Prime Minister’s phone tapping
The Supreme Court has ruled that the phone tapping of the Prime Minister, José Sócrates, linked to surveillance of Armando Vara in the Face Oculta, or ‘hidden face’,  case was illegal and therefore must be destroyed as it cannot be used as evidence. The Code of Criminal Procedure was cited as the basis for justifying the telephone tapping but this was ruled to be outside the standard of what is considered acceptable since private conversations between the PM and other people are not for the public domain even in the circumstances surrounding the investigation of Mr Vara. Six telephone conversations between the PM and Mr Vara were intercepted and put forward as evidence taken from a total of 23 taped conversations.

Weather warnings
The Minister of Home Affairs, Rui Pereira, said yesterday that the Civil Protection unit will continue to issue warnings as and when appropriate to help people to take appropriate measures to protect themselves and their property. Mr Pereira flew over the worst affected areas by helicopter during a break in the bad weather yesterday to survey the damage in the district of Santarém and the region of Loures. Some have accused the Civil Protection team of scaremongering including Nuno Gonçalves, the Mayor of Peso da Régua, an inland city in the District of Vila Real on the banks of the River Douro, who criticised suggestions that the river may reach promenade level and said that the authorities were causing unnecessary fear among the local population. Further south near Lisbon, Civil Protection officials said that there was no imminent danger for residents of the region of Santarém, stressing that preventive measures were being taken to avoid danger to the public and property from flooding of the Tejo.

New Year’s Eve plans
Municipalities across the Algarve are reducing charges to attract revellers tomorrow night with street parties and huge firework displays planned. In Albufeira 50,000 visitors will each be given a free flute of champagne to toast the New Year in an attempt to get into the world record books and Portuguese band “The Gift” will be playing followed by concert by hip hop duo “Madcon” from Norway. In Lagos a show of percussion, collectively known as “Wok”, will perform and dance music will be featured along the riverside. In Praia da Rocha a huge firework display is planned to continue the traditional marking of the New Year and various DJs will perform along the sea front promenade. In Faro there is to be a huge “Rock in Portugal” concert with many bands performing. In spite of the weather, the Algarve is expected to attract more party-goers than the end of 2008 celebrations, according to tourist organisations.

Debt limit increased
The President of the Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, issued a second amendment to the state budget yesterday for 2009. Parliament approved the changes on 11 December which included an increase of almost five billion on debt limit. The amendment was passed by Parliament with votes from the Socialist party as the PSD, CDS, PCP and PEV chose to abstain. The left bloc voted against the move.

Operation New Year
The GNR are coming out in force today to monitor the “risk behaviour” of drivers over the New Year period. Thousands of police officers will be patrolling roads from midnight last night until midnight on 3 January in an attempt to prevent drinking and driving. Over 1,200 patrols consisting of around 2,600 men and women will be deployed to manage risk especially in the Algarve and costal areas.

More bad weather
Weather forecasters in Portugal have predicted more heavy rain and storms until Saturday and have issued an amber alert advising people to stay indoors where possible. In Faro yesterday the municipal swimming pool had to be emptied because it started to overflow when the pumps failed and a car had to be pulled from a river but there were no casualties. Madeira reopened its airport yesterday hoping to attract visitors for the New Year celebrations. In the Lisbon area an initial assessment of the damage to the Torres Vedras municipality, hit by last weeks storm, is a cost of €53 million to restore damaged property and agriculture according to the Civil Governor of Lisbon. Some 600 hectares of greenhouses were either destroyed or partially damaged and of the 500 hectares of forest, around 350 hectares of pine and 150 of eucalyptus were affected by the heavy storms that hit the area last Wednesday.

Deaths from swine flu reach 63
The Director of Health has confirmed that a 27 year old person living in the Algarve died on Christmas Day from the influenza A virus and the total number of known deaths from swine flu in Portugal has reached 63. Two of the most recent deaths were in Madeira. The figures of new cases of the influenza are falling slightly with a deceleration in new cases recorded from 14 to 20 December.

