Table Of Content

THE PORTUGAL FREE Swine Flu national & international up-dates see pp. CALLS 2 & 3 see page 12 Portugal’s National Newspaper in English 15 Aug 2009 • Edition Nº 1023 • €1.50 inc. IVA • Publisher: Paul Allen-Luckman • Editor: Brendan de Beer • www.the-news.net Cooler and wetter 8 page Free July Home Classifieds July was not as hot, but weekly had higher rainfall Insurance see pp figures than existing PROPERTY underwritten up to The Portugal News Group 52 & 54 averages for the period supplement by Lloyds of 40% Telecoms • Contact Centre • 1971 to 2000 the Met London Directory Enquiries • IT • Office said this week. see p.10 off Fairs • Info: 707 500 677 (See Page 4) IMF says Portugal is now en route to recovery Lisbon to accept two Syrian Guantanamo as country emerges from recession detainees Portugal will accept two inmates from the US IMF - WORST IS Guantanamo prison in an effort to aid the Obama administration’s decision to close down the controversial anti- terrorism facility in Cuba, Lisbon has announced. Full story, see p. 20 (See Page 5) OVER TAP workers announce strike dates Staff at national flag carrier TAP have unveiled four days of planned industrial action in two separate periods this month and next month. (See Page 9) Search for missing, ‘hijacked’ ship Naval authorities were dumbfounded this week when a Finnish-owned cargo ship crewed by Russians disappeared shortly after being spotted off the Portuguese coast. (See Page 13) Portuguese football season kicks-off While thermometers are expected to sit well above the 30-degree mark this weekend, summer has officially ended for Portugal’s league football players with another season set to start. (See Page 56) Weekend weather Lisbon:Scorching temperatures are forecast for this weekend, with the capital set to record its hottest days so far this year. Faro:The Algarve will be sunny and hot with thermometers sitting just above the 30-degree mark. UV-ratings will be extreme, with people advised to avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun between 11am and 3pm. Oporto: The AAAAAllllllllll sssssmmmmmiiiiillllleeeeesssss fffffooooorrrrr aaaaa fffffiiiiissssshhhhhmmmmmooooonnnnngggggeeeeerrrrr pppppiiiiiccccctttttuuuuurrrrreeeeeddddd eeeeeaaaaarrrrrllllliiiiieeeeerrrrr ttttthhhhhiiiiisssss wwwwweeeeeeeeeekkkkk aaaaattttt North will enjoy similar ttttthhhhheeeee QQQQQuuuuuaaaaarrrrrttttteeeeeiiiiirrrrraaaaa mmmmmaaaaarrrrrkkkkkeeeeettttt wwwwwiiiiittttthhhhh wwwwwhhhhhaaaaattttt wwwwwaaaaasssss aaaaarrrrrggggguuuuuaaaaabbbbblllllyyyyy ttttthhhhheeeee cccccaaaaatttttccccchhhhh ooooofffff hot weather, which will ttttthhhhheeeee dddddaaaaayyyyy,,,,, aaaaannnnnddddd wwwwwiiiiittttthhhhh ttttthhhhheeeee eeeeecccccooooonnnnnooooommmmmyyyyy ssssshhhhhooooowwwwwiiiiinnnnnggggg mmmmmaaaaarrrrrkkkkkeeeeeddddd sssssiiiiigggggnnnnnsssss ooooofffff be accompanied by clear iiiiimmmmmppppprrrrrooooovvvvveeeeemmmmmeeeeennnnnttttt,,,,, PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll wwwwwiiiiillllllllll nnnnnooooo lllllooooonnnnngggggeeeeerrrrr hhhhhaaaaavvvvveeeee ssssseeeeettttttttttllllleeeee fffffooooorrrrr sssssmmmmmaaaaallllllllll blue skies. fffffrrrrryyyyy..... (((((PPPPPhhhhhoooootttttooooo::::: LLLLLuuuuusssssaaaaa/////VVVVVaaaaassssscccccooooo CCCCCeeeeellllliiiiiaaaaa))))) news 2 The News Portugal • 15 Aug 2009 Tour operators confident of dealing ANGLOPRESS Edições e Publicidade, Lda with Swine Flu The Algarve’s main tour operators have expressed their Copyright ©2005 Anglo Press Lda and The News Group of Newspapers Inc • TTTTThhhhheeeee PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll NNNNNeeeeewwwwwsssss is owned and published by: The News Group concern at the impact of ‘Swine Flu’ on tourism figures but they of Newspapers Inc ••••• DDDDDeeeeepppppóóóóósssssiiiiitttttooooo LLLLLeeeeegggggaaaaalllll NNNNNººººº 80258/94 have said they are confident prevention will be efficient. Content One of the main concerns arises sort Association, said he was uted brochures and posters ex- Portugal without knowing they from the fact many tourists who “confident” of the steps being plaining the necessary care to be have the flu and contaminate oth- NNNNNeeeeewwwwwsssss seek the Algarve as a holiday des- taken by health authorities. taken to avoid propagating the ers here”, he stressed. tination come from countries of “We were the first structure to virus and on our website we have Another of the tourism ex- National 1-7 & 11-13 • Regional 14-16 • World View 10 • high infection rates, such as the hold clarification sessions for as- all this information”, he ex- pert’s concerns are “those peo- Business 8-9 • Trading Places 17 • Sport 55 & 56 UK, Germany and Spain. sociates, in collaboration with plained. ple who are infected and cancel RRRRReeeeeaaaaadddddeeeeerrrrrsssss’’’’’ iiiiinnnnnpppppuuuuuttttt Eldérico Viegas, head of the the Algarve Regional Health Eldérico Viegas also affirmed their trips to the Algarve for that AHETA Hotel and Tourist Re- Board (ARS). We have distrib- that AHETA had ongoing contact reason”. Letters 20 • Club News 18 with the “appropriate authori- He counter-balanced worries PPPPPrrrrrooooopppppeeeeerrrrrtttttyyyyy Swine Flu ‘Hotline’ ties”. that the A H1N1 flu virus would “Our concerns lie in the fact affect tourism figures by reason- Property of the Week 21 • Prestige Properties 22-24 that the illness is imported and it ing that the peak of the illness was Property Directory 25-26 • Gardening 27 is having great impact on coun- expected for the colder winter going cold? tries from northern and central months, in December and Janu- FFFFFeeeeeaaaaatttttuuuuurrrrreeeee pppppaaaaagggggeeeeesssss Europe, which are our main mar- ary, which coincides with the Eating Out 19 • More for Women 28-29 • Health 30-31 kets, and people could travel to Algarve’s low-season. Paws & Claws 34 • Travel 35 As the incidence of the A H1N1 flu virus expands, many are left wondering what the first line of action should Algarve priest EEEEEnnnnnttttteeeeerrrrrtttttaaaaaiiiiinnnnnmmmmmeeeeennnnnttttt be in the event that they contract flu-like symptoms. Cinema 36-37 • Events 38 • TV Guide 39-45 • Mind & Soul 50 Portuguese health authorities have stressed the AAAAAdddddvvvvveeeeerrrrrtttttiiiiisssssiiiiinnnnnggggg national helpline Linha Saúde 24 should be a first port- slams ‘Swine Flu’ Advertisers’ Hotline 32-33 • Company Finder 46-49 of-call, yet answering times can often take over half 51-54 Classified an hour and, in some cases, even longer. hotline CCCCCooooonnnnntttttaaaaaccccctttttsssss Parents of the six children may prove confusing for the PPPPPooooossssstttttaaaaalllll AAAAAddddddddddrrrrreeeeessssssssss:::::Apt 13 • 8401-901 • Lagoa who were infected at an Al- non-national, given the amount garve nursery school in of options available. At the time CCCCCooooouuuuurrrrriiiiieeeeerrrrr::::: Rua Município de S. Domingos • Urb. Lagoa Sol • Lote 3 r/c • 8400-415 Lagoa Mexilhoeira da Carregação of going to press The Portugal A priest in charge of a village hall crèche that was closed were the first to criticise the Newswas not able to establish TTTTTeeeeelllll::::: 707 500 655 lack of assistance at the other whether or not phone attend- due to an outbreak of the A H1N1 flu virus has spoken NNNNNeeeeewwwwwsssssdddddeeeeessssskkkkk: 707 500 655 end of the Health Hotline ants, once reached, could also out against the 24-hour hotline that the Ministry of SSSSSaaaaallllleeeeesssss::::: 707 500 677 Linha Saúde 24 (808 24 24 24). speak English. Health recommends people call if they suspect they may CCCCClllllaaaaassssssssssiiiiifffffiiiiieeeeeddddd: 707 500 646 Having given up waiting to be The British Embassy in Por- be infected with ‘Swine flu’ saying the crèche’s closure FFFFFaaaaaxxxxx::::: Gen 707 941 201• Sales: 707 942 053 answered they took their off- tugal has provided