**********

SPAIN

The PP says that, after the yes of Vox and the JEC, Feijóo is approaching the investiture and takes 50 seats ahead of the PSOE: {Translation, 1st 3 paragraphs}
– The PP considers that, after the announced support of Vox and the decision of the Central Electoral Board to confirm the vote count in Madrid, Alberto Núñez Feijóo is getting closer to the investiture by adding 171 deputies and is already 50 seats ahead of the PSOE.
– To his 137 deputies and the best percentage since 2011, the PP adds the 33 of Vox and the anticipated support of the UPN deputy, which places Feiojó “five seats away from putting together a majority for a solo government”.
– Sources of the PP national leadership maintain that, in order to overcome Feijóo, the PSOE would have to start by securing the 30 seats of “the 18 parties that make up Sumar” and then add “the express support of the rest of the parliamentary arc”. Sánchez could only avoid Feijóo’s investiture if, after losing the elections, “he tries what no one has ever done: to opt for an investiture after being defeated and opting for the support of each and every one of the nationalist or pro-independence parties in our country”. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-pp-ve-feijoo-mas-cerca-investidura-jec-si-vox-20230807185358.html

ANDALUCIA

Andalusia registers more than 640,000 empty homes, 4,200 more than ten years ago: {Translation, summary}
– Andalusia registers 641,437 empty homes, which represents 13.73% of the total Andalusian homes (4,673,007) and 2.4% of the total homes nationwide (26,623,708), which is 4,216 more than last year. ten years.
– In this way, the Andalusian community leads the ranking of autonomous communities with the most vacant homes, followed by Galicia, with 506,370 empty houses, and the Valencian Community with 459,211.
– At the provincial level, Almería and Granada head the list of Andalusian provinces with the highest percentage of vacant houses. Specifically, Almería has a total of 73,028 empty houses out of 433,763 homes built, which reflects 16.84% of unoccupied houses with respect to the provincial total.
– Granada also shows 16.84% of empty homes out of 573,692 houses built, which results in a total of 90,538 unoccupied houses in the province of Granada. Jaén follows with 16.72% of unoccupied houses out of 373,720 homes built, which reflects a total of 62,501 empty houses.
– Likewise, the province of Malaga continues to succeed it on the list with 15.33% of unoccupied homes, which represents a total of 152,774 empty homes compared to the 996,557 houses built. On the other hand, Huelva follows with 13.09% of empty houses out of 320,045 homes built, which shows a total of 41,907 unoccupied homes. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1329586/andalucia-registra-mas-de-640000-viviendas-vacias-4200-mas-que-hace-diez-anos/

AXARQUIA

Axarquía water company publishes times of cuts to supply:
– Vélez-Málaga town hall and public water company Aqualia have started to publish information about cuts to supply in Vélez-Málaga every day via social media (Last of their FB posts I saw was Saturday. Maybe they use different social media? -Ed.). The measure has been adopted following criticism and complaints about the intermittent nature of the cuts across the municipality, which stretches from Chilches in the west to Mezquitilla in the east and up to Triana to the north, since they started on 30 June.
– Councillor Jesús María Claros reported that since Wednesday 2 August announcements have been posted on the town hall’s social media explaining which areas are going to have their water temporarily cut off, from approximately 11.30pm to 7am on a daily basis. “The cuts depend on consumption and reserves. In some areas the water will not be cut off and in others it will,” Claros explained. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/axarquia-water-company-publishes-times-cuts-supply-20230807194203-nt.html

***********

Axarquía beachgoers complain about ‘filthy’ sea:
– In the last few days, beachgoers on the eastern strip of the Costa del Sol have reported an increase in the presence of foam and dirt in the seawater close to the shore.
– “There is little or nothing we can do when the ‘natas’ appear,” said Manuel Rivas, manager of the company Servimar Axarquía, referring to the foam or scum that often appears on the surface of the water. Servimar operates the fleet of 12 sea cleaning boats – known as ‘quitanatas’ – along the Axarquía coastline. They try to dissolve the foam before it gets close to the shore, although if it does, “it is almost impossible to stop it there”, explained Rivas. Full article & photo: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/axarquia-beachgoers-complain-about-filthy-20230807202453-nt.html 