Computers for toys
A number of children in the Azores have sold their state-issued computers for as little as €5 each or exchanged them for toys. Primary school pupils were issued the Magalhães mini lap tops as part of the Portuguese education policy but many on the poverty stricken island of St Miguel have opted for exchanging technology for more conventional playground equipment such as bikes and toys. The computers cost around €200 per unit and were issued to all pupils aged 6 to 9.

Still no power for some  
Following last week’s bad storms a number of households are still without power in the Lisbon area. Last night EDP confirmed that 100 customers were still without electricity at 19.00 but during daylight hours the energy provider did manage to restore power to a further 150 homes all located in rural areas. EDP units worked alongside the Fire Service, Parish councils and Civil Protection teams to manage the situation and try to recover electricity for the majority however a number of homes remained in darkness after four days of being cut off. Last Wednesday power was lost to around 350,000 customers mostly in the municipalities of Torres Vedras, Cadaval and Mafra, forcing many to spend their evenings in candlelight throughout the festive period.

Olhão development plans approved
Major development plans were approved in Olhão last week with a budget of around €54 m approved commencing 2010. The largest portion of investment will go to education with the building of a new primary school in Chasfa, expansion of the Moncarapacho school site including a new multipurpose football sports pavilion and the Olhão School will also be modernised. There will also be urban regeneration of the historic waterfront, using money from EU funds, improvements to the fishing port of Olhão and new centres for innovation and development will be added along with a centre for artistic creation.

Weather report
Most of the country experienced horrendous weather conditions with lashing rain and winds of up to 120km hour with many houses damaged and some had to be evacuated during the night. In the Algarve sand was brought onto land by the sea and wind and had to be removed by fire services in some parts to make roads accessible. In Quarteira a number of pine trees fell bringing down power lines and the Christmas lights were destroyed by strong winds. In Portimão there was a lot of damage with large trees uprooted, roofs brought down and damage to cars. In Lagos the National road 120 was closed for two hours due to a stream overflowing onto the road and in the town centre flooding caused damage to some properties. Silves was without electricity and in Monchique a number of trees were brought down.  Tavira was also badly hit with two roads closed due to flooding.  

One area west of Lisbon experienced a weather phenomenon which may have been a small tornado although meteorologists have not sufficiently studied the damage to make an accurate decision. Strong winds and rain will continue until Thursday morning according to forecasters. The weather pattern is due to the passage of several depressions over the country but it is hoped that there will be temporary improvements between each depression even though more bad weather is expected throughout the Christmas period. Flights from Lisbon to the Azores were cancelled yesterday due to the bad weather but are expected to run again tomorrow. A number of roads in the Serra da Estrella mountain region were closed due to snow and in Lisbon, Vila Real and Guarda areas fallen tress made some roads impassable according to the National Authority for Civil Protection (ANPC). Electricity was cut to around 150,000 homes yesterday and energy company EDP was working to restore power for the majority of customers within the day primarily in the municipalities of Torres Vedras, Peniche Mafra and the around Lisbon.

Alcohol and Drugs
The President of the Institute for Drugs and Drug Addiction (IDT) João Goulão spoke to journalists before a Parliamentary Commission on Health where he presented the annual report on the situation on Alcohol and Drugs in Portugal. One of his main concerns were the number of younger people under 30 suffering from cirrhosis, normally associated with the over 50s, emphasising the highly damaging effect that alcohol can have on the body if drunk in excess. Mr Goulão also spoke of an increased number of deaths from drug use in 2008. The report also focused on the drug trafficking problem with internationally bound drug supplies passing illegally though Portugal. Mr Goulão spoke of ways to address the problem of alcohol misuse and has advocated increasing the minimum age to buy alcohol as well as other preventative measures. He also said a syringe exchange programme in prisons has had mixed results because many inmates do not trust the system believing if they accept the free needle they will be branded an addict and be refused temporary leave.

Two die in gas leak
A Grandmother and her eight year old grand daughter were found dead yesterday following reports by neighbours that they could smell gas. The victims were discovered in the bathroom of the woman’s home in Lavradio, in the municipality of Barreiro by the fire department and attempts were made to resuscitate them. It appears that the water heater was faulty. The woman and child were pronounced dead at the Hospital of Barreiro.

