Welcome to DigameXtra !

The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia

Content in this newsletter blog site comes from its Editor, Sponsors & Supporters (Holiday Fundraiser Donors). Submissions are subject to editing and posting at the Editor’s discretion. If I don’t want to post something, I won’t, and I do not owe you an explanation. Content from other sources is credited. The Editor is Naythan, aka DoctorLaptop.

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DigameXtra Featured Sponsor

Home Page  and  FB Page

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Editor’s Holiday: Monday, 3 February, there will be no issue, DigameXtra & DoctorLaptop will be closed.
Posts scheduled for 3 Feb. will be posted on the following day.

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Donation info & instructions can be found in the Announcements Section here: https://digamextra.com/2025/01/23/digamextra-no-2934-thursday-january-23rd-2025/

Total Donations Received: 144 (2.9%)

4% target = 200 donations from 4955 subscribers

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NEW RULE: Anyone can read DigameXtra for free- on the website, or by email subscription. However, subscribers who wish to actively participate by making submissions will need to have donated at least €20 to the 2024 DigameXtra Holiday Fundraiser. If you won’t make the effort to donate just 39 cents a week (€20/yr), then please refrain from making submissions, as I have supporters that require my attention.

The Submission Rules Page has been updated to reflect this change.

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What’s On

Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra! 

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Wine Fest- Festival of Wine 2025 in Alhama de Granada:
Sat, 1 Feb, 1:30pm at Paseo del Cinse
Wide assortment of wine available, accompanied by the excellent traditional food and typical products of the areas such as cheeses or sausages. Video Link

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Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/

Tap or click image for updated forecast

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NOTICE!
Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender’s First Name / Nearest Town 

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Services Wanted/Offered

Check the DigameXtra Sponsor’s list whenever you need a service. By using these services you are helping support DigameXtra.
Landlords, tell your renters about DigameXtra, where they can get overnight answers to questions about local stuff without having to call you!

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CÓMPETA SOLAR

Cómpeta Solar:
-Solar Electric (PV) (Self-Consumption)
-Grid Connected or Off Grid Solar Electric
-Solar Hot Water
-Solar Pool Heating
-Heat Pumps
-Installation and Repairs
Contact: James Bain, Competa
Tel: +34 652970608 (Spain)
Email: info AT competasolar DOT es
Web: www.competasolar.es
We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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TONY ROAM TRANSPORT & REMOVALS

Tony Roam Transport & Removals Spain To UK To Spain:
Fortnightly Runs Spain to UK and Up to 4 weeks free Storage. Spain or UK.
18 years Removals To & Fro Spain / UK Spain.
Man & Van, Local & Long Distance Removals
No subcontracting, all collection and delivery in house.
Transportation, Removals & light haulage company that have scheduled trips all year from UK to Torrox and back every month.
Also additional unscheduled to suit your needs.
Full or part loads undertaken.
Dedicated Delivery Personal Service Full or Part loads up to 60 cubic meters up to 5.5 tonne.
Up to £25,000.00 insurance with British Insurance Company.
Evidence of insurance can be supplied by email on request.
Hard Copies always carried on the vans.
This and a current Operators licence are a legal requirement.
Our International Operators Licence No UKGB / OG2043664
We live just behind Torrox Pueblo in Spain and in South Wales UK and have vans going back and forth UK to Spain to UK by way of Santander or Bilbao / Portsmouth or Plymouth Ferry.
For more information and prices for all to see please visit our website http://www.tonyroamremovals.com
email ; tonyroam@btconnect.com
Spain 0034636393542 – UK 00447973362003.
Face book Tony Roam – WhatsApp Either Number
Our contact details are shown every day in the Sponsor’s Section.

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GREEK CASITA RESTAURANT & BAR

Reopened 1/1/25. The Greek House – Greek Casita Restaurant & Bar –Torrox Costa:
Located on the sea promenade, between the Safari bar and Picadero restaurants, BLQ 80 bajo. We offer you a little piece of Greece with our Greek home made specialities. You can choose meat specialties (Gyros, Souvlaki, Bifteki, Sutsukaki, Mussaka), cheese (Feta Psiti, Feta Saganaki, Hallumi), vegetables (Greek salad, Hummus, Eggplant cream, Mezze, Tzatziki) or sea fruits (prawns or octopus), all of this accompanied with our special Greek pita bread. For dessert… HOMEMADE BAKLAVA! We offer a lovely meal time in a quiet and exquisite atmosphere, accompanied with the best Greek music. See you soon! Hours: 7pm to close, Wednesday thru Sunday. Closed Monday & Tuesday. For reservations call 642585049. https://la-casita-griega.business.site/ We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section. 

