DigameXtra No. 2934 Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

 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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*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

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Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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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

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 135 (2.7%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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New Date- Tocata Generation, the festival of an entire generation: Sat, 12 April. Malaga.
The Tocata Generation 80s Festival has been rescheduled after a delay due to the DANA storms. We are now ready to travel back in time, because on April 12 the 80s will conquer the Martín Carpena Sports Palace, Malaga, with performances by big stars such as Samantha Fox, Boney M or Vicky Larraz.
Early purchase discount tickets available.
Info & tix: https://generaciontocata.com/ 

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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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BLUCEE REAL ESTATE

The BluCee Real Estate team would like to wish all DigameXtra readers a Happy New Year! Thank you for the support you have shown us throughout 2024, it is appreciated:
If you are thinking of selling your property please contact us.
At BluCee we go above and beyond for you during the sales process, don’t just take our word for it – see our reviews on Google and Facebook.
Pass by our office to have a no obligation chat!
Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar, 29740
We are open Monday to Friday 09.30 to 17.30 hrs.
For an appointment outside of our opening times or for one of us to view your property please contact us info@blucee.com or 0034 711 04 27 27
www.blucee.com
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day. 

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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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Great Deals From Upcycling Nerja:
– Castilian bedside table replacement solid wood top natural ( waxed ) beige color measurements 42 x 30 x 50cms price 110€ ( the pair )
– Castilian bedside tables natural top ( waxed ) beige color measurements 52 x 30 x 55.50cms price 120€ ( for the pair )
– Grey sofa bed length 188cms width 107cms very good condition price 120€
contact Jackie / nerja 672170429
upcycling nerja at gmail dot com 

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For Sale: Samsung 43” smart tv with all British apps installed in excellent condition. 100€. We are between Puente don Manuel and Alcaucin. Call Mavis on 626134579

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For Sale: Desk and swivel chair 30€.
105cm long, 75cm high, 50cm depth
Buyer collects. Lorena, Torrox Costa
Whatsapp 697909990
Email: lorenamob@hotmail dot com

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SOLDFor Sale: New Lenovo Laptop, €320
– Lenovo V15 G2 laptop with Windows 11 Pro (UK English). Naythan, Torrox Costa.

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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!: 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

Spanish PM Sanchez Now Proposes to Ban Non-EU Nationals From Buying Homes!:
– The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, is proposing a ban on non-EU nationals from buying houses in this country as part of efforts to deal with the housing crisis. He said that non-EU citizens purchased nearly 23,000 houses and apartments in Spain in 2023.
– “The government will propose prohibiting non-EU foreigners from buying houses in our country when neither they nor their families live here and therefore, they are speculating,” said Sanchez. This statement of the Spanish PM, made today, January 20, follows a previous related announcement made by him earlier this month. On January 13, Sanchez said that he plans to impose a tax of up to 100 per cent on the value of properties purchased by nationals from countries outside the European Union in a bid to meet the country’s housing emergency. Full article: https://schengen.news/spanish-pm-proposes-to-ban-non-eu-nationals-from-buying-homes/

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Almost 500 migrants arrive overnight aboard six boats to the islands of Tenerife and El Hierro: {Translation, summary}
– A total of six boats, with 485 migrants on board, have arrived since last night to the islands of Tenerife and El Hierro, Maritime Rescue sources inform Europa Press.
– In the case of Tenerife, one of the canoes has arrived at the port of Los Cristianos accompanied by the Salvamar Alpheratz after being detected by the SIVE about 2.5 miles off the coast of Los Abrigos, in the municipality of Granadilla.
There were 45 men and 12 minors sailing on the boat, in apparent good health.
– Another canoe has arrived on its own at the Los Abrigos dock. The boat, with 48 men on board in good health, made landfall with the coordination of the Civil Guard.
– In the case of El Hierro, Tuesday night one canoe with 67 migrants plus one deceased person, plus four other canoes have arrived with a total of 280 migrants on board. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/islas-canarias/noticia-llegan-otros-casi-500-migrantes-bordo-seis-embarcaciones-islas-tenerife-hierro-20250122135845.html 

ANDALUCÍA

Room rental prices in a shared home grow in Andalusia by 21% in 2024, the largest increase in Spain: {Translation, summary}
– The rental of a room in Andalusia has closed 2024 with an annual increase of 21%, the largest increase in Spain. The average prices of rooms in one year went from 323 euros per month in December 2023 to 391 euros in December 2024.
– The order of the Andalusian capitals with the highest room prices is: Málaga capital with 517 euros per month, Cádiz capital with 482 euros, Seville capital with 453 euros, Granada capital with 339, Almería capital with 303, Jerez de la Frontera with 276, Jaén capital with 273, Córdoba capital with 269 and Huelva capital with 264. The most touristy capitals are once again revealed to be the most expensive for residents. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/andalucia/alquiler-crece-andalucia-mas-espana_0_2003189563.html

MALAGA PROVINCE

The courts of Malaga, paralyzed by the fall of the computer system throughout Andalusia: {Translation, summary}
– Morning of incidents in the courts of Malaga, which are practically paralyzed due to a computer system crash that has affected all of Andalusia, as confirmed to SUR by the various sources consulted. The failure of the program is not affecting the development of the trials, which are currently being held, but it is affecting the rest of the procedures, such as the incorporation of documents, their signing or access to the content of the procedures.
– The Ministry of Justice, Local Administration and Public Function of the Junta de Andalucía assures that work is being done to correct the failure and that it is expected to be resolved throughout the morning.
– It should be noted that from lawyers in the Justice administration to civil servants, magistrates and judicial unions, they have been complaining for some time that these incidents are continuous, which leaves legal workers unable to advance in their tasks, sometimes throughout the day. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/juzgados-malaga-paralizados-caida-sistema-informatico-andalucia-20250122124525-nt.html 

NERJA

Two arrested, one hundred motorhomes and more than 30 tents removed from the natural area of ​​Maro: {Translation, summary}
– New action has been taken by the competent authorities against illegal camping in the natural site of the Cliffs of Maro-Cerro Gordo. More than a hundred motorhomes and more than 30 tents have been evicted this week in the protected environment after the development of a joint operation in which agents have participated Environment of the territorial Delegation of Sustainability and Environment of the Junta de Andalucía, the Local Police of the City of Nerja and the Civil Guard.
– The intervention took place this past Monday and has resulted in the arrest of two people for the alleged crimes of disobedience and resistance to authority and the removal with tow truck of five of the vehicles.
– The device for the control of camping activity on the cliffs of Maro-Cerro Gordo, in which the corresponding complaint has been made to all campers, has been composed of more than 14 patrols: two of the Environment Agents; four patrols of the Local Police of Nerja, with tow trucks; and the Civil Guard, with more than twenty agents. The actions took place on the beaches of Las Alberquillas, Rio de la Miel and Cala del Pino. A good part of those evicted came from the illegal rave party in Ciudad Real last Christmas, as SUR has been able to confirm. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/dos-detenidos-tras-retirar-cien-autocaravanas-tiendas-campana-maro-nerja-malaga-20250122115739-nt.html 

GRANADA

Granada Geopark takes flight with the XXV Ballooning Festival and Championship of Andalusia: {Translation, summary}
– The province is preparing to host the XXV Granada Geopark Aerostation Festival and Andalusian Championship, an event that will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and that promises to be a unique spectacle.
– The festival will bring together between ten and fifteen teams, which will carry out four flights in which the tests of the Andalusian Hot Air Balloon Championship will be held. The activities will take place mainly in the Granada Geopark, known for its unique landscapes, and in the Guadix fairgrounds, offering an unforgettable experience for both participants and the attending public.
– On Friday, January 24, it will start with the exciting Granada Geopark Crossing Flight, which will take place first thing in the morning, between 08:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
– On Saturday, January 25, activities will begin again in the morning,between 08:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., with another flight over the Granada Geopark. In the afternoon, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
– On Sunday, January 26, it will be celebrated the last flight of the festival, which will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., with takeoff from the Guadix fairgrounds. This will be the best time for those who want to see the balloons in all their splendor.
– The take-off location and flight areas will be subject to weather conditions. To ensure a safe and optimal experience, the organization will update the information on the Glovento Sur Facebook wall. The organization especially recommends attending Sunday’s takeoff at the Guadix fairgrounds, whenever weather conditions permit. Source, Spanish: https://www.granadadigital.es/geoparque-granada-alza-vuelo-xxv-festival-aerostacion-campeonato-andalucia/ 

UK

Harry Wins- Murdoch’s UK tabloids apologize and pay fine to Prince Harry, and admit intruding on the late Princess Diana:
– Prince Harry claimed a monumental victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life over decades and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.
News Group Newspapers offered a “full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life,” Harry’s attorney, David Sherborne, read from a statement in court.
– The statement even went beyond the scope of the case to acknowledge intruding on the life of Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana and the impact it had on his family. “We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages,” the settlement statement said. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/prince-harry-hacking-lawsuit-rupert-murdoch-british-tabloid-88c61a08225269014224283c37225bf8 

USA

Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico to begin 1 February:
– President Donald Trump said the promised 25% import tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, the US’ biggest trade partners, would begin on 1 February. During his campaign, Trump promised he would apply universal tariffs ranging between 10% and 20%, and increasing to 60% for China.
– “We are thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada because they are allowing vast numbers of people […] and fentanyl to come in,” he said. When asked by a reporter when he would enact those tariffs, Trump assured the reporter twice: “I think we will do it on 1 February.” While he said he was still considering a universal tariff, he said he was “not ready for that yet”. Full article: https://www.verdict.co.uk/trump-says-25-tariffs-on-canada-and-mexico-to-arrive-1-february/ 

SPORTS

Tennis News- Australian Open Update- Full results here: https://ausopen.com/results#!All

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F1 News- Hamilton makes track debut for Ferrari:
– Seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton had his first outing on the track for Ferrari on a misty Wednesday morning at Maranello, realising his dream of driving in the iconic red of the Italian team.
– Hamilton had announced his decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari in February last year. The 40-year-old, who won six of his world championships at Mercedes, also unveiled a new bright yellow helmet, as he continues his first official week at Ferrari which began at the team’s headquarters on Monday.
Full article: https://www.reuters.com/sports/formula1/hamilton-makes-track-debut-ferrari-2025-01-22/ 

TECH

Need to charge or power a portable device outdoors? This invention allows USB charger electricity to pass through windows and costs less than 60 euros: {Translation, summary}
– Power Mole V2, the device that passes electricity through windows. The Power Mole V2 represents the second generation of a charger that works by magnetic induction, since the first was launched back in 2014, and now incorporates several significant improvements in efficiency, size and power. As explained by the company, the system consists of a transmitter and a receiver, designed to be placed one on each side of a window or door pane.
– The output voltage is standard for USB chargers, 5 volts. Its operation is based on the fact that the transmitter, connected to a power outlet via a 2.75-meter cable, sends power wirelessly through the glass. The receiver, which is connected to the device to be powered via a USB cable outside, receives and transmits the necessary power, which avoids opening windows or installing additional outlets outside the home.
– It is available through the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform at a price of €57, which represents a saving of 40% compared to its final cost on the market once this launch phase is over. Info: https://www.acquaindustries.com/
Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/tecnologia/moviles-dispositivos/este-invento-permite-pasar-electricidad-traves-ventanas-cuesta-menos-60-euros-5674316/ 

OTHER

Nine Inch Nails announce long-rumoured world tour with UK, Europe and North American dates:
– Nine Inch Nails have shared details of their 2025 Peel It Back world tour. The pairing of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will play the UK and Europe in June and July, then trek across North America in August and September. All tickets go on sale at 12pm local time next Wednesday, January 29.
– Nine Inch Nails haven’t performed live since 2022. Here are the dates of the 2025 European leg of the “Peel It Back Tour”:
Jun 15: Dublin 3Arena, Ireland
jun 17: Manchester Co-op Live, UK
Jun 18: London The O2, UK
Jun 20: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Jun 21: Dessel Graspop, Belgium
Jun 24: Milan Parco Della Musica, Italy
Jun 26: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Jun 27: Vienna Wiener Stadthalle, Austria
Jun 29: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Jul 01: Berlin Uber Arena, Germany
Jul 03: Gydnia Open’er Festival, Poland
Jul 07: Paris Accor Arena, France
Jul 10: Madrid Mad Cool Festival, Spain
Jul 12: Oeiras NOS Alive, Portugal
Full article: https://www.loudersound.com/news/nine-inch-nails-announce-2025-world-tour & Video Link


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Humour Section

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

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Last updated on Jan 22, 2025, 18:50 UTC

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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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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Home Page – Based in Torrox Costa, near the bus station.

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ATTENTION! New EU internet privacy laws are now in effect, known as the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). I have to inform you that the DigameXtra archive saves follower’s email addresses in the WordPress server. By subscribing/following you implicitly accept this; if you make submissions you acknowledge that anyone can view old issues online and see your contact info as you provided and you accept this. If you don’t want me saving your email address do not subscribe/follow, you can unsubscribe and remove yourself from this list using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every subscription issue. Takedown notices must include proof of ownership as well as the date and issue number of the DigameXtra issue containing the infringing content.  These may be submitted to digamextra@protonmail.com. Proper takedown notices will be complied with immediately. All images have been credited or copied from what I believe to be copyright free sources.

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DigameXtra No. 2933 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025

 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.

SUBMISSIONS INFO & RULES PAGE LINK

*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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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

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 134 (2.7%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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2 Candlelight Concerts in One Night: Granada. Fri, 24 Jan
Music by the String Quartet – Antequeruela {Video Link}
Carmen De Los Mártires, Paseo de los Mártires s/n.
(In the Alhambra grounds) 18009 Granada
– 7pm. Tribute to ABBA. Info & tix: https://feverup.com/m/259303
– 9pm. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Info & tix: https://feverup.com/m/259305


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Alberto Fer live at Lemon Rock, Granada: Sun, 26 Jan
Calle Montalbán 6, Granada
Info: https://www.conciertosengranada.es/conciertos/91209-alberto-fer
Map Link & Video Link


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Retro Car & Motorbike Fair: 24 to 26 January
At the Malaga Congress Palace (FYCMA).
Visit the 12th edition of the annual vintage vehicle fair. See classic cars and motorcycles, visit the second-hand accessories and parts stalls and maybe buy a car or bike to take home. You can also visit the vintage car carpark where local aficionados show their models.
Tickets cost €10 per day or you can buy a combined ticket for the Car Museum and Fair for €15, available via this link, https://www.eventosmotor.com/eventos/2025/retro-malaga-2025/ 
Hours: Friday 24 January 4 to 9pm, Saturday 25 January 10am to 9pm and Sunday 26 January 10am to 8pm. 

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Concert- Guadalupe Martín, classical guitar: Fri, 31 Jan 8pm
Villa De Salobreña Auditorium {pic}
Plaza Juan Carlos I No. 1, 18680 Salobrena, Granada
Info & map: https://www.conciertosengranada.es/locales/auditorio-villa-de-salobrena-jose-martin-recuerda 

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Still Got The Blues – A tribute to Gary Moore:
Friday, 31 Jan, 2025, 9pm doors / 10pm show
Sala Trinchera, C/ Parauta 25, Malaga
Tix: €15 adv / €20 door (16+ only)
The Finnish/Spanish group, The Spanish Castle, will perform with electric and moving blues rock in their show Still Got The Blues. The night is a tribute to the great blues guitar legend Gary Moore. The band will perform a selection of Moore’s best blues classics such as Still Got The Blues, Parisienne Walkways and Oh Pretty Woman in their fiery and funky style. The Spanish Castle is made up of Malaga bassist Cañon and Venezuelan drummer Marcos Hostos along with a Finnish guitar prodigy, Antti Kajander.
Info & tix sales: https://salatrinchera.com/tributo-gary-moore/
Video Link

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Concert- Los Secretos: Two Shows
Sat, 8 Feb, 8pm & Sun, 9 Feb, 7pm
Teatro Cervantes, Calle Ramos Marín, Málaga 29012
Info & tix: https://www.teatrocervantes.com/es/genero/teatro/42-festival-de-teatro/a-tu-lado-un-musical-con-los-secretos-1796 & Video Link

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Concert- El Drogas: Valentines Day, Fri 14 Feb.
La Trinchera, C/ Parauta, 25, Málaga. Show at 9:30pm
Info & tix: https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/agendaculturaldeandalucia/evento/el-drogas-concierto-en-la-trinchera


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Lux Mundi Ecumenical Centre:
Torre del Mar, Av. Moscatel 1”I”, 29740 Torre del Mar (Jardines Viña Malága / Antigua Casa de la Viña)
Hours: Wednesday & Friday 10.00 – 13.00.
Info tel. 952 543 334
*** February/March events & excursions***
– Spanish. Wednesday and Friday 10.00 – 13.00.
– Wednesdays– Art group, with the crochet & craft group 10.00 – 13.00.
– Shop Wednesdays and Fridays 10.00 – 13.00.
– Every Thursday Spanglish. – Conversation between Spanish and English 16.30 -17.30.
– Every Friday Conversation group 10.00 – 11.00.
– Every FridayCoffee Morning 10.00- 13.00.
– Every SaturdayEnglish Catholic Mass 16.00.
– Monday 10thMonday Club 11.00 – 1.30.
– Thursday 20thExcursion Salobreña Castle and Rum Factory.
– Friday 21stTaizé Prayer for Unity, St Andrés Church Torre del Mar. After Mass
– Friday 28thCentre closed Dia de Andalucia.
– Thursday 6th MarchExcursion Almond Blossom in the Alpujarras.

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Services Wanted/Offered

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COMPARE FUNERALS

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 ; Comparefuneral.org
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.

 

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

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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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For Sale, 3 items:
– Set of 6 whisky glasses and a decanter, with pewter decorations, 10 Euros.
– Pair of light grey slippers, size 43-44, still with price tag, 8 Euros.
– Pair of beige slippers, never worn, size 44, 7 Euros.
Jill, Algarrobo, 695463385. Can meet in Caleta de Velez.

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For Sale: 50 standard white plastic chairs.
€50. Buyer collects.
Contact Nick, Nerja: nickalistair97@gmail.com 

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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.
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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 DGT confirms that it will not renew, or may limit, the driving license of people who consume these medications or have certain medical conditions including cancer & insulin-dependent diabetes: {Translation} Note: This article details what the DGT has the ability to do in response to health reports, not necessarily what they will do. Individual applicants are assessed, and appropriate limits are applied.
– In Spain, almost 28 million people have some kind of driving license and most of them correspond to type B, which enables them to drive vehicles of a maximum of 3,500 kilograms and that do not exceed 8 passengers. It is not strange for most of them that, every ten years, they have to go to Traffic to renew it (every five years in the case of those who are over 65) and, for this, they have to pass a medical examination that accredits them to continue driving.
– Driving with a license that has already expired and that has not yet been renewed means a fine of 200 euros that can go up to 6,000. Therefore, and before the date arrives, those who who are up for renewal should go to any approved Driver Recognition Center to take the tests and, upon payment, get the document proving that the physical and mental conditions are optimal to continue on the road.
– However, the Dirección General de Tráfico has confirmed that for this 2025 there are a series of medicines that, if we are taking a series of medicines as a consequence of different diseases, this renewal may never come.
**Diseases that limit the renewal of the driver’s license**
– In order to avoid future traffic accidents, the DGT establishes a series of diseases that prohibit driving if a person suffers from them. There are nine categories, the first of them being respiratory: from ‘sleep apnea’, which allows a renewal but only for three years, to ‘permanent dyspnea at rest’, which directly prohibits the renewal.
– Another case is digestive diseases, from a kidney transplant, which requires a minimum of six months delay from the date of the operation, to a nephropathy with dialysis, which does open the possibility of a limited renewal. Among neurological diseases, a recent loss of consciousness may make it impossible to renew the permit. In addition, epilepsy can limit the date, as well as a transient ischemic accident, which allows a one-year extension provided that there is a favorable medical report.
– With regard to vascular diseases, it limits the renewal to a maximum of 2 years, provided that more than 6 months have passed since any operation; furthermore, an aneurysm opens the door to an extension of the temporary license, provided that there is no danger of blood vessel rupture.
– There are also limitations with oncological ailments or oncohaematic disorders: the individual must be free of any ailment or treatment in order to renew the permit.
– There is also a list of psychiatric disorders that block driving, such as dementia, anxiety disorder, TDH, depression, sleep disorder, OCD or dependence on alcohol or any other drug.
– Finally, there are different disabling endocrine conditions, such as hypothyroidism or insulin-dependent diabetes that may limit renewal. I    ncluded are cardiac diseases such as arrhythmias, heart attacks or carrying pacemakers and defibrillators, as well as degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, arthritis or muscular dystrophy.
**DGT and medicines**
– But illness is not the only reason why the DGT can refuse to extend the validity of a driver’s license, there are a number of medications that are prohibitive. Some examples are insulin for diabetes, as well as specific psychiatric treatments that are not accompanied by a medical certificate. The third example is medication for sleep apnea, which Traffic requires to be accompanied by a favorable report certifying that the treatment is effective.
**Report on diseases and driving**
– The General Directorate of Traffic’s reason for establishing these limitations lies in the fact that there are several studies that have shown that the risk of suffering an accident on the road increases when drivers suffer from any of the above diseases. “The risk of committing an infraction or suffering an accident of an elderly person with dementia in its early stages is 2.5 to 8 times higher than people without impairment,” notes the Traffic agency itself in its magazine.
Source, Spanish: https://www.cope.es/trafico/noticias/dgt-confirma-renovara-carnet-conducir-personas-consuman-medicamentos-20250121_3081190.html

ANDALUCÍA

The Junta de Andalucía seals 500 illegal plots and buildings on rural land in one year: {Translation}
– In one year 500 plots and illegal constructions that were being executed on rural land have been sealed, 20% more than the previous year. This is the result of the inspection campaign carried out by the Regional Ministry of Development during the last year in which, according to the data presented to the Governing Council, a record number of inspections has been carried out, reaching 2,149. A total of 546 proceedings were opened on these plots.
– The plan of inspections against illegal urban constructions on rural land incorporated in 2019 the possibility of carrying out “seals” (precintos), a tool that has been consolidated over the years to stop illegal constructions that have begun to develop. Thus, 497 have been reached this year, a total of 130 more than last year. These actions, according to information released by the Junta de Andalucía, have stopped the construction of about 500 illegal homes on rural land and have contributed to stop future projects in adjacent plots.
– In collaboration with the Prosecutor’s Office, during the past year 144 expert reports were also issued with crimes on land use and urban planning at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office or the criminal jurisdiction and meetings have been held with the Network of Prosecutors of Environment and Urban Planning of Andalusia or with representatives of the Notarial Association of Andalusia. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/espana/andalucia/junta-andalucia-precinta-500-parcelas-edificaciones-ilegales-20250121140947-nts.html 

