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Violent and serious crime increased by 2.6% last year compared to 2023, with 14,385 crimes registered, while general crime fell by 4.6% with 354,878 reports, according to the Annual Internal Security Report (RASI).

A preliminary version of the 2024 RASI, a document that will be approved today at the meeting of the Superior Council for Internal Security, shows that in violent and serious crime, the crimes that increased the most were robbery by snatching (up 8.7%), car theft (up 106.3%), robbery in commercial or industrial buildings (up 21.7%), rape (up 9.9%) and robbery at banks or other credit institutions (up 128.6%).

The crimes that fell the most last year compared to 2023 were harrasment in the work place (-16.2%), serious assualts (-6.1%), robbery on public roads except by snatching (-0.3%), other robberies (-8.3%) and robbery at a fuel station (-12.3%).

Regarding the crime of rape, the preliminary RASI document indicates that last year there were 543 rapes, 49 more than in 2023, when 494 were registered. Another crime with the biggest increase was bank robbery, which in 2024 totaled 32, 18 more than in 2023.

Homicides registered a small decrease, with 89 crimes being reported, one less than in 2023.

RASI states that, of the 89 homicides, 23 were in the context of domestic violence (one more than the previous year), with knives and firearms continuing to be the instruments most used for homicides.

General crime, which is recorded by the GNR, PSP, PJ, Maritime Police, Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE), Tax and Customs Authority (AT) and Military Judicial Police, totaled 354,878 reports in 2024, 17,117 fewer than in 2023.

According to the document, the crime with the greatest representation, compared to the previous year, was the increase in pickpocketing (up 12%).

The RASI also highlights the increases in the crimes of theft in areas adjacent to residences (up 411), breach of tax trust (up 415), theft in supermarkets (up 511) and counterfeiting of currency and passing of counterfeit currency (up 1,555).

Regarding the declines, the report highlights scams (-66.4%), driving without a legal license (-28.4%) and driving a vehicle with an alcohol level equal to or greater than 1.2 grams per liter of blood.

Domestic violence and simple voluntary assault on physical integrity are the types of crimes with the highest number of registered reports.

 

Crime in Portugal 2024 : See here the decreases and increases in crime by district, according to the Annual Internal Security Report

 

The Annual Internal Security Report (RASI) for 2024 was presented this Monday afternoon, revealing an overall decrease in general crime in the country. However, some criminal typologies registered significant increases in several districts. Domestic violence against a spouse and simple voluntary assault continue to be the most reported crimes, while the crime of robbery in public spaces was the most reported violent crime.

Juvenile crime also increased by more than 12%, and crimes in schools have been on the rise. More than two thousand crimes committed by young people between the ages of 12 and 16 were recorded. Rape crime increased by 9.9%, with 49 more cases than in 2023.

In terms of general crime, there was an overall decrease of 4.6% in Portugal. However, there are specific crimes that have seen significant increases in certain districts. The following is the detailed data by district:

Aveiro

• General crime: down 4.3% (19,698 complaints)
• Biggest increase: warranty card or card abuse (+171%, 380 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other scams (-67%, 468 complaints)
• Most complaints: driving a vehicle with a level equal to or greater than 1.2 g/L (2,002 complaints)
• Violent crime: up 3% (487 complaints)
• Biggest increase: snatch theft (+45%, 87 complaints)
• Biggest drop: serious assaults (-30%, 28 complaints)
• More complaints: harrasment in the workplace (110 complaints)

Beja

• General crime: down 7.3% (5,371 complaints)
• Biggest increase: counterfeiting/falsification of currency and passing of counterfeit currency (+254%, 124 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other scams (-68.8%, 125 complaints)
• More complaints: simple assaults (368 complaints)
• Violent crime: down 4.7% (142 complaints)
• Biggest increase: rape (+120%, 11 complaints)
• Biggest drop and most complaints: harrasment in the workplace  (34 complaints)

Braga

• General crime: up 0.5% (19,126 complaints)
• Biggest increase: counterfeiting/falsification of currency and passing of counterfeit currency (+36%, 398 complaints)
• Biggest drop: motor vehicle theft (-28.8%, 444 complaints)
• Most complaints: domestic violence against spouse or similar (1,698 complaints)
• Violent crime: up 8.8% (505 complaints)
• Biggest increase: serious assaults (+80.8%, 47 complaints)
• Biggest drop: theft by snatching (-22%, 69 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads except by snatching (152 complaints)