a dedicated “could have been avoided if the hotline worked spring to the local hospital free phone number for all Brit- EEEEEmmmmmaaaaaiiiiilllll::::: [email protected] • [email protected] where they were also initially ish nationals overseas to call if properly”. WWWWWeeeeebbbbb::::: www.the-news.net turned away. they are concerned about the PPPPPrrrrriiiiinnnnnttttt &&&&& DDDDDiiiiissssstttttrrrrriiiiibbbbbuuuuutttttiiiiiooooonnnnn After calling the 24-hour current Swine Flu outbreak or Father Domingos Fernandes, The crèche was closed when helpline,The Portugal News require assistance (0044 207 who oversees Mexilhoeira da seven cases of ‘Swine Flu’ were PPPPPrrrrriiiiinnnnnttttteeeeerrrrrsssss: MIRANDELA Gráfica, Lisbon waited 10 minutes at the first 928 1010). Carregação’s parish hall, within detected. TTTTTiiiiirrrrraaaaagggggeeeeemmmmm: 2222200000,,,,,666666666633333 cccccooooopppppiiiiieeeeesssss ttttthhhhhiiiiisssss wwwwweeeeeeeeeekkkkk attempt and 30 minutes on a It is working closely with the which the children’s crèche and a Speaking to news agency DDDDDiiiiissssstttttrrrrriiiiibbbbbooooorrrrrsssss: VASP second attempt before hanging Department of Health and other kindergarten is run, guaranteed Lusa, Father Domingos said MMMMMeeeeemmmmmbbbbbeeeeerrrrr ooooofffff apct audited circulation ubepi nbgo athn spwheorneed . cFaulrlsth ewrimthooruet, ainrega tsh oisf tHimMe Ganodv reergnumlaernlty d uupr-- tthoa tc saolml eth ceh il‘dLriennh’as pSaraeúndtes tr2ie4d’ “toM caalnl yL pinahrean Stasú hdaed 2 a4lr beeafdoyre t rFierid- PPPPPrrrrroooooddddduuuuuccccctttttiiiiiooooonnnnn TTTTTeeeeeaaaaammmmm the automated response serv- dates its website hotline as soon as they started to day [when the first case in the ice which initially answers (www.ukinportugal.fco.gov.uk) show symptoms last week but crèche was confirmed] but they PPPPPuuuuubbbbbllllliiiiissssshhhhheeeeerrrrr::::: Paul Luckman • [email protected] phone calls is in Portuguese and with helpful information. their calls were not answered. were not answered and they have EEEEEdddddiiiiitttttooooorrrrr::::: Brendan de Beer • [email protected] expressed anger over that. If they PPPPPrrrrroooooddddduuuuuccccctttttiiiiiooooonnnnn::::: Madeline Luckman • [email protected] had been answered I am sure this JJJJJooooouuuuurrrrrnnnnnaaaaallllliiiiissssstttttsssss::::: Carrie-Marie Bratley • Tommy Broad Ambulance crews threaten action if situation [the crèche’s closure] could have been avoided”. CCCCClllllaaaaassssssssssiiiiifffffiiiiieeeeedddddsssss::::: Rebecca Andrade He added that various parents PPPPPaaaaawwwwwsssss &&&&& CCCCClllllaaaaawwwwwsssss::::: Raquel Salbany Gov’t. does not review their status had taken their children to hos- PPPPPrrrrreeeeevvvvviiiiieeeeewwwww::::: Raquel Salbany pital to be checked as their calls TTTTTrrrrraaaaavvvvveeeeelllll::::: Sherry Hughes to Linha Saúde 24 went unan- PPPPPhhhhhoooootttttooooosssss::::: LUSA • Press Association • PortugalNews swered, but were turned away by IIIIInnnnn SSSSSeeeeepppppttttteeeeemmmmmbbbbbeeeeerrrrr eeeeemmmmmeeeeerrrrrgggggeeeeennnnncccccyyyyy aaaaammmmmbbbbbuuuuulllllaaaaannnnnccccceeeee cccccrrrrreeeeewwwwwsssss aaaaarrrrreeeee tttttooooo pppppuuuuuttttt fffffooooorrrrrwwwwwaaaaarrrrrddddd aaaaa ppppprrrrreeeee----- doctors. SSSSSaaaaallllleeeeesssss TTTTTeeeeeaaaaammmmm wwwwwaaaaarrrrrnnnnniiiiinnnnnggggg ooooofffff aaaaaccccctttttiiiiiooooonnnnn ttttthhhhhaaaaattttt cccccooooouuuuulllllddddd bbbbbeeeee tttttaaaaakkkkkeeeeennnnn ssssshhhhhooooouuuuulllllddddd ttttthhhhheeeee GGGGGooooovvvvveeeeerrrrrnnnnnmmmmmeeeeennnnnttttt nnnnnooooottttt mmmmmaaaaakkkkkeeeee After one mother insisted pro- SSSSSaaaaallllleeeeesssss MMMMMaaaaannnnnaaaaagggggeeeeerrrrr:::::Bella Talhadas • 914 393 736 ttttthhhhheeeee rrrrrooooollllleeeee ooooofffff ‘‘‘‘‘PPPPPrrrrreeeee-----hhhhhooooossssspppppiiiiitttttaaaaalllll EEEEEmmmmmeeeeerrrrrgggggeeeeennnnncccccyyyyy TTTTTeeeeeccccchhhhhnnnnniiiiiccccciiiiiaaaaannnnn’’’’’ aaaaa rrrrreeeeecccccooooogggggnnnnniiiiizzzzzeeeeeddddd cccccaaaaarrrrreeeeeeeeeerrrrr aaaaannnnnddddd fusely with doctors, her child was AAAAArrrrreeeeeaaaaa MMMMMaaaaannnnnaaaaagggggeeeeerrrrrsssss::::: hhhhhaaaaavvvvveeeee sssssuuuuuggggggggggeeeeesssssttttteeeeeddddd ttttthhhhheeeee pppppooooossssssssssiiiiibbbbbiiiiillllliiiiitttttyyyyy ooooofffff aaaaa ssssstttttrrrrriiiiikkkkkeeeee aaaaasssss wwwwweeeeellllllllll aaaaasssss rrrrreeeeefffffuuuuusssssiiiiinnnnnggggg tttttooooo cccccaaaaarrrrrrrrrryyyyy sent to Faro last Friday for further examination and the virus Lisbon, Estoril, Cascais, Sintra • BBBBBeeeeellllllllllaaaaa TTTTTaaaaalllllhhhhhaaaaadddddaaaaasssss pppppaaaaatttttiiiiieeeeennnnntttttsssss iiiiinnnnnfffffeeeeecccccttttteeeeeddddd wwwwwiiiiittttthhhhh ttttthhhhheeeee AAAAA HHHHH11111NNNNN11111 fffffllllluuuuu vvvvviiiiirrrrruuuuusssss..... was confirmed. Alvor, Lagos, P. da Luz, Aljezur • MMMMMaaaaarrrrriiiiilllllyyyyynnnnn HHHHHooooolllllmmmmmeeeees • 914 863 604 “From the moment the first Speaking to the Lusa INEM emergency ambulance “At present there are Guia, Almancil, Faro • 777770000077777 555550000000000 666667777777777 News Agency earlier this crews from January this year around 700 ‘technicians’ case was detected the local health Loulé, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Ayamonte week, Ricardo Rocha, head until June. who are illegally carrying delegate summoned all parents and staff for a meeting and medi- TTTTTooooommmmmCCCCChhhhhaaaaapppppmmmmmaaaaannnnn • 912 583 188 of the Pre-Hospital Emer- Then a proposal was sent to out rescue services. Theo- cine was given to the parents of gency Technicians’ Un- Health Minister Ana Jorge, retically they do not exist, SSSSSuuuuuppppppppppooooorrrrrttttt children who did not appear to be ion, said he expected an but was refuted by a State Sec- not as professionals nor as a infected as a preventative meas- AAAAAccccccccccooooouuuuunnnnntttttsssss::::: Gaby Rodrigues answer in the coming retary. career”, he argued. ure”, the Father added. SSSSSuuuuubbbbbssssscccccrrrrriiiiippppptttttiiiiiooooonnnnnsssss::::: Samantha Hoather days. According to Ricardo Rocha, “We are not looking to Those who did show symp- The Ministry of Health ambulance crew members earn a higher wage, what we SSSSSuuuuubbbbbssssscccccrrrrriiiiippppptttttiiiiiooooonnnnnsssss recently announced the make up around 80 percent of are asking for is more train- toms were sent on to a local health centre where a further six children new ‘career’ definition and Portugal’s rescue services in ing and competencies to 52 editions of The Portugal News. cost €67.50 (Portugal), €135 and one employee tested posi- (Europe) or €210 (World Airmail). Send your name and address held negotiations with all main cities. help more people. tive with the virus. plus cheque or credit card details to Apt 13, 8401-901 Lagoa or email [email protected]. Queries, please call 707 500 655. UK’s advice against Tamiflu for children “not applicable NNNNNeeeeewwwwwsssssllllleeeeetttttttttteeeeerrrrrsssss to Portugal” To subcribe to our free weekly newsletters, sent by email every The study, which was com- tugal, where the medicine is avail- The Minister did acknowl- Friday please email [email protected] posed by a group of British doc- able via doctors’ prescription edge that side-effects caused by Portugal’s Health Minister tors, was published this week in only. the Tamiflu drug could include DDDDDiiiiisssssccccclllllaaaaaiiiiimmmmmeeeeerrrrr Ana Jorge has refuted the find- the British Medical Journal. It At present in the UK Tamiflu vomiting and headaches. Although we do everything possible to ensure the integrity and ings of a British study which ad- advises against the prescribing of is being distributed widely in an “Antibiotics can also [cause the suitability of advertisements in TTTTThhhhheeeee PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll NNNNNeeeeewwwwwsssss,,,,, vises against the UK Government the Tamiflu drug to children who attempt to prevent the spreading same side-effects] yet we haven’t ANGLOPRESS Edições e Publicidade Lda, The Portugal prescribing Tamiflu, an anti-vi- test positive for the A H1N1 flu of ‘Swine Flu’ and “without stopped prescribing them because News, its employees or representatives cannot accept any ral drug, administered to treat the virus, claiming the “strong side clinical control”, Minster Jorge of it”, Ana Jorge argued. responsibility for claims made by advertisers in their publicity, A H1N1 flu to children, saying effects” outweigh any benefits. said, adding therefore “the She concluded “The decision and cannot become involved in any disputes or litigation, these results “do not apply to Minster Ana Jorge said this study’s conclusions do not ap- whether or not to prescribe howsoever arising. Portugal”. advice “does not apply” to Por- ply to Portugal’s situation”. Tamiflu is the doctor’s”. news The News 3 Portugal • 15 Aug 2009 Jail for swine flu infectors The Health Minister has this week lambasted the “anti-social behaviour” of potential swine flu sufferers who she says have shown a clear disregard for the health of fellow citizens. Following the “alert” issued by Ana Jorge, the Attorney-General’s office released a statement explaining the spread of a contagious virus is punishable as a crime and carries prison sentance. The Portuguese Penal Code stipulates a prison term of up to eight years for intentional contamination, while negligent acts resulting in the contamination of others is punishable with a five-year jail sentence. With the number of swine flu to the legal responsibilities of cases in Portugal fast nearing a health workers in reporting this thousand, Health Minister Ana behaviour, with Minister Ana Jorge has this week hit out at par- Jorge saying she merely wanted ents who had no issue in admitting to “draw people’s attention to to health workers they had taken this fact” and could not arrest or their infected children to health jail transgressors. centres and hospitals in revenge The Medical Board, while not acts aimed at ensuring others invoking doctor-patient privi- would have to endure a similar fate. lege, said the task of physicians In one particular case singled is “to cure” not “to police hospi- out by the Health Minister, she tals and health centres”, adding told of a mother who, upon arriv- that the state of mind of patients ing at a health centre, told work- should also be taken into consid- ers: “They have contaminated my eration as a mitigating factor for child, now I am going to contami- their irrational behaviour. nate them.” However, the Attorney-Gen- Ana Jorge also condemned eral’s office has insisted that all Health Minister Ana Jorge during a press conference on August 11th in Lisbon. (Photo: Lusa / Inácio Rosa) patients suspected of having civil servants employed in health contracted the virus, but who had care services are “compelled by plained that the people she ac- refused to wear face masks upon law” to report perpetrators of the cused of “anti-social” behaviour entering hospitals to undergo fur- crimes referred to by the Minis- have been identified and could still ther tests. ter in her press conference. face prosecution should authori- A debate has since ensued as Nonetheless, Ana Jorge ex- ties decide to take action. news 4 The News Portugal • 15 Aug 2009 Forest fire damage triples On the day that estimates showed that 200,000 hectares of land in the EU have already been burnt in 2009, compared to a total of 180,000 in 2008, the Portuguese Forestry Authority (AFN) said three times more According to provisional information posted by the AFN on fire damage has been caused this year their website this week, 21,625 in relation to 2008. hectares of forest was destroyed by fires between January 1st and formation System (EFFIS), burnt area of about 200,000 hec- July 31st this year. which continuously monitors the tares. The total for the first seven forest fire risk, and which at This year, Spain and Italy have months in 2008 was put at present is still high, and has just been most affected because of the 17,244, with this year’s figure released the ‘Forest Fires in Eu- extreme fire weather conditions also higher than the damage re- rope 2008’ report providing a in the second half of July, but also ported in 2007 and 2006. comprehensive overview of for- France and, to a lesser extent, However, progress was still est fire danger conditions and the Greece and Portugal suffered sig- reported, as the annual average impact of forest fires in Europe nificant damage. total area affected by forest fires for 2008. Several unusual fire episodes for the period between 1999 and EFFIS uses satellite images to occurred in March in Portugal and 2008 was almost 50,000 hec- produce daily updated maps of North-West Spain where, helped tares, more than double the de- areas burnt by forest fires of at by dry weather conditions and struction caused this year in least 40 hectares in size. strong winds, an estimated area blazes across the country. The area of mapped fires cor- of about 25,000 hectares was The worst affected areas this responds on average to 75 per- burnt. year were all located in northern cent of the total scorched area During the next few days the Portugal. which includes fires smaller than fire danger will remain very high Meanwhile, fires in the Euro- 40 hectares. in many Mediterranean areas, pean Union this year were also The burnt area mapped so far and locally may result in extreme up substantially on last year’s in 2009 in the European Union is conditions, but it will not reach number. 150,076 hectares, which corre- the end of July alert levels, ac- The European Forest Fire In- sponds to an estimated total cording to current forecasts. Cooler and wetter July The month of July was not as Overall rainfall between 1st 1931. hot, but with higher rainfall figures October 2008 and 31st July 2009 Between September 2007 and than existing averages for the pe- was well below averages, despite January 2008 temperatures were riod 1971 to 2000 the Met Office the strong rainfall reported in the at their lowest since 1917. Rain- said this week. Despite these find- north of the country. fall during this period was also ings, it was further revealed that And despite the expected in- only 48 percent of the average half the country was currently in crease in temperatures forecast between 1941 and 1998. the midst of a severe drought. this summer, these latest figures However, since records began, Average maximum tempera- appear to follow on the cool January 2008 was confirmed as tures during the month of July weather recorded in 2008 and the second hottest ever. were 0.5 degrees Celsius beneath 2007. A further example of the cooler averages, while nights were even Records indicate that last year than usual temperatures in Portu- cooler, with thermometers drop- was the coldest in 19 years, with gal was the summer of 2007, ping 1.2 degrees below what the latter part of 2008 particularly which was confirmed as the would be considered normal. cold. coolest in two decades and also the Rainfall was particularly heavy Last year was also the third wettest this century. Average in the north, countering the rela- occasion since 1990 when Portu- temperatures recorded that sum- tively dry weather reported fur- gal experienced below average mer were 0.5 degrees below fig- ther south. temperatures. ures since records began, making Around 40 percent of Portugal, Globally, and while 2008 was it the coolest summer in continen- according to the latest release by the coldest since 2000, it remained tal Portugal since 1987. the Met Office, is deemed to be the tenth warmest year on the Taking into consideration only experiencing “severe” or “ex- planet since 1850. this century, between 2001 and treme” drought, a further 33 per- Monthly weather bulletins is- 2007, the difference in tempera- cent termed to be in a state of “mod- sued by the Met Office showed tures measured in summer is even Firemen tackle the huge fire which broke out on a Tavira hillside last weekend. erate” drought, while 19 percent that last November registered the greater, with the summer of 2007 (Photo: Lusa / Luis Forra) of the territory is seen as being in third coldest minimum tempera- 1.9 degrees cooler than the aver- the midst of a “weak” drought. ture since records began back in age of previous summers. Algarve Blessing All Saint’s Anglican Church can arrange your Wedding or Marriage Blessing in a superb, if not idyllic setting. We also have special arrangements with a Wedding Planner who can offer superb locations for your Wedding or Blessing Ceremony and celebration, which include a beach setting, beautiful gardens (weather permitting), a Pavilion or Marquee for larger groups. Plus other arrangements including transport, accommodation, catering, photography. ALL For more information please call 351 282 380 311 or go to www.allsaintsalgarve.org A N G L I C A N C H U R C H news The News 5 Portugal • 15 Aug 2009 Lisbon to accept two Syrian Guantanamo detainees Portugal will accept two inmates from the US Guantanamo prison in an effort to aid the Obama administration’s decision to close down the controversial anti-terrorism facility in Cuba, Lisbon has announced. The Foreign Ministry said in sus has emerged within the 27- a statement Portugal would ac- nation bloc. cept two Syrian Guantanamo Austria and Belgium have said detainees for “humanitarian rea- it is an exclusively US problem, sons” within the framework of an while Germany has issued con- agreement between the European tradictory statements. Union and Washington. On announcing the Portuguese US State Department spokes- stance earlier this year, Amado man Robert Wood expressed wrote to all his EU counterparts Washington’s gratitude for the asking they adopt similar posi- “humanitarian gesture” by Por- tions. tugal, the first EU member state He has said the initiative would to press Europe to help the involve the reception of “a lim- United States in its effort to close ited and restricted number” of Guantanamo. prisoners who have not been The Foreign Ministry said the charged with terror crimes or for- closure of the controversial mally declared as suspects by US prison, which had strained EU- authorities, but who could face US relations, would signal “the problems if returned to their revitalisation of trans-Atlantic home countries on release. relations” and represent a “vic- In a letter sent to the European tory” for those who defended Union’s highest representative in “respect for human rights in the foreign policy, Portugal’s For- context of the fight against terror- eign Minister informed Javier ism”, the Lusa News Agency re- Solana of his country’s intention ported this week. to house Guantanamo prisoners. A NATO ally, Portugal was While figures vary, it is esti- the first EU country to announce mated that 60 of the more than last December it was ready to 260 detainees would be viable for accept some Guantanamo pris- transfer out of the base. oners in an effort to aid Washing- Only a third of the total number ton in closing the controversial of prisoners at Guantanamo are facility. expected to face charges of terror- In this photo of a sketch by courtroom artist Janet Hamlin, reviewed by the U.S. military, alleged Sept. 11 co-conspirators, “It would be good, from my ism on US soil. left, sit with their legal teams inside the courtroom during a hearing at the Camp Justice compound for the U.S. war point of view, for Europe and Since the base was first used crimes commission, at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba, Thursday, July 16, 2009. Left to right, they are Walid Bin some European states to give a in 2002 to hold terror suspects, Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa al Hawsawi. Three of the five defendants in the case titled U.S. vs Mohammed clear sign of direct involvement more than five hundred prison- attended an all-day hearing. (Photo: PA/Janet Hamlin) in negotiating a complex situa- ers have been released without tion”, Foreign Minister Luís charge. Amado said earlier this year when Prisoners against whom no countries who participated in a announcing Portugal’s inten- charges are pending are from Af- similar initiative in 2002 to help tions. ghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, resolve a standoff between Is- Lisbon was followed by Fin- Libya, Russia, Tunisia, Syria and raeli forces and Palestinian fight- land, Sweden, Britain, Ireland, Uzbekistan. ers held under siege in Bethlehem France and Spain, but no consen- Portugal was one of four EU for 39 days. AIRPORT Terrorists ‘not human’, TRANSFERS deserve death - Making YOUthe VIP ALL PRICES FOR forLESS than the DEDICATED VEHICLE President Kadyrov cost of a taxi. 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Bringing 25 years experience in the Portimão €50 ground transportation business to Lagos €65 “The terrorists are not with the most militant wing assassination of anyone”, he the Algarve. Now offering a Salema €75 people, but devils who are not and has called for a suspension said, adding that such human”, President Ramzan of terrorist attacks, would be charges aimed at harming dedicated chauffeur service that Sagres €90 Kadyrov said in an interview offered a “dignified post” if he Russian Prime Minister delivers rrrrreeeeellllliiiiiaaaaabbbbbiiiiillllliiiiitttttyyyyy,,,,,cccccooooouuuuurrrrrttttteeeeesssssyyyyy with Lusa. “We need to kill returned to Chechnya. Vladimir Putin, whom he de- them. They don’t deserve Kadyrov vehemently dis- scribed as his “hero”. andssssstttttyyyyyllllleeeeeat an extremely amnesty or a pardon - only missed allegations that he was “I’m totally Putin’s man… competitive death”. behind the abduction and mur- I’ll never betray him”, Kadyrov acknowledged, der last month of Chechen Kadyrov said. price however, that he had been in human rights activist Natalia The Chechen leader ex- contact recently with an ex- Estemirova, the latest in a se- pressed his full backing for iled separatist leader, ries of political assassinations Moscow’s war against Geor- Akhmed Zakaev, in the hope in Russia that have triggered gia last year, saying “any of getting him to return home protests from the West. concession” made in the to Grozni from London. “No one has any proof that I Caucasus region would sig- (cid:120)(cid:3)Mercedes Viano up to 6 passengers full executive pack including DVD player He said Zakaev, who broke assassinated or ordered the nal the end of RusTsiPaN./Lusa (cid:120)(cid:3)Mercedes Sprinter for up to 8 passengers Long Wheel Base and DVD Player (cid:120)(cid:3)Mercedes “S” Class 350 Limousine with DVD player TEL: 282 695 074 DDDDDooooommmmmííííínnnnniiiiiooooo DDDDDaaaaa EEEEEllllleeeeegggggââââânnnnnccccciiiiiaaaaa LLLLLDDDDDAAAAA www.the-news.net AAAAAlllllvvvvvaaaaarrrrraaaaa NNNNN.....ººººº 11111555558888877777/////22222000000000099999 UUUUUrrrrrbbbbb..... MMMMMaaaaarrrrriiiiinnnnnaaaaa SSSSSooooolllll,,,,, LLLLLttttt..... 