Lisboa, Portugal
Latest news and stories from Vila Franca de Xira.
A fire broke out at the DHL company warehouses in Alverca, in the Vialonga area. This is the second time this month that the facilities have been affected.
A new satellite production facility, the Alverca Space Hub, is being built at the Air Force (Força Aérea) installations in Alverca and is expected to be completed by mid-2024. The 1.5 million euro factory will initially produce eight radar satellites for the Atlantic Constellation (Constelação do Atlântico). The project aims to establish Portugal's capacity to build and operate satellites for both domestic and European use.\n\nUpdate: Portugal launches six satellites including first national radar equipment\n\nPortugal successfully launched six new satellites into space on Monday aboard a SpaceX rocket from California. The launch included the country's first radar satellite for Earth observation and four satellites named after famous Portuguese authors, which form the Lusíada constellation (Constelação Lusíada). These new assets will allow for real-time image capture regardless of weather conditions or light levels.
The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea) is Portugal’s military branch for defending national airspace and conducting aerial operations. Created in 1952, it also carries out search-and-rescue, aerial reconnaissance and disaster support such as photographing floods or moving emergency teams. Residents in affected regions may see its planes and helicopters used during storms and relief missions.
The Atlantic Constellation (Constelação do Atlântico) is a collaborative space initiative between Portugal and Spain involving a network of small satellites for Earth observation. These satellites provide real-time data on maritime safety, climate change, and biodiversity across the Atlantic region. The project is linked to the Alverca Space Hub, a satellite factory in Portugal expected to finish construction in mid-2024.
The Lusíada constellation (Constelação Lusíada) is a group of four Portuguese satellites launched to monitor Earth and maritime activities. Named after literary figures like Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa, these satellites are part of Portugal's space strategy.
A group of 13 mayors from the Lisbon and Setúbal regions are requesting urgent parliamentary hearings to oppose the centralization of gynaecology and obstetrics emergency departments (urgências). The government plan involves closing local units in Barreiro and Vila Franca de Xira to consolidate services in larger regional hospitals like Almada and Loures. Residents in the affected areas should be aware that local leaders warn these closures will increase travel times and risks for expectant mothers.
Emergency departments (urgências) are hospital units that provide 24/7 unscheduled care for serious injuries and sudden illnesses, using triage to prioritise the most urgent cases. For expats, call 112 for life‑threatening emergencies or use the SNS24 helpline (808 24 24 24) for medical advice; expect long waits in public urgências during busy periods and consider private urgências if you have health insurance and need faster care.
The president of the Vila Franca de Xira municipality said the possible permanent closure of obstetric emergency services at the local hospital is of “the greatest gravity,” and that the five municipalities served by the unit will contest the decision with the Government and bring the issue to Parliament. The move signals organised local resistance and could prompt national debate about how smaller hospitals retain urgent maternity services. Residents served by the hospital should follow municipal announcements and local political developments.
Central de Cervejas e Bebidas, the owner of Sagres, has inaugurated an energy recovery system in Vialonga, in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, based on a heat pump that is expected to reduce CO2 emissions associated with thermal energy by approximately 50%, in an investment of 33.5 million euros. The technological solution...
Also included are 25 scholarships of 500 euros for higher education students.
The artist makes an appeal on social media to try and recover the equipment stolen early this Wednesday morning.
33-year-old man caught by the PSP. The aggressor had previously threatened his mother with a knife.
Three men and one woman were arrested following a police intervention in a brawl. The woman was in possession of a stolen mobile phone.
An analysis of the current state and challenges facing editorial cartoons within the media landscape in Portugal and globally.
A 37-year-old man with clear mental health issues has been admitted to the Vila Franca de Xira Hospital. He struck another man twice with an axe.
The victim was waiting for a friend outside the establishment when the man, “without reason, pulled out an axe and struck him on the shoulder”. The detainee is currently hospitalised.
A 37-year-old man assaulted another man, aged 34, near the Auchan in Alverca. The victim, who was left in a serious condition, stated that he had never met the attacker.
