NEWS
Mourinho coverage causes TV row
Coverage of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's arrival in Portugal prompted the country's former prime minister to walk out of a television interview. Pedro Santana Lopes was appearing on the SIC channel when the programme was interrupted to show Mr Mourinho's arrival at Lisbon airport. "Do you think this justifies [the interruption]?" he asked on air. "This country is going crazy. "I am not going ahead with the interview. People have to learn." Mr Santana Lopes, the former conservative leader, was appearing on the programme on Wednesday to discuss his Social Democratic Party's election plans. "I like Mourinho but I won't be interrupted by the arrival of a football coach," he said later. "There are rules." The TV station said Mr Santana Lopes's decision to walk out of the broadcast had been "disproportionate". The self-styled "Special One" was arriving home after his shock exit from Chelsea Football Club last week. However his homecoming is expected to be temporary as he said he is not interested in coaching in Portugal again in the near future.
Alternative Fuel Algarve
Algarve based environmental association, Almargem, plans to collect used domestic oils from homes, restaurants and factories from drop-off points and take them to a centre where the used oils will be treated and converted into diesel. Similar projects have already begun in other parts of the country including Oeiras, but the hope for this project, which is called Biodiesalgarve, will incorporate the region as a whole. The project has been approved by the Environment and Economy ministries as well as the support from many câmaras in the Algarve.
Girl in Morocco is not Madeleine
THE GIRL spotted in Morocco by a Spanish tourist is not four-year old Madeleine McCann. She is, in fact, Bouchra Benaisse, a five-year old who is the youngest member of a Moroccan family living in a small village of Zinat near Tetuan in the north of the country. Hafida Achkar, mother of the little girl, was said to be very surprised by the fact her daughter’s face was in the media spotlight due to the Madeleine case. The family was visited by a team of reporters from the French news agency AFP, and are said to have proved the girl’s identity with birth certificates and other documents, like her parents’ identification. Father Ahmed Ben Mohamed Benaissa and Hafida Achkar are both farmers. Bouchra Benaisse was thought to be Madeleine, after Spanish tourist Clara Torres alerted authorities in Spain about a holiday photo she had taken at the beginning of August. It showed a little blond girl being carried by a woman along a road. Clara Torres reported the photo to the police after she heard about another tourist's sighting in the region. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Procuradoria Geral a República, head of the public prosecutors board, told The Resident that "all lines of the investigation are being followed, including, obviously, the kidnapping scenario". He also said that investigation is analysing all documents it has received and following up leads on “all the people that might help to resolve the disappearance of Madeleine McCann”. The public prosecutor is also said to have in place all procedures he considered necessary and convenient for the investigation. There are three official suspects, or arguidos, in the case – Robert Murat and Kate and Gerry McCann.
Property: Algarve region shines in London
PROPERTY DEVELOPERS and estate agents in the Algarve had considerable success at this year’s International Property Awards, held in London on September 14. Now in its 13th year, the awards ceremony was presented by former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond at a gala dinner at the Marriott hotel in London’s Grosvenor Square and around 400 property professionals from 56 countries gathered in anticipation of winning one or more of the 100 highly prestigious awards across 20 categories. The Vigia Group’s flagship resort, Parque da Floresta Golf & Leisure Resort, Nick Sadler and Sophie Hollow of Sadlers picked up the coveted award for Best Four Star Development in Portugal. This is the Vigia Group’s 10th International Property Award in seven years and Vigia Sales Director, Ewa Petersson, said the award “enables the Vigia Group to stand out in an increasingly competitive market place”. Another winner at the prestigious awards was Luz Select Real Estate in Praia da Luz. Picking up the award for Best Real Estate Marketing in Portugal and Best Real Estate Agency Website in Portugal on behalf of the company was Graham and Samantha Foster. Luz Select was credited Parque da Floresta Golf & Leisure Resort with a four star award for their innovative and broad range of advertising and marketing and also the five star award for their user friendly website www.luzselect.com. This recognition of their endeavour to create a new breed of estate agency comes as they look to expand and build on their success. One of the greatest feats of the evening was achieved by an individual property company, John D Griffiths. It won Best Property in Portugal and Best Apartment in Portugal for Jóia do Mar in Colina Azul and came joint second for the Best Estate Agent in Portugal award. These complemented last year’s award for Best Development Portugal. The company is a three generation John D Griffiths - Best Property in Portugal family business established in 1969, specialising in new and resale properties in Lagos and the Western Algarve. Pine Cliffs Residence at Pine Cliffs Resort won the best five-star International Development Award in Portugal and the best four-star property Award for Portugal for its show apartment. Manorpark Properties and Sadlers won the International Property Awards’ Best Estate Agent in Portugal, and Manorpark Properties also won the Best five star Real Estate Agency Marketing in Portugal.