Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email The Entrepreneur of the Year award is in recognition of outstanding achievements in business in our community Nidia Zorreta is the owner and Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant D’Mestres which is situated close to the market hall in Pêra unused building in Pêra into her Alentejo-themed restaurant with murals depicting her family heritage in the region she has thrilled her clientele with fabulous food and great service to rave online reviews Silves Rotary Club has been lucky enough to hold their post-meeting lunches there since July of last year said “I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of this award and I am honoured to be able to present it to Nidia on the anniversary of her opening the restaurant taking traditional Alentejo cuisine to a new level her success was assured with the first mouthful adding to that the warm welcome from her and her team it has proved to be a winning formula which brings high praise from its patrons But Nidia does not forget the local community either with her generosity and community spirit D’Mestres restaurant is a great success and we are happy to be part of its story.” We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The 14th quarterly follow-up and monitoring meeting of the work to correct environmental anomalies at Amorim's Cork Insulation (ACI) factory in Vale de Lama the spokesperson for ‘The Neighbours of the Factory’ shared that “This has been a long battle that ‘The Neighbours of the Factory’ have contested with Amorim for many years in the recent quarterly meeting that the noise levels are being tested to comply with the EU guidelines and the smoke pollution will stop by 1st July 2025 We were pleased to have the presence and participation of the Vice-President of CCDR-Algarve, Architect José Pacheco, and the CEO of Amorim Cork Solutions (ACS) We were also informed by Amorim Cork Solutions (ACS) of the conclusion of the noise reduction work the objective of complying with the legal limits defined in the General Noise Regulation and causing as little disturbance as possible will have been achieved and they will be officially informing the Municipality of Silves of this very soon the Residents' Committee “Vizinhos da Fábrica” will carry out its measurements and acoustic tests in March and April to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the measures implemented so far The Municipality of Silves will also carry out counter-testing of the elements that Amorim Cork Solutions (ACS) will make officially available Amorim Cork Solutions (ACS) has also informed us of two different technical solutions for reducing smoke and odours and is currently in the process of deciding whether to purchase one or both of these solutions Amorim Cork Solutions (ACS) reconfirmed its commitment to no longer emit smoke or odours into the atmosphere from 1 July 2025 with regard to the dust and ash polluting the properties of the neighbouring population Amorim Cork Solutions (ACS) will endeavour to implement corrective measures based on studies that are already being carried out and which will involve relevant decision-making should bring news on the status of all the procedures for correcting environmental anomalies that are underway We would all like to thank the permanent municipal executive of Silves Town Council for their support and commitment in carrying out this participatory process which aims to correct the environmental anomalies of the Corticeira Amorim factory in Vale da Lama with the consequent reduction in pollution caused by its operation and to improve the relationship between Amorim Cork Insulation (ACS) and the neighbouring population contributing to a more integrated and participatory community in resolving matters of public interest in the environmental field For more information please visit PoluicaoSilves on Facebook the city of Silves will have a special glow as another edition of Silves Alegria do Natal has returned.  The Christmas spirit will invade Al-Muthamid Square and transform it into a magical setting of lights decorations and lots of entertainment that will delight children and adults in an initiative promoted by the Municipality of Silves the carousel and the Christmas train are the highlights of this edition where there will also be a varied program that includes shows for the whole family including theater and the arrival of Santa Claus to ensure lots of happy moments are made The parishes of Armação de Pêra and São Bartolomeu de Messines have not been forgotten with the arrival of Santa Claus animation and creative activities that promise to bring many smiles The remaining parishes host intimate Christmas concerts that will take place in their main churches From 6 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 (daily) the opening hours will be from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm) For more information, please visit https://www.cm-silves.pt/pt/menu/3091/silves-alegria-do-natal-2024.aspx Silves Castle once again receives the