1111122222 LLLLLooooojjjjjaaaaa BBBBB [email protected] 88888666660000000000-----777772222222222 LLLLLAAAAAGGGGGOOOOOSSSSS news 6 The Portugal News • 15 Aug 2009 Galp refutes accusations that its prices are “unfair” After being slammed last week by the head representative of Partex On Monday Costa e Silva said there was a drop of 45 percent. Meanwhile the Minister for Oil & Gas, António Costa e Silva, who said the price of fuel in Portugal during an interview for SIC News So what happened in petrol sta- Economy, Teixeira dos Santos, channel “We had a petrol peak on tions? Diesel dropped by around commented last week that the was unfair and did not reflect falling costs, Galp has retaliated by saying July 11th 2008 when it reached 10 percent and petrol dropped by prices of fuel have a tendency to the representative has “a complete lack of knowledge regarding the 147 dollars. In September it cost six percent”. rise given the rise in demand due calculation of fuel prices”. around 80 dollars, Therefore, Galp responded by saying to the stabilizing of the global “For the price of fuel to rise or fall economy. in the same proportion to crude, “We are living in a time in which it would be necessary for all com- petrol is at historically low ponents that make up its price, prices” he said, explaining that the such as the infra-structures of economic situation has lead to a service stations, logistics, staff scenario for poor demand. The and taxes, to fluctuate propor- Minister added “as soon as the tionally and that the exchange rate economic recuperation is more between the Euro and the Dollar evident a rise in demand for fossil remain consistent. This, obvi- fuel is expected”, at the same time ously, does not happen as it is not justifying the need for more in- possible”. vestment in renewable energies. Mobile phone bills highest in Portugal According to a study by the media messages), Portugal ranks European Organization for Co- eighth regarding the most expen- operation and Development sive bills, costing the population (OCDE), of the 30 state members who make ‘high use’ of their that make up that organization, mobile phones an estimated Portugal is the country where $619.09 (€435.9) per bill. mobile phone bills are highest. This is higher than the German Portuguese who make average ‘high users’, average bills or high use of their mobile phones €434.55 ($616.7), French con- pay more than the majority of sumers €427.64 ($604.13) and other OCDE members, the study almost triple that of their Danish concluded. counterparts €129.5 ($182.95). Only those who seldom use Still, it is the Spanish who pay their mobile phones pay bills most for intensive use of their mo- that are close to the European bile phones, spending an average average. Based on a comparative €677.27 ($956.86) for 1,680 min- calculation of ‘high’ use, (1,680 utes of conversation time, 660 Farmers demonstrating with their tractors through the streets of Pombal against rising fuel costs last July. (Photo: minutes of conversation time, text messages and 12 multimedia Lusa / Paulo Cunha) 660 text messages and 12 multi- messages. Calam II TT y? Clinton concludes ‘historic’ Luanda visit US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended a 24-hour visit to Angola this week in talks with President José Eduardo dos Santos after having said Washington looked to build a “strategic partnership” with the oil-rich nation. After her meeting with dos Earlier on Monday, Clinton ington’s goal of linking aid and Santos, Clinton left the visited a hospital and announced investment with progress in Angolan capital for the neigh- Washington was more than dou- fighting corruption and bol- bouring Democratic Republic bling its aid to help Luanda fight stering good governance and of Congo, the fourth leg of her the AIDS epidemic to $17 mil- respect for human rights. seven-nation African tour, lion, or €12 million. She urged President dos without speaking to journalists On Sunday, US organisations Santos to move forward with a or issuing any statement. pledged $6 million to help spur long-awaited presidential elec- In airport comments, US the creation of small and me- tion in the aftermath of the coun- Ambassador Dan Mozena de- dium-sized farming coopera- try’s first post-civil war legis- Listen to our advertiscsribede the virsit ass “hist:oric” in tives. lative polls last year. bringing the two countries In meetings with senior offi- Seven years after the end of closer together. cials and parliamentary leaders the war, Clinton said Washing- “She leaves this country Sunday, Clinton reaffirmed the ton wanted to forge a “strate- with a constructive impres- central theme of her first African gic partnership” with Luanda. sion”, Mozena said. tour as secretary of state: Wash- TPN/Lusa “Incredible civil progress” praised for reduction of road deaths (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Your one-stop surgery for (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Free consultation and PC’s Macs and laptops advice over the phone (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Quality hardware and (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) No fix, no fee policy The Minister of Home Affairs has attributed the significant reduction in road deaths software supplied (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Collection and delivery (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Repairs without loss of PC service in the Algarve over the past 20 years to an “incredible civil progress” that the Government hopes to data (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) We beat any maintain throughout the rest of 2009. SURGERY (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Software and Hard competitive quote in -ware issues the Algarve Minister Rui Pereira made ref- an accomplishment helped by the registering progress this year”. resolved A name you can trust! erence to the 1980’s, when more collective reality of our people”, To help their mission a road (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Upgrades and We repair & than 2,600 people died every year he said, acknowledging what he safety campaign ‘Estrada Amiga’ on Portugal’s roads, comparing described as “incredible civil (‘Road Friendly’) has been de- Technical jargon Theatre maintain that decade to 2006, when less progress”. vised by the National Authority made simple (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) PCs and Macs WTeolercldom ANYthing to do tchidanen 1t,s0,0 a0n dp ethoepnle 2 d0i0e8d, i wn rhoeand 7 a7c6- “InM airnoiusntedr 2P0e yreeiarras hwieg hhlaivgeh treed- foobrj eRcotiavde S oaf fmetayk (iAngN rSoaRd)s, w“firtihe nthde- tailored to your GNR with a compu- fatalities were documented. duced the number of road deaths lier and safer”. specification Health ter or network. “When I speak so joyfully of to around a third or a fourth of The campaign consists of 50 (cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132)(cid:132) Fully qualified Centre these figures there is something what they were, this being due to short ‘films’, each lasting around English/ Pão de Call our else that must be mentioned: it is a real increase in the levels of 50 seconds, which have a direct Portuguese Açúcar not just a success for the Minis- civism and social responsibility message and advice on how to Technicians EN 125 Hotline: try of Home affairs, the Minis- on roads, which is so important”. make roads safer. LAGOA 707 940 332 try of Public Works, the Govern- The Government has pleaded They will be aired by national ment or security forces. This is to “do everything to continue TV channel RTP. news The News 7 Portugal • 15 Aug 2009 Madeleine detectives continue Portugal inquiries despite new link Detectives hired by the parents of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann are still actively investigating clues in Portugal. The news comes despite revelations last week that the investigators were keen to find a woman with an Australian accent they say resembles Victoria Beckham and who was last seen in Barcelona. Dave Edgar, the retired British a well-dressed woman, who he officer who is currently investi- describes as appearing agitated. gating the disappearance of She was seen in the area of the El Madeleine McCann has admit- Rey De La Gamba restaurant-bar ted that he and fellow private for some ten minutes, walking up detective Arthur