Phone tapping review
A court has decided that it is permitted to tap the phones of anyone who has a legitimate interest. The attorney general’s office reported the decision in the wake of the face occulta or hidden face case where calls between the Prime Minister José Sócrates, and former socialist minister Armando Vara were taped by a surveillance team who were watching the activities of Mr Vara who is alleged to have carried out crimes of corruption and economic crimes relating to state owned and private companies. Evidence against Mr Vara included eleven phone tapped conversations with the prime minister.

Amber alert for Portugal
The National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) put in place an amber alert level four for the whole of Portugal today with forecast of snow, wind and rain, which was confirmed last night at 22.00 and is expected to last until 14.00 tomorrow. While the situation is not unusual, the public is reminded to take extra care when driving and not to take unnecessary risks. The Institute of Meteorology (IM) predicts worsening of the weather for mainland Portugal between now and early afternoon on Thursday with periods of heavy rainfall, especially near the coast and snowfall in the northern and central inland areas.

There will also be strong winds up to 100 km per hour in some places and those near the coastline need to take extra care with waves reaching several metres high. Motorists are also warned to expect ice in areas prone to freezing conditions and if driving where there is snow to take extra clothing, food, water, a torch and ensure phones are fully charged. The Civil Defence also advises dressing in several layers of clothing and in case of hypothermia call 112 immediately.

Hot club fire
An historic building in the Praça da Alegria, Lisbon, home to the first Portuguese jazz club, suffered a huge fire yesterday morning. The ironically named “Hot Club” was unoccupied and had been targeted previously, leading to concerns the fire may have been started deliberately. The roof was destroyed in a huge inferno that took eleven vehicles, and around forty firefighters to extinguish.  The blaze started at 3.22 and was eventually put out at 5.27 according to reports by Lusa.

The club was opened in March 1948 and hosted many international and national musicians over its sixty years including Bernardo Moreira, Mário Laginha, Bernardo Sassetti, Maria João, José Eduardo, António Pinho Vargas, Filipe Melo, Júlio Resende and Paula Oliveira but was closed more recently for refurbishment. In the early 80s the club opened a music school where many of the current Portuguese jazz musicians learned their craft. Sadly it is not known at this stage whether the building will be salvaged.


Unemployment increased
The level of unemployment in Portugal grew by 115,082 people in just one year. In the period from November 2008 until October 2009 over 28.2 per cent of Portuguese civil servants lost their jobs. The most recent data from the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) released on Tuesday reported an increase of 1.2 per cent during October.

Hit and run in Lisbon
A car crashed into a bus stop in Lisbon leaving a man dead and two others injured before the driver ran away on foot. The incident happened at around 17.30 last night when a Seat Toledo hit a bus stop at the intersection of Rua Raul Rego and Rua João Amaral, in the Alta area of the capital, leaving a man of around 40 dead, injuring a woman in her 50s and a child of five. The driver escaped the scene but has been identified by police from eye witness accounts and police records.

Atlantic “fried egg”.
Scientists in Portugal have discovered a depression in the floor of the Atlantic Ocean two kilometres down, 150 km south of the Azores Islands. The six kilometre wide crater has been dubbed the “fried egg” because of its distinctive shape.

A team headed up by Dr Frederico Dias from the Task Group for the Extension of the Portuguese Continental Shelf, EMEPC, was conducting a survey to map the continental shelf in 2008 using a multibeam echosounder hydrographic device when they discovered the hollow area. One theory, supported by around half of the scientists, is that it was made by a space impactor during a collision within the past 17 million years, estimated by the maximum age of the basaltic sea floor rock that surrounds the crater. Dr Dias presented the team’s findings at the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Fall Meeting, representing the largest group of earth scientists.

The “fried egg” sits around 110m below the ocean bottom with its 3km in diameter central “yolk” raised area. The total height of the depressed ring from its base to the top of the dome is around 300m. The existence of a peak is not proof of a meteorite impact in itself but scientists have said it is unlikely to be volcanic because there is no evidence of lava within the structure.

There is also another similar crater around four kilometres away which is much smaller but also points to the possibility of impact. The team will return early next year to carry out further research and take samples from the ocean floor.