award for being one of the main cultural and tourist icons of the Algarve region the Algarve region received nine Five Star Awards: five regional icons and four local brands of excellence This year's winners in the district of Faro are: Silves Castle (Silves) Odeleite Dam (Castro Marim) and Castro Marim. This prestigious award distinguishes emblematic elements of the regions But also local brands that stand out for their quality Pilgrimages and Museums were the most valued by the Portuguese The edition demonstrates that Portugal has breathtaking natural heritage 100 regional icons and 141 local brands stood out for their quality and excellence throughout the national territory who represents the best that each region of Portugal has to offer The selection of the winners involved a rigorous evaluation process with the participation of 498,660 consumers through broad public recognition by almost half a million people as well as the methodological rigor that governs what is the best national evaluation system The Municipality of Silves expresses its pride and gratitude for this distinction and thanks all those who contributed to this success The Municipality of Silves has announced the 8th edition of Jazz nas Adegas a renowned cultural event in the Algarve that combines the region’s celebrated wines with live jazz music.  this unique experience will take place across various wineries and estates in Silves offering a sensory journey that showcases both the cultural and ecological heritage of the region Designed for participants aged 18 and over Jazz nas Adegas invites guests to experience a sophisticated and intimate atmosphere featuring jazz performances by talented musicians Each of the 22 sessions will highlight different jazz ensembles with performances tailored to the unique ambience of each venue a voucher for a visit to Silves Castle and the Archaeological Museum Tickets are available via BOL and at various sales points Join us for a celebration of Silves' wines It is with some hope for the future that ‘The Neighbours of the Factory’ who have suffered from terrible smells noise and poor air quality for far too long now feel nearer to being able to breathe clean air at last reads the press release from ‘The Neighbours of the Factory’.  Silves which produces cork insulation boards Amorim showed more commitment to introducing a number of changes with the result being a cleaner factory The progress of the changes to the factory will be followed closely by all concerned the 12th quarterly meeting was held to follow up and monitor the work to correct the environmental anomalies at the factory of Amorim Cork Insulation (ACI) in Vale de Lama The meeting was held at Silves Town Hall and was attended by Councillor Maxime Sousa Bispo and representatives of CCDR-Algarve the Pestana group and the “Neighbours of the Factory” Residents' Committee Amorim Cork Insulation informed us about the re-organisation of Amorim Corticeira in 2024 The 3 business units (BU) of Cork Composite Cork Flooring and Cork Insulation will be merged into 1 BU Based on the noise control plan for the entire factory (developed by a company specialising in noise) Amorim Cork Insulation (ACI) has presented a project to implement soundproofing measures the aim of which is to encapsulate and soundproof all the machinery The first phase of the work is due to be completed by 31 December 2024 and will focus on the main equipment with the aim of ensuring compliance with the noise levels imposed by legislation The second phase of work is due to take place between 2025 and 2026 and will involve carrying out minor as it will make it possible to gradually reduce noise levels with the aim of going further than required by law With regard to the elimination of white fumes the plans presented by Amorim Cork Insulation (ACI) reflect the same work completion dates already presented at the last meeting thus increasing the level of trust placed by all participants in this process The pre-filter (phase 1) is not delivering the results expected by all parties Although this equipment is allegedly in operation the truth is that a lot of white smoke is still being emitted into the atmosphere the rule remains that when the pre-filter doesn't work the factory's operations must be suspended Amorim Cork Insulation (ACI) has moved ahead with the design construction and implementation of the RTO filter which is still scheduled for completion in August 2025 The project for the new RTO has already been designed and the contract for its manufacturing should be awarded by 15 September 2024 It is therefore expected that the manufacture and assembly of the equipment will begin in October 2024 The RTO filter is a large box that will be transported to Silves in parts assembled inside the plant from the 2nd quarter of 2025 and connected to the plant's systems during the summer of 2025 The RTO is scheduled to start operating in August 2025 That's the moment everyone is looking forward to no longer seeing and smelling the white smoke for 99% The second phase of work is due to take place between 