Madeira News Blog

(19th September). Today’s main news headline : ’65% Without ‘Morals’ – Each time there are less students signed up for the option of Religious & Moral Education. There are less than 10 thousand between the 5th and 9th grades, and just 37 in the secondary school’. The older they get, the less interested the students are in the discipline, and now religious education has been selected by just 35% of children for the new academic year, that starts on Monday. The religious classes are optional for students under the law of religious freedom.

‘Sentence Annulled – António Henriques, condemned for the crime of active corruption in sport, won his appeal’. A court in Porto annulled the suspended sentence of 28 months in prison for the man who was tried after a game between Marítimo and Nacional, in the 2003 – 2004 season, that secured a place for Marítimo in the UEFA Cup. The referee in the game was also convicted at the trial last November, and given a suspended prison sentence of 20 months. Unreliable evidence and unclear facts helped clear the former vice president of the Refereeing Council, for his alleged part in the ‘golden whistle’ game, which became known as the game ‘well robbed’. No doubt destined for a career in Politics now. Uncle Bertie is probably on the phone to him right now, especially as the alleged act thrusted his favourite team into Europe that year.

’50 Students In A Basement – Paralysed works in the school of Lombo de São João oblige the controversial transfer to the basic school of Ribeira Brava’. Families of around 50 pre-school students demand real classrooms in the return to school. The usual school in São João is undergoing improvement works, that were promised to be completed in January this year, but the works were suspended for 6 months due to the contact being transferred to another company, due to insolvency. Meanwhile the kids occupy two basement rooms at the Basic School of Ribeira Brava, where the temperatures are high, and there is very little natural light.

‘Officers On Waiting List – The regional command of the Public Security Police is going to receive 23 new Madeiran officers, but there are 79 transfer requests still unanswered’. The ‘green light’ has been given by the PSP nationally to transfer the 23 officers to Madeira to strengthen the regional command. But there is no shortage of further candidates, with 79 officers on the mainland asking for transfers to Madeira. Some are desperate to come here, and join the region of Portugal that has the lowest ratio of police to population, just 3 officers per thousand inhabitants. The last influx was in January 2008 when 15 officers were transferred from Portugal. The new recruits are due to start duty next month, and will take the PSP numbers up to around 750 officers. The trade union spokesman for the police said that he had not been informed of the transfers, and preferred to wait and see before commenting, but did say that 23 recruits was not enough to provide the total contingent needed.

‘PSP Seize Arms In Machico – Domestic violence triggered a search’. 7 fire arms were seized, various forms of rifles, along with around a thousand rounds of differing calibres of ammunition. Police managed to obtain a warrant for a search of domestic premises, and were seized on the basis of elevated risk in a case of domestic violence, which applies even if the firearms are legally held.

‘All The Schools Now have Contingency Plans For Gripe A – Rui Anacleto says that self-control is needed’. All schools will start the new academic year on Monday with a swine flu contingency plan. The regional director of education guaranteed yesterday that all schools are prepared and ready to deal with the H1N1 virus, but only in terms of procedures and prevention in the spread of the virus, with the reinforcement of hygiene requirements. Disinfectant products, masks, and isolation rooms form part of the plans. Anacleto said that everything was being done to minimise the situation, and asked all involved to show self-control. He said he did not want "to transform the pandemic of Gripe A into a pandemic of fear".

Monday will see the official presentation of the Monte Train Project. Funchal Council will reveal the project ‘Comboio do Monte’ on Monday afternoon, that will provide a route by rail between Largo da Fonte, in Monte, to Terreiro da Luta.

The Festa do Pêro is tomorrow in Ponta do Pargo, Calheta. President Jardim will be there around 1 pm to make a speech to the farmers. On Monday he will be performing inaugurations at two schools, one new, the other enlarged.  

Police (PJ / Judicial Police) are warning people to ignore emails that are seemingly coming from them. The emails have been sent to many on Madeira, advising them to install a Microsoft security programme, that in fact is a virus. The emails seem to be coming from South America, and the exact source is being investigated.

A young man, who has had an arrest warrant outstanding for over a year, was finally captured yesterday in Nazaré, Funchal. The arrest was made after a routine check in the area. The man is wanted in connection with of thefts and robberies in Funchal going back over several years.

‘Albuquerque promises better quality of life – Centre of São Martinho is enhanced with a garden overlooking the sea’. A new garden was opened yesterday in São Martinho, Funchal. The garden, with sea views, is located at the Centro de São Martinho. The president of Funchal Council who was at the inauguration, promised more such urban open spaces that offer the population "more quality of life". The new garden occupies a site of nearly five thousand square metres, and was transformed at a cost of €450 thousand. It has 145 trees of 60 different species, seat, litter bins, and play equipment for children.

This weekend’s football : Only one football match worth watching on Madeira this weekend … the local derby. Nacional v Marítimo Sunday 6 pm, on SportTV 1.

Petrol and diesel prices drop 1 cêntimo on Monday. Petrol will be around €1.19 a litre, and diesel €0.93.