Zon Multimedia shares rise
The leading pay TV operator, Zon Multimedia, received welcome news yesterday when the daughter of the Angolan President, Isabel dos Santos, signed a deal to buy a ten per cent stake at €5.3 per share. Following the agreement, shares in ZON.LS jumped 6.5 per cent in early trading to € 4.466.
An unnamed trader in Lisbon was quoted by Reuter’s news agency saying: "Zon stocks are adjusting to the price of the deal announced yesterday, which had a very high premium. On the other hand, from the strategic point of view, the deal with Isabel dos Santos makes a lot of sense and can accelerate the company's growth in Angola."

Strike called off
The strike scheduled by The Portuguese Federation of Trade Unions, Offices and Services (FEPC) has been called off, according to the unions, because the Employers Association (APED) is communicating with employees. The planned strike was due on Thursday in hypermarkets and supermarkets across Portugal in protest at extending the working week from 40 to 60 hours.
An informal meeting held yesterday between union and management groups opened the door for future negotiations and resulted in the decision to call off planned industrial action. FEPC is in disagreement with APED’s proposal to increase the number of flexible hours per week to the maximum allowed under the current Labour Code, namely an additional four hours to an eight hours day, up to a maximum of 60 hours per week.

Police numbers rise over holiday period
An additional 200 GNR police will be deployed over the holidays, with around half in the Algarve. Civil Governor of Faro Isilda Gomes welcomed the move, calling it an effective enforcement rather than reinforcement.  Twelve additional cars will be available in the region for the GNR to use for its Safe Schools Programme. During the holiday period there will be an increased police presence to counteract crime which according to some has risen although this fact has been disputed by Mrs Gomes who claimed that the figures are distorted because some forms of crime are simply being reported more. The sale of security systems in the Algarve increased dramatically in 2009 with many turning to specialised providers which appear to support a perception of rising crime.

Computers for Schools
The company that produces the “Magalhães” computer AJP Sá Couto has sold as many units of the mini lap top abroad as have been purchased for national schools, providing evidence that the company is doing well in spite of concerns over its involvement with the controversial project to provide computers for school children. The Foundation for Mobile Communication which manages the project is currently being audited over allegations that Sá Couto was awarded the lucrative contract without competition. In addition the PSD political party has requested that a commission is created to investigate the Foundation over its project management activities. The second phase of the project has been put to tender and already has one competitor, the `Latitude´ Dell.

Vandalism of post boxes
The post office, CTT, has overhauled 700 of around 2000 post boxes throughout Portugal to protect them from vandals. Over the last five years complaints have risen sharply that post boxes were being damaged. While many customers leave their mail inside post office shops the post boxes are still widely used. Around seven million letters are collected each day in total. While vandalism is an issue, theft of mail is rare in Portugal with customers knowing not to put money into envelopes and registered mail being used for valuable items. 60 per cent of the complaints made against the post office related to crimes against CTT property. In 2004 there were only twelve complaints of vandalism but in 2008 the number rose to 245. CTT currently seal damaged post boxes until they can be repaired. The renovation work involves changing the opening of the small door used for collection of mail by operatives as it was a target for burglars.

Ourique rally
Rally partners Ricardo Teodosio  and Peter Conde won the Ourique rally in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IV this weekend. The 10.8 k event took place Saturday night and Sunday morning in challenging conditions and was organised by the Aero Club of Beja with support from the Ourique Municipality and other private sponsors. The rally was the final stage of the regional championship and was won by Nuno Pinto and João Silva in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO III. António Lampreia and António Morais were runners up and third place on the podium went to Pedro Leone and Bruno Ramos.  

Snow blocks roads
Weather conditions in the North and Central regions of Portugal have made it difficult if not impossible to travel. The A25 (Aveiro/Vilar Formoso) and A23 (Guarda/Torres Novas) were among the worst affected and roads in the Serra da Estrella region were closed due to heavy snow that started at 21.00 last night and by 23.30 passengers had to be rescued from two buses that became stranded. The GNR have been able to reopen the two motorways but advised drivers to proceed with caution.