Braganca

• General crime: down 6.2% (3,245 complaints)
• Biggest increase: computer and communications fraud (+42%, 198 complaints)
• Biggest drop: home theft (-35%, 95 complaints)
• Most complaints: domestic violence against spouse or similar (320 complaints)
• Violent crime: down 5.1% (98 complaints)
• Biggest increase: resistance and coercion on employee (+30%, 22 complaints)
• Biggest drop: serious assaults (-40%, 15 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads (40 complaints)

Castelo Branco

• General crime: up 2.1% (6,543 complaints)
• Biggest increase: computer and communications fraud (+50%, 305 complaints)
• Biggest drop: home theft (-22%, 188 complaints)
• Most complaints: domestic violence against spouse or similar (612 complaints)
• Violent crime: up 4.5% (134 complaints)
• Biggest increase: snatch theft (+60%, 24 complaints)
• Biggest drop: pickpocketing (-30%, 20 complaints)
• More complaints: resistance and coercion against employees (50 complaints)

Coimbra

• General crime increased by 0.2% (10,212 complaints)
• Biggest increase: motor vehicle theft +72.9% (294 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other scams -76% (208 complaints)
• Most complaints: domestic violence (873 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 9.8% (346 complaints)
• Biggest increase: rape +53.3% (23 complaints)
• Biggest drop: snatch theft -5.9% (48 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads except for snatching (112 complaints)

Evora

• General crime rose 0.1% (4,771 complaints)
• Biggest increase: fire, arson +59.1% (101 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage -38.8 (178 complaints)
• Most complaints: driving a vehicle with a level equal to or greater than 1.2 g/L (389 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 19.1% (156 complaints)
• Biggest increase: rape +55.5% (14 complaints)
• Biggest drop and most complaints: resistance and coercion against employees -8.3% (33 complaints)

Faro

• General crime fell by 1.8% (26,666 complaints)
• Biggest increase: counterfeiting/forgery of currency and passing of counterfeit currency +28.6% (490 complaints)
• Biggest drop: criminal damage -4.7% (797 complaints)
• Most complaints: simple assaults (1,911 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 9.9% (997)
• Biggest increase: theft by snatching +28.1% (205 complaints)
• Biggest drop: resistance and coercion against employees -9.3% (156 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads except for snatching (255 complaints)

Guarda

• General crime fell by 2.5% (4,364 complaints)
• Biggest increase: possession or trafficking of prohibited weapons 55.1% (68 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage 49.9% (188 complaints)
• Violent crime fell by 25.7% (75 complaints)
• Biggest drop: rape -37.5% (5 complaints)

Leiria

• General crime fell by 4.3% (13,251 complaints)
• Biggest increase: opportunity theft of unguarded item +26.4% (362)
• Biggest drop: other scams -54.9% (401 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 28.2% (414 complaints)
• Biggest increase: home burglary 55% (31 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads except snatching (89 complaints)

Lisbon

• General crime fell by 7.6% (81,645 complaints)
• Biggest increase: warranty card or card abuse +40% (1,877 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other scams -68.8% (2,064 complaints)
• Most complaints: domestic violence against spouse or similar (6,247 complaints)
• Violent crime fell by 1.8% (5,114 complaints)
• Biggest increase: theft by snatching +3.1% (820 complaints)
• Biggest drop: resistance and coercion against employees -29.7% (358 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads except snatching (2,322 complaints)

Portalegre

• General crime fell by 5.9% (3,879 complaints)
• Biggest increase: theft of agricultural products +62.2% (133 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other scams -73.7% (65 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 30.4% (146 complaints)
• Biggest increase: theft by snatching +188.9% (26 complaints)
• (no descents)
• More complaints: resistance and coercion against employees (44 complaints)

Porto

• General crime fell by 0.9% (55,233 complaints)
• Biggest increase: pickpocketing +30.6/ (1,897 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage -48% (1,191 complaints)
• More complaints: other thefts from motor vehicles (4,903 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 4.8% (2,297 complaints)
• Biggest increase and most complaints: theft on public roads +5.1% (1,056 complaints)
• Biggest drop: resistance and coercion against employees -6.7% (195 complaints)

