GNR Finds Cannabis Plantation Growing On State-Owned Land
Yet another Cannabis plantation (Cannabis Sativa) was discovered by the GNR during a routine patrol in the mountains of Santa Comba in the region of Mirandela, district of Bragança
According to information released by GNR, the land where the plantation was found has no recorded owner and therefore belongs to the state.
The details are to be investigated further.
This is the fourth seizure of cannabis plantations made by the GNR in just over a month and the third in the district of Bragança.
Parkophobia:
The Fear of Parking
Parking a car is for many, a simple task. But there are a growing number of people who feel this to be the most stressful manouvre of driving.
A recent study, in the six largest European car markets, by Ford and TNS, found that one in three of European drivers could not park their car at the first attempt.
This problem has a name "Parkophobia" and is what a driver feels (sweating, anger, embarrassment, incompetence, failure) while attempting to parrallel park their vehicle, having impacient road users behind and amused passers-by who stop to observe, sometimes pointing and laughing.
32% of all european drivers admitted to needing more than one attempt to parallel park, rising to 41% for women. In addition, a survey by "Público" suggested that more than half of all drivers (56%) think that men are better at parallel parking than women, while only 12% said that women were better
"Operation Safe Summer"
The PSP´s latest figures from 2011 show that the number of vehicle accidents and related deaths on Portuguese roads has fallen in comparison with the same period of 2010.
Between 20th June and 31st july 2011 there were 5,868 recorded accidents, resulting in 16 deaths compared to 4976 accidents and 20 deaths in 2010.
"Operation Safe Summer" runs until September and has so far accounted for more than 13,500 traffic violations of which 2438 drivers were detected driving over the speed limit.
Criminal charges have also been made with 15 people detained for possession of a handgun, 87 for drug trafficking and 340 for excess alcohol
GNR Predict 79 Road Deaths This August
Based on data from the past 6 years, the GNR are predicting between 70 and 79 deaths on Portuguese roads during the coming month of August.
A safety campaign starts tomorrow, Sunday 31st July, to raise public awareness and try to avoid these predicted events, using social networking sites and mobile phone networks.
The predicted figures are 3059 to 3298 accidents of which between 287 to 361 will be seriously injured and, alas, between 70 and 79 people will lose their lives.
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Visitors to the Azores rises by 2.4%
The number of passengers arriving at airports in the Azores rose 2.4 percent in the first five months (January - May) of this year compared to same period in 2010.
The total number of passengers arriving at airports in the archipelago, including flights between the islands, grew in the first five months of this year from 297,988 to 308,335, according to data from the Regional Statistics Service (Serviço Regional de Estatística).
Portugal´s Gold Rush
A total of five companies are now predicting significant gold finds in and around continental Portugal.
The recent "flurry" of prospecting and exploration projects appears to have been a success and these companies are now in the process of opening new or re-opening existing gold mines and will begin installing the necessary recovery and process equipment in the near future.
The current estimates for mined gold give an export figure of 280 million Euros of the precious metal within 10 years.
Fact of interest:
Portugal presently holds 382.5 tons of gold, worth an estimated 14.4 billion Euros , one of the largest gold reserves in the European Union and the 13th highest in the world.
Various Councils in 7 Districts are on High Alert for Forest Fires.
More than 20 councils in the districts of Porto, Viseu, Guarda, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Santarem and Faro are today on high-risk alert for forest fires, according to the Meteorology Institute (IM).
On Sunday 24th July alone, there were 266 fires, fought by 3,973 firefighters.
Search For Crocodile Continues
After the two reported sightings of a Crocodile, in the reservoir of Castelo de Bode, near Serta, the SEPNA/GNR enviromental patrols will be continuing their search of the water and shoreline, over the next 15 days, in the hope of locating the "exotic creature" .
The reported sightings were made on two seperate occasions by a Kayaker and a local Shopkeeper.
Searching for "Exotic Creatures" in the Castelo de Bode reservoir.
Alentejo Gold
Canadian company "Colt Resources" has applied for an exploration licence to search for gold in the Alentejo area surrounding Santiago Escoural in the council of Montemor-o-Novo.
The company is hoping that the Directorate General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) will issue the licence by september of this year and that "Colt Resources" would be able to begin research into the industrial potential and economic viability of mining the gold.
The company are looking to use a quarry type method of excavation as the gold is of a very fine grain and mixed with other minerals and, therefore, the process to remove the gold and form into ingots is quite a complicated process.
Gold has been known to exist in the area for many years but has never been mined on a large commercial scale.
Portuguese Wine Can Prevent Cancer
Red Wines produced in the Beira Interior region of continental Portugal not only look, smell and taste good but are also excellent for the prevention of diseases such as stomach cancer.
This is the conclusion of the latest study from researcher Luísa Paulo from the faculty of health at the University of Beira Interior (UBI).
The investigative research, which led to a doctorate in biomedicine, reveals that the regions nectars have higher concentrations of resveratrol, an antioxidant substance associated with prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The study has shown that this substance (resveratrol) inhibit's the multiplication of the bacterium responsible for the appearance and growth of tumors in the stomach.
186 samples of wine were analized and the red wines from Portugal´s Beira Interior region showed particularly higher levels of resveratrol, especially those wines produced from the vine variety of Touriga Nacional.
The results have been published in three international journals and the researcher notes that "the Beira Interior has remarkably fine wines", and attributes the high levels of resveratrol in this wine region to "the wide temperature variations to which the vines are exposed".
Portugal´s Election Results:
Social Democrat Party - PSD 38.63%
Socialist Party - PS 28.05%
Democratic Social Centre & Peoples Party - CDS-PP 11.74 %
Portuguese Communists and Green Party - CDU 7.94 %
Left Bloc - BE 5.19 %
Others - 4.34 %
Void/Blanks - 4.01 %
Abstention - 41.10 %
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Portugal´s European Union-led Bailout Package
So far... the 78 billion Euro bailout package will consist of:
- 12 Billion Euros for the country's banks, to assist funding through the credit crisis.
- Healthcare benefits for all civil servants, police and military personnel to be reduced by 30% in 2011 with additional reductions in 2012 and 2013.
- The government will attempt to sell its shares in the energy companies EDP- Energias de Portugal SA and REN-Redes Energéticas Nacionais SA by the end of this year.
- The country will suspend the contruction of the TGV high-speed rail link for a minimum of three years.
- Re-evaluation of the current 6% and 13% IVA (VAT) levels.