 

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ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES & JUBILEE HOUSE

ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES IN THE AXARQUIA REGION:
Do you have health or mobility issues?
Would support enable you to remain independent in your own home?
Liz Brown, probably the only nurse registered to practice in Andalucia to hold the ENB 941 (Specialist qualification in care of the older person), together with her fully insured and police checked home care support team offers one-on-one support and companionship in the comfort of your own home. COE Malaga reg. 17425
HOME CARE/NURSE SUPPORT
Palliative care / Companionship / Health monitoring English Nurse / Hospital sitting / Respite at home / 24 hr live in care / Housekeeping / Correspondence & Communication / Medication collection & dispensing systems / Dressing, bathing & daily hygiene / Shopping & meal preparation / Fast response Falls Team / Provision of medical equipment such as wheelchairs and hoists
englishnurse@rocketmail.com
Tel: 951550581 or 692419548
JUBILEE HOUSE – Close Care Unit in Torrox
VACANCY: Due to a successful rehabilitation we will have vacancy from 21st November in one of our ensuite units for a long stay English speaking guest. Please contact Liz on 692419548.
5 ground floor individual units all en-suite
24-hour care at all stages from the English Nurse Care Team
Main language- English / Extensive sea views / Wheelchair accessible / Garden / Home cooking / Wifi / Air conditioning / Visiting physiotherapist, hairdresser, chiropodist and nutritionist
And we welcome guests for the day. We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section. 

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DOCTORLAPTOP’S COMPUTER REPAIRS

DoctorLaptop’s Computer Repairs & Sales- Torrox Costa (near the bus station): Computers only, Windows / Linux / Mac. No tablets or phones. 
I don’t work on dinosaurs computers made before 2018 unless I have been servicing then annually. 
Contact: doctorlaptop AT protonmail DOT com
Or call 675 993 069 (no calls before 12noon, missed calls returned asap). More info on my website. All work by appointment only, no drop-ins please. Appointments are only available 2pm-8pm, Sunday thru Thursday. Closed Fridays & Saturdays. Always include the make & model number of the device when requesting assistance. My contact details can be found everyday at the bottom of the Sponsor’s Section.

February is computer clean-up month: DoctorLaptop’s full maintenance service for laptops & mini-PCs, only €40.  Full size towers €50. Remember, no computers made before 2018 serviced unless I have been servicing then annually.

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

Click on pics to enlarge

How to post more photos than the rules allow – use collages. The limit is one pic per item/event. You can combine several of your photos into a 
single collage photo by using this free online collage creation tool. It’s very easy to use, give it a try! https://www.photocollage.com/

Are you still dealing with scammers on Fakebook Marketplace?
Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.

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COMPARE FUNERALS SPAIN

 

Compare Funerals cover the whole of Spain
ruthforder@comparefuneral.org
* Direct Cremation €2,250
* Collection of deceased and conveyance to Funeral Home
* Supply of coffin
* Preparation and care of deceased
* Registration of death and certification of all legal documentation
* Cremation and any doctor’s fees
* Supply of Urn
* Delivery of Urn and associated paperwork to family (death certificate, cremation certificate etc)
This plan is exclusive to a number of provinces, please ask advisor for more information.
Contact Ruth Forder on 0034 693 715 718 ; funeralplansbyruthforder.com
Your questions answered by Ruth from Compare Funerals Spain
– Why should I have a funeral plan? Having been funeral planning for over 10 year I’ve experienced some very sad and upset families when nothing is in place. A Spanish funeral plans will ensure that all costs are covered for your funeral service. Getting a prepaid plan will help you feel assured that your family will not be under any financial strain when it comes to paying for your funeral. A plan also means you can have peace of mind that everything has been organised in advance, so your loved ones do not have to make any difficult decisions.
– Why choose Compare Funerals? There seems to be a gap in Spain between independent funeral directors, offering plans at a good price but lacking the security of an established Trust or ability to cover a client overseas and Providers who seem to charge more than necessary. We want to be right in the middle and offer the best of both worlds. Our best-priced plan is only 2,250€ and does the essentials.
– Can I do a payment plan? All our plans are payable in full or over up to 5 years interest FREE. The interest free periods are based on initial deposit. The higher the deposit the less your monthly repayments will be.
– Can I transfer the plan? The answer is YES. You could name 2 people on one plan however if you had a friend/family member pass away we can transfer the plan into a 3rd party’s name.
– What happens if I move? All our plans offer the equivalent service in Spain (including the islands), Portugal, Republic of Ireland and the UK. If you moved to the UK, we would transfer the plan to one of our many partners at no extra cost to you.
– Is paperwork included? Yes, your family will receive a death certificate in Spanish and an international certification in English. We also provide a cremation certificate that allows the ashes on board a plane.
We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section. 