Santarem

• General crime fell by 4% (14,005 complaints)
• Biggest increase: vehicle theft +20.9% (336 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage -28.4% (585 complaints)
• Most complaints: domestic violence against spouse or similar (896 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 33.3% (428 complaints)
• Biggest increase and most complaints: theft by snatching +123.9% (103 complaints)
• Biggest drop: serious voluntary physical injury 20.5% (31 complaints)

Setubal

• General crime fell by 5.1% (33,494 complaints)
• Biggest increase: simple assaults +6.8% (2,289 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage -52.6% (707 complaints)
• Violent crime dropped 6.3 (1,578 complaints)
• Biggest increase: home burglary +62.9% (57 complaints)
• Biggest drop: resistance and coercion against employees -41.7% (151 complaints)
• More complaints: theft on public roads except for snatching (681 complaints)

Viana do Castelo

• General crime fell by 1.6% (7016 complaints)
• Biggest increase: theft in commercial buildings +27% and theft in residences +26% (174 and 200 complaints, respectively)
• Biggest drop: other scams -47% (150 complaints)
• Most complaints: driving a vehicle with a rate equal to or greater than 1.2 g/Ll (560 complaints)
• Violent crime fell by 8.6% (117 complaints)
• Biggest increase: other thefts 100% (8 complaints)
• Biggest drop: assaults against a pregnant woman -55% (9 complaints)

Vila Real

• General crime fell by 4.5% (4.84 complaints)
• Biggest increase: home theft +18% (157 complaints)
• Biggest drop: driving a vehicle with a rate equal to or greater than 1.2 g/L – 29.7% (334 complaints)
• Most complaints: simple voluntary offense against physical integrity (460 complaints)
• Violent crime increased by 19.5% (104 complaints)
• Biggest increase: home burglary +250% (7 complaints)
• Biggest drop: resistance and coercion of employee -37% (17 complaints)
• More complaints: robbery by snatching and robbery on public roads (25 and 25 complaints, respectively)

Viseu

• General crime fell by 6% (8,630 complaints)
• Biggest increase: threats and coercion +10% (524 complaints)
• Biggest drop: driving without a legal license -34.8% (255 complaints)
• Most complaints: driving a vehicle with a level equal to or greater than 1.2 g/L (916 complaints)
• Violent crime fell by 3.3% (208 complaints)
• Biggest increase: theft by snatching +58.3% (19 complaints)
• Biggest drop and most complaints: resistance and coercion against employees – 22.1% (56 complaints)

Madeira

• General crime rate fell by -4.6% (6.87 complaints)
• Biggest increase: other domestic violence crimes +15.7% (140 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage -48.7 (218 complaints)
• Most complaints: driving a vehicle with a level equal to or greater than 1.2 g/L (936 complaints)
• Violent crime fell by 4.5% (211 complaints)
• Biggest increase: rape +6.7% (7 complaints)
• Largest decrease. Serious voluntary physical integrity offence -38.1% (13 complaints)
• Most complaints: theft on public roads except snatching (105 complaints)

Azores

• General crime fell by 1.9% (9,605 complaints)
• Biggest increase: theft in commercial building +25% (310 complaints)
• Biggest drop: other damage -64.4% (181 complaints)
• Most complaints: assaults (1,093 complaints)
• Violent crime fell by 6.5% (23 complaints)
• Biggest increase: resistance and coercion on employee +123.8% (47 complaints)
• Biggest drop: offense to integrity -35.7% (18 complaints)
• More complaints: theft on public roads except for snatching (74 complaints)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 EU Preparedness Union Strategy to prevent and react to emerging threats and crises

 

Today the Commission and High Representative launch the Preparedness Union Strategy to support Member States and enhance Europe’s capability to prevent and respond to emerging threats.

It comes as the European Union is facing increasingly complex crises and challenges that cannot be ignored. From growing geopolitical tensions and conflicts, hybrid and cybersecurity threats, foreign information manipulation and interference, to climate change and increasing natural disasters, the EU needs to be ready to protect its citizens and the key societal functions that are crucial for democracy and daily life.

Concretely, the Strategy includes 30 key actions and a detailed Action Plan to advance the Preparedness Union’s objectives, as well as developing a ‘preparedness by design culture’ across all EU policies.

President Ursula von der Leyen said: “New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe. Our citizens, our Member States, and our businesses need the right tools to act both to prevent crises and to react swiftly when a disaster hits. Families living in flood zones should know what to do when the waters rise. Early warning systems can prevent regions hit by wildfires from losing precious time. Europe stands ready to support Member States and trusted partners in the neighbourhood to save lives and livelihoods.”