2025 and 2026 the spokesperson for ‘The Neighbours of the Factory’ has expressed their discontent and frustration with the excessive delay in correcting the plant's anomalies Solutions are implemented slowly and there is great disappointment at the permanence of the white smoke and the black particles that continue to pollute their properties ‘The factory's neighbours’ explained that they are prepared to take tougher legal action if the results are not satisfactory by the end of 2024 ‘The Neighbours of the Factory’ would all like to thank the permanent municipal executive of Silves Town Council for their support and commitment in carrying out this participatory process which aims to correct the environmental anomalies of the factory of Amorim Cork Insulation (ACI) in Vale da Lama with a consequent reduction in the pollution caused by its operation and to improve the relationship between ACI and the surrounding population On February 16th, at 10am, Silves will host another Lovers walk. Promoted by the City of Silves (CMS) the initiative is part of the program of the 9th Silves Capital of Orange Show and has the FISSUL area as the meeting and departure point participants will be able to choose one of two routes presented: one of 5.3 km to be completed in urban and mountain areas where the 9th Silves Capital of Orange Exhibition will take place Registration is now open and can be done online (until 5 pm on February 15th) via the link https://www.cm-silves.pt/Preview.aspx?pageID=31788#prettyPhoto or at the Sports sector (located in the Silves Municipal Swimming Pools complex) as well as at the Parish Councils of the Municipality interested parties can also register to reserve their place on the buses made available by the Municipality (limited spaces) Registrations can also be made on the same day up to half an hour before the start of the activity This is an initiative that is part of the IPDJ's Algarve regional walking-running calendar and which aims to promote physical activity among the entire population through a series of walking-running activities that take place every weekend Lovingly referred to as “The Ladies from the Hills” these 120 golfers sporting pink outfits played their hearts out on the 5th of September and raised more than €9,500 to benefit breast cancer research Pink was the order of the day from the top to the bottom served with a smile by our fabulous SDM dream boys raffle prize draw and finally the golf prize giving Debbie Newton & Sue Adams won the Pink Ladies Cup and prizes were awarded down to 12th place Due to the generosity of all involved including the many sponsors of the event amongst several others made sure that we had a great selection of prizes The icing on the cake was, the Algarve Oncology Association (AOA.pt) in Faro will receive in excess of €9500 from the day The festivities were capped with a drone group photo on the 18th green A huge thank you to all involved in a fantastic day We are already looking forward to the next one Source: ghanasoccernet.com « Prev Next » Comments (0) Listen to Article Solomon Agyapong [L] with his representatives Our goal: to leave no breach of freedom of information unreported our latest investigation reports as well as our publications produced every day by our regional offices in connection with our network of correspondents in 115 countries around the world we carry out in-depth work with governments and institutions We offer concrete solutions and launch international initiatives We are on the ground to assist journalists in danger Do you believe there can be no freedom of conscience without freedom of the press Do you want to help free and independent journalism Do you want to defend the right to information There are several ways to support RSF: find the one that suits you and join the fight Go behind the scenes of RSF and discover in detail our operations our governance… but also our favourite picks projects and events we support and who act in their own way to advance our commmon ideal Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the authorities in Cabo Verde to drop proceedings against three journalists who could be facing up to two years in prison for allegedly violating the confidentiality of an investigation into the current interior minister’s possible role in a murder These proceedings are obstructing coverage of the case and could prevent the truth emerging Santiago Magazine editor Herminio Silves was formally accused by a prosecutor on 26 January in connection with the article he published on 28 December about the investigation into interior minister Paul Rocha’s possible involvement in a murder in 2014 when Rocha was deputy director of the judicial police the victim of that murder was himself suspected of having murdered a police inspector’s mother the same year in relation to an investigation into a high-profile drug trafficking case Similar accusations were brought on 4 February against Alexandre Semedo in connection with an article on the same subject published on 12 January The current judicial status of the three