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For Sale: New Laptop, Acer Aspire 3 A315
Powerful business model. 15.6″ FullHD display
Windows 11 Pro (UK), 16 Gb RAM, 512 Gb SSD
Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U, up to 4.4GHz
Spanish keyboard. HDMI, Ethernet, 3x USB 3.2, Wifi 6.
Price: €480, fully setup and ready to use.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
Email: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com 

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For Sale: New Lenovo Ideapad 1, model 15ALC7, Gen 7
High Performance Business Grade Laptop
Windows 11 Pro (UK). 16Gb Hi-Speed RAM, 512Gb SSD.
15.6inch Full HD display. Spanish keyboard.
Proc: AMD Ryzen 5 5500u (2.1 to 4GHz), 6 core 12 threads.
SD card reader, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Wifi 6.
Stereo speakers w/ Dolby. HD webcam with blocker.
Slim-line, light weight at 1.6kg. Heavy duty hinges. 
Rapid-Charge 9hr battery, 2hr charge in 15mins!
Fully setup, updated and ready to use.
Website: https://psref.lenovo.com/Product/IdeaPad_1_15ALC7
Price €420. 1yr factory warranty upon registration.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
doctorlaptop@protonmail.com 

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Wanted: We are looking for a second hand window. Measurements approximately 110cm high and 70 cm width. If you have something lying around please contact us. Thank you in advance. Marc, Puente Don Manuel, Alcaucin
Whatsapp 00 32 477 32 87 25
schoeters.marc@telenet.be

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Recommendations, Requests & Comments

When making a recommendation always include the phone number or website of the biz, service, etc., so readers can reach them.
Note: I can’t post third party email addresses.

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Make your annual DigameXtra donation now! Fundraiser ends 1 Feb.: All the details are in the Announcements section at the top of the issue. If you want to be able to make submissions you’ll need to do this. -Ed.

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article) 
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

The Attorney General faces four years in prison and up to three years disbarment: {Translation, summary}
– His criminal future is far from clear, despite the fact that  Álvaro García Ortiz {pic} himself has stated in various interviews that he is convinced that he should not resign, identifying the institution of the Public Prosecutor’s Office with himself. ‘The Attorney General’s Office is a strong institution that has to withstand the challenges, it must give the impression that we cannot be overthrown,’ he said in an interview on Televisión Española in October, immediately after receiving the news of his indictment.
– His statement yesterday did nothing to remove the evidence against him. Rather, it added more confusion to the case for several reasons: first, by refusing to answer the investigating magistrate’s questions, casting doubt on his professionalism by considering that the judge is investigating him on the basis of a preconceived theory. Then, for contradicting his subordinate, the senior prosecutor of Madrid Almudena Lastra, who testified as a witness and pointed to him as the source of the leak. And finally, for stating that he has changed his mobile phone up to six times in the last four years but has not handed over the device he used on the dates under investigation to the agents who searched his office as part of the case against him, nor to the Prosecutor’s Office itself. Photo: Jamis Garcia(ABC). Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/espana/fiscal-general-enfrenta-cuatro-anos-prision-tres-20250129200758-nt_amp.html 