Key objectives and actions of the Strategy include:

Protecting Europe’s Essential Societal Functions:

• Develop minimum preparedness criteria for essential services such as hospitals, schools, transport, and telecommunications.
• Enhance the stockpiling of critical equipment and materials.
• Enhance climate adaptation and availability of critical natural resources such as water.

Promoting Population Preparedness:

• Encourage the public to adopt practical measures, such as maintaining essential supplies for a minimum of 72 hours in emergencies.
• Integrate preparedness lessons into school curricula and introduce an EU Preparedness Day.

Enhancing Crisis Response Coordination:

• Establish an EU Crisis Hub to improve integration among existing EU crisis structures.

Strengthening Civil-Military Cooperation:

• Conduct regular EU-wide preparedness exercises, uniting armed forces, civil protection, police, security, healthcare workers, and firefighters.
• Facilitate dual-use investments.

Full press release: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/news-stories/news/eu-preparedness-union-strategy-prevent-and-react-emerging-threats-and-crises-2025-03-26_en

 

Greece, Mati wild fire Trial: Prosecutor’s Verdict Expected in Deadly 2018 Tragedy

 

One of the world’s deadliest fires in which 104 people died

In a significant development in the trial over the devastating 2018 Mati wildfire, which claimed 104 lives and left dozens injured, the prosecutor of the Athens Three-Member Appeals Court for Misdemeanours, Stamantina Perimeni, has recommended guilty verdicts for 12 of the 21 defendants.

A prosecutor has recommended the conviction of 12 officials, including former regional and municipal leaders, for their role in the 2018 Mati wildfire that killed 104 people and severely injured 57.

The case, now being retried after an appeal overturned the initial ruling, expands accountability to political figures previously acquitted.

Prosecutor Stamatina Perimeni identified negligence by former Attica governor Rena Dourou, ex-Rafina mayor Evangelos Bournous, and former civil protection secretary Ioannis Kapakis.

The prosecutor reaffirmed the guilt of six officials previously convicted, including former fire chief Sotiris Terzoudis, while recommending the acquittal of nine others, including ex-Marathon mayor Ilias Psinakis, due to insufficient evidence of direct responsibility.

Defence and prosecution attorneys will present their closing arguments next week.

A verdict could be issued by late April, determining whether justice will be served for one of Greece’s deadliest wildfires.

The first-instance court previously convicted only six of the 21 defendants, imposing sentences of up to five years, which were later converted into fines. The decision led to widespread criticism and a full appeal of the ruling.

 

The event.

The fire, which broke out on July 23, 2018, turned into a catastrophic blaze that overwhelmed emergency responders and residents alike. It started in Penteli and rapidly spread through Eastern Attica, resulted in 104 deaths and left over 200 injured, marking it as the second deadliest wildfire in the world.

As the flames engulfed homes and roads, many victims perished in the inferno, while others drowned attempting to escape by sea. The trial has centred on whether authorities took appropriate preventive and operational measures or if negligence contributed to the scale of the disaster.

A series of wildfires in Greece, during the 2018 European heat wave, began in the coastal areas of Attica in July 2018. 104 people were confirmed dead from the Mati fires. The fires were, at that time, the second-deadliest wildfire event in the 21st century, after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Australia that killed 173. Over 700 residents were evacuated or rescued, mainly from the seaside settlements located north of the port town of Rafina, namely Kokkino Limanaki and Mati, where rescuers found 26 corpses trapped just meters away from the sea, apparently hugging each other as they died.

The flames were so intense that they trapped and burned people inside their houses, cars, or a few meters away from the beach

Boats also recovered corpses from the water, and rescued hundreds of people from beaches and the sea. Two people drowned when the boat rescuing them from a hotel in Mati capsized. Μore than 4,000 residents were affected by the wildfires.

Thousands of vehicles and 40,000 pine and olive trees were burned; the fire destroyed Mati and nearby Kokkino Limanaki. About 400 people waded deep into the sea and waited hours to be rescued. Temperatures reached 800 °C, fanned by gale-force winds.