MALAGA CITY

They find the dead body of an American tourist in a looted apartment in Malaga: {Translation}
– Agents of the National Police have found Tuesday the lifeless body of a man inside a building located in the center of Malaga capital. As confirmed to ABC, the homicide group has taken charge of the investigation.
– It is a tourist of about 80 years old and American nationality who had a blow to the head. In addition, his belongings had been stolen. The victim, who arrived in Malaga this Monday to spend a few days on vacation, had booked the tourist apartment located in the area of ​​Carretería Street.
Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1859293/la-policia-investiga-la-muerte-de-un-hombre-en-un-piso-del-centro-de-malaga/ 

ALGARROBO

Algarrobo and Mezquitilla prepare for a Carnival full of new features: {Translation, summary}
– On Sunday, February 9 in Algarrobo town and Sunday, February 16 in Mezquitilla.
– It starts at 11:30 a.m. in both municipalities.
– The Carnival of Algarrobo village will start on February 9 with a parade from the municipal tent, accompanied by the charanga Sí o Ké, animations and decorated floats with the collaboration of the AMPA Santa Ana. After the parade, the tent will host musical theater performances by Lorena Diaz and themed workshops for children.
– The Mezquitilla Carnival, meanwhile, will be held on February 16 with a route that will start from the school Enrique Ramos Ramos, through the promenade to the pergola, where the activities will take place. “We have prepared a carnival similar to that of Algarrobo, but with some differences in the sketches and performances, so that those who attend both can enjoy different content,” explained the councilman. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/algarrobo-y-mezquitilla-se-preparan-para-un-carnaval-lleno-de-novedades/ 

USA

Trump orders US exit from World Health Organization:
– The United States will leave the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S. that were disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China.
– “World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said at the signing of an executive order on the withdrawal, shortly after his inauguration to a second term.
– The WHO said on Tuesday that it regretted the move from its top donor country. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-executive-withdrawing-world-health-organization-2025-01-21/ 

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Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement – again:
– President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies.
– Trump’s action, hours after he was sworn in to a second term, echoed his directive in 2017, when he announced that the U.S. would abandon the global Paris accord. The pact is aimed at limiting long-term global warming. Trump’s order says the Paris accord is among a number of international agreements that don’t reflect U.S. values and “steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.” Full article: https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-788907bb89fe307a964be757313cdfb0 

HEALTH

72 hours waiting to be seen! Malaga hospital emergency room “collapse” situation denounced: {Translation summary, full translated article link below}
– The unions have denounced what they consider to be a situation of “collapse” that they claim is being experienced in the Emergency Department of the Hospital Virgen de la Victoria in the capital of Malaga. This is in addition to similar waiting times in other health centers.
– Thus, in a letter signed by the union representatives of CCOO, CSIF, FTPS, SATSE, SMA and UGT in the Personnel Board of the Malaga Clinic, they have denounced that the situation in this hospital center “is unsustainable” and is not a “one-off” as management claims. In the opinion of the workers, the hospital management “cannot and should not continue to normalize the overload of the emergency service”, with “repeated episodes of real chaos” using the excuse that “it is a one-off situation, since it is not true”.
– Thus, they have pointed out that “it cannot be justified in any way that the lack of foresight is causing that today (Tuesday), for example, 45 patients are pending admission overloading the observation area, exam facilities and the polyclinic, being necessary to use seven extra stretchers in the observation area, occupied by elderly patients and with critical pathology, and 15 extra stretchers in the polyclinic area, all of them without enough staff for their care”.
– Thus, the union representatives state in their letter that “patients have to wait more than 72 hours to be admitted, given that the waiting areas, enabled to alleviate this situation, are usually saturated”. In addition, they point out that “to make matters worse, in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), there are six beds inoperative due to a lack of nursing staff”.
– Finally, the workers state that “the repetition over time of these situations in an already overloaded emergency department cannot be considered a one-off or temporary problem, and they consider that when asked ‘where is the problem?’, the answer is that ‘the human and organizational resources are very deficient’.
Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/1859277/denuncian-situacion-de-colapso-en-las-urgencias-hospitalarias-de-malaga/
Full article with more info, in English on Google Translate: Article Link 

SPORTS

Australian Open Update- See full results here: https://ausopen.com/results#!All

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Djokovic beats Alcaraz in Australian Open classic, reaches SFs for 12th time:
– Novak Djokovic produced a statement quarter-final win in the early hours of Wednesday morning at the Australian Open, where he overcame rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a three-hour, 37-minute display to remind everyone he is one of the men to beat in Melbourne. Photo: Peter Staples.
Full article: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/alcaraz-djokovic-australian-open-2025-tuesday 

OTHER

DAVOS Update- Spain sends Sanchez + 4 other ministers to World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting of industry & political leader globalists:
– The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will travel this Wednesday to the Swiss city of Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, where he will defend the Spanish economic model and, at the same time, will express his concern about the rise of what he calls “reactionary internationalism” and the weakening of democracies. The Spanish president will participate in multiple panels and will meet with international and Spanish businessmen, in addition to bilateral meetings with other leaders.
– According to government sources, Sánchez will emphasize in his speeches and meetings the importance of multilateralism in tackling global problems and, in this regard, he will hold a meeting with the president of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. He will also hold two other bilateral meetings in this 55th edition of the forum: with the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, in the midst of the Panama Canal threats of Donald Trump, to control the canal, and with the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, with whom he will also address the future of the country and how the arrival of the new US president, who has promised to quickly end the conflict, may affect it.
– As happens in this type of forum, the President of the Government will have the opportunity to discuss behind closed doors with the Spanish CEOs and senior executives attending Davos, among whom the Government does not know if the new Chairman of Telefónica, Marc Murtra, will be present, because it is up to the company to decide whether or not he will attend. Likewise, he will also meet with international companies such as the Abudabi Mubadala, with the head of which he will have a meeting.
– As for another of the three objectives that Spain has in this forum, Sanchez will maintain the call he has made to Europe to rebel against what he has called the “technocast” (in reference to the heads of Silicon Valley companies that have positioned themselves in favor of Trump) and its power to control public debate and government action throughout the West. The same sources have pointed out that this positioning is compatible with promoting the investment of technology companies in Spain because they are two issues that are on different levels and it is not contradictory. {These sources obviously do not understand the tech industry. The big boys call the shots because they control all the resources the smaller players rely on: the mass data centers, the “cloud”, the app stores & the Internet infrastructure. Avoiding the “technocast” while promoting technology companies is just not possible when everything relies on the “technocast” to function. -Ed.}
– According to these same sources, the Executive is not against technological development or artificial intelligence and these companies create jobs and wealth, but it is in favor of regulation, compliance with European standards and that these companies are transparent and put a stop to hoaxes and disinformation. In addition, the Government is concerned about the concentration of financial and political power by the “technocast” and the high capacity they have for information dissemination in social networks.
– In any case, the program of interventions and meetings that Sánchez will have these days is in line with the main risks faced by the international community and highlighted in the report presented by the forum itself: disinformation, extreme climate phenomena and armed conflicts. The latter is a problem that has risen in the ranking of concerns in the latest report of the Davos Forum.
– Although the head of the Spanish Executive will travel this Tuesday and will have a dinner without media coverage with the rest of the heads of government and members of the forum, his three official acts will be on Wednesday. In the morning, he will take part in the round table “Health and Prosperity through Prevention”, where he will analyze the coordination of efforts to further implement the use of cutting-edge technologies and data to improve public health. Later in the afternoon, he will make his customary address to the Forum plenary, followed by an event on “The State of Climate and Nature”.
– The representation of the Spanish Government in Davos, apart from the President, also includes the Third Vice-President and Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen; the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo; Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; and the Minister of Digital Transformation, Óscar López. This 55th edition of the forum, which began on Monday and ends next Friday, January 24, is expected to be attended by 2,800 senior social, political and economic leaders, including 60 heads of state and government. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5674193/0/sanchez-reivindicara-modelo-economico-espanol-davos-donde-se-centrara-alertar-contra-internacional-reaccionaria/ 

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Fun & Games

National Geographic Photo of the Day: Click Here
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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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DigameXtra No. 2932 Tuesday, January 21st, 2025

 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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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

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 133 (2.7%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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Very Special Concerts with limited seating- Rincón Treasure Cave Music Festival 2025: Fridays, February 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 8:30 p.m.
– 7th. Mariola Cantarero {Video Link}
– 14th. Ginés González
– 21st. Erika Leiva
– 28th. Muchopelo (on Andalucia Day holiday)
Each show has limited capacity of 80 spectators.
All concerts will be priced at 10 euros per seat. Tickets can be purchased starting Tuesday, January 21 at 12:00 noon on this website: https://entradas.turismoenrincon.es/ (two ticket max).
For more information about the festival, please contact the following telephone number: 952406162.


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Concerts- Richard Ray Farrell, Authentic American Blues:
– Sat, Feb 08, 2025, 7:00 PM. Casa de la Cultura- Almuñécar
Solo acoustic. €15. Phone 642108494. C/ Prta de Granada, 19, 18690 Almuñécar.
Ticket office opens 1 hour prior to show. Info: https://www.richardrayfarrell.com/concerts & 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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ARCHGROVE TRANSPORT SERVICES

Archgrove Services: A family run light haulage/transport company with bases in Archez, Spain and Cambridgeshire.
We are part of the ADH Storage and Transportation company and as such have storage available in Competa and Puente Don Manuel. Very reasonable rates.
We provide a one stop service for all your transport needs and pride ourselves on reliability, flexibility, good communication and a very much ‘can do’ approach. No job is too small and there is always a solution.
Our services include:
-Regular runs between UK and Spain
-Transport of personal property from full house moves to small single items
-Man & Van services
-Packing, including supply of packing materials
-UK Home shopping with UK delivery address
-Storage of property and vehicles in Spain
If we can be of service please contact Gail. We are on Facebook and always available to chat through your needs and provide a free no obligation quote if required.  
UK: 0044 7846672013
Spain: 0034 951 066 093
Email: archgroveservices@gmail.com ; FB Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday. 

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SPW CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

SPW Construction Services: Professional high quality building service, fully qualified tradesmen to all trades.
Extensions, retaining walls, driveways, swimming pools, damp problems, roofs, blocked drains.
Replacement kitchens and bathrooms, Tiling and terraces. Plumbing, electrics and plastering, painting.
Architect service, building licence applications.
Handyman service now available for those smaller jobs.
Water Deposit Installations: Due to the ongoing drought and current water restrictions SPW Construction are currently offering the following service.
– Supply and installation of new above or below ground water deposits. 1000 litres up to 25000 litres. Delivered and installed, all relevant plumbing. All work warrantied.
– We can also advise you or help to organise water deliveries from local suppliers.
Selling Your House? SPW Construction can offer you a bespoke package to prepare your house for sale.
Through our extensive relationships with Agents, buyers and sellers we understand what is required to present your home to potential purchasers.
Interior & Exterior decoration / Replacement bathrooms and Kitchens
Pool Reforms / Garden tidy
DAFO Compliance, septic tanks, solar installations, etc.
Roof checks / Damp proofing
For free consultation and estimate contact us on 622938440
or email: scottparkwilson AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk
Scott/Arenas. Home Page and FB-Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday.

   

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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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For Sale: KTM Macina Tour 10 P5 Electric Bike.
Top of the range made in Austria electric bike with Bosch performance motor. Date of manufacture 2017. Purchased in 2018 for €2630 but used less than 12 times since so the bike is in perfect condition. Comes with security chain & panier bags. We have all of the original paperwork. Price €1199 or near offer. Contact Brian, Competa, 685713221 or
email: brpilot99@yahoo dot com 

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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!: 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 standard butane cylinder increases by 0.18% starting tomorrow- up to 16.64 euros: {Translation, summary}
– The maximum price of the butane cylinder will rise by 0.18% starting tomorrow, Tuesday, and will stand at 16.64 euros, due to the slight increase of 0.43% in raw materials and freight (+1.18%) and also to the depreciation of the euro against the dollar (-4.1%), as published this Monday by the BOE. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1858815/la-bombona-de-butano-sube-un-018-a-partir-de-manana-hasta-los-1664-euros/

ANDALUCÍA

The purchase and sale of homes in Andalusia, although slowing down, rose 3.5% in November: {Translation, summary}
– The sale and purchase of homes in Andalusia has grown by 3.5% in November compared to the same month last year. This is compared to a rise of 15.03% nationally. The 10,288 Andalusian November home sales and purchases represent the fourth best figure for this index in a month of November in the region in the historical series.
– Of the sales transactions recorded in November in Andalusia, 9,445 were made on free housing and 843 on social housing. According to the age of the properties, 2,827 transactions corresponded to new homes, and 7,461 were related to used buildings.
– In November, a total of 16,250 transactions were carried out on homes. In addition to the 10,288 sales and purchases, 3,089 were inheritances, 354 donations and 22 exchanges.
– In total, during November, 26,328 urban properties were transferred in Andalusia through 16,663 sales and purchases, 4,451 inheritances, 545 donations, 46 exchanges and 4,623 transactions of other types.
– Likewise, 4,872 rural property transfers were carried out, including 1,866 inheritances, 2,089 sales and purchases, 157 donations, 31 exchanges and 729 other types of transactions.
Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1858834/la-compraventa-de-viviendas-en-andalucia-aunque-se-ralentiza-sube-un-35-en-noviembre/

AXARQUÍA

Axarquía desalination plants in limbo, estimated to begin operation no sooner than 2029: {Translation, summary}
– The future desalination plant is planned in the area of Las Campiñuelas {pic}, in Velez-Malaga, at the height of the half-link of the Mediterranean Highway A-7, in Caleta, next to the Seco river, and will require a public investment initially estimated at one hundred million euros, to be returned, of course, by the users through a fee in the decades after its inauguration, which is not expected before 2029. The new Central Board of Users of the Eastern Costa del Sol-Axarquia will be the sole user of the facility.
– Regarding deadlines, it is expected that the technical consulting company that is preparing the basic project will deliver it to the Board and this, in turn, to the Ministry for Ecological Transition, for next spring. Although the last date announced was February, it is now estimated that this deadline will be extended by a few weeks, as reported to SUR by the spokesman of the Central Board of Users of the Axarquia, the lawyer Jaime Zaldúa, which brings together a score of irrigation communities, totaling 2,500 hectares, on the left bank of the Guaro Plan. “The project is moving forward, not without difficulties, but at least we see that there is real will on the part of those involved, we have no other choice,” said Jaime Zaldúa, Spokesman of the Central Board of Users of Axarquia.
– The public desalination plant projected in Velez-Malaga will have an initially planned capacity of 25 cubic hectometres per year, half of which will be for irrigation and the other half for supplying the population.
– This public project is different from the initiative of a private desalination plant promoted by the Junta since 2022. In this case, the regional administration has not yet clarified whether it will continue with the administrative procedure to award the concession to one of the two remaining bidders, Magtel and Acciona, after the proposal of Trops and the Cobra Group was withdrawn. Last March, the then Minister of Agriculture and now PP MEP, Carmen Crespo, during a visit to the La Viñuela reservoir, assured that “no appeal can be ruled out”. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/axarquia-une-fuerzas-conseguir-desaladora-20250119130407-nt_amp.html

MALAGA PROVINCE

Almost one in five cheap apartments for sale in Malaga are squatted: {Translation, summary}
– “Malaga capital, Nuevo San Andres-Dos Hermanas area, very important! This announcement is solely and exclusively for investors in occupied properties. The asset is with inquiokupa, rental contract in force but with debt, and therefore is not mortgageable. Only for purchase with own funds. Viewings are not possible”. This is an example of an increasingly common advertisement on real estate websites.
– Idealista, which is one of the most widely used portals, has just implemented a new label, aimed at improving user information and avoiding frustration when faced with an alleged bargain.
– Underneath the price and square meters, now in many ads appears the legend: “Illegally occupied”. SUR has counted, one by one, the property ads that can be considered affordable for a majority, of less than 200,000 euros, in the province. And the figures are striking to say the least. Especially in Malaga City, where 589 ads of this type appear. Of these, 107 are squatted, which represents 18.2%.
– In other words, almost one out of every five apartments of this price in the city is sold with illegal dwellers. This situation is not exclusive to certain neighborhoods (although it is more common in areas such as Palma-Palmilla, San Andrés, Dos Hermanas and Trinidad); but it is widespread in practically all districts.
– When the scope of the study is extended to the whole province, the figure is much smaller: out of 5,678 ads, 225 are squatted, which is 4%. Furthermore, the crossing of the two figures shows that half of the apartments for sale with illegal dwellers are in the city of Malaga. Behind this, Velez-Malaga, Mijas, Manilva and Fuengirola stand out, although there are cases in 24 of the 103 municipalities, even in small towns in the interior.
– The study is biased, since it is based on the total number of ads, and in many cases several real estate agencies offer the same property for sale. But it gives an idea of the scope of this problem and its repercussions on the real estate market, since these assets are not within the reach of most private citizens looking for a home, as they cannot be mortgaged, but are bought in cash. Their clients are mainly professional investors, who take advantage of average discounts of 30%, in exchange for assuming this circumstance.
– Among real estate agencies, the proliferation of properties for sale with squatters is an open secret. So much so, that they admit that the offer of this type is greater than what is advertised, since many are not offered openly on the Internet for image reasons.
– As for the profile of the dwellers of these houses, they are usually “specialists, who are very prepared”: “They squat them so that someone comes and offers them money to leave, so are almost all cases, depending on the value of the house they get more or less money”. The payment is processed legally, and is made as compensation for recovery of possession. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga-capital/cinco-pisos-baratos-venta-malaga-okupados-20250117180316-nt_amp.html

UK

Teenager changes plea, admits ‘unspeakable’ murders of three girls, ages 6, 7 & 9, in Southport:
– A British teenager on Monday pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event last July, one of Britain’s most shocking crimes this century that was followed by days of nationwide rioting.
– On what was due to be the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Axel Rudakubana, 18, surprised the judge, prosecutors and police by changing his pleas to guilty and admitting he carried out the killings in the northern English town of Southport last July. He also pleaded guilty to 10 charges of attempted murder relating to the attack, as well as to producing the deadly poison ricin and the possession of an al Qaeda training manual.
– “It is clear that this was a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence. He has shown no signs of remorse,” said Ursula Doyle from Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service. “This was an unspeakable attack, one which has left an enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness.”
– Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the incident, initially refused to speak when asked to confirm his name on Monday, as he had at all previous hearings which meant that “not guilty” pleas had been entered on his behalf in December. But, after consulting with his lawyer, he confirmed he wished to change those pleas. He admitted murdering Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, who were at an event being held for children in the summer vacation.
– Doyle said he had carried out a “meticulously planned rampage” as the carefree, innocent children enjoyed a dance workshop and made friendship bracelets, turning it into a “scene of the darkest horror”.
– Judge Julian Goose said he would sentence Rudakubana on Thursday and that a life jail term was inevitable.
– British-born Rudakubana was arrested shortly after the attack. The Guardian reported that Rudakubana, the son of devout Christians who had moved to Britain from Rwanda, had been referred three times to Prevent, the government scheme that aims to counter radicalisation. But it was assessed that, while his behaviour was a concern, he was not judged to be a terrorism risk, the paper said.
Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-teenager-changes-pleas-guilty-over-murder-southport-girls-2025-01-20/

USA

The next Trump era begins- “I was saved by God to make America great again” he said at Inauguration Speech:
– “I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of success, sunlight is pouring over the entire world and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before,” said Trump.
– Trump also took a moment to speak on the shocking assassination attempts against him. “They’ve tried to take my freedom and take my life, just a few months ago in a beautiful Pennsylvania field. An assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear,” he recalled. “What I felt then and even more now, my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.”
– “For American citizens, January 20, 2025, is liberation day.”
Full article: https://okmagazine.com/p/donald-trump-declares-saved-by-god-assassination-attempts-inauguration/

HEALTH

Almost 700 complaints to the Patient Ombudsman for alleged cases of medical malpractice in Malaga in 2024: {Translation}
– The Patient Ombudsman received 689 complaints last year for alleged cases of medical malpractice in Malaga, almost half a hundred more than in the previous year (640). This is the second province of Andalusia, only behind Seville, which raised more complaints and claims to this association, according to data from its latest report, made public on Monday.
– Thus, according to the report, the main reasons for the claims have been the waiting lists, a problem in which the Andalusian community is at the head of the national ranking. According to statements made to SUR by the organization’s lawyer and expert in healthcare law, Damián Vázquez, the delay “has shot up and has no solution”.
– In this sense, he points out that by the time many patients receive the diagnosis or are going to undergo surgery, it is already too late. The average waiting time for surgery in Andalusia is 169 days, according to the Patient Ombudsman. Precisely, general surgery is the second reason for which the entity has received the most complaints in Andalusia.
– Emergency room saturation is another of the entrenched problems in healthcare, both at provincial and regional level. In this regard, the organization emphasizes the need for more professionals to provide adequate care to patients, since a large part of the diagnostic errors or malpractice is directly related to the overload faced by healthcare professionals.
– In terms of complaints received, this is followed by cases of alleged malpractice in the area of traumatology and, in fifth place, in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. While 689 complaints were submitted to the Patient Ombudsman in Malaga, in Andalusia as a whole there were 2,509 cases.
– As far as hospitals are concerned, the first with the most complaints in the community is the Hospital Virgen Universitario de Sevilla, followed in second place by the Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga. The fourth with the most complaints for alleged malpractice is the Clínico, also in the capital of Malaga.
– According to the entity, last year there were 131 cases of people who had died as a result of alleged medical malpractice in the Andalusian community, some of these cases occurring in Malaga. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga/700-quejas-defensor-paciente-presuntos-casos-malas-praxis-malaga-20250120132826-nt.html

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No more medical confidentiality- Andalucia joins EU-wide AI network to share patient info and even your genomes: {Translation}
– Andalusia has participated in the creation of the International Network of Artificial Intelligence in Health Sciences (AI-LIFE), a structure that was created with the aim of applying knowledge in this field and bioinformatics to areas related to health sciences in general, with a “marked” focus on training and mentoring students.
– This has been explained in a note by the Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, which refers that the creation of AI-LIFE aims to promote research, training and international collaborations in the field of artificial intelligence applied to life sciences. As detailed by the department, the development of machine learning techniques and bioinformatics processing makes it possible to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases and facilitates the implementation of personalized medicine.
– In fact, the activity of the Andalusian Computational Medicine Platform, directed by Joaquín Dopazo, one of the founding members of AI-LIFE together with other renowned professionals from Germany, Israel and Belgium, is focused on this field. This platform of the Progreso y Salud Foundation, an entity dependent on the Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, has four lines of work focused for this purpose.
– On the one hand, advanced genomic analysis for diagnosis, an activity that focuses on investigating patients’ genomes in search of new disease-causing mutations. On the other hand, the scientists of this platform also carry out epidemiological surveillance work by analyzing the genomic data of viruses and monitoring them to control both their circulation and the appearance of new variants, as well as controlling the spread of resistance genes to antimicrobial treatments.
– Another line of activity of this research platform is focused on generating evidence through the analysis of real world data (RWD), which are all those related to the health of patients and the provision of healthcare services that are collected routinely and from different sources of information, such as electronic medical records, medication records or health information from mobile devices, among others.
– Finally, the researchers of this platform maintain a transversal line of work that involves the development of computer applications to optimize the management of genomic data so that “clinical professionals can apply it to patients”. In this sense, they have created several population databases of different pathologies in Spain that can be used to identify the most common variants of the diseases. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/andalucia/andalucia-participa-creacion-red-internacional-inteligencia-artificial-ciencias-salud-20250119131656-nt_amp.html

SPORTS

Australian Open Update- See full results here: https://ausopen.com/results#!All

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Humour Section

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

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Click here to see updated quotes & more currencies

Last updated Jan 20, 2025, 18:37 UTC

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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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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Home Page – Based in Torrox Costa, near the bus station.