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The judge considers it proven that the Presidency took steps to distribute the leak about Ayuso’s boyfriend in the press: {Translation, summary}
– The statement of the Attorney General charged with the leaks, before the judge, does not seem to help him or the ‘Presidency’. The Supreme Court maintains a series of conclusions that put the ‘Presidency’ of the Government at the centre of the case. In other words, the body headed and personalised by Pedro Sánchez.
– For the Supreme Court, it is clear and proven that the ‘Presidency of the Government made arrangements’ for the publication in the press of the email of 2 February 2024 sent in the context of the conversation between Alberto González Amador’s lawyer and the prosecutor.
– The Supreme Court, in fact, has taken note of a fact revealed by Libertad Digital. And that is that this email appears, but with the personal data covered up, in the Assembly of Madrid, shown by Juan Lobato.
– And why does he show it with the data covered up? Well, because Lobato – by training, a tax technician – knew that the content revealed was criminal due to the secret nature of the tax information. But the reality, as the Supreme Court has already certified and this newspaper confirmed by showing the photographs that accredited it, is that the Moncloa mailing did not have these data covered up, or, in other words, it was the original leak. Source, Spanish: https://www.libertaddigital.com/espana/2025-01-30/el-juez-da-por-probado-que-presidencia-hizo-gestiones-para-distribuir-en-prensa-la-filtracion-del-novio-de-ayuso-7213183/

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Spanish farmers of Castilla-La Mancha see no problem using untreated human waste as fertilizer: {Translation, summary}
– The Castilla-La Mancha Union of Farmers and Stockbreeders has denounced this in a very graphic way: ‘These days inspections are taking place during the olive campaign in the province of Toledo. Although it may seem incredible, some of the reasons for sanctions are the non-existence of toilets for pooping and urinating in the fields’.
The complaint, published last week on its website and sent to the Ministry of Agriculture, responds to the sanctioning proceedings that several Toledo farmers received for not having toilets installed for workers on their farms.
– ‘It happened in the area of La Sagra, the area with the highest olive grove production in Toledo. Two labour inspectors showed up and when they found that there were no public toilets in the fields, they opened disciplinary proceedings against them, which can lead to heavy fines of more than 2,000 euros,’ Anastasio Yébenes, a member of the agricultural union’s executive, told 20minutos.
– ‘They talk about environmental issues, but do you think it’s hygienic to carry around a chemical toilet when you can poop out in the open air in the countryside like you have done all your life? Besides, it’s organic fertiliser! We don’t pollute anything. It’s all nonsense,’ he stresses.
– And he argues that if farmers had to put toilets in the fields, as if it were a music festival, the same rule would have to be applied in many other sectors where it does not apply: “They are asking us to do something so illogical that it has no sense. The law says that any workplace must have toilets, and of course it must have them, but the problem is, what do we mean by workplace? If we apply this rule to the letter, a traveller, a Guardia Civil patrol or the labour inspectors who came to the camp to open the files, would also have to carry a portable toilet in the car in case they need one,” reducing his argument to the absurd. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5676807/0/agricultores-multas-vater-portatil-campo-exigencia-inspeccion-trabajo/ 

ANDALUCÍA

Sierra Nevada prepares to open with the largest spring surface of the season after the last snowfall, now featuring night skiing: {Translation}
– The Sierra Nevada ski resort is preparing to open with what will be the largest skiable area of the season after the snowfall recorded in recent hours, which has left a white blanket of up to 20 centimetres in different parts of the winter resort, even more on the highest peaks.
– Cetursa sources have detailed to Europa Press that Sierra Nevada has registered on the night of Wednesday to Thursday a snowfall that has left around 5 and 10 centimetres of snow in the area of Pradollano, and between 15 and 20 centimetres in the area of Borreguiles and Veleta, probably something more on the peaks.
– It has been a very windy snowfall in which windbreaks and snowdrifts have done their job of retaining snow and it is expected that this latest precipitation will improve ‘enormously the conditions in the resort’.
– The slopes services, especially the ski instructors, are already evaluating the real effect that this snowfall is going to have on the skiing offer in the next few days and eventually the snowmaking system will support those points that are likely to be opened to skiing imminently.
– The resort expects to open around 35 skiable kilometres this Thursday, which would be the maximum skiable area so far this season. There is little visibility in the Veleta area, but the wind, which is the ‘great enemy’ for the resort to remain open, ‘for the moment is respecting’ the operation of the mechanical means, according to the Granada ski resort.
– This Saturday, Sierra Nevada will inaugurate night skiing on the illuminated slope of El Río and it will be maintained every Saturday until the 5th of March. Thus, El Río, if the weather conditions do not prevent it, will open to the public, with freshly trodden snow, its 3.2 kilometres between the Borreguiles area (2,700 metres) and the Pradollano development (2,100 metres).
– This slope is illuminated with 30 floodlights to make it completely safe for night skiing. Sierra Nevada, a pioneering resort in the practice of this activity, opens the Al-Andalus cable car from 19.00 to 21.30 to give access to the illuminated El Río slope. Full article: https://www.europapress.es/andalucia/noticia-sierra-nevada-prepara-abrir-mayor-superficie-esquiable-temporada-ultimas-nevadas-20250130110227.html 