Access to beaches was difficult due to the steep slopes covering much of the coastline; the seaside was also thickly settled; long stretches of buildings were stacked against each other with only a few narrow routes between them to access the waterside. Those who reached the beaches were forced into the water by the suffocating smoke. While some were rescued by nearby fishing boats, others drowned. Heavy traffic on the roads into Mati delayed firefighters attempting to reach the area. News reports from the days following the wildfire noted that the air fleet struggled to contain the blaze due to strong winds.

When the flames were finally controlled, the vast majority of buildings in Rafina and Mati were damaged.  The fire had ravaged over 4000 homes, leaving hundreds of locals to take shelter in vacant hotels, a summer camp and a nearby army centre.

In March 2019 a report was produced detailing many mistakes made by the authorities: mismanagement by police and fire services, and a lack of coordination between rescue agencies, had caused “chaos and a collapse of the system… criminal mistakes and omissions”

In April 2024, a court convicted and sentenced five former firefighting and disaster response officials were convicted and sentenced to between 15 and 111 years’ imprisonment for multiple counts of criminal negligence resulting in injury and death from the fires. However, the court also allowed the sentences to be served concurrently and set the maximum amount of servable time to five years, and also allowed the defendants to pay a fine in lieu of actual imprisonment before being released.

 

 

 

 

 

World must prepare for new pandemic with surveillance and planning

 

Scientists believe that the world is better prepared to face a new pandemic, given the mistakes and lessons learned from Covid-19, arguing that the future strategy involves surveillance, planning, investment and cooperation.

“As we have more knowledge and experience, we are, in principle, better prepared. But the world has not evolved for the better, particularly in the relationship between politics and public health”, laments, to Lusa, the physicist and science communicator Carlos Fiolhais, in an allusion to the United States, a world power governed by the Covid-19 denier Donald Trump.

Just a few days before the five-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic, which has already killed more than seven million people among the more than 700 million infected, Lusa questioned Portuguese scientists about whether the world would be better prepared to face a new pandemic and what the future combat strategy should be.

“First, we must not make the same mistake of forgetting and underestimating again. The way we are ignoring warnings about antimicrobial resistance and the future danger of the spread of bacteria for which we do not have antibiotics should make us reflect on the extent to which we have learned from the pandemic,” says biochemist Miguel Castanho.

According to the researcher at the Gulbenkian Institute of Molecular Medicine and professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, “it is necessary to better study how viruses and bacteria adapt to new drugs and vaccines in order to then develop new therapeutic solutions”.

“But we have to do these studies before the next pandemics, like a conscientious student who does his TPC [Homework] before going to class”, he stresses, highlighting that with Covid-19 “we paid dearly” for the “lack of timely planning” and investment in antiviral drugs with wide application.

“There is currently a huge effort to develop broad-spectrum antivirals, including projects by European consortia led by Portuguese scientists (…). When this effort bears fruit, we will be much better prepared for a future viral pandemic because we will be able to use these drugs as soon as the first outbreak of pandemic potential appears”, stresses Miguel Castanho.

The researcher highlights as a “great lesson” from the fight against Covid-19, a respiratory disease declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, that “cooperation is worth more than competition”.

“While scientific cooperation in the four corners of the world led to the characterisation of the virus in record time, allowing the development of vaccines and medicines to be put into practice, little benefit was gained from the fencing of nations over who would derive the most political and media dividends from the launch of vaccines”, he claims, highlighting, however, the fact that the European Union has shown itself to be a “solidarity space in the acquisition of vaccines and their distribution”.

For physicist Carlos Fiolhais, co-author of the book “Caught by the virus – Facts and myths about covid-19”, because of the “initial delays” in the response to the pandemic “it was convenient to establish international mechanisms for early warning in the event of the emergence of new microorganisms that are potentially lethal to humans”.

Furthermore, “the manufacturing processes for new vaccines can still be accelerated now that technical procedures have been perfected.”

“Next time, we should avoid what went wrong – delays and deficiencies in communication, national egoisms that hampered cooperation – and repeat what went well – public health standards and the design and distribution of new vaccines”, argues Carlos Fiolhais, retired professor at the University of Coimbra.

For geneticist Luísa Pereira, “the response to a global challenge” such as a pandemic “should be concerted and ideally more equitable”.

“There must be sequencing of viruses in several global samples to monitor the high dynamism of viral evolution. Some continents and countries were less well prepared to do this in real time. Technological and expert capacity is needed”, argues the researcher at i3S – Institute for Research and Innovation in Health at the University of Porto.