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DigameXtra No. 2931 Monday, January 20th, 2025

 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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*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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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

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 131 (2.6%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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PHOENIX CLUB

Phoenix Club: The Phoenix Social Club is open to all nationalities but the lingua franca is English.
We offer an opportunity to make friends, help each other & share information but primarily to have fun in a friendly and inclusive association. You do not have to be a member to join us on our trips.
Our handmade greetings cards are for sale weekly with all proceeds to the Red Cross. We would be happy to accept any greeting cards you may have to re-make into fantastic cards.
We meet every Thursday between 12 and 2 pm at Chine in Caleta, just off the coast road to/from Algarrobo.
***Trips/Events***
~ All trips/events include a driver’s gratuity ~
February
– 4th – Trip to Gib €20pp
– 21st – A visit to Estepona Market and Orchid House
March
– 4th – Trip to Gib €20pp
– 21st – Trip to IKEA and Guzmans Garden Centre
For information call Gail on 951067723 / 626370695 (Whatsapp) email phoenixsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk check out our FB page.
We are DigameXtra sponsors and our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section. 

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Dimensión Desconocida Trio: Fri, 24 Jan, 8pm
Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja, Calle Granada, Nerja
Dana Andrews on vocals, Gianni Piras on acoustic guitar, & Manuel Rodríguez on flamenco guitar. Special guest: Kali Parkin, double bass. They offer a repertoire that alternates moments of great rhythm with others that are more introspective, with the warm notes of the bolero. A guitar with a lot of rhythm and swing, like few others, presents the ideal base for an improvisation of a guitar that expresses the colors of flamenco, of gypsy jazz, all enriched by the soft but incisive voice used as an instrument by Dana Andrews. A unique opportunity to enjoy these musicians that take us to an unknown dimension.
Ticket 15€ online: giglon.com/evento/dana-andrews-nerja
or at the Centro cultural: 952523863 

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Free Concert at the Museum of Malaga: Sun, 26 Jan, noon
Busker String Quartet will perform the Bridgit & Gwydion Trilogy and the Ciorcal Suite. Free entry but get there early (say 11am) to be sure of a seat. Full info: https://www.museosdeandalucia.es/web/… & 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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HANNINGTONS KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

Hanningtons Kitchens and Bathrooms: We have been installing kitchens and bathrooms here on the Costa for 13 years. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, highest standards of work and customer service.
Whether you are thinking of updating an existing kitchen or bathroom, or whether you wish to create the kitchen or bathroom you have always dreamed of, we are here for you, every step of the way.
With an unrivaled knowledge of the best local materials and suppliers we are able to work to all tastes and budgets.
Our full range of services includes:
– Installations and Refurbs
– Wall & Floor tiling
– Full range of Plumbing work including radiators and underfloor heating
– Solar Installation
– Design & planning ideas to get the look you are after
– Electrical works
– Alter / Install walls, dropped ceilings and hang doors
– Plastering, woodwork and floor levelling
Visit our FB page on the link below to be inspired
https://www.facebook.com/hanningtons.kitchens.and.bathrooms/
Call us : 669 665 156
Email us: hanningtons.bathrooms@gmail.com ; Our contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue. 

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MANDY’S PAINTBOX

Mandy’s Paintbox: Painter for 30 years in Nerja area. 
Painting work undertaken. Inside and outside, large or small. Furniture painted or sprayed. Kitchens, cabinets, wardrobes doors any colour any surface. Check out the before and after photos, all the furniture was spray painted. Call for advice. WhatsApp 680739577
Email: josiahamanda@gmail.com
My contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue. Here are “before” (left) and “after” (right) pics from my latest job.

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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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BluCee Real Estate:
*Are you thinking of selling?*
At BluCee Real Estate we use many different tools to demonstrate and promote our properties. Photographs, videos, drone footage, 360⁰ tours, targeted advertising, property exhibitions to name a few. We don’t sit and wait for buyers, we actively search for them.
Please contact us to find out what we will do to actively promote your property for sale.
We have a few places available on our artwork for our next property exhibition in Manchester. Contact us now to secure a place for YOUR property.
Nearly forgot to mention, our service might sound expensive but we are not! Our sales commissions are very competitive compared to other real estate companies.
Please contact us for a free valuation or more for information:
Website: http://www.blucee.com/ : Email: info@blucee.com 
Whatsapp 0034 711 04 27 27 / Office 0034 951 553 890
Or you can come into our office and speak to us in person at Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar, 29738, Málaga.
We look forward to helping you.
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day. 

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Great Deals From Upcycling Nerja:
– Solid pine corner unit Natural wood ( waxed ) Bronze handles Measurements Height 204cms Width 54cms Each side into corner 75cms Price 175€
– Castillan bedside tables Replacement tops Natural wood ( waxed ) Bronze handles Grey colors Measurements 45 x 30 x 50cms Price 110€ ( for the pair )
– Castillan chest of drawers Grey color New Bronze handled Solid natural wood top ( waxed ) Measurements 83 x 38 x 82cms Price 140€
contact Jackie/nerja 672170429
upcycling nerja at gmail dot com 

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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!: 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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ANDALUCÍA

Pensioners who meet these requirements can now apply for aid to pay their rent in Andalusia: {Translation, summary}
– The Pension Supplement for Housing Rentals is aimed at those who receive a non-contributory retirement or disability pension; it seeks to guarantee greater economic stability for this vulnerable group.
***Requirements to qualify for aid- Applicants must meet a series of mandatory conditions to access the supplement*** Among the most notable requirements are:
– Habitual rental residence: The person must be the holder of the rental contract for the home, with a minimum duration of one year, and have resided there for the six months prior to the application.
– Link with the landlord: There must be no family or emotional relationship with the owner of the home, whether by blood, affinity, adoption or cohabitation.
– Real estate property: You cannot own any home.
– Recognized non-contributory pension: The applicant must be a beneficiary of a non-contributory retirement or disability pension both at the time of submitting the application and at the time of the resolution.
– Communication of changes: It is mandatory to report any change in personal or rental conditions that may influence the processing of the aid.
***Application process***
Interested parties can submit their application in two ways:
– In person: Going to the registration assistance offices of any public administration or post office. If the procedure is to be carried out in an office of the Junta de Andalucía, it is recommended to request an appointment to speed up the process. Locations link: https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/servicios/sede/tramites/oficinas-asistencia-registros.html
– Electronics: Through the digital platform enabled by the Junta de Andalucía. [ https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismos/inclusionsocialjuventudfamiliaseigualdad/servicios/procedimientos/detalle/6827.html#toc-novedades ]
– For those who do not have the necessary technological resources, Board offices offer assistance in person to complete the process digitally. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/espana/andalucia/pensionistas-cumplan-requisitos-pueden-solicitar-ayuda-pagar-20250118071603-nts.html

MALAGA PROVINCE

Change of weather in Malaga: {Translation, summary}
*Rain*
– After a few days without rain in the province, it is expected to return on Monday. Responsible for this new change of weather will be the Atlantic squall Garoé, which will leave widespread rainfall in much of the peninsula, although in the case of Malaga is expected to occur with somewhat less intensity.
– Thus, the rains are expected to reach the province from 14:00 on Monday, first in municipalities of the western Costa del Sol as Marbella and the capital, and after a couple of hours also in the rest of the territory. Expect a few showers that will increase in intensity, with possible isolated thunderstorms.
– Looking ahead to Tuesday, everything suggests that there could be a day of transition, with cloudy skies, but without precipitation.
– On Wednesday the rain is expected to begin to fall from 12:00 in the Serrania de Ronda, where an 80% probability is set, and then expand its influence throughout the province from 18:00. It is possible that heavy rain arrives the night of Wednesday to Thursday, and the situation continues during the first half of Thursday with a 65% probability of precipitation, and also overcast skies. The second half of Thursday, from 12:00 onwards, the showers will subside. From here, Meteorology does not see more rain until Saturday at 12:00 when they will reappear in the interior and the capital.
*Rise in temperatures*
– After a week marked by the cold, with special incidence in the interior, where municipalities such as Fuente de Piedra or Ronda have reached -4.1 degrees and -3.5 is expected that the thermometers will rise again from this Monday. Responsible for this rise will be the so-called “vientos ábregos” southwesterly winds, which are characterized as being humid carriers of rain.
– Its effects will begin to be felt on Monday, with temperatures around 15 degrees in Malaga and around 12 in the interior. On Tuesday the trend will continue to rise with up to 20 degrees maximum in the capital and 17 degrees in inland municipalities such as Ronda or Antequera, and between 12 and 9 minimum. For its part, on Wednesday the maximum will rise one point, reaching 21, in the capital and will remain the same in the rest of the territory, with respect to the minimum is expected to rise slightly to 15 in coastal areas, such as Velez-Malaga, and 12 in the interior. The values will continue to be maintained for the rest of the week, with ranges ranging between 18-21 and 6-11 degrees.
Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/cambio-tiempo-malaga-vuelven-lluvias-suben-temperaturas_0_2003168470.html

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The PP denounces that the Government will force more than 100,000 Malaga residents who collect unemployment or SMI to pay personal income tax: {Translation, summary}
– The national deputies for the PP of Malaga Mario Cortés and Gema Pérez {pic} have reproached the “endless collection eagerness” of the Government of Spain, by accusing them of forcing more than 100,000 people from Malaga who collect unemployment or the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI) to make the declaration and pay the Income Tax on Individuals (IRPF), something from which until now “both groups were exempt”.
– In this way, Perez has reproached the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, and the first vice president, Maria Jesus Montero, who “looks to squeeze those who have the least”, stressing that “it is the first time in this country that unemployed people who receive any benefit and the beneficiaries of the minimum wage are required to pay taxes”.
– Gema Pérez, who has criticized that the Government of Sánchez has raised “93 times” taxes and contributions, “with twelve hikes already applied so far in 2025”, has indicated that “all beneficiaries of unemployment benefits will be obliged to declare the IRPF, regardless of the amount received, from the Renta 2024 campaign, which is the one that must be presented this year”.
***The Threat To Comply***
– Thus, he warned of the “concern” that this procedure is generating among the unemployed themselves, pointing out that failure to file the declaration may mean the suspension of the right to receive unemployment benefits and limit access to tax deductions and exemptions.
– In short, said the national deputy for the PP of Malaga, “this is a new blow from this Government to the middle and working classes, those to whom Sánchez and Montero said they would never raise taxes.”
– Finally, the deputy has stressed that families and SMEs are facing the most difficult January slope in recent history by the “fiscal voracity” of the national executive and the “absence of strong measures” to alleviate inflation accumulated in recent years. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/pp-denuncia-gobierno-obligara-100_0_2003167937.html 

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TORROX

The Carnival arrives in Torrox on March 7 and 8 and at El Morche on the 15th of that same month: {Translation, summary}
– The Councillor for Festivals and Traditions of the City of Torrox, Salvador Escudero, has advanced this Friday the dates on which the carnival will be held in the municipality. It will be the first two weekends of March, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 in Torrox, and Saturday March 15 in El Morche.
– Escudero explained that on 7 and 8, the big tent installed in the Plaza de la Constitución will be the epicenter of the traditional acts of Carnival, with its corresponding gala, contests, performances, etc., while in the case of El Morche will be the following weekend when they will have their big tent and Carnival party. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/el-carnaval-llega-a-torrox-los-dias-7-y-8-de-marzo-y-a-el-morche-el-dia-15-de-ese-mismo-mes/ 

MIDDLE EAST

Ceasefire brings hope in Gaza, 3 Israeli hostages released:
– Palestinians burst into streets to celebrate and began returning to the rubble of bombed-out homes on Sunday after a ceasefire deal halted fighting in Gaza, while three female hostages freed by Hamas were reunited with their mothers inside Israel.
– The first phase of the truce in the 15-month-old war between Israel and Hamas took effect following a three-hour delay during which Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the Gaza Strip. That last-minute Israeli blitz killed 13 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel blamed Hamas for being late to deliver the names of hostages it would free, and said it had struck terrorists. Hamas said the holdup in providing the list was technical.
– The truce calls for fighting to stop, aid to be sent in to Gaza and 33 of nearly 100 Israeli and foreign hostages to go free over the six-week first phase in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
– For Hamas, the truce could provide an opportunity to emerge from the shadows after 15 months in hiding. Hamas policemen dressed in blue police uniform swiftly deployed in some areas. There is no detailed plan in place to govern Gaza after the war, much less rebuild it. Any return of Hamas will test the patience of Israel, which has said it will resume fighting unless the militant group is fully dismantled. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-ceasefire-hostage-release-set-begin-2025-01-19/ 

SPORTS

Australian Open Update- See full results here: https://ausopen.com/results#!All

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Tennis News- Injury brings an end to Alejandro Davidovich’s Australian Open hopes: {Translation, summary}
– Alejandro Davidovich’s Australian Open campaign ended in disappointment on Sunday as he lost 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 to Tommy Paul in the fourth round. The Malaga-born player was hampered by a hip injury sustained early in the match.
– Davidovich, ranked 59th, lost his balance during a rally in the fourth game, injuring his right psoas muscle. However, despite obvious discomfort and limited mobility, he chose to continue. Even though his coach, David Sánchez, consulted with him throughout the match from the courtside box, the Spaniard’s performance remained heavily restricted and Paul, ranked ninth, capitalised on Davidovich’s struggles, securing victory in just over 80 minutes.
– Davidovich, a four-time Grand Slam fourth-round participant, will undergo medical tests on Monday to assess his fitness for Spain’s upcoming Davis Cup match against Switzerland in Biel. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/sport/injury-brings-an-end-alejandro-davidovichs-australian-20250119194040-nt.html 

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Tennis News- Medvedev fined $76,000 for Melbourne misconduct:
– Daniil Medvedev has been fined a large chunk of his Australian Open prize money for unsportsmanlike conduct at the year’s opening Grand Slam, included a racket-smashing meltdown in the first round.
– The Russian, 28, whacked his racket into the net five times as his frustration boiled over during his opening victory against Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej on Tuesday.
– Medvedev later incurred a point penalty during his five-sets defeat in the second round by American Learner Tien late on Thursday after throwing his equipment toward the sideline. He then failed to attend the post-match news conference.
– The two incidents prompted the Grand Slam’s organisers to fine Medvedev a total of $76,000. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/medvedev-fined-76000-melbourne-misconduct-2025-01-19/ 

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Tennis News- Djokovic to face Alcaraz next, wants apology from Australian Open broadcaster who declared Novak “over-rated, a has-been” on a live broadcast:
– Novak Djokovic charged into the Australian Open quarter-finals and booked a mouth-watering encounter with Carlos Alcaraz before the Serb shifted the focus by snubbing the Grand Slam’s official broadcaster and slamming them for mocking him and his fans.
– Djokovic thumped Jiri Lehecka 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) to stay on course for a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th in Melbourne but the Serb was in no mood to discuss his chances as he declined an on-court interview and curtly thanked the crowd.
– He then took aim at official broadcaster Channel Nine, whose reporter Tony Jones had mocked him and his fans when they were out in force cheering the Serb two days earlier. “Novak he’s over-rated, Novak’s a has-been. Novak kick him out. Oh, I’m glad they can’t hear me,” Jones had said. Jones had already been taken to task by American Danielle Collins, who he called a “brat” for her on-court behaviour.
– Djokovic said he had not received a public apology from the broadcaster and would continue boycotting them until he does. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/sabalenka-puts-down-teen-challenge-reach-quarter-finals-2025-01-19/ 

SCAMS

Social Security alert about a scam that pretends to be them to request your DNI: {Translation}
{Note: I still receive emails from readers who include their DNI numbers and/or bank account numbers in the signature of all their emails. This is a very bad idea and should not be done. -Ed.}
– New alert from the Social Security about a scam that impersonates your identity. The General Treasury of the Social Security (TGSS) has warned in its social networks that there are many citizens who are receiving a letter at home with the logo of the Social Security and in which they are asked for the DNI alleging that “many of the data have been lost”. But nothing could be further from the truth.
– “If you receive it, ignore it! ️They intend to use your DNI to impersonate you and get loans that you will pay”, warns the TGSS. The scam letter requests details explaining that an increase in benefits and retirements is going to be made and asks for different documentation because they assure that the data has been lost “due to the computer attack on the Treasury and Social Security systems”. Among other things, it asks to send by e-mail (to an account that has nothing to do with the Social Security) a photo of the ID card on both sides, a photo of a bank statement where the person appears as the holder or authorized person and the last amount of what was collected the previous month.
– In addition, the letter details that benefits and pensions will be raised from 75 to 150 euros, depending on each case. This is not correct. For this reason, the Social Security has asked that these letters be ignored and that under no circumstances should any personal data be provided. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/economia/mibolsillo/alerta-seguridad-social-sobre-estafa-pedir-dni-datos-bancarios-20250119135249-nt.html 

TRAVEL

These three airports do not accept the digital boarding pass on mobile phones: {Translation, summary}
– Ryanair has pointed out that three of the countries in which they operate do not accept these digital cards, so it is necessary to carry the printed card. These are airfields in Türkiye (except Dalaman airport), Morocco, and Tirana (capital of Albania).
– Ryanair announces the measure on its website: “We accept mobile boarding passes for flights from most airports in our network. However, airports in some countries unfortunately still cannot accept mobile boarding passes. “Customers traveling from these airports must check in online and print a paper boarding pass for their flights.” Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sociedad/tarjeta-embarque-movil-cambios-ryanair-aeropuertos-20250109114725-nt.html

NATURE

Five Spanish animals that were close to extinction and are now out of danger: {Translation, summary}
– Grizzly bear. In the early 90s, there were less than 100 left, scattered throughout the Cantabrian mountain range and the Pyrenees. Today, however, the latest counts are around 400 copies, a figure that seems to be increasing from year to year, marking a hopeful trend. Its distribution area has grown and now covers the territories of Asturias, Cantabria, León, Palencia and Lugo, and specimens have been sighted in more remote places, such as Zamora and Ourense, and even Portugal. Although it is still considered an Endangered species, it has managed to get out of the Critically Endangered category.
– Iberian lynx. Without a doubt, the most striking case of the successes achieved by the joint work of private entities with the support of administrations. This feline, unique in the world, was close to extinction at the end of the 20th century, when there were just over 60 adults remaining. The figure rose to 648 in 2022 and today the total number, including adults and juveniles,exceeds 2,000 copies.
– Imperial eagle. In the 1970s, 39 breeding pairs remained in Spain and everything indicated that it was condemned to extinction. However, the efforts initiated in the following decade managed to stop this trend and later reverse it, to the point of currently having reached the 841 couples currently living in an ever-growing space
– Otter. This small animal, typical of Spanish rivers, was on the verge of extinction in the 70s, due to the pollution of river courses and the proliferation of canals, dams, reservoirs and other artificial barriers in their habitats. However, the slow but progressive recovery of water quality and other unexpected situations (such as the appearance of invasive species that serve as food) are increasing otter populations. According to the latest estimates, this species is now present in more than 55% of Spanish river basins.
– Quebrantahuesos (bearded vulture, pic below). This majestic bird, with an impressive wingspan and which is part of the vulture family, could no longer be seen in the Spanish skies in the 90s.In 1994 there were only 30 adults and today there are more than 1,200. Source, Spanish: https://www.laopiniondemalaga.es/medio-ambiente/2025/01/19/cinco-animales-espanoles-rozaron-extincion-108383500.html 

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Humour Section

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

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Last updated Jan 20, 2025, 00:15 UTC

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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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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Home Page – Based in Torrox Costa, near the bus station.

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DigameXtra No. 2930 WEEKEND EDITION Friday, January 17th, 2025

 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.

SUBMISSIONS INFO & RULES PAGE LINK

*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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DigameXtra Featured Sponsor

Home Page  and  FB Page

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 131 (2.6%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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41 CLUB NERJA

41 Club Nerja Going From Strength to Strength:
– 41 Club Nerja is delighted to report that we really are going from strength to strength, our membership continues to grow and our doors are open for more new members to join our vibrant Club.
– Do you remember in your local communities all the events that the Round Table and 41 Club organised? Yes! that’s us!
– Do you love getting out and about in our beautiful Axarquia area and also like the idea of being with people who enjoy life and help the local community too? Well, that’s also us! So please come along, meet us, see how we do things, and you don’t even need to have been a member previously.
– We enjoy a wide variety of exciting activities, interesting meetings and tasty meals in many of the lovely restaurants we have in our local area. Our get togethers are attended by our members (who hail from nine different countries) as well as our partners, guests, friends and family too. We’re a very friendly bunch.
To get in touch you can
Email us: steve.ryan.sr56@gmail.com
Phone Steve on 0044 7546 402770
You can connect with 41 Club Nerja via Facebook.
Or visit our website to find out more at: https://41clubnerja.org/ 
We’d love to hear from you and we’d also love for you to come along and join in the fun!

