Month: December 2024

 

 

Third fugitive from Vale de Judeus Prison recaptured in Italy

 

The Judicial Police (PJ) recaptured this Tuesday, in Italy, Shergili Farjiani, who had escaped from the Vale de Judeus Prison Establishment, in Alcoentre, at the beginning of September, this police force said.

The operation took place in the city of Padua, in northern Italy, and led to the arrest of Shergili Farjiani, one of the five escapees from Vale de Judeu and the third to be recaptured, a source from the PJ told Lusa. Fábio Loureiro and Fernando Ribeiro Ferreira) had already been found

In a statement, the PJ said that the capture of Shergili Farjiani, 40, was the result of “persistent, complex and uninterrupted investigation and information gathering work”.

“The police operation had the collaboration of the Italian authorities to recapture this Georgian citizen with an extensive criminal career, including crimes of violent theft and document forgery,” it reads.

 

 

Marcelo hopes to resume talks with firefighters in 2025 to review the statute

 

The President of the Republic stated today that he hopes to resume talks between the Government and representatives of professional firefighters in 2025 to review their status, which in his opinion is outdated.

“It’s been 22 years, it’s a long time. Therefore, I hope that there will be an opportunity, next year, to resume talks to modify a statute that is quite outdated”, declared Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in response to questions from journalists, in a hotel in Amsterdam, where he is on a state visit.

On this occasion, the Head of State once again separated “the content of the demonstrations” by firefighters, in relation to which he stressed that he had already expressed reservations, and “the justice of having gone 22 years without a review of the statute”.

According to the President of the Republic, this is the result of a “ping-pong that exists between the Government and the Assembly, between the Government and local authorities, between local authorities and the Government and the Assembly”, and the matter must be resolved.

 

 

Large amount of waste produced by tourists has a significant impact on the Algarve.

 

The production of waste by tourists during peak season has a significant impact on the management of municipal solid waste in the Algarve, with an urgent need to define sustainable solutions, according to a study presented in Vilamoura at the end of November.

The study “The implications of tourist activity in the Algarve region for urban waste management”, which brought together researchers from five universities in Portugal and the United States, reveals the “urgent need to define sustainable solutions to address the environmental and economic impact, caused by the high tourist seasonality” in this region.

According to researcher Eduardo Cardadeiro, coordinator of the study, a tourist in the Algarve produces, on average, twice as much waste per day as a resident of the region, and the fact that there is “strong seasonality” causes an increased difficulty in managing solid waste.

“Tourism is fundamental to the Algarve’s economy, but it is necessary to ensure that its growth does not compromise the region’s sustainable development,” added the professor from the Autonomous University. According to Eduardo Cardadeiro, the study will continue to be developed, having in this first phase, among other things, characterised the relationship between tourism and waste management and analyzed the production of municipal solid waste by tourism.

“If we can better understand the impact of tourism on waste production and better manage this process, we will perhaps be in a better position to achieve targets in the waste sector, to have more sustainable management, and to promote the Algarve as a destination that sustainably manages waste, promoting the circular economy,” he said.

The study concluded that in 2023 the Algarve recorded 29 million overnight stays, of which 82% occurred in the high season, which created significant pressure on the region’s waste management services.

During the month of August, tourism was responsible for 41% of waste production, equivalent to 3.6 kilos per night, that is, more than double the per capita production of local residents. Waste production in the high season also has an economic impact, since the total cost of waste management in 2023 was 81.3 million euros, with significantly higher average costs in the high season, reaching €436 per tonne for unsorted waste, compared to €147 per tonne in the low season.

The study also reveals that, currently, more than 80% of municipal waste in the Algarve is deposited in landfills, while recycling and reuse rates are below 15%, which is below the targets set by the European Union for 2035.

The document also identified the need to implement measures to meet the targets defined by the European Union, and promote a circular economy and sustainable practices for the Algarve region.

In a second phase of the study, in 2025, a pilot project will be implemented to optimize waste management, such as dedicated collection circuits, through the involvement of regional partner entities, such as Algar, responsible for the selective collection of waste at ecopoints, the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL), tour operators, hotels and restaurants.

Environmental, social and sustainability performance indicators will also be developed, to monitor progress and adapt solutions to local needs.

Finally, in a third phase, the measures successfully tested in the pilot project will be extended to the entire Algarve region.

The study on the treatment of municipal solid waste in the Algarve was promoted by the Center for Research in Economic and Business Sciences (CICEE),in partnership with the University of Algarve and with the support of Algar.