Crowley are and down. still actively investigating all lines The witness got up and of investigation including ones in walked towards the woman and Portugal. had a short conversation with He added that some of these her. investigations are based on infor- While detectives said this con- mation retrieved from the Portu- versation was potentially signifi- guese case files on the disappear- cant to the investigation, they ance of the British toddler. would not disclose its contents However, he declined to reveal citing “strict operational rea- the type of inquiries conducted sons”. by detectives in Portugal. Following the conversation He was speaking at a press the woman sat down in another conference staged last Thursday nearby bar. A further person (See The Portugal News, 8th from the same party group also August) during which it was re- saw her there. At this bar the vealed that a witness had come woman had a heated discussion forward to give the investigators with someone in what seemed to new information about a suspi- be fluent Spanish. cious incident that took place in The woman was last seen Gerry and Kate McCann attend a meeting concerning children's rights in Europe during the plenary session of the Barcelona in the early hours of walking away in the direction of European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on 17 June 2008. (Photo: EPA / Christophe Karaba) May 7th 2007 - just over 72 hours a local hospital and the more dis- after Madeleine was abducted tant ferry and cruise ship termi- woman should contact the in April, Madeleine’s father “It’s a possibility we might Attorney General’s office said whilst on holiday in Praia da Luz nals. Madeleine McCann investiga- Gerry McCann said: “There’s never see her again, but until we that the case would only be reo- in Portugal. The witness described her as tion team on +44 845 838 4699 one thing that has been revealed have absolute definitive evidence pened if “new facts” arose. The 41-year-old British wit- “a bit of a Victoria Beckham look- or via the Madeleine McCann in the case files which is that of what happened to Madeleine, “The case can only be reo- ness was attending a party with a-like”. She spoke English with investigation email address: there is no evidence that we can’t stop searching.” pened if new facts, credible and a group of other men in the area what the witness has described investigation@findmadeleine. Madeleine is dead and there is no Portuguese authorities offi- relevant, are presented”, the At- of the Port Olimpic Marina in as “possibly an Australian” ac- com. evidence to suggest that Kate cially called off the search for torney General’s office said. Barcelona. It is said to be a busy cent. Speaking to The Portugal and I were involved in any theo- Madeleine last summer. Madeleine McCann has been location that is popular with both Anyone who may know the News in a world exclusive back ries. Earlier this year the Portuguese missing for 27 months. tourists and local people. The group had been visiting a number of bars and restaurants in the Foreigners’ babies CASH & CARRY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC marina area on the evening of the THE BIGGEST May 6th, 2007 and into the early Meat Wholesaler hours of May 7th, 2007. ‘rejuvenating’ population At around 2.00am on May in the Algarve 7th, the witness became aware of Trained in South Africa AAAAAccccccccccooooorrrrrdddddiiiiinnnnnggggg tttttooooo bbbbbiiiiirrrrrttttthhhhh rrrrreeeeegggggiiiiissssstttttrrrrraaaaatttttiiiiiooooonnnnnsssss fffffrrrrrooooommmmm lllllaaaaasssssttttt yyyyyeeeeeaaaaarrrrr,,,,, tttttwwwwwooooo ooooouuuuuttttt ooooofffff eeeeevvvvveeeeerrrrryyyyy 1111155555 bbbbbaaaaabbbbbiiiiieeeeesssss and England dddddeeeeellllliiiiivvvvveeeeerrrrreeeeeddddd iiiiinnnnn PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll iiiiinnnnn 22222000000000088888 wwwwweeeeerrrrreeeee bbbbbooooorrrrrnnnnn tttttooooo fffffooooorrrrreeeeeiiiiigggggnnnnn pppppaaaaarrrrreeeeennnnntttttsssss aaaaannnnnddddd cccccooooonnnnntttttrrrrriiiiibbbbbuuuuuttttteeeeeddddd Boerewors • Chilli Bites tttttooooo aaaaa bbbbbiiiiirrrrrttttthhhhh-----bbbbboooooooooommmmm ttttthhhhhaaaaattttt hhhhhaaaaasssss hhhhheeeeelllllpppppeeeeeddddd rrrrreeeeevvvvveeeeerrrrrssssseeeee PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll’’’’’sssss aaaaagggggeeeeeiiiiinnnnnggggg pppppooooopppppuuuuulllllaaaaatttttiiiiiooooonnnnn..... Biltong • Beef Olives Lamb Shanks For the first time in recent majority of cases the father is cantly contributed to the ‘re- years registrars have noted a Portuguese and the mother a juvenation’ of Portugal’s Gamon Steaks 2 rise in the number of births foreigner. population but it is not known Matured Beef • Ox-tail PROMOTIONAL occurring in this country According to the National whether the rise in births SPECIALS which are counter-balanc- Statistics Institute (INE) last will continue over the next Pork Loin with Crackling EVERY ing the number of deaths. year 2,102 more births were few years. English Sausages WEEK It is thought that growing documented than in 2007, and Factors such as the aver- foreign communities may be of the total amount of births in age age of certain immigrant Open Monday - Friday significantly contributing to 2008, a little fewer than 4,000 groups as well as cultural 8am - 1.30pm & 2.30pm- 7pm this reversal. were to foreign parents. Only contributions like the Afri- Closed Saturdays, Sundays Last year 13,802 babies 9,786 babies born last year had can community who tend to & Public Holidays ReaardeTe eorlsf hf7ii0cpi7a f li5lgy0u 0ar ue6ds7 iw7tehdich wponeererc eef obnrot eorinfg w nin hp iPcahorr ehtnautdg. aaIltn, l 1et3ah.s2et atthh Paerto .r fTtourhgeeuirgeensfeeo rrmse oihttah iveser b asenilgidenv ifefaid-- hbtoae ltviheee v legadrr otgowe hthfaa vimne icbloiiernstt hrasibr.eu taeldl LaTreglo:( 2NG8ei2la Er4 aP1n0oe r5sti9 m-0 ãB Holo /rOcao ilN wAºa :- y 2r 8/sc9t a- 5 tiPo8on3r) t0im70ão NOW ALILSSBOOINN business 8 The Portugal News • 15 Aug 2009 Unemployment rises in the north, drops in the south The number of people who were made redundant during the month of June in Oporto has risen by 1.8 percent, latest figures released this week have shown. However, workers in the capital experienced a strong month, with the unemployment rate dropping 0.7 percent. According to figures released Vila Nova de Gaia, located on bouring Sintra, which has 16,401 by the Employment and Profes- the southern banks of the Douro workers signed on at their local sional Training Institute (IEFP), River, remains the Portuguese job seekers’ centre. the country’s two most promi- city worst hit by the recession and At the opposite end of the nent cities reported a total 35,093 resulting increase in unemploy- scale is Alcoutim. The Algarve jobless people, almost insignifi- ment, with 23,820 of its residents town is one of the few towns in cant when compared with the currently in dole queues. the country where fewer than nationwide total of 489,820 for Lisbon is second with 20,833 100 of its residents are signed up the month of June. unemployed, followed by neigh- for unemployment subsidies. Weight of bad debt up The unemployment centre in Gaia which registered the most unemployed in the 50 percent country in April this year. (Photo: Lusa / João Abreu Miranda) Angola, Guinea-Bissau bid to host next The number of people unable to meet their loan commitments has risen China-Lusophone business forum by 47 percent the past two years, with credit institutions anticipating this number to rise further in the coming months. Angola and Guinea-Bissau would be taken at the business ering of business leaders from A report on the first half of To ensure full safety of their have bid to host next year’s forum’s three-day meeting in China and seven of the eight Lisbon- 2009 has shown that families and trade, banks