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‘Take Your Pet To The Museum’ Day: Saturday, 18 Jan.
Vélez-Málaga
Under the label ‘Al Museo con sus mascotas’ this has the aim of encouraging the attendance of residents and visitors accompanied by their pets. Throughout the day, attendees and their pets may explore the Francisco Hernández Contemporary Art Center (CAC), Museum of the City of Vélez-Málaga (MUVEL), Holy Week Museum and Cervantes Room, all environments enabled for the occasion. Pet owners must come with the necessary hygienic material to care for the animals. This event coincides with the celebration of the Day of San Antón, patron saint of animals.

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Kaiser Chiefs confirm Costa del Sol summer music festival- ON SALE NOW:
– Weekend Beach event, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, will take place in Torre del Mar from 10 to 12 July.
– NOTE: The festival is 3 days long, but the exact date(s) that each band will perform has not yet been announced!
Info & tix: https://www.weekendbeach.es/ 

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Algarrobo festival pays tribute to its patron saint San Sebastián: Saturday, January 18 to Monday, January 20
– Although the events in honor of San Sebastian started last Friday, January 10 with the transfer of the Saint from the chapel to the Parish of Santa Ana, the program of activities starts on Saturday, January 18, with musical performances by Kike and Manu and DJ Luigy from 23.00 hours in the Park of the Escalerilla.
– The activities of Sunday the 19th will begin at 12.00 pm with the parade by the Panda de Verdiales de Moclinejo and at 14.00 pm will begin the free tasting of wine and migas by Cortijo Paco among attendees, all enlivened by the orchestra Onda Sonora. During the afternoon, Latin dances, and the music of Son del Puerto, Dany Cantos Company {Video Link} and Onda Sonora, will liven up the celebration. 

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Benagalbón fair in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria:
Thurs-Sun, January 30 to February 2
– The first of the activities of the festivities will begin with the traditional lunch for seniors on Thursday January 30, which will be enlivened with the performance of Adolfo Cisneros, and Rocio Borrezo and women Benalbinas, which will give way to Virginia Gamez. At 21:00 pm is scheduled the performance of ‘La Cara B’.
– On Friday, January 31 at 10:00 a reveille floreada and charanga Confusa announce the start of the daytime festivities that will start about 13:00. The popular paella will be at 15:00 hours. This same day, will be held the election of king and queen of the festival, and live music will arrive with Abelito & Terrones at 21:30 pm, MR. Proper and Alboré at 23:30 and 01:00 hours.
– Saturday, February 1 will be a full day of festivities with the presence of the Benagalbón verdiales band at 14:00 hours, a bicycle ribbon race, the Seño de los Cuentos, dances and live music with `Un sueño de locos, tribute to el canto del loco’, `El niño de la Fernanda’ and Alboreá from 21:30 hours. The program will continue on Sunday with appetizers, charanga, the panda Santo Pítar verdiales band, & more.
– The processions of Our Lady of Candelaria and St. Joseph will be held on January 31 and February 2 at 19:00 pm through the streets of Benagalbón. As is traditional, the neighbors will throw peanuts and sugared almonds as the processions pass by. Ref: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/benagalbon… 

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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.

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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: 3x curtain rails. Size 210 length, they come with rings and brackets, unopened box. 10 euros each.
Message Amanda, Nerja. Tel 680739577
Josiahamanda@gmail.com

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For Sale: New Lenovo Laptop, €320
Many people tell me they only need a simple laptop, all they do is emails, banking, social media and chat apps. Maybe stream some video. Well, here it is. This is a basic laptop with entry level specs, but at a very reasonable price for a major brand. This unit is not designed to store large media collections. 
– Lenovo V15 G2 laptop with Windows 11 Pro (UK English)
15.6″ FHD display, 8Gb ram, 256Gb M.2 SSD
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500 (1.1 – 2.8GHz)
Full size Spanish keyboard. Very low power consumption. Fully set up, updated and ready to use. 2 year factory warranty.
Naythan, Torrox Costa
Email: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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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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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!: 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

Ignoring almost 3 months of pleas for help, DANA victim’s EU relief funds delayed to the last possible moment by the Sanchez admin: {Translation, summary}
– The Government will delay until the last moment the deadline for requesting the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), after the dana that devastated the provinces of Valencia and Albacete on October 29, with the excuse that they are compiling documentation on the damages and to obtain the maximum possible resources, ignoring the urgent needs of the displaced victims for almost 3 months.
– This has been confirmed by the Executive, despite the fact that the President himself, Pedro Sánchez, assured days after the tragedy -on November 5- that Spain had “already formally requested the aid from the European Commission”. This is an allocation of up to 1,500 million euros, the term of which expires on January 21.
– In this regard, the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, described as “serious” that Sánchez – who has not visited ground zero for two and a half months – claimed that the EUSF had been requested when it had not, and still hasn’t been, requested. ”This has been confirmed by the competent European commissioner himself,” she stressed. In addition, she has put the focus on the fact that “one week is remaining” for the Government to be able to claim these resources. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/espana/comunidad-valenciana/gobierno-apura-plazo-pedir-fondo-solidaridad-ue-20250115153550-nt.html

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Princess Leonor has already anchored on the coast of Tenerife with the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano: {Translation, summary}
– The training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano has already anchored off the coast of Tenerife. The ship is expected to dock this Friday in the port of Santa Cruz and one of its midshipwomen, Princess Leonor, is expected to disembark and set foot on Canary Island soil at some point, together with her companions.
– Since 2014, when the reign of Felipe VI began, this ship is received with a historical recreation, which is expected to be done on this occasion as well. Then, the members of this action will board the ship to greet the commanders. The authorities plan to fire three cannons, nine artillery shots and a fusillade to honor the ship.
– It would be the first official visit of the heiress to the Canary Islands, a land that her parents have visited on several occasions as royals. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5673264/0/princesa-leonor-ya-ha-fondeado-costa-tenerife-con-buque-escuela-juan-sebastian-elcano/ 

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The record price of rent plunges the youth emancipation rate to the worst figure in history- only 14.8% manage to become independent by age 30: {Translation, summary}
– Record prices for housing rents in Spain have plunged the youth emancipation rate to its worst level in history. Only 14.8% of those under 30 years of age were living outside the family home in the first half of 2024, according to the latest report by the Emancipation Observatory of the Spanish Youth Council (CJE).
– The authors of the study stress that this figure represents a significant drop compared to 2007, the year in which youth emancipation in Spain peaked, with a rate of 26.1%, and breaks the upward cycle of five consecutive six-monthly improvements.
– “It is the worst emancipation rate since we have records (2006), a very bad figure not only for young people, but for society as a whole,” lamented Pilar Blasco, vice president of the CJE, at the presentation of the data. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5673044/0/precio-vivienda-hunde-tasa-emancipacion-juvenil-peor-dato-historia-solo-14-8-se-logra-independizar/ 

MALAGA PROVINCE

The rain returns to Malaga- Aemet predicts rainfall this Friday morning on the coast: {Translation, summary}
– The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) announces “weak and occasional” rainfall, more likely on the coast, during the early hours of Friday, January 17. The greatest probability of rain rises to 95% in Malaga capital at 6.00 am while in Marbella the probability drops to 70%. In the Axarquia, in municipalities such as Velez-Malaga or Rincon de la Victoria, the percentage is 85%, also in the same time slot. The clouds are expected to clear by 1pm. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga/lluvia-vuelve-malaga-aemet-preve-precipitaciones-madrugada-20250116104932-nt.html

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Mayor warns about prefabricated houses- “You have to be informed to avoid severe sanctions”: {Translation}
– The mayor of Alhaurín de la Torre, Joaquín Villanova, has appealed to the population to be well informed in the City Council before acquiring the so-called prefabricated housing, since there have been cases of violations and penalties for not knowing the regulations fruit of “some deception” by sellers. Villanova recalled that this model of houses “must comply with all the rules and planning regulations like any other”, so they can not be installed on rural land or not considered urban, and must also take into account the limits of buildability of the plot or plot in question.
– For this reason, has insisted on the need for advice to “avoid deception that can lead to penalties and major problems.” “The City Council has to give license for any house according to the law,” said the mayor, who stressed that from the government team ‘we are aware’ of the existing problem of housing prices: ‘We know that there is much need, but any solution has to be compatible with the law’.
– A developer is facing a prosecutor’s request for fifteen months in prison for allegedly executing without a municipal building permit and on undeveloped land the installation of a prefabricated house, with a covered porch, underground sewage system and a portable swimming pool. The prosecution requests that the defendant be convicted of a crime against land management and in addition to the prison sentence requests a fine of fifteen months with a daily fee of ten euros and special disqualification of profession or trade related to the development or construction for two years, according to the indictment, to which EFE has had access.
– In addition as civil liability, “as the only possible measure for the restoration of the altered legal order”, the demolition and removal of the works and installations executed at the expense of the defendant, with full restoration of the land to its original state and restoration of the urban legality infringed.
Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/provincia/alhaurin-torre-advierte-casas-prefabricadas-sanciones_0_2003152077.html 

RINCÓN DE LA VICTORIA

A network that swindled almost 77,000 euros from 17 people in Rincón de la Victoria by the ‘son in distress’ method is captured: {Translation, summary}
– The investigation began after receiving several complaints in which the victims claimed to have been swindled by the method known as “the son in trouble scam”, in which cybercriminals impersonate the identity of the victims’ children through text messages, pretending to have problems with their phone line and providing a new one to communicate, then requesting the swindled to make money transfers, claiming not to be able to access their banking applications.
– After numerous steps, a total of 17 complaints committed in Rincón de la Victoria between the years 2023 and 2024 have been clarified, being swindled for a total of 76,889 euros. In one of the complaints received, the victim was swindled out of more than 16,000 euros.
– Thirty-two people have been identified as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of swindling and belonging to a criminal organization, who were located in different Spanish provinces such as Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Valencia, Huesca, Malaga and Seville. Steps were also taken with police authorities in other countries such as Italy and the Netherlands to locate other suspects. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/cae-una-red-que-estafo-casi-77-000-euros-a-17-personas-en-rincon-de-la-victoria-por-el-metodo-del-hijo-en-apuros/

EUROPE

French PM Bayrou survives no-confidence vote:
– French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou {pic} passed the first test of his new minority government on Thursday as he survived a vote of no-confidence called by the hard left after the centre-left Socialist Party did not back the motion.
– The far-right National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen had already signalled it would not support the motion.
– It means President Emmanuel Macron’s government lives to fight another day without being solely reliant on the far-right’s grace. But Bayrou’s administration remains weak, and still faces an uphill battle to pass the 2025 budget that led to the ouster of his predecessor, Michel Barnier.
On Thursday, 131 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion – well short of the 288 votes that were needed. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-parliament-head-warns-against-backing-no-confidence-vote-versus-2025-01-16/ 

UK

Far Left UK Government Proposes Banning “Controversial” Conversations:
– The leftist Labour government in Britain has proposed radical reforms to the rights of workers that could include classing ‘sensitive’ topics of conversation in the workplace such as religion, women’s rights, or transgenderism as ‘harassment’.
– The proposed legislation would force employers to prevent workers from being subjected to such subjects by third parties, such as customers. If they are found to have failed to do so, they could face lawsuits under the legislation.
– Watchdog The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned that if it comes into the force next year, the proposed law could significantly impact freedom of expression and even be applied to “overheard conversations” such as those between two or more people in a pub. The EHRC has noted that applying the harassment law in cases involving a “philosophical belief” could lead to problems owing to the fact that many employers do not understand such topics are protected by equality law. “The legal definition of what amounts to philosophical belief is complex and not well understood by employers. It is arguable that these difficulties may lead to disproportionate restriction of the right to freedom of expression,” the watchdog warned.
– A spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association said in comments to The Times “Any legalisation must be carefully drafted to make sure it does not have unintended consequences, such as pub workers expected to decide whether private conversations between customers constitute a violation of law.” Full article: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/far-left-uk-government-proposes-banning-controversial-conversations 

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Brits Start Considering Non-Lucrative Visa an Alternative to Spanish Golden Visa Program:
– With the deadline for the termination of the Golden Visa Program approaching, Brits have started to turn their eyes to the Spanish non-working (non-lucrative) residence visa.
– This kind of visa permits non-EU nationals to acquire a one-year residency in Spain, which can be extended for an additional four years, provided applicants meet all the needed conditions, Schengen.News reports.
– Among the conditions to benefit from this kind of visa is to have sufficient economic means to stay in the country without being engaged in any work or professional activity. In addition, those benefiting from this kind of visa are also eligible to bring their families with them. Full article: https://schengen.news/brits-start-considering-non-lucrative-visa-an-alternative-to-spanish-golden-visa-program/ 

GASTRONOMIA

The best traditional restaurant in Malaga in 2024 is in Caleta de Vélez and is a steakhouse: {Translation}
– In Caleta de Vélez for traditional food Asador El Puerto reigns and stands out. The top quality meats and stews of Asador El Puerto (Calle Real, 25) have recieved this year the Santiago Dominguez Award for Best Traditional Cuisine Restaurant to this family restaurant. It has a great tradition already in Velez-Malaga, undoubtedly one of the great temples to eat meat, a grill that cajoles with its embers. “A family establishment that’s tops for quality meats, grilled, as well as stews and traditional dishes, taking care of both the product and the elaborations”, wrote the Gastronomic Academy of Malaga, justifying the award for the Asador el Puerto.
– This meat temple, run by the Jiménez-Navas family, stands out for its attention to detail, both in the selection of the product and in its preparation, as well as in its powerful wine list.
– The specialty of Asador El Puerto is, without a doubt, grilled meats. Cuts such as T-bone steak, entrecote and sirloin, from carefully selected breeds, are masterfully prepared to offer an impeccable result. In its menu, the shoulder of suckling lamb (24 euros) stands out. Another must is the steak tartar (22 euros), considered by many as one of the best on the Costa del Sol. Its meticulous preparation and perfect balance of flavors make it a unique experience. They also have first class matured meats, all by the kilo, such as Buey, Rubia Gallega, Simmental, Black Angus, Pasto or Wagyu Nacional.
– Side dishes, based on traditional family recipes, are another strong point of the restaurant, where, depending on the day, you can find beans, cabbage, spinach or lentils (6 euros). These options, together with salads made with fresh produce from local gardens, offer a variety that perfectly complements its meat dishes. Among the starters, the eggs with boletus, foie and truffles (22 euros), the house salad (12 euros) and the acorn-fed Serrano ham (25 euros) stand out, all prepared with the artisan touch of Asador el Puerto. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/la-farola/mejor-restaurante-tradicional-malaga-2024-velez-asador_0_2003079328.html 

HEALTH

Appointment delays persist despite new 72 hour response system: {Translation, summary}
– New year, old problems. Delays and difficulties in getting an appointment with the family doctor continue in the midst of the respiratory and influenza viruses, the peak of which is expected in the coming days. Many users these days are faced with the response that “at this time we cannot offer this type of consultation for the selected professional” when trying to get an appointment with their physician. And it usually doesn’t matter whether they try to make an appointment in person or by telephone. The message displayed is the same.
– L. P., a user, wondered: “And if I don’t get an appointment with my doctor, what do I do?” Her case was not urgent, so she preferred “not to abuse” her health center’s non-urgent consultation. “But I need an appointment with my doctor and I can’t get it,” she remarked.
– The professionals consulted explained that this message is displayed when a physician has his or her entire schedule covered, which is common in these periods of high attendance. Given that the health centers reserve a percentage of appointments, the option in these cases, they explained, is to go to the outpatient clinic.
– “But I have to lose part of my morning one day to go to the outpatient clinic to request an appointment and, if I get one, another lost day to go to the doctor. And, like many people, I work,” said another patient. So the complaints of the users continue and also the demand for less delays to be able to access the family doctor.
– These criticisms occur precisely when the plan to provide a response in less than 72 hours in Primary Care has begun to be implemented in the province of Malaga. It started last Monday in the region of Antequera, the Serrania de Ronda and Axarquia. But it has not taken long to receive harsh criticism from different groups that consider that it turns family doctors into “a call center”, an opinion shared by Marea Blanca and the Malaga Medical Union. Although they admit that it can solve “specific issues”, they insist that “it is not the solution to the serious problems” of the health centers. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/dificultad-lograr-cita-medico-cabecera-malaga_0_2003147222.html 

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Andalucía needs 30,000 more nurses to reach European average, according to WHO:
– The Andalucía region of southern Spain needs at least 30,000 more nurses in public and also private hospitals to reach the average of the 27 EU countries, as calculated by the Ministry of Health using data provided by each Spanish region and the World Health Organization. In Malaga, the province would require at least 6,000 more nurses to reach the European standard. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/andalucia/andalusia-needs-30000-more-nurses-reach-the-20250115081755-nt.html 

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Unions protest in the face of “deterioration” of healthcare and threaten to strike: {Translation}
– After months of mobilizations, CCOO, SATSE, CSIF and UGT have gone a step further in their protest actions by staging a lock-in at the Maternity Hospital in Malaga to denounce the “breaches” of the agreements reached between the unions and the Andalusian Health Service. “We are seeing” how the health system is ‘constantly deteriorating,’ warned Antonio Macias, head of health of UGT, because ”just look at the waiting lists, the care given to the patient, the working conditions of professionals.”
– The lock-in that began early this Wednesday is a new attempt to get the Regional Ministry of Health to take “imminent” measures, because, “if not, things could be irreversible”. In addition, the unions have organized an assembly with Malaga professionals in the hospital center itself and have set up tables to collect signatures, both from staff and users, to “try to convince the Board to change policies, because it is clear that the measures they have taken so far are worthless,” said Macías. These actions will be extended throughout the eight provinces of Andalusia: “We will maintain the mobilizations until the healthcare policy does not change. Encierros (lock-ins), demonstrations in Seville and, even, we do not rule out a 24-hour strike.”
– “We will continue until the agreements are fulfilled,” added José Sánchez, secretary general of Satse. The unions have addressed the Ombudsman, still awaiting a response, “asking for help” and the Minister of Public Function, José Antonio Nieto, because “I think he should also intervene”. This pact was signed with the aim of improving the pay and working conditions of healthcare professionals and improving the quality of public healthcare for users.
– José Pelayo, secretary general of CCOO Health, has stated that this is the consequence of “mismanagement”, because “the billion, which they have boasted so much about increasing the budget, instead of dedicating them to improving healthcare, they dedicate them to outsourcing services”.
– “Inaction is the best word to define the Minister of Health,” said Juan Pedro Ruiz, head of CSIF Health Malaga, ‘with the approval of the Board’. Ruiz has spoken of “a painful management of human resources” that adds to the “null recruitment and overload of services” resulting in an “unsustainable” situation for professionals and users. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/1857864/los-sindicatos-se-encierran-ante-el-deterioro-de-la-sanidad-y-amenazan-con-una-huelga/ 

HOAX / BULO

The rumour going around about the ITV sticker in Spain- is it compulsory to display it on the windscreen?:
– The sticker must be placed in a visible spot, normally on the upper right-hand corner inside the windscreen. In the case of motorbikes, the sticker must be easy to see.
– With this explanation, the Spanish association of entities collaborating with the administration in the technical inspection of vehicles (AECA-ITV) has clarified that the information circulating on social media about the sticker no longer having to be displayed on the windscreen is a hoax. The regulations concerning the inspection have not changed in this regard, and therefore it is still compulsory to display the sticker correctly on the windscreen of the vehicle. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/spain/the-hoax-about-the-mot-sticker-compulsory-20250114084906-nt.html 

TRAVEL

Malaga Airport congestion expected to increase as Ryanair will eliminate 12 routes this summer in Spain and will cease its activity in Jerez and Valladolid: {Translation, summary}
– Ryanair intensifies its protest against Aena’s “excessive fees” and announces that it will eliminate twelve routes and 800,000 seats for its schedule this summer. The low cost airline will cease operations at two Spanish airports and reduce operations at five others due to the “lack of effectiveness”. Specifically, Ryanair has decided to cease operations in Jerez and Valladolid, will withdraw an aircraft based in Santiago de Compostela and reduce traffic in Vigo (-61%), Santiago (-28%), Zaragoza (-20%), Asturias (-11%) and Santander (-5%) in what they consider a “completely avoidable” loss. This is how categorical the company’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, was at a press conference this Thursday in Madrid.
– However, the CEO of the Irish airline has recognized this Thursday at a press conference a net increase of 1.5 million seats for the next summer season, despite cutting by 18% the offer at smaller airports. Therefore, his conclusion is that the company is going to increase its offer in the most touristic airports, including Malaga, with more traffic and, therefore, with “substantially higher” fares. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/economia/empresas/ryanair-eliminara-rutas-verano-espana-cesara-actividad-20250116181944-ntrc_amp.html 

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CHURCHES & WORSHIP

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

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NEW LIFE CHURCH

New Life Church:
– Sunday Service:
Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us on Sundays at 11.00am. Join us for a time of Holy Spirit led worship and experience the presence of our God. Our teaching is Bible based as we honour God and obey His Word. During this time of uncertainty, God’s Word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness. Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards.
– Prayer Meeting:
You are also welcome to join our prayer meetings on Wednesday mornings at 11.00am for 1 hour, where we meet for prayer and worship.
– Jesus said: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:6)
Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780. Directions: Click Here
Email: info@nlcnerja.com
Website: www.nlcnerja.com ; Facebook 

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El Puente Christian Fellowship (Vélez-Málaga): We are a friendly, multi-national, Bible believing community of Christ. We meet each Sunday at 11am to worship the Lord. We enjoy a time of worship with contemporary songs and traditional hymns, and a message brought to us by our Pastor, one of our members or a visiting speaker.
The church meeting hall is situated at: Res: El Olivar 5, 8 Bajo 1, Calle Arbequin, Velez Malaga 29700.
Full directions and further information can be found on our Facebook page, or you can contact us by email on elpuentechristianfellowship@gmail.com or by phone on 665626342.
For those who cannot join us in person, we aim to stream Sunday services via the Facebook page (subject to a good internet connection).

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Cornerstone International Church- Torre del Mar:
For English speakers. Sundays at 11:30 am.
Calle Solera 2, Local 2. In front of the Torre del Mar bus station.
634540519 / romyandalucia@gmail.com

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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 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

Last updated Jan 16, 2025, 22:28 UTC

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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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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Home Page – Based in Torrox Costa, near the bus station.

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DigameXtra No. 2929 Thursday, January 16th, 2025

 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.