For immunologist Helena Soares, the future strategy involves “strengthening the capacity to identify infection outbreaks locally and to initiate a response at a global level”, taking advantage of “molecular tests by monitoring centers” and the analysis of genetic material from pathogenic microorganisms in sewage and geolocation data from mobile phones.

“These data should be the basis for epidemiological models that allow us to anticipate the possible evolution of the outbreak”, says the researcher from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, adding that “models will also be needed to inform about the adherence of different communities to mitigation and vaccination measures”, measures and resources that “should be shared globally”.

 

 

The history of International Women’s Day: from its origins to the global fight for equality

 

International Women’s Day, celebrated every year on March 8, is dedicated to the fight for equality and achievements of women (and not only women). The movement was made official by the UN in 1975, but it began much earlier.

Ending gender inequality, defending rights and celebrating social, political, cultural and economic achievements. These are some of the goals of International Women’s Day, which is celebrated every year on March 8th. However, this date has not always been the same. In some countries it is a day of street protests, in many it is a public holiday. One thing is certain: it is dedicated to women and the fight for equality. The ‘movement’ was made official by the UN in 1975, but it began much earlier.

The origins date back to the early 20th century. In 1909, the Socialist Party of America celebrated the first Women’s Day on February 28 in honour of the 15,000 women who protested against low wages and harsh working conditions in New York, in the United States, Euronews reports.

The following year, women’s rights activist and advocate Clara Zetkin proposed a large-scale celebration of Women’s Day at an international conference of socialist women in Copenhagen, Denmark. 100 women from 17 different countries were present. The idea of ​​creating International Women’s Day was unanimously ‘approved’.

They postpone motherhood and are the target of inequalities at work: a portrait of women in Portugal

After the celebration in the United States and Clara Zetkin’s proposal, International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time on March 19, 1911, when 1 million people took to the streets in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Celebrations followed in the years that followed, with countries around the world marking Women’s Day. For example, China in 1922, Tunisia in 1956 and Ukraine in 1965.

According to the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights , it began to be celebrated on March 8 , when in 1917 Russian female workers went on strike to protest for better living and working conditions and against World War I. The protests demanding “bread and peace” were brutally repressed and marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution.

It was not until 1975 that the UN began celebrating International Women’s Day. It was recognized two years later by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 32/142, says the Jacques Delors European Information Centre.

Since then, the UN has been the main driving force behind the day when women’s achievements are celebrated and causes such as the right to vote, equal pay, greater representation in leadership positions and access to education are defended. However, it is a global movement of all those who fight for human rights.

The day is marked with the symbol of the female gender, usually accompanied by the colors purple, green and white. According to the International Women’s Day website, purple symbolizes dignity and justice, green symbolizes hope and white symbolizes purity.

 

“For all women and girls: rights, equality, empowerment” is the theme of International Women’s Day 2025.

The European Parliament will mark the day with a ceremony on Tuesday in Strasbourg. Women fighting for peace, freedom and justice will give speeches, and then MEPs and representatives of the European Council and the European Union will discuss violence against women, gender inequalities and the need for equal participation of women in society.

In Portugal,the President of the Republic warned this Saturday that there are still “realities to be fulfilled on the path to equality”, 50 years after the United Nations began to mark International Women’s Day.

“There are still realities to be fulfilled on the path to equality: equal pay, representation in leadership positions, protection in situations of physical and/or psychological violence or even access to education”, highlighted Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in a note published on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic in which it marks International Women’s Day.

 

 

 

Spain/Floods: Most victims died before civil protection alert

 

Most of the 224 people who died in last October’s floods in Valencia, Spain, died before the civil protection alert was sent to people’s mobile phones, according to the first report of the judicial investigation, released today.

The report by the judge overseeing the investigation of this case, cited by several Spanish media outlets, includes hundreds of testimonies from relatives and acquaintances of people who died in basements and ground floors, inside elevators or when trying to save cars parked in car parks and garages.

According to reports, most of the victims disappeared between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm local time on October 29, in flooded garages and floors.

The testimonies collected by the investigation show that in several locations the waters began to flood streets and enter houses and garages at around 6:30 pm, that at 7:00 pm cars were already being swept away by the floods and that streets and neighbourhoods were left without electricity even before 7:30 pm.