are now looking for annual gathering of business Brazil that opened Tuesday in members of the Community of businesses alike are being more guarantees concerning leaders from the Lusophone Rio de Janeiro. Portuguese Language Countries strained in order to repay their loans, entailing the need for guar- financed bloc and China, an organiser of The candidate countries must (CPLP) in 2005. debts. antors and underwriters, evalua- the event said this week. give evidence of “their capacity Macao was made the centre Overall, families currently owe tors and advisors, and reducing Glória Batalha, of Macao’s to host the event”, which infor Beijing’s trade and invest- Cape Verde banks 3.5 billion euros in bad the amounts that are being lent to Trade and Investment Promo- volves between 300 and 400 par- ment relations with CPLP states debt, which represents 2.61 per- families and businesses. tai odne cInissitoitnu toen ( ItPhIeM 2)0, 1to0l dv Lenuusae ticAipnagnotsla, Bhoasttaeldh aa psareidv.ious gath- in 2003. TPN/Lusa cent of the credit conceded to pri- Nonetheless, and despite bad dams vate individuals. This figure is debt to financial institutions hit- now at its highest since February ting a ten-year high, The Portu- project 1999 and a far cry from the 1.78 gal News last week revealed that percent reported in June 2007. the five largest banks totalled In recent months, banks have profits in excess of one billion for kicks of become increasingly reluctant in the first six months of the year. approving loans. Portugal’s five largest and next year With continued falls in savings most prominent banks have seen and fewer incoming deposits, profits soar by more than a bil- banks are justifying the clamp lion euros in the space of just 12 TTTTThhhhheeeee cccccooooonnnnnssssstttttrrrrruuuuuccccctttttiiiiiooooonnnnn ooooofffff down with problems in recruit- months and in the midst of the ttttthhhhhrrrrreeeeeeeeee PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuuggggguuuuueeeeessssseeeee----- ing extra resources from interna- biggest financial collapse since fffffiiiiinnnnnaaaaannnnnccccceeeeeddddd dddddaaaaammmmmsssss tttttooooo tional institutions. the Great Depression. rrrrreeeeetttttaaaaaiiiiinnnnn rrrrraaaaaiiiiinnnnn wwwwwaaaaattttteeeeerrrrr ooooonnnnn CCCCCaaaaapppppeeeee VVVVVeeeeerrrrrdddddeeeee’’’’’sssss mmmmmaaaaaiiiiinnnnn New Macao law permits SSSSSaaaaannnnntttttiiiiiaaaaagggggooooo IIIIIssssslllllaaaaannnnnddddd wwwwwiiiiillllllllll bbbbbeeeeegggggiiiiinnnnn eeeeeaaaaarrrrrlllllyyyyy nnnnneeeeexxxxxttttt yyyyyeeeeeaaaaarrrrr,,,,, lifting of bank secrecy for aaaaaccccccccccooooorrrrrdddddiiiiinnnnnggggg tttttooooo ttttthhhhheeeee aaaaarrrrrccccchhhhhiiiiipppppeeeeelllllaaaaagggggooooo’’’’’sssss Portugal EEEEEnnnnnvvvvviiiiirrrrrooooonnnnnmmmmmeeeeennnnnttttt aaaaannnnnddddd RRRRRuuuuurrrrraaaaalllll DDDDDeeeeevvvvveeeeelllllooooopppppmmmmmeeeeennnnnttttt MMMMMiiiiinnnnniiiiisssssttttteeeeerrrrr..... José Maria Veiga an- Macao’s legislature approved a bill this week allowing nounced the scheduled start the lifting of banking secrecy if so requested by China, of the €100 million initiative this week, saying pre- Portugal or Belgium on the simple authorisation of liminary viability studies the territory’s chief executive. were already under way ahead of launching interna- The new law, which was Portuguese-speaking nations. tional tenders. drafted and voted on with “ur- “New developments will Beyond the three dams, gency” under pressure from the arise in the short term”, he added the Lisbon-financed pro- Organisation of Economic Co- without elaborating. gramme included renew- operation and Development Senior officials of two Portu- able energy projects, the What would happen if your system or The good news is that our services can be (OECD), will take effect on guese banks in Macao, Carlos construction of flood-con- server crashed and you lost all your data? tailored to meet your needs and budget, September 15. Freire of Banco Espírito Santo trol dykes and the digging of Your business would come crashing whatever the size of your company. Macao wished to “fulfil in- do Oriente and Herculano de 70 bore wells to expand irri- down bringing trading to a halt. We will be happy to give you a free on- ternational obligations and in- Sousa of Banco Nacional gation programmes. BlueChip IT is a new dedicated service site assessment of your system and discuss ternational criteria of transpar- Ultramarino, declined to com- Also located on Santiago, from World Telecom giving small to how to make sure you stay operational ency and exchange for, informa- ment on the law when contacted the arid archipelago’s only medium size companies ‘blue chip’ sup- whatever happens. tion in fiscal matters”, Finance by Lusa. existing dam was built with paWroeer tao sft fosea rfe:en saus rpeo yssoibulre .data and systems Sdlauetrcuirrneegt,a drwiysh ceFurrseas nioocnnils yi n T othanmee l elsgaawiisd-- Dtoa Lavbaidswt amCinha okiwner ,t a htnhed ev b ooutnseli,yn s edasiesdpm uthatnye CmhiTtitnheeeds Pet hoaieil dãi orir ndi ga2am0t0i oh6n.a so pf e6r5- (cid:132) 24/7 support by Microsoft Certified maker abstained. law was “unjust to gaming op- hectares that provide em- engineers China, Portugal and Belgium erators” in Macao’s backbone ployment for hundreds of (cid:132) Daily or weekly secure ‘off site’ are the three countries which economic sector. peasant families. back-ups currently have accords with Chow, who has interests in The Minister said the (cid:132) Ranegdu claorm mpuatinetresnance of servers BlueChipIT Mtioanc aaon do nta axv oevidaisnigo dno.uble taxa- lnoecsasle gs,a smaiidn gh ea nwda tso pulreiassme db uthsai-t Gfoorv aedrndmitieonnta lw paasr tlnoeorksi ntog (cid:132)(cid:132) FAcdoaoltsnwetn rnrenecasttpiiovonens s Ienif t aeynrondue rst t sa&en redvmibcyea isglyosteesms Ensuring your business IT works for YOU elarrnT amacmceon srtad pisdl as tonhonene t dewr triotiht os tirwgyn’os so gitmohveir-- rwlaeweqru eael slnotosw tf ircnoogmv th etheree ldi Uf tbinnyigt e todhf eS b tananetekws- dptolea vrneetltsoa painn ds cbaurdicledes maraloiinrnie zw daaatitmoenrs Asian countries, which he did ing secrecy. to help “revolutionise agri- Call 707 500 600...... Kurt Pardon...... IT Director...... Blue Chip IT not identify, and with other TPN/Lusa culture” in Cape Verde. business The Portugal News • 15 Aug 2009 9 TAP workers announce strike dates Staff at national flag carrier TAP have unveiled four days of planned industrial action in two separate periods this month and next month. Somewhat unique in its The five respective unions and 29th August, followed by SITAVA union. euros. justification, TAP labour unions have announced the representing TAP workers two more days on 11th and 12th The TAP board has mean- Earlier this week, TAP ad- action comes in protest against the salaries earned by have this week proposed four September. while countered that any indus- ministrators announced the administrators coupled with the purchase of dozens of days of industrial action to force “The crisis is obviously not trial action this summer will ef- purchase of 30 new company new luxury cars for the airline’s top brass. Workers at the the airline into giving workers affecting all of us, as adminis- fectively rule out any talk of cars, arguing the ones they re- long-awaited increases. trators and directors are now wage increases as each day of placed were “old”. Unions had airline have had no increases for over a year due to the The first two days of the getting twice us much”, charged the strike will cost the airline initially claimed that the board company’s cost-saving policy brought about by the strike are set to take place on 28th Vítor Mesquita, of the in the region of five million had acquired 42 new vehicles. economic crisis. Faro and Oporto get low- cost connection Ryanair