SUBMISSIONS INFO & RULES PAGE LINK

*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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DigameXtra Featured Sponsor

Home Page  and  FB Page

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 130 (2.6%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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Andalusian Olympic Taekwondo Cadet Championship:
Benalmádena will host the Andalusian Olympic Taekwondo Cadet Championship, which will bring together this Saturday, January 18, from 10am a total of 50 Andalusian clubs, 260 athletes, more than fifty technicians, 24 referees and 15 people in charge of the organization, a qualifying event for the top-level national championship at the Arroyo de la Miel sports center facilities. Ref: https://www.benalmadena.es/noticias/… 

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Sunday brunch pool party with Eliza Handley:
Sun, Jan 19, 1-4pm. Villa del Mar – Camping Nerja
Get ready to dive into an unforgettable day with Eliza Handley! Join us at VDM pool club for an extraordinary live performance. Indulge in mouthwatering food, refreshing drinks, and a heated pool for the ultimate entertainment experience. Don’t miss out on this amazing event great memories made easy. Tel: +34 683121258
Info & res: https://www.villadelmarnerja.com/services-4 & Video Link


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Beauty and the Beast, Musical Tribute – Vélez-Málaga:
Sunday 19 Jan, 5pm
Carmen Theater- Plaza del Carmen s/n, Vélez-Málaga
Info & tix (€15+fee): https://www.giglon.com/evento/la-bella-y-la-bestia-tributo-musical—velez-malaga 

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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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BLUCEE REAL ESTATE

The BluCee Real Estate team would like to wish all DigameXtra readers a Happy New Year! Thank you for the support you have shown us throughout 2024, it is appreciated:
If you are thinking of selling your property please contact us.
At BluCee we go above and beyond for you during the sales process, don’t just take our word for it – see our reviews on Google and Facebook.
Pass by our office to have a no obligation chat!
Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar, 29740
We are open Monday to Friday 09.30 to 17.30 hrs.
For an appointment outside of our opening times or for one of us to view your property please contact us info@blucee.com or 0034 711 04 27 27
www.blucee.com
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day. 

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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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Great Deals From Upcycling Nerja
– Grey sofa bed very good condition length 188cms width 107cms price 120€
contact Jackie/nerja 672170429
upcycling nerja at gmail dot com 

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For Sale: Samsung TV 28″ (70cm) screen
Samsung television in current use. It has 2 HDMI ports, one USB port, a SCART socket and an antenna input. The model number is UE28J4100AWXXC. This is not a Smart TV. I have a video of the TV in use – drop me an email for this.
€25. Tony in Torrox Park.
Email: oddjobtony at gmail dot com 

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For Sale, 3 items:
– Panasonic Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner. In ‘as new’ condition with original box, dust bags and a spare hose. Model MC-E752. Bargain price of 15 euros
– Beautiful wood dressing table mirrors. All mirrors fully moveable. Two small drawers. In excellent condition. Width when side mirrors closed 23″, when fully open 37.5″. Height 24″. Drawer depth 7.5″. 15 euros
– Laptop/tablet stand. Versatile portable stand with legs. Back and legs fully adjustable. Various uses, laptop bed table, riser tray, laptop holder for sitting on couch etc. As new. Height 10″. Width 22.5″. Bargain at 10 euros (Advertised on Amazon at 19.97 euros)
These are currently stored in a garage in Torrox Park. Very easy to find. Janet, Nerja, tel: 630568164 or +44 7949371765
Email: wildjanet100@hotmail.com 

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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!: 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

UPDATE FROM BBC- Sánchez administration proposal seeks 100% tax for homes bought by non-EU residents:
– Spain is planning to impose a tax of up to 100% on the value of properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU, such as the UK. Announcing the move, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the “unprecedented” measure was necessary to meet the country’s housing emergency. “The West faces a decisive challenge: To not become a society divided into two classes, the rich landlords and poor tenants,” he said.
– Non-EU residents bought 27,000 properties in Spain in 2023, he told an economic forum in Madrid, “not to live in” but “to make money from them”. “Which, in the context of shortage that we are in, [we] obviously cannot allow,” he added. The move was designed to prioritise available homes for residents, the Spanish prime minister said.
– Sánchez did not provide any more details on how the tax would work nor a timeline for presenting it to parliament for approval, where he has often struggled to gather sufficient votes to pass legislation.
– Sánchez’s office added: “The tax burden that they will have to pay in case of purchase will be increased up to 100% of the value of the property, in line with countries such as Denmark and Canada.” The Spanish government said the proposal would be finalised “after careful study”.
Full article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7enzjrymxo

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The Madrid Court registers another charge against Begoña Gómez with Judge Peinado: {Translation, summary}
– The Provincial Court of Madrid supports investigating Begoña Gómez {pic}, wife of the President of the Government, for the creation and development of the chair that she co-directed at the Complutense University of Madrid. The court reverses the decision of a court in the capital that, last September, rejected a complaint filed by Vox that attributed to Gómez a crime of influence peddling for alleged irregularities in software developed for that chair.
– The new resolution agrees to accept the additional charges and refer the case to Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who has been investigating Gómez since last April and who already has an open line of investigation into these events. The order, signed by judges Eduardo Bermúdez, Rosa Esperanza Rebollo and Juan José Escalonilla, leaves the decision on whether or not to admit the complaint in the hands of Peinado. The Vox complaint stated that Gómez would have taken advantage of that chair “for her personal purposes, through the company Transforma TSC.” Source, Spanish: https://www.eldiario.es/politica/audiencia-madrid-da-razon-vox-pone-manos-peinado-querella-begona-gomez_1_11965918.html

NERJA

Businessman offers big reward in effort to find thieves who stole cash from his Nerja bakery:
– A reward of 6,000 euros is being offered to anyone with information that might help locate the thieves who broke into Pastelería Ruiz in Nerja on the eastern Costa del Sol late on Saturday 11 January. “The cameras have recorded everything, but they were wearing caps, balaclavas, gloves and they cannot be identified, their faces cannot be seen at any time, but perhaps someone might recognise them from their bodies,” said Ruiz, who explained that the two thieves, probably young men, stole around 30,000 euros from the premises along with a money counting machine and a bag of tools. The money was in a safe which they broke into.
– This was not the only burglary to take place in Nerja over the weekend. Cafeteria Hermes, located on Plaza de España, was also broken into between Friday night and Saturday morning. In that case it was also a young man, using a small pickaxe, who managed to gain access to the café after breaking the door and windows. The manager, Antonio, explained to SUR that the only thing stolen was the cash register with the change, which he later found lying near the café’s terrace.
– Apparently thieves also broke into several other businesses located in various streets in Nerja the same night. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/nerja-businessman-offers-6000-euros-reward-for-20250114084632-nt.html 

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Vélez-Málaga City Council allows “government approved” cooperative to create co-op style retirement housing: {Translation, summary}
– The City Council of Velez-Malaga has granted a license for the construction of the first building to be carried out in the municipality in “senior cohousing” mode, a building that will be carried out on a private land for residential use in which 23 homes and 34 parking spaces are planned, near the Regional Hospital of Axarquia.
– The president of COHOUSING MÁLAGA 50 SDAD COOP ANDALUZA, Antonio Rosado, has clarified that the concept refers to housing self-managed by a group of people who decide to live together in a way “more interdependent and social than usual”, which represents that “private uses lose prominence in favor of community”. In this way, a community is formed where “needs, values, expectations and similar life projects are shared”.
Cohousing Malaga 50 website & photo source: https://cohousingmalaga50.wordpress.com/
Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/el-ayuntamiento-de-velez-malaga-promueve-una-nueva-modalidad-de-vivienda-y-concede-la-primera-licencia/

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Sex Education In Schools- Educa Joven Program will teach students about sexual behavior, values ​​and healthy living: {Translation, summary}
– Workshops, lectures and various activities will be taught by psychologists and professionals in each subject in the various schools in the municipality. The town of Velez has been one of the 13 chosen from a total of 52 to receive the grant from the Andalusian Institute of Youth, which reinforces the commitment of the local government for young people and their values.
– Alba Ortiz, coordinator of the IAJ, has claimed the work being done from the agency in the development of policies that promote greater knowledge by young people to allow “their incorporation into society in the best conditions for their adult development”. He explained the program is committed to the delivery of workshops on areas of pornography in adolescence and concepts such as “toxic love”, bullying in the classroom, treatment of sexuality in social networks, cyber-violence, and promoting sexual and family diversity for the prevention of LGTBI-phobia. 
“Active workshops and talks will be held by psychologists, sexologists and therapists in the different school centers focused on comprehensive sexual education“, explained the councilor of the Area, who, in turn, has highlighted the financial contribution made by the IAJ, a subsidy “that will allow us to improve the sexual education and knowledge of local young people” within a framework of equality and diversity.
Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/el-programa-educa-joven-se-inicia-para-ensenar-a-los-alumnos-velenos-sobre-educacion-sexual-valores-y-vida-saludable/ 

EUROPE

Russian missile attack forces Ukraine to shut down power grid:
– Russia on Wednesday launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas despite freezing winter weather, officials said.
– The Russian Defense Ministry said that it launched a strike on “critically important facilities of gas and energy infrastructure that ensure the functioning of Ukraine’s military industrial complex.” It didn’t give the target locations or other details.
– The barrage came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry vowed a response to what it said was an attack on Russian soil using multiple Western-supplied missiles. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-massive-attack-power-cuts-2dc7a30e36c9eca3e874476374c21eba

MIDDLE EAST

Trump and Biden both claim credit for Gaza ceasefire deal:
– President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are both claiming credit for Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal in Gaza after the White House brought Trump’s Middle East envoy into negotiations that have dragged on for months.
– Trump wasted no time in asserting he was the moving force behind the deal, whose final details were still being ironed out, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on social media. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.”
Trump added that his incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, would continue “to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
– Biden stressed in a statement that a deal was reached under “the precise contours” of a plan that he set out in late in May. Later in remarks at the White House, Biden said his administration negotiated the deal but that Trump’s team will soon be charged with making sure it’s implemented, a nod to Witkoff being a partner in the talks.
– The plan outlined most recently on Tuesday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calls for an international presence in Gaza to work with and assist the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority with both governance and reconstruction. It also calls for a temporary foreign security presence in the territory to address Israeli security concerns.
Full article: https://apnews.com/article/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden-israel-hamas-0e6c324ba0e3e9413bafe740fdefebc6

SPORTS

Tennis News- Australian Open Update- Alcaraz cruises into third round:
– Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz {pic}, the No 3 seed, moved into the third round of the Australian Open by beating Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Alcaraz, ranked No 3, will play the winner of the match between Australian Jordan Thompson, the No 27 seed, and Portuguese Nuno Borges next.
– Alejandro Davidovich overcame a tremendous marathon of almost five hours against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime; he came back from 2 sets down to win in five sets by 6-7(7), 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1, 6 -3 and will now face the Czech Jakub Mensik, who left out the Norwegian Casper Ruud, sixth seed.
– Roberto Carballés will play a third round match of a ‘Grand Slam’ after eliminating the Australian James Duckworth in three sets 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. Carballés will seek his first round of 16 win against the American Tommy Paul.
See full results here: https://ausopen.com/results#!All 

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Tennis News- Medvedev destroys net camera as he avoids shock exit:
– Daniil Medvedev destroyed a net camera as he battled to control his emotions in a five-set thriller against world number 418 Kasidit Samrej in the first round of the Australian Open.
– Medvedev, a three-time finalist in Melbourne, furiously smashed his racquet against the camera in the middle of the net after falling behind in the third set. The Thai wildcard was in sight of the biggest win of his career – as well as handing Medvedev the most surprising defeat of his – on his Grand Slam debut. But Samrej, who has never previously competed at an ATP Tour event, started to struggle physically and the Russian regained his composure to win 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-2.
Full article: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cwy7xwqqe0vo & Video Link


TECH

Zuckerberg changes the rules of Facebook and Instagram and allows gay or trans people to be classified as “mentally ill”, removes other restrictions to free speech:
– In a notable shift, the company now says it allows “allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like ‘weird.’”
– In other words, Meta now appears to permit users to accuse transgender or gay people of being mentally ill because of their gender expression and sexual orientation. The company did not respond to requests for clarification on the policy.
– Meta announced a series of major updates to its content moderation policies today (7/1/25), including ending its fact-checking partnerships and “getting rid” of restrictions on speech about “topics like immigration, gender identity and gender” that the company describes as frequent subjects of political discourse and debate. “It’s not right that things can be said on TV or the floor of Congress, but not on our platforms,” Meta’s newly appointed chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, wrote in a blog post outlining the changes. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg {pic} described the company’s current rules in these areas as “just out of touch with mainstream discourse.” Full article: https://www.wired.com/story/meta-immigration-gender-policies-change/ 

GASTRONOMIA

Chili paste heats up dishes and warms hearts at northeastern Tunisia’s harissa festival:
– For years, Tunisians have been picking bright red peppers, combining them with garlic, vinegar and spices and turning them into a saucy spread called harissa. The condiment is a national staple, found in homes, restaurants and food stalls throughout the coastal North African nation.
– Brick-red, spicy and tangy, it can be scooped up on bread drizzled with olive oil or dabbed onto plates of eggs, fish, stews or sandwiches. Harissa can be sprinkled atop merguez sausages, smeared on savory pastries called brik or sandwiches called fricassées. In Nabeul, the largest city in Tunisia’s harissa-producing Cap Bon region, local chef and harissa specialist Chahida Boufayed called it “essential to Tunisian cuisine.”
– The region’s annual harissa festival has grown in the two-plus years since the United Nations cultural organization, UNESCO, recognized the sauce on a list of items of intangible cultural heritage, said Zouheir Belamin, the president of the association behind the event. He said its growing prominence worldwide was attracting new tourists to Tunisia, specifically to Nabeul. UNESCO in 2022 called harissa “an integral part of domestic provisions and the daily culinary and food traditions of Tunisian society, adding it to a list of traditions and practices that mark intangible cultural heritage including Ukrainian borscht and Cuban rum.
– Seen as sriracha’s North African cousin, harissa is typically prepared by women who sun-dry harvested red peppers and then deseed, wash and ground them. Its name comes from “haras” – the Arabic verb for “to crush” – because of the next stage in the process. The finished peppers are combined with a mixture of garlic cloves, vinegar, salt, olive oil and spices in a mortar and pestle to make a fragrant blend. Variants on display at Nabeul’s Jan. 3-5 festival used cumin, coriander and different spice blends or types of peppers, including smoked ones, to create pastes ranging in color from burgundy to crimson. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/tunisia-harissa-festival-nabeul-food-6d20f00f3f8f0281520c512e4b036f01

SPACE

Two private lunar landers head toward the moon:
– In a two-for-one moonshot, SpaceX launched a pair of lunar landers Wednesday for U.S. and Japanese companies looking to jumpstart business on Earth’s dusty sidekick.
– The two landers rocketed away in the middle of the night from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the latest in a stream of private spacecraft aiming for the moon. They shared the ride to save money but parted company an hour into the flight exactly as planned, taking separate roundabout routes for the monthslong journey.
– It’s take two for the Tokyo-based ispace, whose first lander crashed into the moon two years ago. This time, it has a rover on board with a scoop to gather up lunar dirt for study and plans to test potential food and water sources for future explorers.
– Lunar newcomer Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is flying 10 experiments for NASA, including a vacuum to gather dirt, a drill to measure the temperature below the surface and a device that could be used by future moonwalkers to keep the sharp, abrasive particles off their spacesuits and equipment.
Full article: https://apnews.com/article/moon-landings-nasa-japan-spacex-8b6e29d17c463e8760c9baa2a75db54a

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Humour Section

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

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Amazon electric vehicles seen charging in the snow. All these vehicles are being charged by a huge diesel generator: The generator is on, you can hear it running providing the power. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose when you literally have a diesel powered generator electrifying all of the electric vehicles?” This is Democrat’s “Green Energy.” X Link

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Last updated Jan 15, 2025, 19:11 UTC

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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
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Fact of the Day: Click Here
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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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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DigameXtra No. 2928 Wednesday, January 15th, 2025

 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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*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 127 (2.6%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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Vélez-Málaga street market back by popular demand:
The next Portovelis street market will be on Saturday, 18 January. As on previous occasions, there will be around 40 stalls selling crafts, second-hand items and food products on Plaza de Las Carmelitas and Calle Canalejas. It will run from 5pm to 10pm. 

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Beauty and the Beast, Musical Tribute – Torrox:
Saturday, 18 Jan, 12 noon, €15
Villa de Torrox Municipal Theater, Av. Isaac Albéniz 3, Torrox
Info & tix: https://www.giglon.com/evento/la-bella-y-la-bestia-tributo-musical—torrox 

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Bernaldez Latin Jazz Orchestra- One night in Havana:
Saturday, 18 Jan, 8pm, €15
Villa de Nerja Cultural Center, C/ Granada 45, Nerja.
A musical journey that takes the audience back to those wonderful years in Cuba through genres such as Chachachá, Mambo, Son, Danzón and Pregón Cubano, Guajira, Bolero and Salsa Cubana with the peculiarity that our concert has a common thread with the stories and curious anecdotes of the repertoire and its authors guided by Samuel Aguilera, our Conguero and Main Voice, a native of Havana. To the sound of lifelong songs such as Oye como va, Me lo dijo Adela, Rico Vacilón, Así se compone un Son, Anacaona, Cuéntame qué te pasó, Lágrimas Negras, El Bodeguero, Dos Gardenias, Guantanamera, El Manisero or Bésame Mucho.
Info & tix: https://www.giglon.com/evento/bernaldez-latin-jazz-orchestra-una-noche-en-la-habana-nerja & Video Link

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Almuñécar Flamenco Concert- Rocio Montoya & Irene Avila:
Sat, 18 Jan, 7pm at Casa De Cultura.
Puerta De Granada, 19, 18690 Almuñécar
Info & tix (€15-18): https://bravoentradas.es/en/events/flamenco-almunecar-casa-de-cultura & Video Link

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Business 1st Charity Golf Day: Friday, 31 January.
Santa Clara GC
Start Time: Shotgun start at 09:30am
Format: Individual Stableford
What’s Included:
Green Fee / Shared buggy / 2 course meal / Drink after your round / Fantastic prizes / Raffles, auctions and more. All for €130 per person.
This event will contribute to the yearly league table which is made up of your 10 best scores a year.
The Business 1st Annual Charity Golf event raises funds for the AFESOL Mental Health Charity. You can attend just the lunch for 30€ pp.
Info & reg (71 places left for golfers): https://justmarbellagolf.com/business-1st-charity-golf-day-31st-january-2025/ 

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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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COMPARE FUNERALS

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 ; Comparefuneral.org
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.

 

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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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For Sale, 2 items:
– A full set of golf clubs comprising 3 woods (driver, 3-wood and 5-wood), irons from 4 to 9, PW, SW and putter The bag has several zipped pockets, a special place for the putter, plus a ball retriever. €70
– Pair of golf shoes, size 43 (UK size 9) for €5.
Tony in Torrox Park
Email: oddjobtony at gmail dot com 

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For Sale: New Lenovo Laptop, €320
Many people tell me they only need a simple laptop, all they do is emails, banking, social media and chat apps. Maybe stream some video. Well, here it is. This is a basic laptop with entry level specs, but at a very reasonable price for a major brand. This unit is not designed to store large media collections. 
– Lenovo V15 G2 laptop with Windows 11 Pro (UK English)
15.6″ FHD display, 8Gb ram, 256Gb M.2 SSD
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500 (1.1 – 2.8GHz)
Full size Spanish keyboard. Very low power consumption. Fully set up, updated and ready to use. 2 year factory warranty.
Naythan, Torrox Costa
Email: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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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.
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News & Articles

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

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ANDALUCÍA

State of the reservoirs in Malaga & Andalusia on Tuesday, January 14, 2025:
Ref: http://www.redhidrosurmedioambiente.es/saih/parte/diario/embalses 

Malaga

Andalucia

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A town in Jaén records the coldest temperature in Andalusia, -14.9 degrees: {Translation, summary}
– Last Monday was a very cold one in the province of Jaén. So much so that one of its municipalities recorded the lowest temperature in Andalusia. It is not new that in Pozo Romero, in the Natural Park of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas, it freezes at night but it is not usual to reach temperatures as extreme as the -14.9 degrees that were recorded this Monday, January 13.
– The second coldest is also located in the province of Jaén and within the same natural park. This time it was the station located in the hamlet of Cañada Hermosa, belonging to the municipality of Santiago-Pontones, which reached -11.3 degrees Celsius. Source, Spanish: https://www.jaenhoy.es/jaen/pueblo-jaen-registra-temperatura-fria-andalucia_0_2003141444.html 

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Do you want to get your sailing license? These are the dates of the exams in Andalusia and the deadlines to register for them: {Translation}
– The Junta de Andalucía has announced that this year will be held three calls for theoretical exams for obtaining titles for the government of pleasure craft in Andalusia. These tests give access to the nautical-sports qualifications of Basic Navigation Skipper (PNB); Recreational Boats Skipper (PER); Yacht Skipper (PY) and Yacht Captain (CY).
– The theoretical exams will be held in Malaga (University of Malaga), Cadiz (University Campus of Puerto Real) and Seville (Pablo de Olavide University). The first test will take place on March 22, the second on June 21 and the third and last one on November 15.
– The deadline for submitting applications to participate in the first call is already open and ends on February 7, according to the call published in the BOJA. The registration period for the second call will be published in March and that of the third during the month of June, by resolution of the direction of the Andalusian Institute of Sport.
– Applications to participate in the exams should be submitted electronically and can be made with digital certificate or without digital certificate by completing the form available on the website of the IAD through this link {which was still showing 2024 info when I checked it} [ https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismos/culturaydeporte/areas/deporte/formacion-investigacion-innovacion/titulaciones-nauticas/paginas/iad-pruebas-nauticas-convocatoria-1-2024.html#toc-lugares-y-horarios-de-las-pruebas ]. The application must be accompanied by proof of payment of the examination fee (form 046).
– The amounts of the corresponding fees for the examination rights are as follows: Patrón de Navegación Básica (PNB) and Patrón de Embarcaciones de Recreo 52.58 euros; Patrón de Yate (PY) 71.21 euros, and Capitán de Yate 88.84 euros. On the other hand, the fee for issuing or validating any certificate is 49.54 euros and for renewing or duplicating a certificate, 7.03 euros. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/andalucia/quieres-obtener-titulacion-navegar-fechas-examenes-andalucia-20250114141104-nt.html 