MALAGA PROVINCE

Cómpeta, Canillas de Albaida, Sayalonga and Frigiliana- These four towns in Malaga are the most desired by foreigners looking to buy a home: {Translation, summary}
– La Axarquía is one of the most charming areas in the province of Malaga. With a landscape dotted with small and quiet towns, many of them just a few kilometers from the beaches of Nerja or Torre del Mar, the interest of foreigners to rent or buy a home in this area is increasing. According to a report from the Idealista real estate portal, among the 18 most demanded municipalities in Spain are four towns in Malaga . And all of them are in the Axarquía .
– They are, in this order: Cómpeta, Canillas de Albaida, Sayalonga and Frigiliana. All four are located in the same area, in the surroundings of the Tejeda and Almijara mountains.
– According to Idealista, there are 18 towns in Spain that dominate interest in housing seeking foreigners, since most of the searches for houses in these territories occur from abroad. At the national level, the ranking is headed by the Asturian municipality of Ponga, where 69% of the visits to advertisements come from abroad. Cala d’Or (Balearic Islands) has 63% of visits to its real estate ads by foreigners. In third place is Cómpeta (Málaga), with 61%, and Rubia (Ourense), with 60%, according to data from a study carried out by Idealista.
– Garafía (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), Deyá (Balearic Islands) and Vallehermoso (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) share 57% with a weight of foreigners of less than 60%. Among the ten most desired are two others in Malaga: Canillas de Albaida and Sayalonga, with 56% of international searches. The same percentage is accounted for by Valle Gran Rey (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and Benitachell (Alicante).
– In Frigiliana the weight of foreigners is 55%, while Hondón de las Nieves (Alicante) remains at 54%, followed by Algueña (Alicante) with 53% and Jete (Granada), with 52%.
Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/Malaga-pueblos-deseados-extranjeros-comprarse-vivienda_0_1818718882.html

TORROX

Residents of Torrox up in arms over noise from beach bars:
– Around 50 residents from the Peñoncillo area of Torrox Costa gathered outside the town hall last Thursday, 3 August, to protest over the “noise and nuisance” coming from beach bars in the area. Placards carried slogans that could be translated as: ‘Peñoncillo united, ******** silent’, ‘******** isn’t culture, close this rubbish’, ‘Disco out of here’ and ‘El Peñoncillo wants to sleep’. (********* = a specific bar I shouldn’t post the name of. -Ed.)
– The protesters, most of whom were foreign residents, gathered outside the town hall to demand an end to the noise which they say is caused by hospitality businesses in the area, including beach bars and clubs. The demonstrators, who did not have permission to hold the protest, complained of the “passivity and inaction” of the town hall. The protest was broken up by Guardia Civil and Local Police officers.
– Mayor of Torrox, Óscar Medina said, “I believe in a modern Torrox, modern and full of leisure possibilities, in which young people and citizens do not have to travel to other towns in search of alternative offers.” In his opinion, “Both visitors and residents need a wide and complete variety of leisure activities”, in Torrox and along the Costa del Sol in summer. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/residents-torrox-up-arms-over-noise-from-20230807220353-nt.html

NERJA

The City Council temporarily closes the Chillar river due to the high risk of fires: {Translation, summary}
– The Local Government Board has agreed to the temporary closure of access to the river Chillar, as a precautionary measure and as long as the situation of high risk of forest fire is maintained. This measure will be effective from Thursday August 10 and is adopted on the basis of several reports from various agencies, such as the Seprona, the Provincial Fire Consortium or Civil Protection, which warn of the high fire danger. Source & photo, Spanish: https://www.nerja.es/el-ayuntamiento-cierra-temporalmente-el-rio-chillar-por-el-alto-riesgo-de-incendios/ 

***********

Nerja Beach Report Aug 8th: The Ayuntamiento de Nerja posts these in the afternoon of the day reported on. These will always be one day behind.

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

BREAKING NEWS- With La Viñuela reservoir down to 8.65% of its capacity Velez-Malaga increases water cuts to its residents by two hours more per day to 10.5 hours (11pm to 9:30am without water): {Translation, summary} Updated 08/08/23, 20:01h.
– Velez-Malaga has extended the restrictions on the use of running water. The residents will have two hours less daily supply. The taps will be dry from 23.00 hours to 9.30 hours, both in Velez-Malaga and in the areas of Torre del Mar, La Caleta and Baviera Golf. It is the consequence of the extreme drought that Andalusia suffers and hits with special drought to La Axarquia.
– As reported by the water company Aqualia, the rest of the towns, including Almayate, Hornillo, Toscano, Benajarafe Costa, Torre Chilches or Chilches Pueblo, the restrictions will continue as before, from 2.30 am to 7.00 am.
– In a municipal notice published on August 3, the council and Aqualia asked the citizens for a “responsible use of water consumption”. With just over 14 hectometres of water (14.39), the reservoir of La Viñuela, which supplies the municipalities of La Axarquia, is at 8.65% of its capacity. In view of the lack of rain, the localities of this region have implemented different water saving measures. Source, Spanish: https://sevilla.abc.es/andalucia/malaga/velezmalaga-aumenta-cortes-agua-vecinos-dos-horas-20230808170723-nts.html