UPDATES :

‘Registered Unemployed Rose 50% In August, Compared To 2008 – In August 2008 there were 8,209, one year on there are 12,315. But there are 74 less than in July’. The registered unemployment on Madeira and Porto Santo continues to show signs of improvement, for the second month running. However, August is normally the best month of the year for job offers.

‘Another Fine Mess – Madeira was involved in another case that shakes the country, this time the bugging of the Presidency of the Republic’. The scandal is believed to have connections or even origins on Madeira, after information about bugging the President’s office in Belém was revealed by an aide of Cavaco Silva. First it was the free ride in the car of the regional government to the national leader of the PSD, and her presence at inaugurations, then it was the "**** ****" of president Jardim, and now the listening device(s) in the office of the President of the Republic. Several controversial episodes, separated by just a few days, and in one form or another, they all have Madeira in the middle. Madeira and the PSD that is. It was on the front page of the Daily News of Lisbon yesterday, that the principle aide of Cavaco Silva had revealed there had been a possible interception of information through monitoring of the President’s team. The news is full of this story, but Cavaco Silva himself has refused to discuss the matter publically, as he thinks it is better to wait until after the elections.

In the latest poll by SIC, the PS socialists have moved ahead of their only real rivals, the PSD social democrats, in the race for seats in The Assembly of the Republic, due to be contested a week tomorrow. The poll indicates that the ruling PS have increased their vote share from 33.6% to 34.9%, whilst the PSD have fallen back to 31.6%, a difference of 3.3%. The BE Left Block has remained steady in third place with 9.6%, whist the CDU communists have fallen back 1% to 8.4%. 15% of those involved in the poll said they were still undecided on which way to vote.

(8th July). Today’s main news headline ‘Plague Opens Extra Rabbit Hunt – In P. Cruz those who rely on food agriculture despair: The rabbit is eating everything, vineyards included. The Directorate of Forestry says that starting today hunters can help to ‘correct the density of the species’. The explosion in the rabbit population is devastating crops in Porto da Cruz, where since January farmers are unable to grow food to eat. Dozens of farmers just watch as the rabbits systematically attack their crops, most of which are grown for their own consumption, with even potatoes suffering. Then once the ‘more tasty’ crops have been eaten, they then move on to the vineyards. Normally the hunting season isn’t until October, but the authorities promised to act quickly, and issued a 15 day special window for hunting from today until 22nd July. This allows the farmers to cull rabbits in and around their land, subject to meeting certain conditions.  

‘Port Strike In Lisbon Hits Madeira – Container ships shift from Lisbon and Setubal, that will delay the arrival of merchandise to Madeira’. The docker’s strike in the mainland ports of Lisbon, Setubal and Figueira da Foz, that started yesterday and lasts until Friday, will have an impact on the regular services to Madeira, mainly because it will reduce the number of regular container deliveries, and what does come will be delayed. The ships ‘Apolo’ and ‘Port Douro’ have gone to Leixões to be loaded, and that means things have to be reorganised, resulting in delays. ‘Ilha da Madeira’ and ‘Insular’ will be unable to operate on their normal days, and will have to wait until Saturday when the strike is finished, and as a result will arrive at Caniçal port next Tuesday. The strike does not affect ports here or in the Azores.

‘Regional Government Completes Contingency Plan For Gripe A – The regional health secretary announced yesterday that the measures are defined and ready to implement’. Whilst the swine flue H1N1 is escalating in confirmed cases on the mainland, we are assured that our plan is ready to be activated when necessary, and is going to work in a ‘pyramid form’. 57 confirmed cases in Portugal it said on last nights news, but not a confirmed case yet on Madeira … surprising being so touristy that we have got away with it so far. Schools have been closed in Lisbon and the Azores, and our Madeira plan also covers that eventuality.

‘Museum Of The Crosses Reopens With New Valuable Pieces’. The museum ‘Quinta das Cruzes’ reopens of the 13th July, renovated and with new exhibits. President Jardim will perform the inauguration on the 13th at 9.30pm. The museum has been closed for a year, while improvements were made, including much improved lighting, wheelchair access, and improvements to the garden, all at a cost of €904,000. The article does cover the new exhibits contained, but I will leave that as a surprise for those who fancy going.

The relevant authorities in South Africa and Madeira are discussing the twinning of Port Edward and Machico. That should provide a good excuse for a few political overseas jollies.

"They Seemed Easy" – results of the national exams were issued yesterday, some students were disappointed with the results obtained. 12th grade students who took first phase exams last month at Jaime Moniz High School in a number of the 27 exams held, expressed that they were frustrated with their results, and had been expecting better. In 13 of the subjects averages were down, and in 12 they improved, with two staying at the same as last year. The second phase of exams this month are there to give a second opportunity to students, who flunked in the first phase.

‘ERC In The Heavyweights In The Rally Madeira Wine – Lucca Betti is confirmed on a list of heavyweights’. The Italian driver Betti, who competes in the European Rally Championship, has confirmed that this year he will compete here in the Madeira Wine rally.