AXARQUÍA

The flames that warm winter in the Axarquía for Candelaria: {Translation, summary}
– Alfarnate, Colmenar and Benagalbón celebrate the Fiesta de la Candelaria in different ways.
– In the case of Alfarnate, this year the fiesta is being held on Saturday. There the locals will be able to warm up with the spectacular bonfire that is usually lit in the evening in the Plaza de la Constitución.
– Colmenar, since last Sunday, has had an extensive programme of activities. However, the big day of the patron saint fiesta will be Sunday, 2 February, when the procession of the two images will take place from the church of La Asunción, whose original construction dates from the 17th century, to the hermitage of the Sanctuary, popularly known as the ‘convent’ of the Virgen de la Candelaria. The procession will take place from 15.30 until around midnight.
– Benagalbón. Although Candlemas Day is on Sunday, 2 Feb, the procession of this virgin together with the image of San José will take place this Friday from 19.00 hours. It is customary in Benagalbón to throw peladillas (sugared almonds) as the Virgin passes by. There is also a flavour associated with this fiesta, the making and tasting of doughnuts, which have to be blessed before being eaten. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/planes/llama-calienta-invierno-axarquia-20250130235909-nt_amp.html 

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Vélez-Málaga’s local police staff will be expanded with eleven new agents: {Translation, summary}
– New impetus to the improvement of human resources in the Local Police of Vélez-Málaga. The Mayor of Velez and Councillor for Local Police, Jesús Lupiáñez (PP), has appeared this Thursday in the plenary hall of the Town Hall to present the inauguration of six new officers and two agents arrived by the process of mobility of the police force, an official act ‘that comes to value the firm commitment’ that from the bipartite government team (PP and GIPMTM) ‘to provide the police force with the necessary personnel to safeguard the safety of residents and visitors of Velez-Malaga’.
– The councillor of the capital of Axarquia has highlighted that among the new promotions is the first woman to become an officer in the Local Police Force of Vélez-Málaga. The six new officers who are promoted in the body and the two new positions of agents who join the service in the municipality by mobility from other Andalusian municipalities join the upcoming inauguration of eleven new local police officers, who will complete their training process ‘in the near future’, as advanced by the mayor of Velez-Malaga in a statement. The Velez police force has reached 101 officers with the two new arrivals for mobility, and when these eleven join, there will be 112.
– The new officers will take up their duties immediately, as they have completed the training process and all the relevant tests to carry out their work ‘with absolute guarantees’. The process has been carried out through internal promotion and as full career civil servants. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/plantilla-policia-local-velezmalaga-ampliara-once-nuevas-20250116130303-nt_amp.html

EUROPE

German parliament passes anti-immigration resolution backed by the far right:
– Germany’s parliament narrowly passed a resolution on Wednesday, January 29, urging tough restrictions on immigration that was especially controversial because it was backed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The motion was brought, ahead of the February 23 elections, by the conservative opposition CDU-CSU and backed by, among others, the AfD party. That broke a long-standing taboo on cooperation with the anti-immigration party. MPs passed it with 348 votes in favor and 345 against, with 10 abstentions. The vote came days after a knife attack that killed two people, including a two-year-old child, with an Afghan man arrested at the scene.
– The resolution lacks the force of law but calls on the government to launch permanent border controls and for the “rejection of all attempts to enter the country illegally without exception.” It says this should include those seeking protection because in the neighboring EU countries they arrive from, “they are already safe from persecution.” The resolution also argues that people required to leave Germany “must be taken into custody immediately,” adding that more detention centers should be built, including in empty army barracks. Full article: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/immigration/article/2025/01/29/german-parliament-passes-immigration-law-backed-by-the-far-right_6737567_144.html