MALAGA CITY

Malaga says goodbye to horse-drawn carriages: {Translation, summary}
– The City Council of Malaga has set as a goal that the 25 horse-drawn carriages that still remain in the city will stop working this year, a measure that is adopted thinking about the welfare of the animals and the image that this capital offers to the world. For years, animal welfare organizations and some political parties have been calling for the disappearance of this service due to the stressful conditions and the heat suffered by the animals, who walk for hours on the asphalt pulling carriages for tourists.
– The mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, announced this decision on Tuesday during the debate on the state of the city, in which he indicated that the goal is to complete in 2025 the amortization of the licenses of this passenger transport service. He explained that they are in talks with the owners of the horse-drawn carriages to compensate them, since the concessions of this activity oriented to tourism have almost 11 years of remaining validity. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/1857609/malaga-dice-adios-a-los-coches-de-caballos/ 

TORROX

Torrox mayor & Malaga PP official criticize gov’t- “that Sánchez’s Government is a machine for collecting taxes”:
{Translation, summary}
– The secretary general of the PP of Malaga, José Ramón Carmona, today criticized “the 93 tax hikes approved by Sánchez since he has been president, twelve of them applied at the beginning of this 2025”, and said that “this Government is a tax collection machine that tries to annihilate the effort of the people of Malaga”. Carmona stresses that “Spaniards now spend one more month of work per year to pay taxes than before Sánchez arrived at La Moncloa”. This was stated at a press conference in the Plaza de la Constitución in Torrox,
– For his part, the mayor of Torrox Óscar Medina, has also criticized “the fiscal hell of Sanchez”, noting that “the shopping basket has risen by 35% in recent years, while the rise of almost 70% in building materials has meant that many local businesses are disappearing because they can not assume the costs.” Regarding the rise in diesel, Medina regretted that “it affects any neighbor, the middle classes, not only the rich…”. Full article: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/el-pp-critica-en-torrox-que-el-gobierno-de-sanchez-es-una-maquina-de-recaudar-impuestos/ 

CANILLAS DE ALBAIDA (ÁRCHEZ)

Canillas de Albaida celebrates San Antón with the traditional blessing of animals and tastings of local cuisine: {Translation, summary}
– The festival in honor of the patron saint will begin on Friday, January 17 with the kissing of the feet in the hermitage, although the majority of events are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
– “On Saturday, January 18, at 7pm there will be ringing of bells and parade by the Municipal Band of Canillas de Albaida. An hour later will be the transfer of the patron saint from his hermitage through the streets of the village to the church of Our Lady of the Expectation, with the traditional fireworks display and rockets. At 10pm, in the tent located in the municipal sports center a party with the orchestra Arrayan and Leo Live Music”.
– On Sunday, January 19 at 11:30am there will be the traditional firing of rockets and parades through the streets of the town. At 12:00 hours will be the Mass in honor of San Antón Abad accompanied by the choir Romeros del Rosario in the parish church. After its completion, the procession and blessing of the animals will take place next to his hermitage. “This year the stewards have decided out of respect and tranquility of the animals that there will be no rockets or fireworks,” announced Pareja. “At 3pm, the stewards will invite attendees to our typical black pudding, sausages, stew of brísoles {archaic regional word, maybe snow peas or some kind of bean?} and local wine. At 4pm will begin the party enlivened by the orchestra Arrayán and Leo Música en Vivo“, continued the councilman of Tourism suggesting ‘the good plan that Canillas de Albaida offers for this weekend to have fun, to know ’the Pearl of the Axarquia’ and our customs”. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/canillas-de-albaida-celebra-san-anton-con-la-tradicional-bendicion-de-animales-y-degustaciones-de-gastronomia-local-3/ &
Map Link

RINCÓN DE LA VICTORIA

Rincón de la Victoria prepares for the I Chess Marathon: {Translation, summary}
– The sporting event will be held on April 5 in the semi-covered court of the Municipal Indoor Pavilion `Rubén Ruzafa’ of Torre de Benagalbón with 2,000 euros in prizes. Registrations are already open via email: clubajedrezvictoria@gmail.com
– The day will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the reception of the players. After the publication of pairings, the first round will begin, which will follow one after the other. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/1857606/rincon-de-la-victoria-se-prepara-para-el-i-maraton-de-ajedrez-con-2000-euros-en-premios/ 

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Water cut-offs in several areas of Benajarafe, Chilches and Cajiz this Wednesday for repairs: {Translation, summary}
– Aqualia, the company that manages the Municipal Water Service of Velez-Malaga, has announced that due to a fault in the water pipeline that runs along the coast, it will be necessary to carry out repair work that may interrupt the water supply this Wednesday, January 15, in areas of Benajarafe, Chilches and Cajiz. The repair of the fault, located on the national road 340, at the height of the river Cajiz, will consist of the replacement of a section of pipe 400 mm in diameter.
– The water supply may be interrupted between 00:00 and 20:00 hours in the following urbanizations: Vallemar, Colina Soleada, Benajarafe, La Sirena, Costa-Carretera, Cañuelo, Torre de Chilches, Hacienda Conde Mar, Las Biznagas, Cortijo El Conde, Benajarafe Alto, Cajiz and Los Puertas.
– Aqualia advises the public to ensure that no taps are left running during the hours when the supply is suspended, in order to avoid unnecessary water losses, and not to use electrical appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers.
– The company informs users that they can call aqualia’s free telephone number 900 81 44 83, 24 hours a day, for any queries they may have. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/la-reparacion-de-una-averia-afectara-este-miercoles-al-suministro-de-agua-de-varias-zonas-de-benajarafe-chilches-y-cajiz/ 

GRANADA

Cáñar, Baza and Guadix register the lowest temperatures in Granada province, down to -6.7ºC: {Translation, summary}
– The municipalities of Cáñar, Baza and Guadix, in the province of Granada, have recorded the lowest temperatures early this Tuesday morning with -6.7, -6 and -5.4 degrees Celsius respectively, according to information from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
– The lowest temperature weather station markers, also in the province of Granada, are Pradollano, in the ski resort, with -10.8ºC, and the radio telescope located in Veleta, in Sierra Nevada, with -8ºC, according to last updated data. 9:00 a.m., consulted by Europa Press.
– Marbella, in the province of Málaga, with 15.3ºC; and San Roque, with 14.8 degrees, and Tarifa, with 14.5, both in Cádiz, have instead presented the highest temperatures so far this day. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1857472/canar-baza-y-guadix-registran-las-temperaturas-mas-bajas-de-la-comunidad-con-hasta-67c/

GASTRONOMIA

Wine Recommendations from Diariosur: {Translation, author is Enrique Bellver
– Infiel. Interesting this young and organic white wine from the Malaga winery Carpe Diem. It is a successful blend of three varieties such as PX, Colombard and Doradilla. It is a perfect white wine to pair with fried fish, cooked seafood, seafood rice and stews of our Malaga cuisine, such as monkfish soup or potatoes with cuttlefish. It has a straw yellow color with some greenish tones. On the nose it has aromas of orange blossom and jasmine together with citrus fruits such as lemon and grapefruit. Fresh on the palate.
Bodega: Carpe Diem.
D.O.: Sierras de Málaga
Year: 2023
Temp to serve: 6-8ºC
Price: 9€
Rating: 7/10
– Bardón D´Anglade. This wine, reserve, is a tribute that the Franco-Españolas winery makes to its founder in 1890, Baron D’Anglade. It is a very special wine because all the grapes come from very old vineyards, also its aging in wood has been done in French oak barrels and the bottle recovers some old labels. It has a very intense and clean cherry color. Aromas of ripe red fruits and persistent in the mouth.
Bodega: Franco-Españolas
D.O.: Rioja
Year: 2019
Temp to serve: 14-17ºC
Price: 28€
Rating: 7/10
Enrique Bellver’s X page: https://x.com/gastrobellver
Source: https://www.diariosur.es/malagaenlamesa/vinos/cata-vinos-recomendados-1736537568-20250110000000-nt.html 

HEALTH

Health asks “where is the problem?” after the complaint of saturation at the Malaga Clinic: {Translation, summary}
– “Where is the problem?” This categorical statement was the reply from the delegate of Health, Carlos Bautista, to the criticisms made last week by two unions for the delays and saturation in the Emergency Room of the Hospital Clínico. Bautista specified that the health center attended this past Monday to about 1,000 patients. “They were not treated in the street, but in the Emergency Room, and those who required admission were admitted,” he stressed.
– Bautista has made these statements after the Medical Union denounced that vulnerable patients remained “more than 72 hours on stretchers or couches” waiting before going to the ward and that the Nursing Union (Satse) lashed out against waits of “more than 60 hours” for a bed. A situation that these organizations defined as “collapse”.
– Regarding the implementation of the plan to give response in Primary Care within 72 hours, he has clarified that there is still no date for its application in the health districts Malaga-Guadalhorce and western Costa del Sol, which are the most populated. This past Monday the initiative has begun in the districts of Antequera, Axarquia and Serrania de Ronda, which are areas of the province with fewer inhabitants of the province. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/salud-replica-problema-denuncia-saturacion_0_2003139856.html

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Humour Section

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

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Last updated Jan 14, 2025, 23:14 UTC

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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

2024 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‘ 2024 “, 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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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DigameXtra No. 2927 Tuesday, January 14th, 2025

 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.

SUBMISSIONS INFO & RULES PAGE LINK

*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 123 (2.5%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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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Celebration of San Hilario de Poitiers in Comares:
Saturday, January 18 from 8am
There will be a reveille floreada by the Benamocarra music band. At 11am a rociera mass will be celebrated with a performance by the Balcón de la Axarquía Municipal Choir, followed by the procession of the patron saint through the streets of the village, accompanied along the route by the Benamocarra music band and the Comares-style Arroyo Concas verdiales band.
A paella will be prepared for a thousand people, and from 2.30pm the party will begin, enlivened by the group Onda Sonora and the panda de verdiales.
This festival celebrates the town’s connection with Saint Hilary of Poitiers, which dates back to 1442, coinciding with the 1,076th anniversary of the saint’s death. That year the Mozarabs, or more precisely Andalusi Christians, took up arms against the Muslim community of Comares and, in gratitude for their protection, its inhabitants elected that French bishop as patron saint of the municipality.
Info Tlf: (+34) 952 509 233
Web: https://www.comares.es/5907/com1_md3_cd-75523/fiesta-san-hilario-de-poitiers-2025

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Concerts- Richard Ray Farrell, Authentic American Blues:
– Fri, Jan 17, 8:30 PM. Vincci Selección Posada del Patio 5*
Pasillo de Sta. Isabel, 7, Distrito Centro, 29005 Málaga, free.
– Sat, Feb 08, 2025, 7:00 PM. Casa de la Cultura- Almuñécar
Solo acoustic. €15. Phone 642108494. C/ Prta de Granada, 19, 18690 Almuñécar.
Info: https://www.richardrayfarrell.com/concerts & Video Link


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Concert- The Supercocos: Sat, 18 Jan, 10:30pm. Argentine surf-rock.
Club Antojo Málaga, C/ San Lorenzo, 25, Distrito Centro, 29001 Málaga. Free.
Info: https://antojomalaga.es/programacion/ & 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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ARCHGROVE TRANSPORT SERVICES

Archgrove Services: A family run light haulage/transport company with bases in Archez, Spain and Cambridgeshire.
We are part of the ADH Storage and Transportation company and as such have storage available in Competa and Puente Don Manuel. Very reasonable rates.
We provide a one stop service for all your transport needs and pride ourselves on reliability, flexibility, good communication and a very much ‘can do’ approach. No job is too small and there is always a solution.
Our services include:
-Regular runs between UK and Spain
-Transport of personal property from full house moves to small single items
-Man & Van services
-Packing, including supply of packing materials
-UK Home shopping with UK delivery address
-Storage of property and vehicles in Spain
If we can be of service please contact Gail. We are on Facebook and always available to chat through your needs and provide a free no obligation quote if required.  
UK: 0044 7846672013
Spain: 0034 951 066 093
Email: archgroveservices@gmail.com ; FB Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday. 

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SPW CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

SPW Construction Services: Professional high quality building service, fully qualified tradesmen to all trades.
Extensions, retaining walls, driveways, swimming pools, damp problems, roofs, blocked drains.
Replacement kitchens and bathrooms, Tiling and terraces. Plumbing, electrics and plastering, painting.
Architect service, building licence applications.
Handyman service now available for those smaller jobs.
Water Deposit Installations: Due to the ongoing drought and current water restrictions SPW Construction are currently offering the following service.
– Supply and installation of new above or below ground water deposits. 1000 litres up to 25000 litres. Delivered and installed, all relevant plumbing. All work warrantied.
– We can also advise you or help to organise water deliveries from local suppliers.
Selling Your House? SPW Construction can offer you a bespoke package to prepare your house for sale.
Through our extensive relationships with Agents, buyers and sellers we understand what is required to present your home to potential purchasers.
Interior & Exterior decoration / Replacement bathrooms and Kitchens
Pool Reforms / Garden tidy
DAFO Compliance, septic tanks, solar installations, etc.
Roof checks / Damp proofing
For free consultation and estimate contact us on 622938440
or email: scottparkwilson AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk
Scott/Arenas. Home Page and FB-Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday.

   

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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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For Sale, 3 items:
– Bisley 2 drawer metal filing cabinet. Width 18.75 “. Height 28″ Depth 24.5”. Complete with several suspension files. Good clean condition. 25 euros.
– Small ‘Roly Poly’ box. Ingenius design roll up box. When opened up, the small box is 42.5″ long and 11″ wide and when closed it is hexagonal shape measuring 7.25″ high, 8.5″ deep and 16″ wide. Perfect for smaller tools, keeping them safely in one place. Extra dividers included. 8 euros.
– Large ‘Roly Poly’ box. Bigger version measuring 65″ long when fully open and 11″ wide. When closed it is 12″ high, 11″ wide and 10″ deep. This is suitable for craft items, fishing hooks, pencils and pens etc. Supplied with extra dividers. 13 euros.
These are currently stored in a garage in Torrox Park. Very easy to find. Janet, Nerja, 630568164 or 0034 7949371765.
Email: wildjanet100@hotmail.com 

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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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Recommendations, Requests & Comments

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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

Spain eyes tax hike for holiday rentals in bid to lower rents, balancing tourism with residential needs:
– Spain plans to raise taxes on holiday rentals so that they pay “like a business”, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday, as residents of the country’s main cities grappled with soaring rents. “It isn’t fair that those who have three, four or five apartments as short-term rentals pay less tax than hotels or workers,” Sanchez said at an event on affordable housing.
– The measure would be based on a new European Union directive on value-added tax for digital platforms, he said. Spanish hotels now pay a reduced 10% VAT rate, which is included in the bill. Sanchez also promised tougher measures to combat fraud around such rentals. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/spain-raise-taxes-holiday-rentals-pm-says-2025-01-13/

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Sánchez proposes eliminating personal income tax for those who rent with the reference index and doubling taxes on foreigners who buy houses: {Translation, summary}
– The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez {pic}, announced on Monday a battery of twelve measures aimed at improving access to housing, including 100% tax rebates on personal income tax for owners who rent their homes at the price set by the reference index of the Ministry of Housing, as well as doubling the tax burden on real estate for non-resident foreign buyers from outside the European Union. The objective of the Executive is to expand the housing stock, improve regulation and increase aid. “More housing, better regulation and more aid”, summarized Sánchez at the closing of a monographic forum on housing organized by Isabel Rodríguez’s department, a day after the PP announced its own set of measures. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5671899/0/sanchez-plantea-eliminar-irpf-quien-alquile-con-indice-referencia-doblar-impuestos-extranjeros-que-compren-casas/

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Update on Sanchez’s attempt to silence critics- The judges ask for EU intervention in the face of the judicial reform announced by the PSOE: {Translation}
– The Professional Association of the Judiciary (APM), including the majority of serving judges, has sent letters to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, to ask them to intervene in the judicial reform announced by the PSOE.
– The socialist bill, registered last Friday, proposes to prohibit the exercise of public accusations and court case filings by political parties AND EVEN any associations or foundations that can somehow be linked to them. It also specifies that a criminal process cannot be opened on the basis of news articles in the press alone.
– In a statement, the conservative association of judges warns that if approved, the reform “will severely limit” the investigation of facts related to corruption, which “would favor impunity”, and warns that the ultimate goal is to “prevent and silence” dissent and criticism. Therefore, it is, in the opinion of the APM, a “new attack” on the rule of law, which is why it calls for the intervention of the two mandataries of the European Union. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1857197/los-jueces-piden-la-intervencion-de-la-ue-ante-la-reforma-judicial-anunciada-por-el-psoe/

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Feijóo sees the PSOE law to limit accusations as unconstitutional- “It is more typical of the Franco regime”: {Translation}
– The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo {pic}, has described as “unconstitutional” the law of the PSOE to limit the popular accusations and added that it is a measure “more typical of the Franco regime”. In his opinion, the objective of this law is that the family of the President of the Government is “inviolable” and, therefore, “the open cases against his wife and against his brother” are “nothing”.
– “It goes from those things that Sanchez said ‘I will collaborate with justice’ to say ‘justice for the purposes of my family can not act’. And therefore we are facing a measure more typical, now that it is fashionable, of Maduro’s regime, of Franco’s regime, than of a democratic country,” he said in an interview on Onda Cero that has been picked up by Europa Press.
– When asked if he is comparing this PSOE bill with a Francoist measure, Feijóo reaffirmed his statements, assuring that there is no precedent of “a president of a democratic government taking out a law so that his wife or his brother cannot be judged” and “to interrupt the trials that are being held”. “Of course, in a democratic regime, never,” he proclaimed.
– Feijóo pointed out that when the executive or legislative power interrupts a trial, “it is perfectly comparable to a dictatorial regime” and criticized that “the Begoña Law is a toxic law that is stressing democracy and coexistence in Spain”.
A “PREVENTIVE AMNESTY” IS BEING SOUGHT FOR THE FAMILY OF SÁNCHEZ
– Feijóo has indicated that the legislature began “with a deception” that consisted of “buying the investiture through the amnesty, and therefore breaking the equality of Spaniards before the law”. And now, he continued, “a preventive amnesty is being sought, which is that Mr. Sánchez’s family can never be tried in Spain”.
– “The impunity of Mr. Sanchez’s family is what they are trying to concretize in this organic bill,” he said, to criticize that it is not a bill but a proposal to ‘dispense’ in the processing of the reports of the constitutional bodies.
– After stressing that the PSOE’s initiative is “unconstitutional”, Feijóo criticized that it is intended that journalistic investigations of the media “cannot be a source for filing a lawsuit” and said that in that case there would not have been the ‘Noos case’, the ‘Gal case’ or “the Watergate case with Mr. President Nixon”.
“VERY DANGEROUS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC TICS”.
– After assuring that the Amnesty Law and the Begoña Law “do not have a pass and are laws that go against the basic principles of a democratic country”, the president of the PP has pointed out that there are plenty of reasons to present a motion of censure before the actions of this Government but he has recognized that he lacks the votes. In his opinion, what Spain would need at this moment is “to reset Spanish politics and re-submit to the ballot box the permanent nonsense” in which they live, with a government that “has lied to all Spaniards, which is systematically violating its electoral program and which also has some very dangerous anti-democratic tics”. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-feijoo-ve-inconstitucional-ley-psoe-limitar-acusaciones-medida-mas-propia-regimen-franco-20250113094033.html

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Supreme Court judge implicates Moncloa (Spain’s presidential residence) for illegally leaking confidential court case docs to discredit Madrid mayor Ayuso’s boyfriend:
– The Supreme Court judge Ángel Hurtado {pic} has summoned as investigated the state attorney general, Álvaro García Ortiz, on January 29, and the provincial prosecutor of Madrid, Pilar Rodríguez, on the 30th. The instructor, who is investigating the leak of the files and several confidential emails of Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s partner, considers “the presumed participation of both” accused in the facts. But in addition, the writ of summons brings an important novelty in this cause, and it is that it points to Moncloa as an active actor in the leak of the emails, since it points out that from the Presidency “efforts” were made so that they would end up published in the media.
Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5671804/0/juez-cita-como-investigado-garcia-ortiz-relevante-participacion-filtracion-situacion-fiscal-pareja-ayuso/

ANDALUCÍA

Freezing week in Andalusia- minimum temperatures below zero degrees and snowfall in these provinces: {Translation, summary}
– The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) expects a drop in minimum temperatures this week in Andalusia that could even fall below zero degrees in provinces such as Seville. Likewise, starting on Thursday, the entry of a storm from the Mediterranean may leave snowfall in the provinces of Granada (Sierra Nevada), Jaén (Sierra de Cazorla) and Almería (Alpujarra area of ​​Almeria).
– The coldest day will be Thursday morning, when the weather station at Seville airport is expected to reach -1 degrees. The maximums will remain at the “usual” levels at this time of year, such as the 17 degrees expected in Malaga on Wednesday compared to the four degrees minimum for that day in the province of Malaga. In any case, no rain is expected. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/andalucia/aemet-frio-nieve-andalucia-minimas-20250113144707-nt.html 

MALAGA PROVINCE

The Board criticizes that it was not informed of the transfer of more than 300 migrants to Malaga: {Translation, summary}
– The transfer to Malaga of more than 300 migrants who arrived in the Canary Islands for subsequent distribution to the mainland was made without informing the Junta de Andalucía. This has been announced Monday by the Minister of Presidency, Antonio Sanz {pic}, who responded to questions from the press that “we were not aware” that the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration was going to make this move, focused on reducing the migratory pressure in the archipelago.
– In this way, Sanz has considered that “it is not positive that there is no such prior communication” as it is an issue that concerns both the autonomous communities and the central administration, and before which “maximum coordination” is necessary, since Andalusia has areas of competence such as health, where it has no “ability to plan a response” in this area to a “massive arrival of immigrants not communicated”.
– In this regard, he said that “many of them may come with health situations that require attention”, so he has insisted that “this is not logical”, that we receive no advance notice in order to prepare. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/junta-critica-no-informada-traslado-migrantes-malaga_0_2003134123.html 

FRIGILIANA

Correos opens new office in Frigiliana: {Translation, summary}
– Correos has opened a new office in Frigiliana. It is located at C/ Príncipe de Asturias, 9. This location has been reformed by the Town hall of Frigiliana.
– This Correos has a customer service post with opening hours from 8:30am to 11:00am, from Monday to Friday.
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fbxhdPVk3My6wSro9
Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/correos-abre-nueva-oficina-en-frigiliana/ 