MARBELLA

Several associations in Malaga accept selective hunting of wild boars: {Translation, summary}
– The lack of water makes the boars come down from the most mountainous areas and get into urbanizations, golf courses, and even our beaches {pic}. Several business and environmental groups have welcomed the announcement by the Junta de Andalucía to authorize the selective hunting of wild boar, given the presence of these animals in recent weeks in the urban and coastal areas of cities such as Marbella {pic}. These boars can be quite fearless, will enterer crowded beaches, and root thru your bags.
– Additionally, the Marbella City Council has requested authorization from the Junta de Andalucía to allow archers to participate.
– “Ecologists in Action Marbella” have been against selective hunting for the control of wild boars, noting that Marbella “has been practicing such control measures for years” and “apparently has not been successful because killing the animal does not prevent others from appearing”.
Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/marbella/Asociaciones-Malaga-caza-jabalies-control_0_1818419350.html & Video Link

MIJAS

More than a hundred affected by the cosmetic treatments of a fake doctor in Mijas working from home: {Translation, summary}
– More than a hundred people have undergone aesthetic procedures in a private house in La Cala de Mijas. The Guardia Civil, in the so-called operation ‘Botu’, has arrested a woman for performing aesthetic treatments at her home without the required qualifications. Many of the victims would have had to go to the hospital for complications arising from these treatments. The false doctor has been arrested.
– The investigation began after receiving five complaints from people. They stated that they had received these treatments, consisting of botox or hyaluronic acid injections, in a private home. They claimed in their complaint that these interventions would have caused them different injuries for which they had to be treated in different hospitals in the province of Malaga. Source, Spanish: https://sevilla.abc.es/andalucia/malaga/centenar-afectados-tratamientos-esteticos-falsa-medico-mijas-20230808115736-nts.html

TECH

ZOOM AIN’T FREE, They Want Your Data – ZOOM changes policy to allow AI models to be trained on your user data (permanently saved), and distribute it in many other ways; it also collects all your audio/video/chats if you fail to opt out:
– A change to Zoom’s Terms of Service means users’ data can now be used to train AI models. Zoom now maintains exclusive rights to all “Service Generated Data” (SGD), granting the company the authority to modify, process, distribute, share, store and maintain such data for any purpose, in compliance with applicable law. SGD refers to any telemetry data, diagnostic data, product usage data or similar information that Zoom collects in association with users’ use of its software or services. There is no opt out of sharing this SGD data.
– The default ZOOM settings opt you in to sharing your other non-SGD data: audio, video and chat. Users can turn the sharing of these off in Settings, and certainly should.
– Further, the company introduced “Zoom IQ” in March, a set of features which summarize chat threads and help you generate automated responses to written chat questions. Zoom IQ is optional. When you enable these features, Zoom there’s a little check box that’s turned on by default. If you don’t bother to change it, you agree to let the company collect data to build and improve its AI.
– That could lead to privacy and data security implications for users, as their content and information could be used in ways they did not explicitly consent to. These actions include redistributing, publishing, accessing, using, storing, transmitting, reviewing, disclosing, preserving, extracting, modifying, reproducing, sharing, displaying, copying, distributing, translating, transcribing, creating derivative works and processing.
– In 2021, Zoom agreed to settle a class action privacy lawsuit in the US for $86 million (£61.8 million). The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused Zoom of violating the privacy of millions of users by sharing their personal data with Facebook, LinkedIn and Google. The company was also alleged to have failed in preventing threat actors from disrupting Zoom meetings and misled users by falsely claiming to provide end-to-end encryption. Full articles sourced for this summary article:
https://gizmodo.com/zoom-ai-privacy-policy-train-on-your-data-1850712655 &
https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4121687/zoom-quietly-changes-policy-allow-ai-models-trained-user-updated