HEALTH

Minister of Health Mónica García rejects another cancer medication- Spain’s Health Services only finance 62% of European drugs: {Translation}
– Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have just received some bad news. Mónica García {pic}has just rejected funding for a drug designed for this type of cancer. But perhaps the worst thing is that this type of rejection has become something of a standard practice in Spain. In our country, in fact, the drugs accepted in the public funding portfolio are only 62% of those accepted by the EU.
– The Ministry of Health’s refusal focuses on the public funding of the monoclonal antibody blinatumomab. Approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) a decade ago to treat cases of relapse or refractoriness in adult patients. In fact, two years after its acceptance by the EMA, negotiations with the Ministry of Health’s Pricing Commission began. Negotiations that continue to conclude with Spain’s refusal to accept its financing with public funds. The latest attempt to accept the drug began last November. The latest refusal was communicated on 23 January. As a result, only patients who can afford to pay for it privately will be able to continue accessing it through the use of foreign medication.
*Lack of equity in access to the best treatments*
– Mónica García, through her Ministry, is accentuating the lack of equity in access to the best possible treatments, with a strong impact on patients: generating first and second class patients, with a special impact on the most vulnerable population.
– Two examples explain this situation. The first is the case of the new drug financing model in the draft Medicines and Health Products Act.
– What does it entail? To begin with, the recovery of drug auctions under the name of ‘selected prices’, which causes a price battle every two months to lower the price of off-patent molecules in order to keep the share of the national market. This scheme leads to very frequent changes in patients’ medication, which is an obstacle to therapeutic compliance, making it difficult to adhere to drugs, with a particular impact on the polymedicated population.
– In addition, the introduction of the ‘extra’ co-payment has been favoured, obliging patients who are under treatment for a medicine prescribed by their specialist that is not selected because of its lower price to pay the difference in price with the medicine prescribed by their doctor, affecting the most vulnerable population.
– The second effect is the alarming situation of access to cancer drugs. The situation is critical for cancer patients in Spain, with scandalous delays in the approval of therapeutic innovations, which do not take into account the vulnerability of the patients or the seriousness of the disease.
– The data are clear: the approval of oncological innovations authorised by Europe is taking nearly 700 days in Spain (European legislation regulates a maximum period of 180 days). And of the total of 167 new drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency between 2019 and 2022, Spain had incorporated a total of 103 into public funding in January 2024, 62% of those authorised (far behind countries such as Germany – 88% – or Italy – 88%). Source, Spanish: https://www.libertaddigital.com/espana/… 

TECH

The brass balls on these guys- OpenAI complains that DeepSeek has been using OpenAI data, you know, the copyrighted data OpenAI has been scraping (stealing) from everywhere:
– OpenAI, the company behind the internet-scraping ChatGPT large language model (LLM), has complained that the new Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek has been copying its models. The emergence of DeepSeek, an AI LLM that was apparently developed at a fraction of the cost of other models but boasts comparable performance, has sent shares in AI-focused tech firms like Nvidia tumbling.
– A new Bloomberg report says Microsoft, which is a major investor in OpenAI, is investigating whether OpenAI’s data has been exfiltrated on a large scale by DeepSeek.
– Now, the elephant in the room. OpenAI has itself been accused of scraping the Internet indiscriminately and being trained on enormous swathes of copyrighted material: It says it would be “impossible” to build LLMs without such data. There’s a major upcoming court case with the New York Times suing Open AI and Microsoft, while more and more global publishers are taking action against the firm.
– “I’m so sorry I can’t stop laughing,” said tech critic Ed Zitron. “OpenAI, the company built on stealing literally the entire internet, is crying because DeepSeek may have trained on the outputs from ChatGPT. They’re crying their eyes out. What a bunch of hypocritical little babies.” Full article: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/… 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