journalists is “arguido” – a Portuguese term that is mid-way between “assisting police with their enquiries” and being charged They are meanwhile banned from talking about the case which is normally spared major press freedom violations it is unprecedented and very disturbing to see journalists facing the possibility of arrest and imprisonment for their reporting,” said Sadibou Marong “We condemn this attempted intimidation of journalists who simply covered a case involving a high-ranking politician We urge the authorities to drop these proceedings without delay and to allow the journalists to do their job with complete freedom.” Silves and Almeida have told RSF that they suspect that the police are monitoring their communications All three journalists are required to notify the authorities if they leave their place of residence for more than five days or if they change their telephone number told RSF that the situation is completely unprecedented in Cabo Verde “This is the first time that an accusation against journalists has been supported by the prosecutor-general’s office,” he said The conclusions of the investigations into the journalists are supposed to be delivered this month Fernandes says the authorities could try to drag out the proceedings and delay a decision in order to deter other journalists from trying to cover the case involving the interior minister Cabo Verde is ranked 27th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index We depend on you in order to be able to monitor respect for press freedom and take action worldwide You support our activities when you buy our books of photos: all of the profits go to Reporters Without Borders According to Postal the municipality of Silves was awarded two distinctions from the Five Star Regions Award a recognition that celebrates the best that exists in each of the 20 regions of Portugal including districts and autonomous regions Through a broad national vote, conducted by Multidados.com more than 454,000 consumers participated in choosing the best in various categories for the year 2024 Among 1,036 brands evaluated and 100 regional icons chosen the hamburger restaurant Fabio's Roadstop (Armação de Pêra) was distinguished as a brand of excellence in the region while the iconic Castelo de Silves was chosen as a regional icon highlighting its inestimable historical and cultural value This award values ​​the quality of natural resources “These distinctions are a testament to Silves’ commitment to maintaining quality and authenticity in all facets of regional life from cuisine to cultural heritage,” the local authority said in a statement Silves City Council expresses “its pride and gratitude for these honors and thanks everyone who contributed to this success” The Saint Andrew’s Society of the Algarve duly held their Burns Supper at the Ponte Romana restaurant in Silves on Saturday 25 January.  The Supper was a resounding success with 100 participants But it was also tinged with some sadness as this was the last event organised by the present committee who have been doing so for almost 30 years Our usual bagpiper Malcolm MacGillivray came out of retirement for the last time to get the evening off to a scintillating start by welcoming guests Before the meal guests enjoyed a glass or two of bubbly sponsored by Blevins Franks The restaurant has welcomed us for this event for many years and is now well practiced in preparing and serving the traditional Macsween’s haggis I addressed the haggis after it had been piped in by Malcolm and a dram offered to him and the accompanying “kilties” Our final Burns Supper was blessed with three excellent speakers The main speech was a reflective Immortal Memory by Mike Milliner - the teasing Toast to the Lassies was made by Chris Wells and Kate Stratton’s response on behalf of the lassies was also greatly enjoyed by all Votes of thanks were made to all the outgoing committee members and to finally(!) retiring piper Malcolm MacGillivray The assembled company then enjoyed lively and enthusiastic Scottish dancing conducted ably by Mardie Cunningham who also made the superb Atholl Brose The proceedings were brought to a close just after midnight with ‘Auld Lang Syne’ The amber mead – or whisky – for the evening was also very kindly provided by Blevins Franks whose support for the last few years was very much appreciated But the success of the evening was due mainly to the work before and during the evening by Kathy Prentice Our thanks also go to the number of “volunteers” who helped with the room decorations and also with service during the evening It would be very sad indeed if the tradition of bringing folks together to mark the lives of Saint Andrew and Robert Burns – and to enjoy themselves in the process – were to end with the retirement of the present ageing committee We very much hope to hear from younger members of the community out there who might like to step into our shoes to ensure that the tradition endures Silves City Council has placed new shelters for cats in the city while also in the villages of São