents in Spain who move between the two countries frequently ”.

For this reason, the “total cut of access roads does not seem to be the most appropriate modality”, under penalty of “causing constraints to the essential activities of the local population”.

Globally, according to the latest assessment by the agency France-Presse, the pandemic has already caused more than 355 thousand deaths and infected more than 5.7 million people in 196 countries and territories.

Experts, politicians and social partners meet today, for the seventh time, at Infarmed,  in Portugal, on the eve of the Council of Ministers deciding on the third phase of deflation.

The presentation session on the “epidemiological situation of covid-19 in Portugal” is an initiative of the Prime Minister, António Costa, to which is joined by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, as well as leaders of political parties with parliamentary seats, employers’ confederations and union structures, as well as State councilors – the latter by videoconference – to hear the experts.

This is the seventh meeting of this kind, in which the data related to the first two phases of deflation will be presented and analyzed, the day before the Council of Ministers meets to decide on the third phase of reopening, scheduled for June 1.

At the end of the sixth meeting, on May 14, the President of the Republic stated that Portugal has registered a “very contained deflation”, which does not yet allow “firm conclusions” about the gradual reopening of activities and establishments closed due to the covid-19.

“The deflation in Portugal, which started on May 3, was a very restrained deflation. The Portuguese were sensitive to what they were asked to open in small steps, so the vast majority continued to be very restrained. which means that we don’t have a lot of data that allows us to draw firm conclusions “, then Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa declared to journalists.

The head of state then considered it essential to continue the tune “between those who have to decide and the Portuguese”, whose behavior will determine the balance between opening and controlling the pandemic.

The following day, at the end of the Council of Ministers during which the reopening measures of the second phase of deflation (which started on the 18th) were approved, the Prime Minister stated that the results of the first deflation measures, taken 15 days rather, they were positive in combating the spread of covid-19, with no reason to postpone a new step in the reopening of activities.

According to the Prime Minister, in view of the data previously known about the evolution of the pandemic in Portugal, the Government concluded that the first measures of deflation that came into effect in early May did not change “the tendency to control” the spread of the new coronavirus .

According to information from the Presidency of the Republic’s agenda, the technical presentations for today’s session will be made by epidemiologists from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), from the National Health Institute Doctor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), from the Public Health Institute of University of Porto (ISPUP) and the National School of Public Health (ENSP).

In a statement, this afternoon, the Prime Minister’s office said that festivals and shows of a similar nature are allowed in indoor or outdoor venues as long as they ensure marked places and respect the rules defined by the Directorate-General for Health.

“(…) may exceptionally take place, either indoors or outdoors, with a designated place, after communication under the terms of the previous number and in compliance with the capacity specifically defined by the Directorate-General for Health according to the rules of physical distance that are adequate in view of the evolution of the COVID-19 disease pandemic “, reads in the decree of law that establishes measures to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic in the cultural and artistic sphere.

In a statement sent to the newsrooms, António Costa’s office also mentions that full payment is guaranteed to the artists in case of cancellation or rescheduling of shows due to Covid-19. This payment covers only artists hired by public entities, namely, municipalities.

On May 7, a statement from the Council of Ministers clearly imposed a ban on the holding of music festivals until September 30.

António Costa’s office tells SIC that the prime minister wanted, with this communiqué, “to underline the importance of the topic”.

The law of the Assembly of the Republic was approved this Wednesday, the document also advances