Based on 60 testimonies from victims’ relatives, the judge in charge of investigating this case concluded that “the flagrant lack of warnings to the population” may have caused an “overwhelming number of deaths”

The civil protection alert was sent at 8:11 pm, hours after a red warning (the most serious) was issued by the Spanish meteorological services early in the morning of the same day.

The delay in sending the civil protection alert (the responsibility of the regional government of the Valencian Community) is one of the biggest criticisms that have been leveled since October 29 at the authorities in relation to the management of the storm and the floods it caused.

The main target of the protests and criticism has been the Valencian regional government, led by Carlos Mazón, from the Popular Party (PP, right), but in the demonstrations that have been called in recent months there have also been criticisms of the central executive, led by the socialist Pedro Sánchez.

In the demonstrations in Valencia, called by a platform of hundreds of entities, from associations to unions, always under the slogan “Mazón dismissal”, tens of thousands of people have already taken to the streets: 130,000 on November 9, 100,000 on November 30, 80,000 on December 29 and 25,000 on February 1, according to data from the Government Delegation (the entity that authorizes the protests and is responsible for activating a security device).

Mazón has been under constant criticism for the warnings issued on the day of the storm and the response of the authorities in the days that followed.

The regional president has also been criticized for the explanations he has given, especially about where he was and his actions on October 29, having already put forward several versions or new information, in reports that critics and other voices say are contradictory.

Regarding the situation on the ground, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged at the end of January, three months after the floods, that there is still “a lot to do” in the reconstruction of the affected areas, “a long-distance race” and “a titanic task” in which “only the first steps have been taken”.

According to the latest report from the Spanish Government, 78 municipalities (75 of them in Valencia) were affected by the floods, which caused damage worth 2.2 billion euros to municipal infrastructure, water supply and basic sanitation.

The Spanish Government has so far approved aid packages for populations, companies and municipalities worth 16.6 billion euros.

Spain has also initiated procedures to activate the European Union (EU) solidarity fund.

Around 25,000 soldiers passed through the areas affected by the floods, as well as nearly 10,000 members of the State security forces, in what is the largest deployment ever mobilized in Spain in times of peace.

The storm and flooding that hit eastern and southern Spain on October 29 killed at least 232 people, 224 of them in the Valencian Community. Three people remain missing in Valencia.

 

 

PSP seizes more than 20 tonnes of explosive products

 

The PSP carried out an operation between the 17th and 22nd of February, having carried out a total of 229 inspection actions that resulted in 37 reports of administrative offences.

Last week, the PSP seized more than 20 tonnes of explosive product precursors as part of 229 “exclusive and specific” operations to control and inspect manufacturing, licensing, storage and marketing, it was announced this Tuesday.

In a statement, the PSP said that this operation carried out between February 17 and 21 is part of the inspection actions that the Public Security Police regularly carries out, having seized, between 2022 and 2025, a total of 446,370.2 kilograms of explosive product precursors: chemical substances that alone or in combination with others can be used to manufacture explosives illegally, some of which are used in agriculture.

According to the PSP, the operation carried out last week throughout the country aimed to control and inspect the manufacture, storage, sale, use and transportation of weapons, ammunition, explosive products, dangerous materials and explosive precursors.

This action was carried out with economic operators who provide explosive precursors and with professional users “in order to prevent criminal offences associated with this activity”, indicates the police.

These 229 inspection actions resulted in 37 reports of administrative offences, of which 18 were due to lack of or irregularity in records of transactions and acquisitions or manufactures carried out, 16 were due to irregular storage, three were due to non-compliance with the technical standards defined for the exercise of the activity and two were due to the provision of precursors of explosive products subject to restrictions to individuals.

According to the data to which the Lusa agency had access, in 2022, 106 inspection operations were carried out and six infraction reports were issued, with 62,000 kilos of ammonium nitrate being seized, while in 2023, 174 inspections and 30 infraction reports were carried out and 350,000 kilos of ammonium nitrate were seized.

The year 2024 was different, with 179 inspections and 25 administrative offences, but 10,875 kilos of potassium nitrate and 2,950 kilos of potassium permanganate were seized, with no records of ammonium nitrate.

In total, between 2022 and 2025, the PSP carried out 688 inspection actions and issued 98 administrative offense reports and seized 446,370.2 kilos of explosive precursors, including 10,875 kilos of potassium nitrate, 432,545.2 of ammonium nitrate and 2,950 of potassium permanganate.