There is more computer malware than ever, it’s just better at hiding now- Google Says Over 57 Nation-State Threat Groups Are Using AI For Cyber Operations:
– Over 57 distinct threat actors with ties to China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia have been observed using artificial intelligence (AI) technology powered by Google to further enable their malicious cyber and information operations.
– “Threat actors are experimenting with Gemini to enable their operations, finding productivity gains but not yet developing novel capabilities,” Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said in a new report. “At present, they primarily use AI for research, troubleshooting code, and creating and localizing content.”
– Government-backed attackers, otherwise known as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, have sought to use its tools to bolster multiple phases of the attack cycle, including coding and scripting tasks, payload development, gathering information about potential targets, researching publicly known vulnerabilities, and enabling post-compromise activities, such as defense evasion. Full article: https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/google-over-57-nation-state-threat.html

OTHER

Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78:
– “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family,” a statement from her spokesperson said. The singer had previously suffered multiple health problems, including bulimia, breast cancer and emphysema caused by decades of smoking.
– The singer married and divorced three times – to artist John Dunbar in 1965, Ben Brierly of punk band the Vibrators in 1979, and actor Giorgio Della Terza in 1988. She is survived by her son, Nicholas Dunbar. Full article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8k931j423o & Video Link

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CHURCHES & WORSHIP

Churches: Please submit your posts on Thursdays only, before 6pm.

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PETS FOR ADOPTION

Vélez-Málaga Municipal Pet Adoption Service, FREE adoptions:
– The animals are at the Don Animal Kennel and Feline Residence, currently located in Arroyo Granadillas Finca “El Olivar”, in Rincón de la Victoria (29730, Málaga). The adoptions will be totally free, and the animals will be identified with microchip and with all their mandatory treatments.
– Contact Telephone: 952971663
– Schedule: Monday to Friday from 9:00 – 14:00 & 16:30 – 20:00 and Saturdays from 9:00 – 14:00
– Email: info@donanimal.com
– Adoption form: https://donanimal.com
– See photo gallery of available pets: https://velezmalaga.es/index.php?mod=medio_ambiente&tag=servicio-municipal-de-adopcion-de-animales-de-compania

 

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Humour & Diversions Section

Free Comic Strips provided by https://www.arcamax.com/comics

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Exchange quotes from Xe.com

Click here to see updated quotes & more currencies

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Fun & Games

National Geographic Photo of the Day: Click Here
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Click Here
Word of the Day: Click Here
Quote of the Day: Click Here
Fact of the Day: Click Here
Born Today: Click Here
Today in History: Click Here
Today’s Front Pages (New Link), worldwide: Click Here
Daily Mail UK- Daily Sudoku: Click Here

Cinesur El Ingenio Films schedule: You can find the film schedule at this link. Films tagged as (VOSE) are in the original language with Spanish subtitles. 
https://www.cinesur.com/es/cine/mk2-cinesur-el-ingenio

Useful Links, Info & Numbers

2025 Holiday Calendars by town, click/tap to view:
Algarrobo 
Competa 
Malaga 
Nerja 
Rincon 
Torrox 
Velez-Málaga 
For other towns in Malaga Province, visit this website, click your town, then look for the post named “Calendario Laboral de ‘Your Town‘ 2025 “, click that to see calendar.
https://www.foro-ciudad.com/malaga.html

Petrol Prices – Updated daily: These are the fuel stations in Malaga province with the lowest prices. The price data for 95 and 98-octane petrol and diesel fuel is updated every day. See it here:
https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/updated-daily-these-20220314114157-nt.html

Weekly Markets
Monday: Torrox Costa
Tuesday: Nerja, Salobrena
Wednesday: Rincon de la Victoria, Algarrobo Costa
Thursday: Velez Malaga, Torre del Mar, Frigiliana
Friday: Almunecar, Salobrena, La Herradura- Summers only, Mercadillo de La Cala del Moral- Rincon de la Victoria.
Saturday: Competa, Mezquitilla@Algarrobo behind the Sala Ottowa
Sunday: Nerja Car Boot 

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Local/National News in English, The Sur: http://www.surinenglish.com/
Local Weather: https://www.accuweather.com/en/es/torre-del-mar/306652/weather-forecast/306652
Bus Info: https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/our-destinations/regional
Currency Converter: https://www.x-rates.com/calculator/?from=EUR&to=GBP&amount=1
Internet Speed Test: http://beta.speedtest.net/
Local Bank Holidays: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/spain/index.php  UK Newspaper Front Pages and Worldwide Newspapers All On One Site: https://www.thepaperboy.com/uk/front-pages.cfm

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily. 
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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