TORRE DEL MAR

Arrested after setting fire to his ex-partner’s apartment with her inside on San Andrés street in Torre del Mar: {Translation, summary}
– A 20-year-old man has been arrested accused of trying to burn down the flat of his ex-partner, 21, in her apartment in Torre del Mar. The events occurred this Sunday, January 12 at about 7:50am on the second floor of a building in San Andres Street. The victim, who lived alone, managed to escape thanks to the help of her neighbors, who alerted her to the fire.
– Before being extinguished, the flames damaged the terrace of the house and partially damaged one of the rooms and two cars located under the balcony. The arsonist surrendered hours later at the National Police Station in Torre del Mar. He is accused of arson with the special circumstance of an alleged crime of gender violence. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/detenido-tras-prender-fuego-el-piso-de-su-expareja-con-ella-dentro-en-la-calle-san-andres-de-torre-del-mar/ 

RINCÓN DE LA VICTORIA

New shade area in the Huerta San Julián in Rincón de la Victoria: {Translation, summary}
– The Rincón de la Victoria City Council continues to create new shaded areas in the municipality. On this occasion, the Department of Parks and Gardens has installed up to 328 square meters of shade in the Parque Huertas Julián, specifically in the bio-healthy area.
– In recent months shady areas have also been installed in playgrounds such as Avenida del Mediterráneo, Plaza de la Constitución and in Plaza Al-Ándalus itself. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/rincon/nueva-zona-sombra-huerta-san-julian-rincon-20250113160113-nt.html 

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Vélez-Málaga will become the capital of manga and video games on January 18 and 19: {Translation, summary}
– The event, organized by the City Council of Velez-Malaga and GO! Events, is held for the first time in January, the previous editions were in summer. This time, the activities will be held in the market of San Francisco, “perfectly enabled to repeat the great summer experiences” and also offers “a bus stop 500 meters from the site and a central location,” said the Councillor for Youth in the City of Velez, Lourdes Piña, who presented the program.
– The mayor has confirmed that “those who buy their ticket on Saturday may attend for free on Sunday”. Tickets are priced at four euros with hours from 11:00 to 20:00.
– “Attendees will be able to enjoy the realization of 80 activities related to the world of manga and geek culture,” explained Piña, to which must be added among the novelties the renewal of the ‘gamer’ area with 14 stands of all new generation game consoles, six classic arcade stands for the nostalgic and three virtual reality stands. The game mode will be free play, with 12 different tournaments of the most popular games. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/velez-malaga/velez-malaga-capital-manga-videojuegos_0_2003136340.html 

ENERGY CRISIS

More than 70% of clients who submit energy claims to the Arbitration Boards win them: {Translation, summary}
– Between the rejection by an electricity or gas supplier of a claim, for example, for incorrect charging of a bill by a customer and going to court, there is an intermediate, extrajudicial, free and more successful route than litigation against the companies, but much less used. These are the Consumer Arbitration Boards, which in 2023 found in favor of the customer in 78% of the cases related to electricity disputes and 74% with gas supply. However, customers who resort to this option do not reach 2%.
– The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has released a report on Monday on the process of alternative dispute resolution between marketers and consumers of electricity and natural gas that finds these two extremes: a high success rate when resorting to one of the 33 Consumer Arbitration Boards and that very few customers do so. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5671875/0/tan-exitosa-marginal-70-clientes-reclamaciones-energia-juntas-arbitrales-gana/

SPORTS

Tennis News- Australian Open- Carlos Alcaraz debuts in Melbourne + other results: {Translation, summary}
– The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz {pic} advanced this Monday to the second round of the Australian Open, the first ‘Grand Slam’ of the season to be played in Melbourne on a hard surface, after decisively defeating the Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko in three sets in his debut (6-1, 7-5, 6-1) and in one hour and 56 minutes of play. In the second round, Carlos Alcaraz will face the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka, world number 65, who defeated the Tunisian Aziz Dougaz in four sets (3-1).
– In addition, the Spanish tennis players Alejandro Davidovich and Roberto Carballés also entered the second round of the Australian Open after beating the Chinese Juncheng Shang, by withdrawal when he already dominated 7-6(1), 5-2, and the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, 23rd seed, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(1), respectively. The Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and the Australian James Duckworth will be his next rivals.
– The other Spaniard in contention during Monday’s day in the men’s individual draw is Martín Landaluce. The young tennis player from Madrid could not debut with victory in his first match in a ‘Grand Slam’, and fell forcefully against the local James McCabe (6-4, 6-3, 6-4) in two hours and eight minutes of play. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/1857339/carlos-alcaraz-debuta-en-melbourne-con-un-triunfo-comodo-ante-el-kazajo-shevchenko/ 

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Last updated Jan 13, 2025, 21:41 UTC

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National Geographic Photo of the Day: Click Here
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Word of the Day: Click Here
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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

2024 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‘ 2024 “, 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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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DigameXtra No. 2926 Monday, January 13th, 2025

 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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*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

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Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee, what would you do without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 119 (2.4%)

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention.

Depending on the fundraiser results at the end of January, I may consider rescinding this rule. With people returning from holidays, enough donations may arrive this month to achieve the goal. Thank you.

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

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Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra! 

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PHOENIX CLUB

Phoenix Club: The Phoenix Social Club is open to all nationalities but the lingua franca is English.
We offer an opportunity to make friends, help each other & share information but primarily to have fun in a friendly and inclusive association. You do not have to be a member to join us on our trips.
Our handmade greetings cards are for sale weekly with all proceeds to the Red Cross.
We meet every Thursday between 12 and 2 pm at Chine in Caleta, just off the coast road to/from Algarrobo.
***Trips/Events***
~ All trips/events include a driver’s gratuity ~
February
– 4th – Trip to Gib €20pp
– 21st – A visit to Estepona Market and Orchid House
March
– 4th – Trip to Gib €20pp
– 21st – Trip to IKEA and Guzmans Garden Centre
For information call Gail on 951067723 / 626370695 (Whatsapp) email phoenixsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk check out our FB page.
We are DigameXtra sponsors and our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section. 

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Family fun at the Botanical Gardens- Malaga:
Guided visits of the gardens with interactive games, puppet shows and craft workshops take place on Sunday 19 and Sunday 26 January between 11am and 2pm. Tickets cost €9 for adults and €6.90 for children up to 16.
La Concepción Jardín Botánico-Historico de Málaga
Camino del Jardín Botánico, 3, 29014 Malaga (8km north of the center of Malaga)
For more information call +34 951926180 or 639914055 (WhatsApp available) or send an email to infojbotanicomalaga@gmail.com 

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Free Concert at the Museum of Malaga: Sun, 26 Jan, noon
Busker String Quartet will perform the Bridgit & Gwydion Trilogy and the Ciorcal Suite. Free entry but get there early (say 11am) to be sure of a seat. Full info: https://www.museosdeandalucia.es/web/… & Video Link


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Live Music from the Killer Rockets: Fri, 24 Jan, 9pm
Hard Rock Cafe- Málaga
Info: https://cafe.hardrock.com/malaga/es/event… & Video Link


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Note: I intentionally double posted the video for testing purposes. -Ed.

Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/

Tap or click map 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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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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HANNINGTONS KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

Hanningtons Kitchens and Bathrooms: We have been installing kitchens and bathrooms here on the Costa for 13 years. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, highest standards of work and customer service.
Whether you are thinking of updating an existing kitchen or bathroom, or whether you wish to create the kitchen or bathroom you have always dreamed of, we are here for you, every step of the way.
With an unrivaled knowledge of the best local materials and suppliers we are able to work to all tastes and budgets.
Our full range of services includes:
– Installations and Refurbs
– Wall & Floor tiling
– Full range of Plumbing work including radiators and underfloor heating
– Solar Installation
– Design & planning ideas to get the look you are after
– Electrical works
– Alter / Install walls, dropped ceilings and hang doors
– Plastering, woodwork and floor levelling
Visit our FB page on the link below to be inspired
https://www.facebook.com/hanningtons.kitchens.and.bathrooms/
Call us : 669 665 156
Email us: hanningtons.bathrooms@gmail.com ; Our contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue. 

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MANDY’S PAINTBOX

Mandy’s Paintbox: Painter for 30 years in Nerja area. 
Painting work undertaken. Inside and outside, large or small. Furniture painted or sprayed. Kitchens, cabinets, wardrobes doors any colour any surface. Check out the before and after photos, all the furniture was spray painted. Call for advice. WhatsApp 680739577
Email: josiahamanda@gmail.com
My contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue. Here are “before” (left) and “after” (right) pics from my latest job.

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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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BluCee Real Estate:
*Are you thinking of selling?*
At BluCee Real Estate we use many different tools to demonstrate and promote our properties. Photographs, videos, drone footage, 360⁰ tours, targeted advertising, property exhibitions to name a few. We don’t sit and wait for buyers, we actively search for them.
Please contact us to find out what we will do to actively promote your property for sale.
We have a few places available on our artwork for our next property exhibition in Manchester. Contact us now to secure a place for YOUR property.
Nearly forgot to mention, our service might sound expensive but we are not! Our sales commissions are very competitive compared to other real estate companies.
Please contact us for a free valuation or more for information:
Website: http://www.blucee.com/ : Email: info@blucee.com 
Whatsapp 0034 711 04 27 27 / Office 0034 951 553 890
Or you can come into our office and speak to us in person at Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar, 29738, Málaga.
We look forward to helping you.
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day. 

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Great Deals From Upcycling Nerja:
– Solid wooden Castilian chest of drawers new bronze handles beige color natural wood ( waxed ) measurements 98 x 36 x 99cms price 160€
– solid pine chest of drawers natural solid wood top. ( waxed ) black handles beige color measurements 83 x 41 x 110cms price 145€
– Castilian writing bureau natural wood ( waxed ) beige color measurements 83 x 40 x 116cms price 225€
contact Jackie/nerja 672170429
upcycling nerja at gmail dot com 

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For Sale, three items:
– Extendable shoe rack, chrome bars within a beech-coloured frame, stands 45cms high and extends from 64cms to 118cms width. In excellent condition, 15€;
– Stepladder. A stepladder with three steps to a platform at 85cms height with a tool tray at the top of the handle frame. 150kg load. 15€
– Versatile Four-Section Ladder system. The central hinge with variable extensions on both sides offers one complete length of 3.8 metres, or various combinations of working heights on level ground and stable use on staircases. 30€
Contact Richard in Caleta de a Vélez on mobile/Whatsapp 617282970 

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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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News & Articles

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

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SPAIN

Dignity & Justice accuses Sanchez of seeking a block on public accusations to benefit his family and friends: {Translation, summary}
– The association Dignity and Justice (DyJ) has accused the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, of “blocking” legitimate public accusations and leaving the victims “without capacity of action”, by the registration of a bill by the PSOE in the Congress that seeks to limit the public accusation so that neither political parties nor associations and foundations linked to them can exercise it.
– “The bill does something perverse: it prohibits associations that are linked to a political party from filing a public accusation, an indeterminate legal concept, since the scope of the word ‘link’ will be left to the interpretation of the judges,” said the president of Dignity and Justice, Daniel Portero {pic}, in a statement, who also assured that “it goes against article 125 of the Constitution”.
– Dignity and Justice insists that Sanchez “is staging a coup d’état and leading the country towards a tyranny” since, after having “controlled” the executive, legislative and Constitutional Court, he now “intends” to control the entire judicial system “through the back door, with the aim of putting an end to the cases that are open against his entourage”.
– Last Friday, in its latest effort to shield the Sanchez clan, the Socialist Parliamentary Group registered in Congress the Organic Law of Guarantee and Protection of Fundamental Rights, which supposedly aims to stop the “abusive judicial actions” and to limit the role of public accusations “to protect fundamental rights such as the right to honor, privacy, political participation and judicial protection”. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1857025/dignidad-y-justicia-acusa-a-sanchez-de-cargarse-las-acusaciones-populares/ 

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Judge Exposes Deceptions By The President’s Brother, he does not even know the functions of the office he manages, an office specially created for him!: {Translation}
– Last Thursday, during her interrogation of David Sánchez {pic}, Beatriz Biedma, the head of the Court of Instruction number 3 of Badajoz, confronted and reproached him for several contradictions between his testimony and the documentation that works in the cause, first reminding him of the reasons for his imputation.
– “There are indications that you have been given a favored treatment both in the creation of the new position specifically for you, but above all, once you have already taken possession of the post, the contract has been adapted not to the needs of the council but to your personal needs,” she reproached him.
– The magistrate also made it clear to Sánchez that the e-mails analyzed by the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard and the declarations of the witnesses evidenced that “there was really no need” to create the job that he ended up occupying.
– Although undoubtedly the most tense moment was when the brother of the President of the Government said in court that he did not remember that he had asked to telework. Biedma then cut him off. “Do you want me to show it to you?” she asked, referring to e-mails that are in the case and that would prove otherwise. Sánchez’s brother then said he “did not remember” that he had written that email.
– Sánchez also hesitated with the simple question of “what is the function of the performing arts office of the Extremadura institution, of which you are the manager?” “Well… let’s see: I understand that it is the office in charge of, of… I don’t know, of the performing arts”, he answered. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/espana/beatriz-biedma-juez-hizo-titubear-hermano-pedro-20250112040245-nt.html 

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Historic ruling of European Justice- families will have to install a system for domestic workers to sign in: {Translation, summary}
– Remember the old days when you hired the local cleaning lady, who maintained your house-cleaning for 1500 or 2000 pesetas paid weekly in cash? That is now illegal.
– The European Justice, in an unprecedented ruling, puts an end to a legal vacuum in Spain that left domestic workers unprotected if they wanted to claim unpaid overtime or prove their actual working time. From now on, domestic employers – mostly families – are obliged to install a system so that these workers can clock in and have a time record of their working day. There are many apps available for this. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/economia/mibolsillo/sentencia-historica-justicia-europea-obliga-familias-tener-sistema-fichar-empleadas-hogar-20250110141313-nt.html 

ANDALUCÍA

New government food payment cards leave nearly 200,000 Andalusians without basic food items (coverage down 72% from 2023), will require some to travel long distances to even use the cards: {Translation, summary}
– The Junta de Andalucía’s fear has been fulfilled. The new system imposed by the central government for families in vulnerable situations to have access to basic food products, through wallet cards, instead of direct food distribution, has left out about 200,000 Andalusians in 2024.
– The last official data, from the central government, estimated that 280,000 Andalusians received these basic foodstuffs with the direct distribution in 2023, before the implementation of these wallet cards, so that if a calculation of four people per family unit is made, the number of Andalusians in vulnerable situations benefited by the new system is only 78,000. In other words, the new system has left out some 200,000 people in vulnerable situations in the region.
– In 2024, a total of only 19,501 Andalusian families (with 4 members each, so 78,000 people), received benefits with the new system, and with that, 17 million of the 18.9 million euros budgeted have been spent. Thus there is a surplus of almost two million euros remaining, yet they have only managed to provide benefits to 78,000 of the 280,000 that previously received them (28%).
– From these statistics we can see the new wallet-card program has been a disgraceful catastrophy for the most vulnerable members of society.
– Another problem is the wallet-cards can only be redeemed in three supermarket chains in Andalusia. The Government has arranged the redemption of these cards with seven supermarket chains of which only three are present in Andalusia. These are Eroski, Carrefour and Alcampo, although these companies are not present in 85% of the Andalusian municipalities and their inhabitants cannot therefore use them. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/espana/andalucia/nuevas-tarjetamonedero-gobierno-deja-alimentos-basicos-cerca-20250110131812-nts_amp.html 

COSTA DEL SOL

Woman accused of spiking desserts with bleach during her last day of work at Costa del Sol hotel:
– The incident allegedly happened at 8.50pm on 31 May 2023, when the hotel’s buffet service was in progress. It is only now reaching the courts, 19 months after the incident.
– Two hotel guests noticed the manoeuvre. According to what they told the police, they women saw how a waitress approached the dessert cabinet and poured a yellowish liquid on the yoghurt and a tray of pineapple. It was bleach.
– National Police managed to identify the employee who allegedly poured the liquid “with the intention of causing serious damage to the establishment through food poisoning”, as it was her last day of work and she found out that her contract was not going to be renewed, according to the police investigation.
– The woman, aged about 50 and with no previous criminal record, will soon sit in the dock to face a possible court sentence of three years in prison, which is the sentence requested for her actions by the Malaga Public Prosecutor’s Office.
– The prosecution’s case also includes another incident that happened five days earlier, specifically on 26 May. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the defendant handled a bottle of milk from the hotel bar and poured bleach into it, although in this case it was intended for the consumption of workers at the hotel.
– No details of the hotel or location were provided.
Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/woman-accused-pouring-bleach-desserts-costa-sol-20250110150853-nt.html 

MALAGA PROVINCE

Álora is still waiting for the aid promised after DANA, two months later- “Not a cent has arrived”: {Translation, summary}
– The mayor denounces the lack of funds to repair the affected rural roads, while the Provincial Council points out the central government for not expanding the declaration of a catastrophic area and the Junta de Andalucía justifies the delay because it required corrections in the aid application and Álora did not. present complete documentation until December 30
– “A critical situation,” is how the mayor of Álora, Francisco Martínez, defines the panorama of the municipality more than two months after the DANA that left hundreds of roads impassable and that, to this day, has not improved significantly. The councilor explains to SUR that still “not a cent has arrived” of the aid promised by provincial, regional and national organizations to repair the 200 kilometers of rural roads that make up this municipality of the Guadalhorce Valley.
– The only institution that has issued a resolution with an aid package has been the Junta de Andalucía, according to the City Council itself. Francisco Martínez explains that the Board confirmed an aid package of around 55,000 euros after the first DANA and approximately 30,000 euros after the second. However, in addition to not having received the funds yet, the mayor emphasizes that the amount is ridiculous: “It is insignificant help, since we have had to spend very close to 500,000 euros in emergencies alone.” Photo: J.J. Portabales. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/interior/alora-sigue-esperando-ayudas-prometidas-tras-dana-20250110191841-nt_amp.html 

TORROX

They resume the remodeling of the central Plaza de la Constitución in Torrox: {Translation, summary}
– The Torrox City Council has resumed, after a first phase and “a brilliant Christmas”, the comprehensive remodeling and improvement of the central Plaza de la Constitución, works that have a €316,000 budget. The works are expected to conclude next month.
– The project consists of a minimally invasive intervention by reorganizing the spaces, renewing and updating the street furniture. Also being carried out is a change of the pavement of the roadway and the semi-pedestrianization of the square, whose spaces will be more open. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/retoman-remodelacion-centrica-plaza-constitucion-torrox-20250112141455-nt_amp.html 

NERJA

The remodeling of Nerja’s Balcón de Europa begins: {Translation, summary}
– The execution period of the works is approximately two months, and the actions have begun with the restoration of the steps of the main door of the parish church of El Salvador, as well as the perimeter pillar that surrounds the Balcón de Europa. These elements will be completely rehabilitated to guarantee their aesthetics, respecting the historical character of the monument, according to the Nerjeño City Council. Likewise, the three circular white marble benches located in the same space will be renovated. Photo: Eugenio Cabezas. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/arranca-remodelacion-buque-insignia-turismo-nerja-balcon-europa-20250112141000-nt_amp.html 

GASTRONOMIA

What did Richard Gere eat in Malaga? This was their menu at Doña Inés: {Translation, summary}
– New details of the visit of Hollywood actor Richard Gere to Malaga. As SUR already advanced, the American was one of the special guests last Thursday at the musical ‘Gipsy’, directed by Antonio Banderas, who accompanied him during his visit. The actor stayed with his wife, the Spanish Alejandra Silva, at the Hotel Miramar and was later seen dining at the restaurant Doña Inés, belonging to the Tercer Acto group, which has other establishments in the capital, and to which Antonio Banderas belongs. And what was it that the actor tasted with the Malaga native?
This was the menu:
-Grilled artichokes on creamy potato soup.
-Grilled vegetables
-Cheese assortment
-Creole chorizo sausage
-Grilled leeks, with romescu (a vibrant red pepper and roasted tomato sauce that originated in Catalonia, typically served with fish)
-Chicken cannelloni
-T- bone of matured wagyu
-Rice pudding dessert, which is Antonio Banderas’ favorite.
Source & photo, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sociedad/comio-richard-gere-malaga-menu-dona-ines-20250111172116-nt.html 

HEALTH

This is the deadline to apply for a place in the Imserso Thermalism Program: {Translation}
– Are you an Imserso qualified pensioner and want to receive treatment in one of the many spas in Spain? There is still time. The Imserso keeps open the deadline to apply for a place in its Thermalism Program, specifically, for the second shift that corresponds to the months of September to December 2025. Applications can be submitted until May 15 of this year.
– People applying for a place must be able to carry out basic activities of daily living on their own and must prove that they need the thermal treatments offered in the program. Finally, they must reach the qualification score that allows them to access to one of the spas and shifts requested.
*Services Provided*
– The beneficiaries of the Thermalism Program will be lodged in double rooms of shared use, or with a partner, with full pension. Applicants may be accompanied by their spouse, common-law partner or the person with whom they maintain a stable and cohabitating union, analogous to the conjugal one, without the need for them to meet the required conditions.
– The transport to and from the spas is not included.
– The thermal treatments include an insurance policy, a medical examination upon entering the spa, the thermal treatment prescribed by the medical staff of the spa, medical follow-up, and leisure and free time activities offered free of charge by the spa.
– The applications, together with the responsible declaration that thermal treatment is required, can be submitted telemetrically through the Imserso’s website. The access to the request of this procedure does not require electronic authentication (Cl@ve, electronic certificate or electronic ID) on the part of the interested person.
– It can also be done by downloading the application form, printing it and once completed send it in a stamped envelope, not by registered mail, to the address: Programa de Termalismo del Imserso, apartado de correos 61.285, 28080 Madrid. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/economia/mibolsillo/fecha-limite-solicitar-plaza-programa-termalismo-imserso-20250110135829-nt.html 

OTHER

Saber Rattling From The South American Communist Alliance- Maduro assures that Venezuela is preparing with Cuba and Nicaragua to “take up arms” and “defend sovereignty”: {Translation, summary}
– “Venezuela is preparing together with Cuba, together with Nicaragua, together with our older brothers in the world for if one day we have to take up arms to defend the right to peace, the right to sovereignty and the historical rights of our homeland,” newly elected president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said at the closing of the International Anti-Fascist World Festival, convened by Chavismo.
– In this sense, the president, who took power on Friday surrounded by controversy after the elections of July 28, in which the opposition denounced fraud in the vote count and claimed victory, has said that “if it is for the good times, we will advance, and if it is the bad times, we will also defeat them so that they respect. “We are not lukewarm leaders, we are the Bolivarian revolution of the 21st century, let no one make a mistake with Venezuela, let no one make a mistake with us,” he stated.
– He has also insisted that “if that were the case” they would confront “fascism with weapons in hand and with armed struggle.” Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/internacional/noticia-maduro-asegura-venezuela-prepara-cuba-nicaragua-tomar-armas-defender-soberania-20250112023257.html 

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India set for Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest gathering of humanity:
– A six-week Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival begins in India on Monday, a Hindu sacred event that will be the world’s largest gathering of humanity as it showcases religion, spirituality, tourism and crowd management.
– More than 400 million people are expected in the northern city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state over the course of six weeks to take a holy dip at the confluence of three sacred rivers – the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-set-maha-kumbh-mela-worlds-largest-gathering-humanity-2025-01-12/ & Video Link

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Humour 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

Last updated Jan 12, 2025, 20:20 UTC

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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

2024 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‘ 2024 “, 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/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X. 