With this operation, the PSP is once again associated with the European Day in Memory of Victims of Terrorism (established by the European Union), marked annually on 11 March following the terrorist attacks carried out with explosives at Atocha station in Madrid on 11 March 2004, which caused 193 deaths and around 2000 injuries.

 

 

 

 

More than 300 people died in plane crashes last year: Is the plane still the safest form of transport?

 

The year 2024 saw a significant increase in the number of fatalities in plane crashes, with more than 300 people losing their lives in air disasters. Despite the toll being the highest since 2018, experts say that air travel remains statistically safe, with a fatal accident rate close to zero.

 

In recent months, the aviation sector has been rocked by a series of fatal accidents in various parts of the world. Among the most high-profile disasters are the crash of a Boeing 737 in South Korea, an Embraer 90 in Azerbaijan and an ATR 72-500 in Brazil.

In total, 302 people lost their lives in air accidents in 2024 (excluding charter flights and private aviation). This number represents an increase compared to previous years and makes 2024 the year with the most victims since 2018, when 518 people died in plane crashes.

This worsening appears to interrupt the trend of continuous improvement in air safety that has been seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, experts say that, despite public perception, the real risks of flying remain extremely low.

The perception of danger and statistical reality
With each accident, social networks and the media quickly spread images and videos of the disaster, creating an emotional impact that can reinforce the fear of flying. However, statistically, the probability of dying in an air accident remains minimal.

Arnold Barnett, a professor of statistics at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, explained to The New York Times that the recent series of accidents should not be seen as a trend of increasing air unsafety, but rather as a series of isolated events.

“Every day, on average, 12 million people board an airplane. The overwhelming majority of the time, no passengers are hurt, let alone killed,” Barnett said.

In 2024, the accident rate was approximately 1.2 per million flights, with the probability of a fatal accident being around 0.1 per million. A decade ago, that figure was almost double: 2.15 accidents per million flights.

For comparison, the US National Safety Council estimates that the chance of dying in a car accident in a lifetime is 1 in 95, a significantly higher risk than that of dying in a plane crash.

Safety issues and challenges in the United States
Despite the reassuring figures, some concerns persist, especially in the United States, where there has been an increase in the number of aviation incidents – although not all of them have been fatal.

Kyra Dempsey, an aviation safety expert, noted in a blog dedicated to aviation accidents that the recent difficulties of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may be contributing to this trend. Among the problems identified are budget cuts and a shortage of air traffic controllers, an issue that has been the subject of debate among industry experts.

Measures to increase passenger safety
Although aviation remains the safest mode of transport, experts recommend some precautions to further minimize risks during flights.

One of the main recommendations is to always keep your seatbelt fastened, even when the seatbelt warning light is off, as unexpected turbulence can cause serious injuries. Furthermore, although many passengers ignore the safety instructions before takeoff, experts stress the importance of paying attention to these guidelines.

Cabin crew receive annual training on emergency procedures, including handling unruly passengers, fighting fires on board and emergency evacuations, whether on land or in the water. These measures ensure that the crew is prepared to respond effectively to any unexpected situation.

Despite the increase in the number of victims of air accidents in 2024, commercial aviation safety remains incomparably superior to that of other modes of transport. The emotional impact caused by the media coverage of accidents can fuel fear of flying, but statistics continue to show that flying remains the safest mode of transport in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safe Communities Portugal Gathering in Almancil organised by Masterclass Algarve

 

On 13^th February a group of mainly parents from Nobel international school in Almancil met at Tribulum restaurant in Almancil, to discuss safety and security issues with David Thomas President of Safe Communities Portugal.

The event covered a wide range of topics ranging from the main threats facing the Algarve: Rural fires, earthquakes and tsunamis; Creating awareness among young children on this topic; Protecting your investment – How to make your property more resilient to rural fires; Factors to take account in choosing where to live in Portugal; The importance of meteorology – and how this impacts on fires; Changing rural fire patterns resulting from the effects of climate change to a case study of the Gambelas fires in 2022 – and could people have been more prepared?

On the crime front; we covered: the threats that children face in the use of the internet/social media and what parents can do to reduce the risk; Crime trends in the Algarve – including domestic violence; Criminality amongst children and how to report crime and what happens afterwards.

Although the time set for the gathering was 1hr 45 minutes, there was a great deal of interaction between with many questions posed and keeping within the time was a challenge!

We thank those who attended for their interest and input and to Jen Thompson from Masterclass Algarve