have introduced three more new routes from Oporto’s Sá Carneiro Airport, expanding their Portuguese route portfolio to 34. The airline currently oper- Two aircraft are already as- ates 21 routes from Oporto and signed to be permanently oper- 13 from Faro. Of those 34 ating from that base, as of next routes, 13 were newly intro- month, with a third Boeing hav- duced this year. ing been ordered and scheduled As well as the new Faro- to arrive in October. Oporto connection, Ryanair In total the airline’s Oporto will also soon start flying from base represents an investment Oporto to Dusseldorf-Weeze of €146 million, including infra- and Baden Baden, both in Ger- structures and aircraft. many. Meanwhile the Oporto-Faro To celebrate the launch of the route will commence on Octo- new routes the airline sold one ber 26th with flights on Mon- million tickets at the price of €1 days, Wednesdays, Fridays and (excluding taxes), during a mas- Sundays (departure from sive 24-hour campaign, for Oporto at 12h00 and departure travel during the months of Oc- from Faro at 13h25). tober and November. Flights to Badan Baden and The Irish airline’s rapid Dusseldorf Weeze commence growth has resulted in the crea- on October 27th, on Tuesdays, tion of a company base at Thursdays and Saturdays. De- Oporto’s Sá Carneiro Airport, parture to Baden Baden is at TAP President Fernando Pinto talking to the press about the economic crisis a year ago in Lisbon. (Photo: Lusa / where it will keep three perma- 17h25, and to Dusseldorf Weeze Manuel de Almeida) nent aircraft. at 17h30. Return flights to Within Portugal the compa- Oporto from both German des- British ny’s growth was 10 percent, tinations are at 21h40. between January and May this Ryanair has claimed to be year, while national carrier seizing the current economic Airways TAP, according to Ryanair’s crisis as an opportunity to in- calculations, suffered losses of crease its sales. Last year the slashes seven percent during that same airline carried 57 million pas- period. sengers, with that figure rising Regarding direct and indirect this year to 67 million already. short-haul employment Ryanair has cre- The airline is as famous for its ated in Portugal, the company drastic cost-saving techniques freebies claims to have 2,300 workers as it is for its radical €1 sales. on their payroll; 1,800 people In the past it has contem- in Oporto and 500 in Faro. plated charging £1/€1 for the use All complementary meals So far this year the budget air- of toilets on board aircraft as that were previously line, which is renowned for being well as introducing ‘standing included on British extremely cost-sensitive, has passenger’ fees, and it has al- carried 2.3 million passengers ready completely and some- Airways’ short-haul flights from Portugal: 1.8 million from what controversially abolished are to be scrapped and Oporto and 500,000 from Faro. standard check-in procedures, reportedly replaced with Ryanair’s Oporto base is its now executing an exclusively cheaper snacks, like a bag 33rd and newest European base. on-line check-in policy. of nuts, in an attempt to trim unnecessary expenditure and help their dwindling figures. British Airways, which is famous for being a ‘full-frills’ airline, is now following in the steps of its low-cost rivals by doing away with extras like complementary meals in a bid to make major savings. The airline was one of the worse hit by the recession and its effects on travel, and it is hoped that these new measures will save the company something in the region of £22 million, or €26 million per year. It is also reportedly looking to raise overweight luggage charges as well as sports equipment fees. BA has said that it will continue to serve breakfast on all flights before 10am and that the recent change comes as a result of a survey that was carried out and through which it was concluded passengers did not require sub- stantial refreshments on flights under two-and-a-half hours. worldview 10 The News Portugal • 15 Aug 2009 Murdoch to the Rescue? Can Rupert Murdoch save the newspaper industry by making people pay to read the news online? Probably not, though his reputation as a financial wizard (he is many times a billionaire) has bewitched a lot of people into believing that he can. More importantly, does the newspaper industry as a whole need to be saved, or is this largely an American problem? The “Dirty Digger” declared 15 percent a year, far more than last week that he would start the former owners had ever ex- charging for the online content of pected. The new owners’ first all his newspapers, including the priority was to keep the share “New York Post” and “The prices up, so they had to keep the Times” and “The Sun” in Lon- profits high, so they started cut- don, before next June. In the ting costs – and the biggest cost United States, where many if not in running a newspaper is the jour- most big-city dailies are in a finan- nalists. cial “death-spiral” (as one edito- There are few newspapers in rial page editor put it to me last the United States that employ year, explaining why she was even half as many journalists as taking the buy-out and retiring they had fifteen years ago. Yet early), the whole industry prayed news-gathering was and remains that he was right. a highly labour-intensive busi- Murdoch’s reputation as a ness. In effect, the new owners master of the media universe is so and managers gutted the content high that even his competitors in order to maintain their high hope that he can make it work. “I profit margins. Now most of believe that if we’re successful, them are out on golf courses, and we’ll be followed fast by other the newspapers they ran are on (print) media,” he said, and that’s the rocks. perfectly true. But past experi- Since many US newspapers ence argues that he won’t be suc- are also saddled with huge debts cessful: there are too many free because of those take-over deals, alternatives. the papers were in no shape to When the first newspapers withstand the cash famine of the began putting their content on the recession. Nor is it obvious how web fifteen years ago, they made charging for newspaper content it available free in the belief that online is going to transform their the online version would supple- finances now, even if they don’t ment rather than replace the simply drive their current view- highly lucrative print editions, ers away to the many free sites. and in the hope that eventually It’s late in the game, and they just online advertising would provide cannot raise enough money a healthy new stream of revenue. through increased internet rev- But the online versions did cut enue to transform their cata- into the print readership, and strophic balance sheets. online advertising rates never rose Elsewhere in the developed to match those of the print edi- world, most newspapers will Rupert Murdoch, head of News Corp attended the fourth day of Allen and Company’s 27th Annual Media and tions. In the past couple of years, probably start charging for their Technology Conference in Sun Valley Idaho, USA July 10, 2009. (Photo: LUSA/EPA/Peter Foley) online revenues have ceased to websites too: Murdoch is right in grow entirely. thinking that the competition will So when the recession came follow his lead. And elsewhere, IIIIInnnnnsssssuuuuurrrrreeeee yyyyyooooouuuuurrrrr ppppprrrrrooooopppppeeeeerrrrrtttttyyyyy iiiiinnnnn PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll ttttthhhhhrrrrrooooouuuuuggggghhhhh TTTTThhhhheeeee PPPPPooooorrrrrtttttuuuuugggggaaaaalllll NNNNNeeeeewwwwwsssss along, most American newspa- that will win newspapers some pers were already in a very vul- further time to think about how nerable position, and now many they deal with the new reality, for PROPERTY INSURANCE are at death’s door. 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