Since 16 March, the hospital has become part of the country's first regional gynaecology/obstetrics emergency service. After losing almost all of its doctors, the department is seeking to rebuild itself.
5,000 euros and a mobile phone were seized at the time of the arrest.
A 72-year-old man was identified in Alverca following a report from a nurse. He is suspected of several thefts in hospitals
Police intervention followed a report from a nurse at a hospital unit who reported the theft of her bag. The suspect was identified inside a car.
The Cartoon Xira event wraps up with a discussion regarding the current state and role of editorial cartoons within Portuguese and international media.
When approaching the suspect, police officers detected various computer equipment, bags, and personal items on the vehicle's seats.
The child was hospitalised for six days. “It could have been fatal, but it ended well,” says father Isaac Rocha.
A fire has broken out once more at the DHL logistics facilities located in Vila Franca de Xira.
A fire broke out at a DHL logistics warehouse in Vialonga, in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon district, a Civil Protection source told Lusa. According to RTP, a firefighter was injured while fighting the flames. According to the duty commander of the Greater Lisbon Sub-Regional Command, Bartolomeu Castro, the alert was raised at 12:55 and, around 14:00, the fire remained active. 'The fire started in the roof area and is affecting adjacent warehouses,' the source stated, noting that the premises were evacuated 'in accordance with the internal emergency plan.' At this time, the flames are being fought by more than 100 personnel, supported by 40 emergency vehicles.
The alert was raised at 12:55 PM and, around 2:00 PM, the fire remained active.
More than 100 firefighters are battling the flames.
This is the second fire to break out at the company's facilities within a month
The alert was raised at 12:55 PM this Monday and it is the second fire at that warehouse this month. The fire originated on the building's roof. One firefighter was injured.
There are 23 personnel on site, supported by eight vehicles. The alert was raised at 12:55 PM.
There are 111 personnel on site, supported by 40 vehicles. The alert was raised at 12:55 PM.
A Chega councillor in Vila Franca de Xira argued that the city council should not fund Cartoon Xira because it includes caricatures of André Ventura. The cartoonist criticises the “censorial and ignorant attitude.”
The assessment process highlights positive impacts and dismisses complaints from dozens of residents and reservations from local authorities.
One of them remains hospitalised. The hospital denies the existence of an outbreak.
“There is no evidence of a campylobacteriosis outbreak, nor any information pointing to that possibility, and therefore there is no cause for concern for the population.” This is how the Tejo Estuary Local Health Unit, which includes the Vila Franca de Xira Hospital, clarifies reports broadcast by CMTV suggesting “an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in the area covered by this health unit.” In a statement released this Wednesday afternoon, May 20, the unit notes that during May it only had two diagnoses of campylobacteriosis: a 2-month-old child residing in Vila Franca de Xira, who was hospitalised and has since been discharged, and another, 10 months old, residing in the municipality of Alenquer, who remains hospitalised for clinical observation. In both cases, the clinical procedures indicated for the respective diagnoses were followed. It should be recalled that the father of the child still hospitalised told the media outlet that there were at least “ten cases,” according to what “doctors” had allegedly stated. The health unit further explains that through “epidemiological surveys conducted, no epidemiological link was identified between the reported episodes, and there is no evidence of an institutional outbreak, or any other, such as in daycares or close contact between the children mentioned.” Campylobacteriosis is an intestinal infection caused by the Campylobacter bacterium, and its transmission occurs mainly through the ingestion of contaminated food or water — especially raw or undercooked chicken and unpasteurised milk, or through contact with surfaces/inadequate handling. As the health unit further explains in the note sent, in most people this bacterium causes “symptoms of fever, diarrhoea and, in some cases, blood in the stool, which are non-specific and can occur in multiple clinical situations, namely viral gastroenteritis frequent in paediatric age.” In case of doubt, the unit recommends that users call the SNS 24 Line (808 24 24 24). An alternative strategy to antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria.
The boy, who contracted campylobacteriosis, has been suffering from symptoms of bloody diarrhoea and high fevers for 12 days, but was only hospitalised this Tuesday in Vila Franca de Xira.