Bartolomeu de Messines Two catteries were placed in Silves and Messines This “project was developed jointly by the municipality and the Silves Prison Establishment” since the prisoners “executed the shelters with the materials that were provided by the city hall” “The municipal initiative aims to strengthen the well-being of cat colonies sterilisation and provision of medical-veterinary care in addition to facilitating the work of caregivers and adoption” The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission Ceramics InternationalCitation Excerpt :The elemental chemical composition of ceramic pastes was also determined by X-ray fluorescence with the use of a Niton XL3T GOLDD spectrometer (Thermo Scientific) with a 50 kV/200 μA X-ray generator The identification of the ceramic body powder crystalline phases was carried out by using of a X-Ray diffractometer at CERENA (Panalytical X'PERT PRO model) All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. GAIN: A dog at Guam Animals in Need shelter highlighted the correlation between animal abuse and other forms of violence citing a recent case of a man charged and accused of stabbing a puppy A man accused of stabbing a puppy and his record of previously being arrested multiple times shows the greater importance of protecting animal rights Late last month Silves Chenen was charged in the Superior Court of Guam with animal abuse after he was accused of stabbing a puppy multiple times He allegedly explained the stabbing was because the dog licked his hand the board of directors president for Guam Animals in Need taking into consideration Chenen's arrest record and his alleged actions in the animal abuse case the case highlights the "connection between animal abuse and other forms of community violence." Luhr explained studies and statistics from the FBI and social workers nationwide show there is what he referred to as a "link" between the two One study in particular from the FBI showed 75% of abused women with pets report a history of their animal "being threatened or intentionally harmed by their intimate partner." surveyed pet-owning families and found animals were abused in 88% of homes where child physical abuse was present "Somebody (like Chenen) who does this type of violence who just stabbed an animal out of the blue is not going to stop with just animals will commit other types of violence and we shouldn't have to wait around until somebody gets stabbed or some other types of horrific violence happens if someone is harming an animal," said Luhr who was involved in the passing of a law in Guam that cleared up some of the ambiguity in prosecuting those charged with animal abuse Despite Chenen's case not really applying to the new law called the Protection and Wellness of Animals Safety Act the continued reporting of animal abuse is important for the protection of the public that these cases be documented because sometimes there might be a pattern of abuse and sometimes it's abuse that's not just towards animals but will later be towards people," Luhr said "And so every time that there is a record of these types of cases that know there's a police incident report that can assist with being able to put dangerous people behind bars." Email notifications are only sent once a day Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: The oldest beer festival in the Algarve is back at Praça Al-Mutamid in Silves between the 17th and 21st of July with the usual guarantee of an event full of energy and lively moments The free event, organised by Silves Futebol Clube and the Municipality of Silves brings together a fantastic craft beer selection a fun zone for the youngest members of the family and delightful gastronomy with plenty of delicious street food for everyone to enjoy They will present the best of the world of craft beer with more than 80 innovative and creative beer options Luis Manhita & Luana Velasquez – 21h00 Chalice Bwoy & The Jah Army Band – 21h00 Ray Lowe & The Blues Experience – 22h45 The new season of Sunset Secrets is set to return to Silves Castle on 4 July from 6.30pm the start of the new season will be marked by the best of jazz music with a concert by singer and multi-instrumentalist Inês Loubet who will bring musical harmony to the unparalleled setting which will liven up the late afternoons on Thursdays in July and early August presents a program with varied styles and proposals 25th July » Luís Capitão and Leonardo Pisco combines gastronomy and the promotion of local products - with emphasis on Silves Orange and Silves Wines - with moments of relaxing massages Tickets for the sessions cost €5 for the general public, and tickets for the Sunset Secrets sessions are on sale on the BOL platform at https://cmsilves.bol.pt/ and in the usual places such as FNAC Residents of the municipality of Silves benefit from entry at a special price of 2.00 euros and must purchase their ticket on site (upon presentation of proof of residence) Children up to and including 12 years old will have free entry Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.