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DigameXtra No. 2925 WEEKEND EDITION Friday, January 10th, 2025

 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.

SUBMISSIONS INFO & RULES PAGE LINK

*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed. 

*By making a submission you are indicating you have read and agree to follow the rules. RULES PAGE LINK: https://digamextra.com/about/

*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER

 I can only produce DigameXtra with the financial support of my readers. Once a year, during the year end holidays, I do a fundraiser to help pay production expenses throughout the whole year. This year’s goal is to receive a donation from 4% of subscribers. The 4% Club finances DigameXtra for the 96% group that don’t donate. Which group will you belong to? The generosity of the 4% Club members is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! 

Just like your morning coffee,
what would you do
without your morning DigameXtra?

– Holiday Donation Info, 2 Methods –
#1. You may drop cash donations off in person and say hello, by appointment, or place them in my mailbox beside my door anytime. Please be sure to include your name on the envelope- there are benefits to being on the DigameXtra Donor’s lists, such as not needing to open an issue every 2 weeks to maintain your posting privileges, but only if you donate at least €30. Due to health reasons, unannounced drop-ins are inconvenient for me. But if I am expecting you, no problem! My mailbox has the name HARRIS on it. Email me for map and directions. Cash donations are strongly preferred. 
#2. Alternatively, you may send me an Amazon ES (Spain) “eGift card” by email. You need to have an Amazon.es account. The only info you need is my email address and your name (the sender’s name). Remember, this is an “eGift card” you buy that Amazon emails directly to me, don’t buy a plain “gift card”. Use the link provided below to access the “eGift card” purchase page. 
PLEASE DO NOT SEND AMAZON UK eGIFT CARDS. NO BANK TRANSFERS OR PAYMENT APPS.
Here is the Amazon.es eGift Card Link, (NOTE: YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY AMOUNT YOU LIKE ON THE FORM, it is set at €50 by default):
https://www.amazon.es/Cheques-Regalo-Amazon-es-mail-Amazon/dp/B07SS5PFJK/
On the eGift card purchase form, enter the DigameXtra email as the recipient, as shown below in Spanish and with English translation.
Para/For : digamextra@protonmail.com

Total Donations Received As Of Today: 115 (2.3%)

4% target = 200 donations

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IMPORTANT FUNFRAISER UPDATE: 8 Jan

New Submission Rule Goes Into Effect

So far, 115 of the 4946 subscribers (2.3%) have donated to the 2024 Holiday Fundraiser. Therefore, I have extended the fundraiser for another month. If you want DigameXtra to continue in its current form, free to read and subscribe, you must help support it! 

Due to the weak response to the 2024 Holiday Fundraiser, in an effort to stimulate more donations, I am instituting a rules change. I regret this is necessary. However, to continue providing a quality publication to the loyal DigameXtra supporters, I must now cut back on services provided to those who choose not to support this project. This will allow me to focus on new features, more high quality content, attracting new readers and sponsors, and providing better support services to my supporters and sponsors. There are some subscribers selling thousands of euros in merch per year who never donate. Others, managing businesses and service organizations, with monthly budgets of several thousands of euros, ask me to promote their events & services, yet decline to sponsor for only €5 per week. Sorry, after 7 years of editing 8 hours a day, and considering the current financial state of affairs, that cannot continue. This is the only solution I could come up with. If the goal of 200 donations is achieved by the end of January I will rescind this new rule. Let’s hope that is the case. -Ed.

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 – the donors and sponsors that pay the production expenses – that require my attention. Thank you.

I asked most of the 40 donors who stopped by to see me if they thought this rule change was appropriate. All of them agreed it was, and most suggested I should move to a paid subscription model as well. Some expressed indignation that about one hundred donors are funding the operation so 4800 subscribers can have a free ride. Well,  I am not ready to take the leap to requiring paid subscriptions, but that is the trend now for daily Internet blog newsletters. These typically only show a sample of the content for free. To see the entire issue in these, you must have a paid subscription, as on the popular blogging website, Substack. -Ed.

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

Editor’s Note 9Jan25: I’ll be removing most of these annoying announcements next week. I don’t like them any more than you do, but it has been effective in motivating the stragglers to get their donations in.

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What’s On

Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra! 

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41 CLUB NERJA

41 Club Nerja Going From Strength to Strength:
– 41 Club Nerja is delighted to report that we really are going from strength to strength, our membership continues to grow and our doors are open for more new members to join our vibrant Club.
– Do you remember in your local communities all the events that the Round Table and 41 Club organised? Yes! that’s us!
– Do you love getting out and about in our beautiful Axarquia area and also like the idea of being with people who enjoy life and help the local community too? Well, that’s also us! So please come along, meet us, see how we do things, and you don’t even need to have been a member previously.
– We enjoy a wide variety of exciting activities, interesting meetings and tasty meals in many of the lovely restaurants we have in our local area. Our get togethers are attended by our members (who hail from nine different countries) as well as our partners, guests, friends and family too. We’re a very friendly bunch.
To get in touch you can
Email us: steve.ryan.sr56@gmail.com
Phone Steve on 0044 7546 402770
You can connect with 41 Club Nerja via Facebook.
Or visit our website to find out more at: https://41clubnerja.org/ 
We’d love to hear from you and we’d also love for you to come along and join in the fun!

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‘Take Your Pet To The Museum’ Day: Saturday, 18 Jan.
Vélez-Málaga
Under the label ‘Al Museo con sus mascotas’ this has the aim of encouraging the attendance of residents and visitors accompanied by their pets. Throughout the day, attendees and their pets may explore the Francisco Hernández Contemporary Art Center (CAC), Museum of the City of Vélez-Málaga (MUVEL), Holy Week Museum and Cervantes Room, all environments enabled for the occasion. Pet owners must come with the necessary hygienic material to care for the animals. This event coincides with the celebration of the Day of San Antón, patron saint of animals.

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Concert- Pianist Muñoz Cañivano presents the recital ‘Europe: From Bach to Ravel’: Caja Rural Granada Auditorium, Av. Don Bosco 2, 18006, Granada
Saturday, January 18 at 8:00 p.m. with free admission until capacity reached.
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ejdu7uAKssJHgst57
Ref: https://www.europapress.es/andalucia/noticia… 

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Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/

Tap or click map 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 

NOTE: YOU MAY ADDITIONALLY INCLUDE A LOCATION TO MEET OR PICKUP, BUT YOUR LOCATION IS REQUIRED IN ANY CASE. Including only the statement "for collection from..." is NOT sufficient!

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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 & BarTorrox 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.

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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, 2 items:
– Ladies snow boots size UK 7 / EU 41. Leather upper, faux fur inner. Hardly worn and excellent condition. €30.
– Ladies Desigual sneakers size UK 4 / EU 37. Faux leather with sparkles and gold laces. Worn only once as a gift & wrong size. €15.
Contact Sam, Viñuela at Sam.seabrook70@gmail.com 

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For Sale: Used CB radio. Aldrecht ae4300 cb radio 10€
Chris, canillas de albaida
ctx2e@hotmail.com

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For Sale: New Lenovo Laptop, €320
Many people tell me they only need a simple laptop, all they do is emails, banking, social media and chat apps. Maybe stream some video. Well, here it is. This is a basic laptop with entry level specs, but at a very reasonable price for a major brand. This unit is not designed to store large media collections. 
– Lenovo V15 G2 laptop with Windows 11 Pro (UK English)
15.6″ FHD display, 8Gb ram, 256Gb M.2 SSD
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500 (1.1 – 2.8GHz)
Full size Spanish keyboard. Very low power consumption. Fully set up, updated and ready to use. 2 year factory warranty.
Naythan, Torrox Costa
Email: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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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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News & Articles

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

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AXARQUÍA

Environmentalists raise concerns over rubbish tip in Periana:
– Environmental lobby group Gabinete de Estudios de la Naturaleza (GENA)-Ecologistas en Acción has reported to Periana town hall in the Axarquía, on the eastern side of Malaga province, “An important uncontrolled dump that has been forming for some time in the vicinity of the town, with serious potential consequences for people’s health and environmental quality.” According to a press release, the environmentalists have been “observing that in the area around Periana there are numerous uncontrolled dumping points for all kinds of waste, not only rubble, but also furniture, electronic equipment, plastic objects, cardboard, glass, etc”.
– Yus, spokesman for GENA, went on to say that residents consider the dump to be a ‘punto limpio’ (official municipal dump): “From what the residents tell us, this place is considered a ‘punto limpio’ and therefore it is common knowledge that it is a place authorised or consented by Periana town hall for the dumping of rubbish that does not enter the street containers,” said GENA in their statement. However, according to the environmental group, “It is noted that in no way can this place be considered a ‘punto limpio’ as the rubbish is not sorted, the floor has not been waterproofed, nor is it fenced, nor does it have a guard or opening hours, basic requirements to be considered a real punto limpio.” Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/environmentalists-raise-concerns-over-rubbish-tip-malaga-20250108125834-nt.html 

TORROX

PP presents a motion to Torrox plenary session urging the Government of Spain to build A7 Autovía on & off ramps in El Morche: {Translation, summary}
– The municipal group of the Popular Party in the City Council of Torrox will present a motion in the regular plenary session this January urging the Government of Spain to build on & off ramps from the A7 highway where it passes El Morche. The municipal spokesman of the popular Torroxeños, José Manuel Fernández, says that “this exit of the highway has already been put on the table as an urgent need.” Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/el-pp-presenta…

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Vélez-Málaga, Benamargosa, Comares and Cútar demand more aid to address the damage in the countryside caused by DANA: {Translation, summary}
– The municipalities affected by the flooding of the river Benamargosa during the DANA of mid-November are united to claim more aid to the administrations, to address mainly the damage in the field. In the City Council of Veléz-Málaga a meeting was held Thursday attended by the alderman veleño, Jesus Lupiñez, and the mayors of Benamargosa, Salvador Arcas, Comares, José Miguel Ruiz, and Cútar, Francisco Javier Ruiz.
– For its part, the City Council of Benamargosa has estimated at more than two million euros the damage suffered by the public infrastructure of the municipality. To this must be added fifty homes and businesses affected by the flooding of the Benamargosa river, about twenty vehicles and, most importantly, the damage to the countryside, which has taken the brunt of the storm. For the moment they have only received an aid of 25,000 euros from the Junta de Andalucía.
– The mayor of Benamargosa, Salvador Arcas, has indicated in Cadena SER Axarquia that “there are many things to solve with farmers and the idea is to unite the four municipalities to make more pressure and to listen to us more”. “It is true that there is much to solve. Not only farmers, also within the town in real estate, houses or homes. But it is true that 80% of the damage has been in the countryside,” explained Arcas. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/velez-malaga…

COSTA DEL SOL

Government rushes with the coastal train in Malaga- these are the deadlines for the study and details of the route: {Translation}
– The next milestone will take barely a month. Consultancy firms interested in winning the juicy contract will have until 3 p.m. on February 10 to submit their budgets and possible improvements. And on March 5 the envelope containing the financial offer will be opened. From then on, three months to study the bids and choose the winning studio, which will have to start work in June at the latest.
– This appears on the last page of the specifications, in the “estimated chronogram” of the work, where the ministerial technicians have established three phases. According to this timetable, the first key milestone of the feasibility study will take place in the final part of Phase I, whereby in January 2026, that is, in exactly one year’s time, the “initial study of alternatives” will be known.
– It refers to the route, that is, where physically, and in what form (suburban, high performance or a mix) could be made the platform for the railroad tracks from Nerja to Malaga, and from there to Marbella, Estepona and Algeciras. The forecast coincides with the announcement made by the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, last December, when he said: “In one year we hope to have cleared the coastal train route”. The initial idea of the ministerial technicians is to take it, whenever possible, through the “zone of affection” of the A-7, which is a reserved space that the highway has on both sides.
– Plan Ready in November 2026? According to the aforementioned scheme of work, the first phase consists of collecting data to define the current situation of the network, which may be affected by the new rail corridor. The technical background and studies previously carried out will be compiled, as well as all the basic starting data (infrastructure, demand, cartography, geology and geotechnics, planning, environment, etc.). At the end of this, general conditioning and carrying capacity plans will be provided, and will culminate with an initial study of alternatives.
– Where will the future stations be located? The tender specifications for the feasibility study of the coastal train already highlights a number of points on the Costa del Sol, the capital and Axarquia where there should be a station. Thus, in the western area of the action, these will have to go to Malaga airport, Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva, San Roque and Algeciras. Meanwhile, in the eastern area, two stops are proposed in the capital city of Malaga: Plaza de la Marina and Malaga East (possible locations in Pedregalejo or El Palo are already suggested); as well as in Rincon de la Victoria, Torre del Mar (Velez-Malaga) and Nerja.
– The second phase includes a more detailed analysis of the alternatives in the different sections into which the action has been divided (five in total). The areas and operating scenarios of the proposed alternatives, as well as travel times, demand and profitability, will also be studied in depth. Phase III includes quality control and support formalities, and will be carried out in parallel to the previous two phases. The feasibility study should be ready for final approval in November 2026, with a conclusions document and a summary format for public presentation. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga/gobierno-mete-prisas-tren-litoral-malaga-plazos-20250108120000-nt_amp.html

RINCÓN DE LA VICTORIA

Rincón de la Victoria already has five wells ready for future drought restrictions: {Translation, summary}
– Faced with the probability of future droughts, the local Rinconera Administration, in February 2024, launched the procedure to reserve the connection of 5 municipal cisterns to the low network, which is distributed to homes already in the urban area.
– Together, these resources would contribute up to about 45 liters per second, according to municipal calculations. They are the ‘Camello’ cisterns, with 9 liters per second; ‘La Corta’ and ‘8x’, with 5.5; ‘7x’, with 10, and ‘Locea’, with 15.
– Sergio Díaz, a municipal official, recalls that the rain that recently received, although beneficial, may not be enough to prevent the flow assigned to Rincón de la Victoria from being reduced again. With this new approach, municipal wells can provide emergency support to the water supply when needed. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/rincon/rincon-victoria-cinco-pozos-listos-ante-futuras-20250108001654-nt.html 

UK

The British Monarchy Will Get a Huge Pay Increase This Year:
– The Sovereign Grant, the amount paid to the monarchy by the UK’s Treasury, is increasing by £45 million to £132 million this year in a move that looks set to see royal finances spark more debate. Campaigners have described the rise as “scandalous” at a time when the UK government is struggling to find money for other things.
– When the increase was announced last year, Buckingham Palace made it clear that much of the additional money would be put towards the £369 million fixed cost of the Buckingham Palace renovations. However, they declined to say specifically how much of next year’s £132 million would be allocated towards the construction work. Full article: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a63330811/british-royal-family-money-finances-2025/ 

HEALTH

The Clinical Hospital of Malaga, overwhelmed by respiratory viruses- some patients wait “more than 60 hours” in the emergency room: {Translation}
– As is usually the case, respiratory viruses such as the flu shoot up during the Christmas season due to the gatherings and the low temperatures of the season. That is why in recent weeks there has been a peak of cases of these viruses that are putting in check the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria (El Clínico) in Malaga. This means that some patients are having to wait “more than 60 hours for a bed”, according to the Nursing Union (Satse).
– According to epidemiological data, the respiratory syncytial virus is the one causing most hospital admissions: it has a hospitalization rate of 4.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while that of influenza stands at 2 and that of covid at 0. As a result, Malaga has already entered the second of the three phases of the High Frequency Plan, according to Malaga Hoy.
– Malaga takes this decision taking into account the situation in the country. According to the latest data published Thursday by the Carlos III Health Institute, the flu rate has increased significantly this past week: the hospitalization rate has gone from 2.5 cases last week to 4.7, a figure significantly higher than that of the Andalusian province.
– Despite the situation, experts downplay the stress. “Family gatherings are always an area of transmission and, added to the cold, cause what happens every year; a lot of flu and respiratory syncytial virus. It is nothing different from other years,” explains José Luis Velasco, head of Pneumology at the Hospital Clínico.
– Some professionals, however, have assured that the situation is complicated in the hospital due to the shortage of staff. So much so that Satse has specified that, throughout Thursday morning, up to 70 patients were waiting for an available bed to be admitted. They have even detailed that there were four patients from the Stroke Unit who could not be transferred to the ward “due to the saturation of the hospital”, as confirmed by the same source. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5670971/0/hospital-malaga-desbordado-virus/

SPANISH ROYALS

Princess of Asturias climbs the mast of the ‘Juan Sebastián Elcano’ on her second day on board: {Translation, summary}
– This Thursday, the Princess of Asturias climbed the mast of the training ship ‘Juan Sebastián Elcano’ on which she embarked this Wednesday and on which on Saturday she will begin the training cruise that will take her to visit eight Spanish countries and ports in the next six months.
– The heir to the Crown has participated in the mast-climbing exercise along with the rest of the 76 midshipmen who, with her, will carry out the cruise with which they will complete their naval training. This is done with the new arrivals while the ship is moored and stable; this climb is very different when the ship is in open waters, swaying from side to side. In photos you can see Princess Leonor wearing a navy blue tracksuit from the Navy and sports shoes ascending the climbing ropes of one of the sailboat’s masts, also provided with a safety harness. The exercise is part of the different seafaring instruction and maneuver activities carried out by all the midshipmen on board before the training ship leaves the port of Cádiz on Saturday, an event that will be presided over by King Felipe VI and King Letizia. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-princesa-asturias-sube-mastil-juan-sebastian-elcano-segundo-dia-bordo-20250109175153.html

CULTURE

Paul ‘El Punky’, legend of Torremolinos nightlife, dies: {Translation, summary}
– The nightlife of Torremolinos will shine a little less from today due to the death of Paul ‘El Punky’, born in 1950, a true myth of the nights of the Costa del Sol and one of the most beloved characters of the alternative music scene. His popularity was so great that even Danza Invisible dedicated a song to him.
– DJ and owner of several bars in the town during the 1980s, Paul was one of the first to introduce punk music to the Costa del Sol. Full article: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga/muere-paul-punky-mito-vida-nocturna-torremolinos-20250109140644-nt.html 

CANCEL CULTURE

Epic Cancel Culture Fail In Malaga- The famous model Luisa Kremleva is convicted for falsely accusing footballer Theo Hernández of rape: {Translation, summary}
– The Criminal Court number 11 of Malaga has sentenced to six months in prison the celebrity and model, Luisa Kremleva, who falsely accused the famous footballer Theo Hernandez of sexual assault, for which he was acquitted without charge at the time.
– In addition to the prison sentence, the model has been sentenced for a crime of false accusation and denunciation to six months of fine of 1,800 euros.
– The accused has agreed after recognizing the facts related in the prosecutor’s indictment and the sentence allows the suspension of the execution of the sentence of six months for a period of two years conditioned on not committing a crime during the fixed period of suspension.
Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/deportes/noticia/5670823/0/condenada-famosa-modelo-luisa-kremleva-por-acusar-falsamente-violacion-theo-hernandez/ & Video Link 

OTHER

The possibility of riding in the opposite direction and other changes in the DGT’s regulations for cyclists: {Translation, summary}
– The Directorate General of Traffic has announced several changes in the General Traffic Regulations as of 2025. One of the most striking changes is that cyclists will be able to circulate in both directions, from either side of the road, but only on single lane streets with a 30 km/h limit. Most dedicated bike paths beside major roads are already marked for travel in both directions.
– City Rules- Another significant change is that cyclists will be able to overtake motor vehicles on the right or left on congested urban stretches. In cities, bikes must ride in the designated bike lanes; however, in cases where there are no dedicated bike lane, BIKES MAY RIDE IN THE CENTER OF THE ROAD to be treated as any other vehicle, with the bike having no obligation to move aside to allow you to squeeze by in the single lane, you will pass it like it was an automobile, when a passing lane is available. Additionally, at night or in poor light conditions, the use of approved reflective elements that can be seen at a distance of at least 150 meters will be mandatory.
– As for the obligation of other vehicles, they must maintain at least a safety distance of 1.5 meters from a cyclist when riding on the road. In addition, on the road, anyone overtaking a cyclist must do so at a maximum of 20 km/h below the speed limit applicable to the stretch of road on which he/she is riding and leave a minimum lateral separation of 1.5 meters. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sociedad/posibibilidad-circular-sentido-contrario-cambios-normativa-ciclistas-20250108233055-nt.html 

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CHURCHES & WORSHIP

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

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NEW LIFE CHURCH

New Life Church:
– Sunday Service:
Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us on Sundays at 11.00am. Join us for a time of Holy Spirit led worship and experience the presence of our God. Our teaching is Bible based as we honour God and obey His Word. During this time of uncertainty, God’s Word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness. Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards.
– Prayer Meeting:
You are also welcome to join our prayer meetings on Wednesday mornings at 11.00am for 1 hour, where we meet for prayer and worship.
– Jesus said: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:6)
Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780. Directions: Click Here
Email: info@nlcnerja.com
Website: www.nlcnerja.com ; Facebook 

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El Puente Christian Fellowship (Vélez-Málaga): We are a friendly, multi-national, Bible believing community of Christ. We meet each Sunday at 11am to worship the Lord. We enjoy a time of worship with contemporary songs and traditional hymns, and a message brought to us by our Pastor, one of our members or a visiting speaker.
The church meeting hall is situated at: Res: El Olivar 5, 8 Bajo 1, Calle Arbequin, Velez Malaga 29700.
Full directions and further information can be found on our Facebook page, or you can contact us by email on elpuentechristianfellowship@gmail.com or by phone on 665626342.
For those who cannot join us in person, we aim to stream Sunday services via the Facebook page (subject to a good internet connection).

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Cornerstone International Church- Torre del Mar:
For English speakers. Sundays at 11:30 am.
Calle Solera 2, Local 2. In front of the Torre del Mar bus station.
634540519 / romyandalucia@gmail.com

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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 Section

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

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Last updated Jan 9, 2025, 21:01 UTC

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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

2024 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‘ 2024 “, 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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